What is Test Driven Development (TDD)?
Test Driven Development (TDD) is software development approach in which
test cases are developed to specify and validate what the code will do. In
simple terms, test cases for each functionality are created and tested first and
if the test fails then the new code is written in order to pass the test and
making code simple and bug-free.
Test-Driven Development starts with designing and developing tests for every
small functionality of an application. TDD framework instructs developers to
write new code only if an automated test has failed. This avoids duplication of
code. The TDD full form is Test-driven development.
The simple concept of TDD is to write and correct the failed tests before
writing new code (before development). This helps to avoid duplication of
code as we write a small amount of code at a time in order to pass tests.
(Tests are nothing but requirement conditions that we need to test to fulfill
them).
Test-Driven development is a process of developing and running automated
test before actual development of the application. Hence, TDD sometimes
also called as Test First Development.
How to perform TDD Test
Following steps define how to perform TDD test,
1. Add a test.
2. Run all tests and see if any new test fails.
3. Write some code.
4. Run tests and Refactor code.
5. Repeat.
TDD cycle defines
1. Write a test
2. Make it run.
3. Change the code to make it right i.e. Refactor.
4. Repeat process.
Some clarifications about TDD:
TDD approach is neither about “Testing” nor about “Design”.
TDD does not mean “write some of the tests, then build a system that
passes the tests.
TDD does not mean “do lots of Testing.”
TDD Vs. Traditional Testing
Below is the main difference between Test driven development and traditional
testing:
TDD approach is primarily a specification technique. It ensures that your
source code is thoroughly tested at confirmatory level.
With traditional testing, a successful test finds one or more defects. It is
same as TDD. When a test fails, you have made progress because you
know that you need to resolve the problem.
TDD ensures that your system actually meets requirements defined for
it. It helps to build your confidence about your system.
In TDD more focus is on production code that verifies whether testing
will work properly. In traditional testing, more focus is on test case
design. Whether the test will show the proper/improper execution of the
application in order to fulfill requirements.
In TDD, you achieve 100% coverage test. Every single line of code is
tested, unlike traditional testing.
The combination of both traditional testing and TDD leads to the
importance of testing the system rather than perfection of the system.
In Agile Modeling (AM), you should “test with a purpose”. You should
know why you are testing something and what level its need to be
tested.
What is acceptance TDD and Developer TDD
There are two levels of TDD
1. Acceptance TDD (ATDD): With ATDD you write a single acceptance
test. This test fulfills the requirement of the specification or satisfies the
behavior of the system. After that write just enough
production/functionality code to fulfill that acceptance test. Acceptance
test focuses on the overall behavior of the system. ATDD also was
known as Behavioral Driven Development (BDD).
2. Developer TDD: With Developer TDD you write single developer test
i.e. unit test and then just enough production code to fulfill that test. The
unit test focuses on every small functionality of the system. Developer
TDD is simply called as TDD.The main goal of ATDD and TDD is to
specify detailed, executable requirements for your solution on a just in
time (JIT) basis. JIT means taking only those requirements in
consideration that are needed in the system. So increase efficiency.
