Exploring TDD’s Role in Software Quality Assurance
Understand how test-driven development enhances software quality assurance by automating feature and regression testing. Learn its benefits and limits compared to manual testing, and how TDD integrates with broader test strategies to maintain code correctness and improve testing efficiency.
In this lesson, we’ll take a critical look at what TDD has brought to the testing table, and what remains human activities. While TDD undoubtedly has advantages as part of a test strategy, it can never be the entire strategy for a successful software system.
Understanding the limits of TDD
TDD is a relatively recent discipline as far as mainstream development goes. The modern genesis of TDD lies with Kent Beck in the Chrysler Comprehensive Compensation System. The project began in 1993, and Kent Beck’s involvement commenced in 1996.
The genesis of TDD
The Chrysler Comprehensive Compensation project was characterized by extensive use of unit tests driving small iterations and frequent releases of code. Hopefully, we recognize those ideas from the preceding chapters in this course. Much has changed since then—the deployment options are different, the number of users has increased, and agile approaches are more common—but the goals of testing remain the same. Those goals are to drive ...