test-driven-development

To enforce test-driven development, you must write a failing test before any production code, implement the minimal logic to pass it, and then refactor. This cycle ensures features are driven by behavioral requirements and design flaws surface early.

The red-green-refactor cycle is the core of test-driven development: write a failing test (red), implement minimal production code to pass it (green), then refactor for clarity while preserving behavior. It guides reliable code design iteratively.

Yes, test-driven development applies to bug fixes and refactoring. You write a failing test that captures the bug or desired behavior, implement minimal code to pass it, then refactor safely while ensuring the automated test stays green.

You need automated tests to validate the red-green-refactor cycle. While CI integration enforces the workflow continuously, the fundamental requirement is a testing framework to run failing tests before writing minimal production code.

Test-driven development catches defects early by mandating a failing test before implementation. This forces you to define expected behavior upfront, turning tests into living documentation and quickly surfacing design trade-offs during feature development.

The best way to start a new feature is writing a failing test that defines the expected behavior. Then, implement just enough production code to pass the test, and finally refactor the code for clarity and maintainability without breaking the test.