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Test Driven Development | Introduction Image Description

What is test driven development?

Test driven development (TDD) is a software development practice that combines development and testing. It requires you to write a test case before writing the actual code. It's different from the traditional software development cycle, in which you write code first and carry out testing later.¹

Kent Beck introduced TDD in the late 90s as part of Extreme Programming. TDD follows the Red-Green-Refactor loop:²

Red: Indicates that the code doesn't work to meet the pre-written test.
Green: Indicates that the code meets the test but might not be optimal.
Refactor: Indicates that the developer is now working to optimize the code to make it more readable and maintainable.

By following this approach, TDD aims to promote higher code quality, reduce the number of defects, and provide a safety net for future changes.

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Test driven development course curriculum

Are you curious about how to learn test driven development? The first step is to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of programming. You need to know the principles of coding, testing techniques, and debugging before you can move on to the TDD methodology.

Once you are ready to move on, topics you may find in a beginner TDD tutorial include:

Introduction to testing and iterative development
Benefits of TDD
Automated testing and TDD tools
Instructions for writing a unit test
Unit testing frameworks
Testing levels and release cycles
Running tests

An intermediate or advanced test driven development course can include more in-depth topics for experienced developers. This might include learning about test and code coverage, factories and fakes, and mocking. Additionally, a learner could encounter lessons about database regression testing, behavior driven development (BDD), and test driven development in Python, Java, and JavaScript.

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Explore jobs that involve test driven development

Test driven development has become a popular methodology to develop code that is easy to debug and maintain. Many jobs related to software development prioritize skills in test driven development and behavior driven development.

Some careers that could involve TDD include:

Software engineer: Works on the design, development, and maintenance of new software systems. These professionals are responsible for making sure system components like hardware, software, and networks work together and meet desired requirements.³
QA test engineer: Designs and conducts tests on the software applications to ensure they work as per the project requirements. These professionals collaborate with software engineers and developers to meet software quality standards.⁴
Front-end software developer: Works on the visual aspects and user-focused functionality of websites and apps. These professionals are responsible for how end users interact with web pages and applications.⁵

Each of the roles above will have different education and skill requirements. For example, you may be able to build relevant skills in a coding boot camp. If you want to focus on testing and implementing security features, a cybersecurity boot camp may also be a good option. However, some employers may seek candidates with a degree in computer science or similar, depending on the role. Before deciding on a specific learning path, research the positions you hope to pursue and align your coursework with your career goals.

How to use test driven development in your career

Once you learn test driven development, you can use its principles in different ways depending on your job. Here are some common ways in which you'd use test driven development in different roles of software development:

Software engineers use TDD to write and develop code that's well-tested, easily maintained, and meets the exact functional requirements.
QA test engineers write tests beforehand and work with the development team to implement the principles of TDD.
A front-end developer can use test driven development to work on websites and apps so that they are free from any errors and meet the user needs.
An agile coach understands the principles of test driven development and guides others to implement them in their agile software development process.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is test driven development in Agile?

Test driven development agile methodology is when tests are written before the development of the code, and then iterated upon. Each test corresponds to a specific requirement that it must first fail before code is written to pass the test. A common TDD example is the development of a user authentication system. The developer would write a test case for the login functionality and then write the code. Once the application code passes the test, the developer repeats the process to add other functionalities.

Why should I do test driven development?

TDD combines building and testing to achieve higher code quality. In this approach, programmers need to understand detailed requirements to create tests first. This ensures that they have a clear idea of what they need to build before writing the code. This helps catch errors early in the development cycle and avoids bad or duplicate code. It can also help save time and debugging costs later.

What is acceptance test driven development?

The acceptance test driven development method focuses on testing the integrated functionality of multiple code units. These tests simulate user behavior and ensure that the software meets the acceptance criteria. For example, an e-commerce website can have a checkout flow that guides a user from the product page to the payment page to finish the checkout. A front-end engineer can create and test this user experience using acceptance test driven development.

When should I use test driven development?

You can use a test driven development process when you want clean and structured code that's easy to maintain and that also meets the project requirements. This is the most common development approach in the agile methods, as it involves an iterative and incremental approach to software development. It incorporates a constant feedback cycle into the developmental sprint itself and saves time in extensive testing and debugging later.

What is the difference between BDD and TDD?

The difference between behavior driven development (BDD) and test driven development (TDD) lies in the scope of testing and the language of writing tests. BDD focuses on testing the behavior of the entire software to ensure that it meets the user requirements. It involves using simple, readable language to write tests that even non-technical stakeholders can understand. On the other hand, TDD tests the specific units and functionality of the software. It involves using programming languages to write the tests.

What are the five steps of test driven development?

The five steps of TDD are understanding the specific user requirement, translating the requirement to a unit test, writing the production code until it passes the test, refactoring the functional code, and repeating the cycle for another requirement. The iterative nature of TDD ensures that you always write a clean piece of code that is free from errors at every stage of development. It is ideal for an agile software development methodology where you work in sprints and need to deliver the software project quickly.

Test-Driven Development. (2023). IBM Garage Methodology. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
5 Steps of Test-Driven Development. (2020). IBM Developer. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers. (2023). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
Software Developers, Quality Assurance Analysts, and Testers. (2023). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
Web Developers and Digital Designers. (2022). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved May 26, 2023.