Learn Test Driven Development (TDD) (PMI-ACP) with Interactive Flashcards

Master key concepts in Test Driven Development (TDD) through our interactive flashcard system. Click on each card to reveal detailed explanations and enhance your understanding.

Red-Green-Refactor cycle

The Red-Green-Refactor cycle is a fundamental concept of Test Driven Development (TDD). This process is carried out in three stages (red, green, and refactor). 'Red' step refers to writing a test that fails initially. This failing test will help in defining the required functionality. 'Green' step involves writing the minimum code required to pass the test. It stresses on not over-complicating but getting the test to pass. 'Refactor' step is cleaning up the code by eliminating duplication or any unnecessary complexities without affecting its behavior. This cycle ensures code quality, reduces bug rates, and facilitates easier understanding.

Incremental development

In TDD, incremental development is an approach where the software is developed and tested in small, incrementally increased functional pieces. This means instead of developing the entire software at once, you build a small feature, test it, make sure it works well, and then move on to develop the next small feature. This approach allows for the faster detection and correction of coding errors and improving the reliability and the overall quality of the resulting software product.

Unit Testing

TDD revolves around repetitive unit testing. In this process, individual units of a source code are tested for ensuring they are working as intended. A unit could be a function, a method, or a procedure depending on the language used. The goal of unit testing in TDD is to segregate each part of the application and ensure that they are functioning as expected. This process results in robust, maintainable, and flexible code.

Coding Standards

Coding standards are a set of specific rules and guidelines used when writing the source code for a program. In TDD, adhering to coding standards is crucial for maintaining consistency, readability and manageability of the code. It defines a programming style which includes naming conventions, code grouping, indentation, and more. Using coding standards makes the code easier to understand, debug, and collectively handle by the team resulting in better cooperation among team members and a generally better quality codebase.

Refactoring

Refactoring is a disciplined approach for modifying the existing code structure without altering its external behavior. In TDD, refactoring is used after the testing phase once the code passes the test. The goal is to make the code more efficient, maintainable, and understandable. Refactoring plays a crucial role, especially during the constant changes that the agile development process requires, which makes the code more complex over time.

Incremental Design

Incremental design in TDD refers to the practice of continuously improving the design of a software over time, instead of trying to get the perfect design at once. This approach allows for more manageable iterations, and it better accommodates and expects change. This method results in a design that is practical and only includes what is necessary at the time, which simplifies the overall development process.

Isolation

Isolation is a critical concept in Test Driven Development. It means that each unit test should be independent of others. This ensures the fail or pass status of a test does not depend on the operation of any other tests. There should be no dependencies between the tests to ensure the accuracy of the test results. Isolation is crucial to ensuring that each unit of your system behaves correctly individually, irrespective of the overall system state.

Test First Development

Test First Development is a key concept of Test Driven Development approach where a test is written before writing the code for the functionality. It helps the developers understand what they ought to make BEFORE they decide on how to make it. This process starts with writing a failing test. So, instead of moving to the solution too soon, this strategy pushes developers to focus on the requirement first.

Quick Feedback

TDD focus greatly on receiving quick feedback. Tests are written for all possible edge cases – both positive and negative. Principles in TDD lead to creating a fast feedback loop where any problem in logic or design gets immediate feedback in form of failed tests, thereby forcing developers to address those issues immediately. This helps in ensuring software reliability and quality.

Living Documentation

Living Documentation is an important concept of TDD. As the test cases in TDD act as specifications for the piece of functionality they are testing, they can also be used as a form of documentation. The test suite can act as documentation which follows the system under development all the time. With a thorough test suite in place, any person looking to understand how the system works can refer to the tests which act as a ensured updated and constantly 'Living Documentation'.

First Law of TDD

The concept of 'First Law of TDD' suggests that you cannot write production code without first writing a failing test. In simple words, it means that the test should be written before any code. This serves as a blueprint and guides the development of the feature. Additionally, it ensures that the feature is only considered complete when it passes this test. It enforces discipline and is beneficial in maintaining a high standard of code quality throughout the development process.

Second Law of TDD

The Second Law of TDD states that you cannot write more of a unit test than is sufficient to fail. This means you should write just enough of a test to demonstrate failure. It encourages only writing the code necessary to address the failing test, ensuring that the codebase remains concise and uncluttered. By writing tests in small increments, it reduces the chances of introducing bugs.

Third Law of TDD

According to the Third Law of TDD, you cannot write more production code than is sufficient to pass the currently failing test. The key principle here is writing the simplest code possible to make the test pass. This emphasizes the importance of simplicity in coding. It ensures that the codebase remains maintainable and helps prevent over-engineering of the solution. It also helps the developer to focus better on the task at hand.

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