test-driven-development

Test-driven development improves software quality by enforcing a test-first cycle where failing tests are written before production code, ensuring implementation aligns with intent and preventing regressions.

The red-green-refactor cycle in TDD guides development by first writing a failing test (red), implementing minimal code to pass it (green), and then refactoring safely to improve maintainability.

To start test-first development, write a failing test defining the next feature's expected behavior, then implement only enough production code to make that specific test pass.

Yes, test-driven development applies to bug fixes and refactoring by guiding teams through incremental red-green-refactor cycles, ensuring changes are safely verified by failing tests before implementation.

You should avoid test-first development when exploring rapid prototypes where intent is unclear, as it requires defined success criteria to write failing tests before any production code exists.

Writing minimal production code in TDD ensures the implementation strictly aligns with test intent, prevents over-engineering, and maintains safety through incremental, repeatable development cycles.