test-driven-development

Test-driven development prevents regressions by enforcing a Red-Green-Refactor workflow: write a minimal failing test, implement the smallest code change to pass it, and then refactor while keeping tests green to ensure behavior is verified.

Create a failing test demonstrating the desired behavior, run it to confirm it fails for the expected reason, implement minimal production code to pass the test, and then refactor while maintaining test hygiene with clear assertions.

Use test-driven development for refactoring, bug fixes, and behavior changes across unit, integration, and end-to-end testing workflows to establish clear behavioral contracts, prevent ambiguous requirements, and avoid accumulating technical debt.

Test-driven development applies across unit, integration, and end-to-end testing workflows, requiring developers to observe test failures, implement minimal passing code, and maintain verification gates to ensure other tests remain passing.

Test-driven development requires maintaining test hygiene through minimal mocking and clear assertions. If verification gates are skipped, tests may pass for unexpected reasons, failing to specify and verify the intended behavior accurately.