Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD): Improving Software Quality and Reducing Bugs

Authors: Swamy Prasadarao Velaga

Country: India

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Abstract: This paper aims at establishing how TDD interacts with BDD with special emphasis on the improvement of software quality and reduction of bugs. Starting with the general description of the SW testing methodologies, it explores the basic concepts and TDD’s working procedures, including its historical development. Furthermore, the paper also provides understanding on BDD looking at its definition and features, its main practices and tools with poignant reference to TDD. Central to understanding of these frameworks is a critical evaluation of the various effects of TDD on level of software quality. Test-Driven Development (TDD) is a software development practice in which a developer first writes an automated test case that defines a desired improvement or new function, then produces the minimum amount of code needed to implement and pass the test, and finally refactors the code to ensure that it conforms to current design standards [1]. The advantages of TDD include improved software quality, reduced bugs, and better design of the software; the practice has also been shown to create a faster development cycle. Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) extends TDD by using natural language descriptions of the behavior of the software components under test. TDD and BDD are independent practices, and do not require specialized tools. However, to be successful with either TDD or BDD, developers must possess certain skills and knowledge. Citing real life experiences as well as academic research, the paper analyzes TDD’s effectiveness in improving code quality, maintainability and shortening the cycle. Similarly, it investigates BDD’s involvement in enhancing software quality, contributing to the understanding of its impact on the conformity with user requirements, acceptance and acceptance criteria, and on the rate of discovered bugs. Test-Driven Development (TDD) is a software development technique in which a programmer writes a short code that defines the desired improvement or new feature and a test case that fails until the programmer writes just enough code to make the test pass, and rearrices the code to optimal form [1]. The benefits of TDD are better quality of software and lower number of bugs, better architectural design of the software, and it was explained that TDD increases the speed of development [2]. BDD is the extension of TDD where the description is based on natural language describing characteristics of the components under test. TDD and BDD are two unrelated techniques of testing and there is no specific tool that is needed for it. Nonetheless, asserting effective TDD or BDD requires certain talents and information in the developers. This article discusses TDD and BDD, after that, claiming some of the important points that will assist the developers to get the greatest outcome for the practices. Last of all, the other considerations that the article makes regarding TDD and BDD are the approaches to testing and the use of proper testing tools.

Keywords: DevOps, Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Deployment (CD), Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Automation, Cross-functional Teams, Site Reliability Engineering (SRE), Software Delivery, Agile Methodology, Lean Methodology, Executive Leadership, Data-driven Feedback

Paper Id: 1771

Published On: 2014-01-10

Published In: Volume 2, Issue 1, January-February 2014

Cite This: Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD): Improving Software Quality and Reducing Bugs - Swamy Prasadarao Velaga - IJIRMPS Volume 2, Issue 1, January-February 2014.

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