TDD Developers Hiring Guide

Test-Driven Development: Accounting for All Scenarios

Test-driven development (TDD) dates back several decades, although it has gained particular attention in the Agile era. Relying on test cases to build quality software during the development process, TDD is meant to simplify efforts. It also lends greater reliability to the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC).

A popular style of development these days, TDD blends programming and testing together, accounting for multiple scenarios upfront. Through repeated testing, developers can ensure they are meeting the project requirements.

Are you considering implementing TDD at your organization? Do you already have the methodology in place and want to support and develop the process further? Software developers who are familiar with the methodology will help you meet your goals as a business. Here’s what you should look for in a skilled professional.

Hiring Guide
Interview Questions
Job Description

What is TDD?

TDD is a programming methodology that prioritizes testing activities in order to facilitate a stronger development process, effectively exposing bugs and defects upfront toward the goal of making software development more efficient. Developers create the simplest test passes possible, repeating the process to address different aspects of the program. The TDD process is essentially the flip side of the more traditional SDLC, in which developers code first and test second. In this case, testing occurs first. Developers continue to write failing tests and keep improving the code until it ultimately passes.

What are the benefits of TDD

The TDD process offers numerous benefits to the development process. Some of these are:

Fewer defects overall
Stronger ability to address and understand requirements
A more streamlined and efficient development process
Greater test coverage
More productivity
Higher-quality code
Cleaner code
Built-in documentation
Earlier bug and defect detection
Easier software maintenance
A more cohesive process
Better collaboration and teamwork
Faster results
Fewer risks
A better overall process for developers

TDD vs. BDD

Behavior-driven development (BDD), as it sounds, focuses on the behavior of software. It was created to provide an extension of — and, in some ways, an alternative to — TDD. While TDD is the process of testing individual components of a program through building unique test cases, BDD starts with how the software should behave. A key difference is that TDD revolves around the tester or developer’s perspective, while BDD is more focused on the end user’s perspective and expectations for and of the product. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach, of course. One benefit of BDD is that it’s a more accessible approach for non-technical teams that work with development teams.

What are the steps involved in TDD?

In simple terms, the TDD process involves:

Processing and understanding the request feature or fix
Writing a test
Running the test
If the test fails to pass, write the code to make it pass
Refactoring to clean the code
Repeating the process again

What are some common mistakes when employing TDD?

Understanding the common mistakes people make when using a TDD approach can help prevent them from interfering with your project. They include:

Initiating too many tests simultaneously
Running tests too infrequently
Failing to gain widespread buy-in on a team
Failing to use a Mocking Framework
Writing overcomplicated or large tests
Testing excessively or unnecessarily
Refactoring too infrequently
Conducting or writing trivial tests
Failing to conduct a QA testing process
Failing to properly maintain the test suite

What are the limitations of TDD?

It can sometimes be difficult to fully implement a TDD process and approach at your organization. Testing ideation is one pitfall. Another is maintenance — as the project expands, it may be challenging to write and accommodate all the tests that are necessary. Moreover, some developers may become too caught up in the details of each test and component rather than looking at the fuller project. Or, they might overlook certain features.

How does TDD relate to Agile?

The Agile methodology depends on feedback, and with TDD, developers initiate the feedback cycle from the very beginning of the development process. Testing early on, after all, means you’re getting real-time information. And because the cycles are constantly repeated, teams can use this feedback to improve the product.

TDD is often part of an Agile approach. In addition to contributing feedback, both methodologies involve collaboration and communication.

What tools and frameworks are used in TDD?

There are many different types of tools and frameworks used for various aspects of TDD, such as unit testing, Rest API testing, different languages, and additional project components. They include:

csUnit
DocTest
JUnit
JMeter
Mockito
NUnit
PHPUnit
PyUnit
RSpec
TestNG

We are in search of a highly skilled software developer with experience with test-driven development (TDD) to collaborate with other developers and QA testers and build superior software. The successful candidate will have experience working on complex projects of multiple sizes.

Responsibilities

Write tests to expose bugs and defects
Create failing test passes
Create and run unit tests
Structure testing and development plans based around the TDD methodology
Leverage frameworks and tools to facilitate development procedures
Understand business goals and objectives and align TDD strategies with them
Work with clients to gather and research requirements
Work closely with team members to conduct testing and development

Skills and Qualifications

Exemplary technical skills
Strong testing skills
Ability to writing effective code for multiple types of tests
Knowledge of tools and frameworks used in TDD
Written and verbal communication skills
Collaboration and teamwork skills
Ability to communicate technical concepts
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software development, information technology, or a related field