implementation

To enforce test-driven development from a task plan, fetch the task plan, draft acceptance tests before coding, then follow the RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle. This ensures early verification and traceability between tests, specifications, and implementation.

The RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle in test-driven development involves writing failing acceptance tests first, implementing code to pass those tests, and refactoring the codebase. This discipline validates design and catches software defects early.

Traceability between acceptance tests and CI pipelines is maintained by driving development from explicit task plans with defined acceptance criteria. This task-plan driven workflow ensures tests, specifications, and implementation remain aligned throughout the development process.

A test-first workflow requires explicit task plans with defined acceptance criteria to establish traceability. Without these prerequisites, the test-driven development process cannot effectively verify requirements or maintain alignment between tests and implementation.

The best way to onboard new contributors to a TDD process is codifying the standard test-first workflow and project governance standards. This accelerates onboarding by enforcing consistent RED-GREEN-REFACTOR discipline driven from verified task plans.

You do not strictly need a CI pipeline to start writing tests before implementation code, but it supports the task-plan driven workflow. CI pipelines help maintain test traceability and verify acceptance criteria throughout the software development lifecycle.