test-driven-development

The red-green-refactor workflow in test-driven development involves writing a failing test, implementing minimal code to pass it, and then refactoring. This enforces a clear contract for expected behavior and provides faster feedback during the development cycle.

To start writing unit tests before coding, write a failing unit test that defines the expected behavior for your new feature. Then, implement the minimal production code required to make that test pass before refactoring for clarity.

Writing a failing test before implementing a new feature reveals incorrect assumptions and guarantees early failure. This prevents silent defects and ensures your code changes are minimal and focused on satisfying the defined test contract.

Yes, you can use test-driven development for bug fixes and refactoring. It is suitable for any scenario where behavior matters, providing strong regression safety and ensuring iterative refactoring maintains a clean design without introducing silent defects.

Test-driven development reduces post-release debugging by forcing tests to define expected behavior before coding begins. This discipline provides clear contracts, faster feedback, and stronger regression protection against silent defects.