test-driven-development

Test-driven development starts by writing a failing test case that describes expected behavior, then implementing minimal production code to make it pass. This enforces requirement validation before functional implementation.

The red-green-refactor cycle in TDD involves writing a failing test, writing code to pass the test, then refactoring for maintainability. This iterative workflow improves software design quality while ensuring expectations are met.

TDD applies to bug fixes and refactoring by writing tests that capture expected behavior or reproduce the bug. Implement minimal code changes to pass these tests, reducing regression risk during software maintenance.

Writing failing unit tests before implementation ensures tests genuinely capture expected behavior rather than mirroring existing logic. This validates requirements upfront and guides minimal code development to pass the test suite.

Test-driven development requires upfront time writing clear tests first, but reduces regression risk and improves maintainability. Applying TDD across feature work validates expectations before implementation, minimizing future debugging overhead.

The best way to write TDD tests is creating clear test cases describing exact expected behavior before any production code exists. Implement just enough code to pass, ensuring unit-testing validates software engineering requirements.