This article goes over seven different practices that will help with Test Driven Development when using the Agile approach.
The first thing that should be done is make sure you “avoid functional complexity.” The point of this type of approach is to keep it simple. The article suggests going over with your team to make sure that the test covers all the functionality that is needed.
The second thing is to make sure you have a clear understanding on what it is you are trying to achieve. It’s advised that you follow standard documentation and naming for your tests. This is so that developers are able to come back to it and understand what was the intended purpose for the set of tests.
The third item is that code is not overly complected. You want to make sure that your test is kept simple so that the code is easily readable and has room for any necessary improvements.
Fourth on the list is to make sure you are testing everything repeatedly. Always run tests before and after coding, and after refactoring since you never know when adding something new might break your tests. Also remember that when you refactor, to make sure that the node is still “maintainable and adheres to standards.”
Fifth point that is made is to “maintain code sanctity.” This means that you should be using version control tools to keep your code in check; which is extremely import if you have multiple developers working on the same code.
The sixth thing is making sure that your team is aware and understands how the application works. To do this make sure that the system documentation is clear and that all team members understand how the system and tests work. This will not only make sure that when new code is added, the overall program will not break, but also that new tests will work in the first run.
The last item that the article points out is to “know when to use TDD.” Test Driven Development is not suppose to be used for any testing that will take a long time. Always remember TDD primary function is to be used for projects that can be tested quickly.
From the blog CS WSU – Techni-Cat by clamberthutchinson and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.