test-driven-development

The Red-Green-Refactor cycle in test-driven development involves writing a failing test first, implementing minimal code to pass that test, and then refactoring the code to ensure correctness and prevent regressions.

Start test-driven development by writing a failing test for the new feature, write the minimal implementation code to make it pass, and then refactor the code to maintain high software quality and reduce debugging time.

Skipping tests in software development increases debugging because it allows rationalizations and anti-patterns that bypass the test-driven development cycle, leading to undocumented behavior and higher risks of production bugs.

You can use test-driven development for refactoring existing code safely by ensuring robust tests are written first, which document current behavior and prevent regressions while you improve the internal code structure.

You should not use test-driven development when rapid prototyping or exploratory coding where immediate behavior validation is unnecessary, as enforcing the strict Red-Green-Refactor cycle may slow down initial software development.

The best way to maintain code quality when implementing new features is applying test-driven development, which enforces writing failing tests before implementation to ensure code correctness and document behavior effectively from the outset.