Introduction to test-driven development (TDD)

Test-driven development (TDD) is a software development approach where tests are written before the implementation code. The development process revolves around an iterative cycle of writing a failing test, implementing the code to make the test pass, and then refactoring the code.

Some of the benefits of test-driven development are the following:

  • Improved code quality: TDD encourages developers to write focused and specific tests, leading to more robust and reliable code.

  • Faster feedback loop: By writing tests first, developers quickly receive feedback on their code’s correctness and can detect issues early.

  • Increased test coverage: TDD promotes writing tests for all code paths, resulting in comprehensive test coverage.

  • Better design and modularity: Writing tests upfront forces developers to think about the code’s design, resulting in cleaner and more modular architectures.

  • Code maintainability: TDD promotes writing testable code, making it easier to maintain and refactor code over time.

The red-green-refactor cycle

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