A guide to Test Driven Development
When developing a software product for our clients, our aim is not not only to make it stand but actually work up to the expectations of the users. Hence, we use a Test Driven Development or TDD methodology to make the overall development process a lot easier for you to grasp while making the process cost-effective too.
So, What Is Test-Driven Development?
Test-driven development is a software development process based on the occurrence of short development cycles combined with short unit test cases that have to be passed in order to move along the next segment of coding.
How does it work?
It starts with a QA engineer creating a test covering all the changes they need. Then, the developer or QA engineer writes code to implement the behavior of the system they want. This code should be such that it is able to undergo a written test. Lastly, there is the refactoring of written code along with a continuous verification of test efficiency.
To be frank, all the tests and the software in a TDD methodology can be developed by one programmer. Although, ideally, there should be two specialists engaged in this process for better efficiency and faster results.
Why is Test Driven Development considered as a good option?
Software testing is a process that helps in confirming or refuting the efficiency of written code and it’s functionality. When the testing is being conducted, there are some input requirements by the software which are followed by specific requests for the implementation of a command.
If the results of the above command meet the expected standards the test is considered as successful. This process can be automated by using a combination of automated tools to make the process more accurate and faster.
TDD tools help in organizing automated testing of any developed software via modular integration and functional tests. They are equipped at indicating the requirements for the expected code even before developers start coding.
Advantages of a Test-Driven Development Cycle
Although in theory there are numerous reasons to choose a TDD Development Cycle, we at Claritus think that when it comes down to practical situations, TDD can provide most benefits through:
- A Modular Programming Code which helps both Developers and QA Engineers by making it eligible for testing.
- Simple Refactoring and Code Maintenance making the development process hassle-free.
- Making team collaborations more powerful by giving developers the chance to edit each other’s code and check for errors or bugs in real-time.
- A very reduced rate of bugs in the overall development process due to continuous testing.
Wrapping Up
Although a TDD development cycle has many benefits, we believe that it can also cause harm in some situations. Therefore, it is best to know if your project might actually benefit from this cycle.
Our experience in serving more than 500 clients across the globe has led us to a simple conclusion that a Test-Driven Development Cycle is most beneficial when the software in the discussion has many complex functionalities and algorithms in addition to a very elaborate architecture right from the beginning to the end.
If you feel that you are stuck in your development process and might need some help, feel free to drop us a message. We shall be more than happy to assist you in any way.
