test-driven-development

Test-driven development is a test-first workflow that prevents regressions by requiring a minimal failing test before writing any production code, ensuring changes are explicitly validated. It enforces a red-green-refactor cycle for reliable software engineering.

To implement a feature using red-green-refactor, first write a single minimal test that fails for the right reason (RED), then write the smallest production code needed to pass it (GREEN), and finally clean up without changing behavior (REFACTOR).

Yes, test-driven development applies to fixing bugs and refactoring across typical software engineering tasks. It ensures your code change is validated by a failing test first, keeping the behavior trustworthy and preventing regressions during maintenance.

Common test-driven development anti-patterns include testing mocks instead of real behavior and adding test-only methods to production classes. This workflow includes explicit guardrails to reject these mistakes and maintain reliable regression prevention.

Test-driven development focuses on the test-first discipline rather than specific frameworks. It enforces the red-green-refactor cycle and anti-pattern prevention rules directly in your workflow, requiring no external dependencies to guide your software engineering tasks.