test-driven-development

Test-driven development is a test-first design practice where you write a failing test, implement minimal production code to pass it, and then refactor. This red-green-refactor cycle enforces automated verification and drives code quality before behavioral changes are merged.

To write failing unit tests first, create a small test describing the expected behavior, run the test suite to observe the failure, implement the minimal code to satisfy the test, and then refactor for readability and reliability while confirming the tests still pass.

Yes, you can apply test-first design across any language or framework. This language-agnostic workflow supports feature development, bug fixes, refactors, and behavioral changes, allowing you to incrementally adopt automated testing and red-green-refactor practices in any project.

You should use TDD for bug fixes and refactoring whenever you need behavioral guarantees and safe code changes. By requiring failing tests before coding, TDD ensures changes are verified by automated tests, reducing bugs and improving design clarity during refactors.

No, test-driven development does not require specific testing frameworks or dependencies. It is a language-agnostic workflow discipline that applies test-first design and automated verification principles to any existing project environment or testing setup.