Following TDD

Test-driven development improves code quality by following the Red-Green-Refactor-Commit cycle: write a failing test first, implement minimal code to pass it, refactor for quality, then commit atomically. This ensures every feature is testable, maintainable, and well-designed from the start.

Start by writing failing tests that define your requirements, then implement minimal code to pass those tests. After the code works, refactor for quality and linting, then commit with a descriptive message. Repeat this cycle for each feature to maintain incremental progress and code discipline.

Writing tests first ensures your code is testable, catches design issues early, and documents requirements clearly. Test-first development forces you to think through requirements upfront, prevents over-engineering, and guarantees working code at each stage of development.

Yes, TDD scales across teams and projects of any size. It enforces test-first workflows, incremental changes, and disciplined commit practices universally. The Red-Green-Refactor-Commit cycle provides a consistent methodology for any codebase requiring automated testing and quality standards.

You need a test harness and test suite set up for your language or framework, a policy to write failing tests before code, and a workflow that includes linting after refactoring and atomic commits with descriptive messages. These prerequisites enable the full Red-Green-Refactor-Commit cycle.

Refactoring is the third phase of the TDD cycle: after tests pass, you improve code quality through linting and cleanup without changing behavior. Tests verify that refactoring doesn't break functionality, ensuring safe code improvements and maintaining the discipline of the development process.