test-driven-development

Test-driven development is a workflow where you write a failing test first, implement minimal production code to make it pass, and then refactor. This red-green-refactor cycle ensures software correctness from the start of feature development.

To start test-first development, write a failing unit test for a specific new behavior, then implement only enough production code to make that test pass, and finally refactor the code while keeping the test green.

Yes, test-driven development applies directly to bug fixes and refactoring. You write a failing test that reproduces the bug or verifies the new structure, then adjust the production code to make the test pass.

Common test-driven development anti-patterns include writing too much production code before testing or skipping the refactor phase. Awareness of these pitfalls helps maintain strict red-green-refactor cycles and ensures high software quality.

Test-first development improves software quality by enforcing failing tests before production code exists. This disciplined approach ensures correctness from the start and structures feature development around verifiable behaviors rather than retrospective checks.

No specific testing frameworks are required to follow the red-green-refactor workflow. The test-driven development process applies across typical software projects by enforcing the cycle of writing failing tests and minimal production code.