Test-driven development (TDD) is a software development process that relies on the repetition of a very short development cycle: first the developer writes an (initially failing) automated test case that defines a desired improvement or new function, then produces the minimum amount of code to pass that test and finally refactors the new code to acceptable standards.
TDD is opposed to the traditional waterfall model of development, in which requirements are gathered before any coding begins.
TDD can be used to improve the quality of your code and make it more robust. It can also make your development process more efficient by helping you to avoid rework.
There are many reasons to adopt TDD for your backend development. Here are some of the most important benefits:
TDD forces you to think about the functionality you're trying to add or change, and how it should be used. This helps you to write code that is more understandable, maintainable and testable.
If a test fails, that means there is a bug in your code. By writing tests before you write the code, you can catch bugs early and avoid having to fix them later.
TDD can help you to avoid writing unnecessary code. If you find that you're writing code that isn't covered by a test, it's likely that the code isn't needed.
TDD can help you to meet deadlines by helping you to avoid writing code that isn't needed. By focusing on the functionality that is required, you can avoid writing code that isn't needed and save time.
Regressions are changes that break existing functionality. By writing tests before you write code, you can avoid introducing regressions.
TDD is a process that consists of three steps:
The first step is to write a test that defines the functionality you want to add or change. The test should be written in a way that it will fail when the code is run.
The second step is to write the code that will make the test pass. The code should be written in a way that is easy to understand and maintain.
The third step is to refactor the code. This is done to improve the quality of the code and make it more maintainable.
Let's say we want to add a new function to our backend that converts Celsius to Fahrenheit. We would start by writing a test for the new function:
def test_celsius_to_fahrenheit(self):
celsius = 100
fahrenheit = 212
self.assertEqual(celsius_to_fahrenheit(celsius), fahrenheit)
This test defines the functionality of the new function. We would then write the code to make the test pass:
def celsius_to_fahrenheit(celsius):
fahrenheit = celsius * 9 / 5 + 32
return fahrenheit
Finally, we would refactor the code to improve the quality:
def celsius_to_fahrenheit(celsius):
"""Converts Celsius to Fahrenheit."""
fahrenheit = celsius * 9 / 5 + 32
return fahrenheit
TDD is a software development process that can help you to write better code, catch bugs early, and avoid regressions. It is a process that consists of three steps: write a test, write the code, and refactor the code.