There is a well-known saying. ” Hindsight is 20/20″. Today, I’m pondering three things that I regret or wish I could have done better in my time as a Junior MuleSoft Developer. This is the 2nd installment of a series designed for aspiring MuleSoft Developers.
Make MUnit Tests
There’s a little secret I’m hiding, and I’m not very proud of it. As a Mule 3 developer, I seldom wrote MUnit tests. The only time I began creating using Mule 4 was that I began to frequently integrate MUnit tests into my code. It’s funny to realize that I’m not the only one. Two months ago, on LinkedIn, I posted a question to my MuleSoft colleagues, MuleSoft architects and developers, “How do you test your Mule APIs?
Based on those results, 88 percent of MuleSoft architects and developers used MUnit or a combination of Manual testing with MUnit. A further 12% utilized a different software to test unit tests or conducted manual testing. For those who would like to watch the video, please check MuleSoft Tutorial for Beginners.
Why is the writing of MUnit tests vital?
Writing tests using MUnit in conjunction together with Mule code is the best method. It is not just a tool to serve as a unit-testing framework; it also allows test cases written in MUnit to be integrated into your CI/CD pipeline to be integrated tests. It is possible to configure your pipeline to stop deployments when one test case in your MUnit test cases fails.
If I had the chance to repeat the process, I would make myself right from the beginning to the end of the Mule 4 Training course of my career to finish MUnit test cases before submitting my code.
The Practice DataWeave
Being from a Mule 3 development mindset, I was accustomed to transformations applied using numerous transformers and tools, including DataWeave. Mule 3 offered developers the choice of using multiple transformers, Mule Expression Language (MEL), and DataWeave 1.0.
What makes DataWeave so important?
Although I was aware DataWeave was a powerful language, I believed that DataWeave was merely a transformation language. But guess what? With Mule 4, our friends at MuleSoft eliminated the transformers and MEL and replaced them with DataWeave 2.0. More than just a transform language, DataWeave 2.0 enhanced features of the DataWeave 1.0 and was promoted to be a functional language on its own. This meant that I’d need to develop my DataWeave proficiency.
Some integrations go over and above the drag and drop feature and require you to learn the language. Actually, I find creating DataWeave programs to be an activity that I devote much time to working on. Therefore, I suggest that new and aspiring MuleSoft developers take the time to learn DataWeave. Its drag-and-drop interface can be a great start, but in the future, your client or employer will offer intermediate to more complicated transformation needs.
Find Integration Patterns
As an engineer working in software invests time studying design patterns, you should also invest time understanding integration patterns for integration.
Why is understanding patterns of integration important?
Integration Patterns are integration patterns (or blueprints) that have been shown to work in the market and are considered best practices. Knowing these patterns can assist in building complicated integrations. I suggest reading the Enterprise Integration Patterns: Planning, Building, and Implementing messaging Solutions from GregorHohpe and Bobby Woof.
Conclusion
Three areas I would like to have learned more about when I was a Junior MuleSoft developer. Are you a new developer? Do you have any subjects you’re interested in learning about? Senior architects and developers, Have you come across any MuleSoft topics you would like you’d been taught earlier?
