Tiago Costa’s Post

🧪 Test-Driven Development: The Virtuous Cycle of Software Development Ever wondered how development teams manage to write reliable, error-free code? The answer might lie in Test-Driven Development (TDD). This methodology is transforming how we write code. Let’s explore the three fundamental laws of TDD and how they can revolutionize your development process. 📜 The 3 Laws of TDD: - Write only the code necessary to make a test pass 🖋️: Avoid adding any extra code. - Write only enough test code to fail ❌: Ensure that your test fails before you fix it. - Add only the code necessary to pass the test ✅: Don’t go beyond what’s required to make the test pass. 🔄 The TDD Cycle: The true power of TDD lies in its fast, continuous cycle: - ✍️ Write a line of test code (it doesn’t compile). - 🛠️ Write production code to make the test compile. - ✍️ Write another line of test code (it doesn’t compile). - 🛠️ Adjust the production code to make the test compile and pass. Repeat these steps in quick cycles. This should be your new development mantra! 💡 Why Adopt TDD? ✔ Improves Code Quality: TDD encourages cleaner, more reliable code. ✔ Reduces Errors and Debugging Time: By catching issues early, TDD minimizes debugging. ✔ Promotes Modular and Flexible Design: Helps create a more adaptable codebase. ✔ Increases Confidence in Changes and Refactoring: Ensures that your code changes don’t introduce new bugs. 📚 Source: These principles are outlined in Clean Craftsmanship by Robert C. Martin.

What is Test-Driven Development? As a college student, I had heard of TDD a couple of times, but never appreciated what it really meant. I presumed it must be some other paradigm of software development with some advantages. But when I explored more about it, I discovered it is a vastly different idea than traditional software development. Classical software engineering principles focus on testing a functionality after it is developed. While this approach makes sense when developing tightly coupled applications with a few teams, it can be an obstacle when developing applications with a large number of distributed teams. Test-Driven Development (TDD) is a practice that focuses on designing and writing tests before the actual functionality. This allows the developer to think of all the possibilities of input data and functional behaviour before writing the code for that functionality, allowing to focus on the problem statement that is being solved. TDD focuses on getting a minimum workable solution to the defined problem.  TDD methodology can be summarized in the following five steps: 🎯 Define the test: Understand the user requirements and define a test based on the constraints and boundaries specified by the user, the type of data expected by the function, the return type and so on.  ❌ Run the test to fail: Yes, you heard that right. Ensure your application first fails on your developed test, because it won’t be built to handle the newly generated test case. This acts as a little smoke test to ensure the test is integrated into the development environment and that it doesn’t blindly pass all the tests. 💻 Develop to pass: The solution only needs to satisfy the developed test, which is the only factor the developer keeps in mind. This allows for focused functionality development, with scope of refactoring. ✅ Run the test to pass: Now, run the test to ensure that the developed functionality clears the test. The developed code has attained requisite functionality. 🔧 Refactor: Review the code and look for ways to improve readability while maintaining the functionality. Re-run tests after each iteration to ensure the functionality is maintained. I feel TDD is a fundamental aspect to rapid application development and agile methodology. Its emphasis on iterative development and objective-based development is a great advantage, especially considering automated codebase changes through CI / CD. In the coming posts, I will explore more about TDD and its applications in unit and integration testing.  #SoftwareEngineering #TestDrivenDevelopment #AgileMethodology

💻 Test Driven Development (TDD): A Path to Better Code Quality In the ever-evolving world of software development, Test Driven Development (TDD) has emerged as a crucial methodology for enhancing code quality and development efficiency. By adopting a test-first approach, TDD helps developers write more reliable code and significantly reduces maintenance costs. What is TDD? The essence of TDD is "write tests first, then code." The process involves: Writing a failing test: Create a test case based on the requirements, ensuring it fails with the current code. Writing the minimum code to pass the test: Implement just enough code to make the test pass. Refactoring the code: Optimize the code structure while keeping all tests passing. Why TDD? Improves Code Quality: Writing tests first helps clarify requirements and reduce errors. Reduces Debugging Time: Automated tests quickly identify issues, minimizing manual debugging. Increases Confidence: Running tests after each change ensures new code doesn't break existing functionality. Acts as Documentation: Test cases serve as documentation for code behavior. Discussion Points While TDD offers numerous benefits, it's not without its challenges and debates. Here are some points to consider and discuss: Adoption Challenges: What are the biggest hurdles you've faced when adopting TDD in your projects? Best Practices: What are some best practices you've discovered for writing effective tests? TDD in Different Contexts: How does TDD fit into different development environments, such as agile vs. waterfall, or in startups vs. large enterprises? Balancing Act: How do you balance the time spent writing tests with the need to deliver features quickly? Tooling and Frameworks: What tools and frameworks have you found most helpful for TDD? Your Thoughts? 🤔 I would love to hear your experiences and insights on TDD. Have you found it beneficial in your projects? What challenges have you encountered, and how did you overcome them? Let's share our knowledge and learn from each other!

TDD: The Most Reliable Approach Why is testing crucial in software engineering? How can we ensure our code is not only functional but also reliable and easy to maintain over time? Over time, I've discovered that investing the right amount of time in testing upfront can save countless hours in the future. Initially, like many, I didn't prioritize testing, thinking it wasn't necessary. However, once I adopted Test-Driven Development (TDD), there was no turning back. TDD not only ensures each change is secure but also fosters a habit of crafting more maintainable code. 🎯 What is TDD? TDD is a development approach where tests are written before the actual implementation code. It follows a simple mantra: "Red, Green, Refactor." You start by writing a failing test (Red), then make the test pass by writing the minimum amount of code (Green), and finally refactor to improve the code while ensuring the tests still pass. 💡 Why TDD? - Enhanced Quality: TDD promotes a mindset where quality is built into the code from the outset. By writing tests first, developers gain a clearer understanding of the expected behavior, leading to fewer bugs and more reliable software. - Faster Feedback Loop: TDD accelerates the development process by providing instant feedback on code changes. Developers can quickly identify and fix issues, leading to faster iterations and shorter development cycles. - Confidence in Refactoring: Refactoring is an essential part of maintaining clean code. With a comprehensive suite of tests in place, developers can refactor with confidence, knowing that any regressions will be caught by the tests. - Documentation: Tests serve as living documentation, providing insights into the intended functionality of the codebase. New team members can easily understand the codebase by examining the tests. 🛠️ Getting Started with TDD - Start Small: Begin by writing tests for small, isolated units of functionality. Gradually increase the scope as you become more comfortable with the TDD process. - Choose the Right Tools: Utilize testing frameworks and tools that align with your project's requirements and programming language. - Continuous Integration: Integrate TDD into your CI/CD pipeline to automate the testing process and ensure consistent code quality across environments. - Collaboration: Foster a culture of collaboration within your team by encouraging pair programming and code reviews focused on test coverage and effectiveness. Incorporating Test-Driven Development into your workflow isn't just about writing tests—it's about adopting a mindset that prioritizes quality, feedback, and collaboration #TDD #SoftwareDevelopment #QualityCode

Alright, this is going to be a short discourse on TDD, Test-Driven Development. *Yawn*, but seriously, it's not as complex as it sounds. So here is an anecdote from chatting with another developer recently. The question was, "How do you do testing?" I am no genius and have no real idea what I am building before I build it. But I do think about the interface a lot, and one of the better ways to think about writing tests is to consider the normal and corner cases around the interface of what you build. The hard part is, let's all say it together, **NAMING**. When you write your test, you are working on something a priori. Or it feels like that. You are forcing yourself to know about your implementation before you have completed the deduction of what your implementation does. Don't sweat it, friend! Naming is actually easy. The Terms we define for our code are the easiest to change. Their signatures are less so, but there is a hack. Just make them generic, don't worry about it, and keep it simple. Start by assuming each module has a single entry point, just like those "Hello World" methods you wrote when you started coding. Name your entry point "call," "do," or "execute," and then decide what it will return. If it's going to be a gentle side effect like logging or mutating the database, think of it in terms of CQRS! Commands, Queries and procedural modules Orchestrators. It contains a sequence of Commands and Queries to create a "feature." So you should test each Command, Query, and Orchestrator at its entry point (call, do, etc.). That's my decision framework, and then we do the old-fashioned Red, Green, Refactor flow as written about by our friend Martin Fowler. https://lnkd.in/gNkqWPqR Next, I create a pyramid of tests, starting with the integration test—usually one at the beginning of the feature request. So, if you are working on a web app's back end, this might be the controller. On the front end, this might be the page's component container. This is likely also an Orchestrator, but that's not a guarantee. What this top-down approach offers you is a way to think about your work in terms of a contract. A contract is a simple communication agreement between producer and consumer. These happen each time we all use a method, dispatch an action, or make a web request. This is the best place to verify your feature works, and since it is unassuming about the how of your work, only what it accepts and produces. We have made this incredibly easy to reason about. Now, go build and refine your test. When your code becomes reasonably complex, it's time to write new modules and tests. Repeat this pattern for each module you create. Best of all you have those original tests to make sure you don't break any of your hard fought assumptions as your refactor. Boom you be testin'!

TEST DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT (TDD) What is TDD? Suppose you want to improve your fitness by incorporating a new exercise routine into your daily schedule. You’d start by defining your goals and breaking them down into smaller, achievable tasks. Treat each workout session as a test case. Monitor your progress and adjust your routine based on the results of each "test" that’s TDD. Test driving Development (TDD) is a software development practice that creates unit test before actual code. It follows a simple cycle: write a failing test, write the code to pass the test, and then refactor the code for improvement. Why I use TDD? ·       Debugging is easier because bugs are caught in early stage of development. ·       Higher test coverage because test for each functionality is written from the beginning of development. ·       Code written will be more efficient, clear and effective to achieve the best possible outcome for a functionality. Steps I take when I write my test? ·       I start by understanding the requirements of the program and breaking them down to functionalities. ·       I itemize each functionality and identify their edge cases ·       I write tests for each functionality. ·       I write tests for edge cases. ·       I ensure all my test fail (RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle)

There's no place for Test-Driven Development (TDD) Test-Driven Development (TDD) doesn’t make sense to me, especially when requirements change frequently. In TDD, the idea is to write tests before the actual code, allowing for a cycle of development where the tests guide implementation. But when requirements are always shifting, I never find a point in the development cycle where TDD feels useful. When I develop a feature, I usually follow these steps: 1. Make it work: a mandatory, crappy implementation that gets the job done. 2. Make it right: a nice-to-have step, improving code maintainability and reusability. 3. Make it fast: by this point, I’m already moving on to the next class or method, driven by the need for speed. When it’s time to re-assess my work, that’s when I optimize for speed and write tests. At each of these stages, TDD creates friction. And I don’t like friction. While tests add a valuable layer of assurance, they can also slow you down. The smoother the workflow, the happier we are. In theory, you should write tests that don’t depend on your implementation, allowing you to write the test once and change your implementation as needed. That’s supposed to reduce friction, right? However, in my practice, this is challenging. You end up thinking about abstractions instead of being productive and pushing out more customer-facing code. Instead of focusing on delivering features, I find myself entangled in a web of test cases and mock objects. So, this leads to more friction instead. I’ve tried TDD and have tested my code religiously before. Yet, I discovered that I spent more time in the _test or _spec files than in the files that actually implement a feature. It feels like running a marathon, only to find you’ve been looping around the same track. What many TDD proponents overlook is that tests can contribute to technical debt as well. The more tests you write, the more code you need to maintain. If you feel compelled to write a test every time you change a line, you could end up managing an Everest of tests - mountains of code that require as much care and attention as the features themselves. Ultimately, while TDD might work in stable environments, I prefer a more flexible approach to keep my workflow agile and responsive.

💡💊 A Software Engineering Pill from Marcelo 💻✨ 🧪 Test Driven Development (TDD) allied with Behavior Driven Development (BDD) forms a robust approach empowering developers to implement software that precisely adheres to requirements, focusing on code that truly adds business value to features rather than getting lost in non-essential implementation details. 📄 Some of main benefits and features of TDD with BDD are: 💡 Improved Requirement Understanding: TDD with BDD fosters clear comprehension of requirements through collaborative efforts among developers, testers, and stakeholders. This clarity minimizes misinterpretation and rework, ensuring everyone is aligned with project goals. ⏱️ Faster Feedback Loops: Both TDD and BDD promote swift feedback by prioritizing the writing of tests before code. This immediate feedback loop aids in catching errors early, facilitating faster iterations and feature delivery. 🔍 Increased Test Coverage: TDD emphasizes comprehensive test coverage, while BDD focuses on behavior-driven tests. Together, they ensure that the software behaves as expected, enhancing confidence in its reliability and stability. 🤝 Enhanced Collaboration: BDD encourages collaboration between technical and non-technical team members through natural language specifications. This promotes shared understanding and effective communication throughout the development process. 🔄 Incremental Development: TDD advocates for writing small, incremental units of code driven by tests, while BDD extends this by focusing on user stories or behavioral specifications. This approach allows for the development of manageable chunks of functionality. 🛠️ Automated Testing: Both TDD and BDD rely on automated testing frameworks to validate code changes. Automated tests ensure continuous validation of code quality, facilitating rapid feedback and early issue detection. 📝 Documentation through Tests: In BDD, tests serve as living documentation, describing the expected behavior of the system in plain language. This self-documenting codebase reduces the need for separate documentation and promotes transparency. 🏁 The amalgamation of Test Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior Driven Development (BDD) offers a potent methodology for developing high-quality software that precisely meets business requirements. By fostering collaboration, rapid feedback, and comprehensive testing, TDD with BDD empowers teams to deliver software that not only functions correctly but also aligns closely with stakeholder expectations, ultimately driving greater customer satisfaction.

Test Driven Development (TDD)? TDD is a software development methodology where the tests are written first and before the actual code, and then both tests and classes are refactored as needed. It may seem strange, but you can manage to do so if you have declared appropriate abstractions (interfaces and abstract classes) in your code. For instance, you could create an interface to abstract your operations, write tests based on that interface, then develop your implementation class, and subsequently refactor your implementation and tests as necessary. The benefits of TDD include enhanced code quality, as your tests ensure that the code meets the project requirements. Moreover, refactoring your code with confidence is possible due to its easy detection and correction of errors in testing. This reduces the need for more debugging time. However, you should also consider TDD disadvantages, and not every may tell you about that: 1. The time required for development has increased, as TDD requires thorough testing to ensure every behavioral change in your code is reflected in your tests. If you have refactored the class and performed some refactoring, it's advisable to refactor the tests to maintain a stable state. So, TDD still consumes more time compared to traditional approaches. Therefore, if you find yourself with strict time constraints within your project, consider alternative methods other than TDD. 2. Adopting TDD can present some challenges at times. 3. Not always practical: In some cases, it be impractical to write tests first. Finally, before implementing TDD in your project, it's important to consider its appropriateness for your particular project. Do not adopt TDD merely because others suggest its effectiveness, rather, consider your project requirements thoroughly first. What do you think about this? Share me your thoughts

Test-Driven Development Cycle: Test Driven Development (TDD) is a software development approach where you write tests before writing the code that makes those tests pass. The TDD cycle is often described using the "Red-Green-Refactor" pattern, which consists of three main steps: Red: Write a test that defines a function or improvement. This test will initially fail because the function or feature doesn’t exist yet. The purpose here is to outline what you want the code to achieve and to ensure that the test framework is working correctly. Green: Write the minimal amount of code necessary to make the test pass. The focus here is on simplicity and getting the test to pass, even if the code isn’t perfect. This step ensures that the code meets the test's requirements. Refactor: Improve the code you wrote in the Green step without changing its behavior. The goal is to clean up the code, improve its design, and make it more efficient while keeping the tests passing. Refactoring helps maintain code quality and adhere to best practices. Here’s a quick overview of the TDD cycle: Write a Failing Test (Red) Define a new feature or bug fix. Write a test that expresses this feature or fix. Run the test to see if it fails (expected behavior). Write Code to Pass the Test (Green) Implement the simplest solution that makes the test pass. Run the test to ensure it passes with the new code. Refactor the Code (Refactor) Improve the code’s structure, readability, and maintainability. Ensure that all tests continue to pass after refactoring. Repeat: Start the cycle again for the next piece of functionality or improvement. #TDD #testdriven #testdevelopment #refractor #softwaretesting #testing