Okuzeka
Software Engineering vocabulary · Testing

TDD

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

abbreviationCommon term

In software engineering, TDD means: Short for test-driven development: writing a failing test first, then the code that makes it pass, then cleaning up the code, in short repeated cycles.

In Turkish: test güdümlü geliştirme, teste dayalı geliştirme

How it is used

The cycle is often called 'red, green, refactor'. Said letter by letter: T-D-D. People 'do TDD', 'practice TDD' or 'write it test-first'. Teams disagree on how strictly to follow it, but the vocabulary comes up often in interviews.

Example sentences

  1. We used TDD for the pricing rules because the edge cases were so tricky.

  2. With TDD, I write a test for the bug first and watch it fail.

Common collocations

  • practice TDD
  • red, green, refactor
  • test-first
  • TDD cycle
  • unit testA small automated test that checks one function or class on its own, separate from the database, the network and the rest of the system.
  • refactorTo improve the structure of existing code, making it cleaner or easier to change, without changing what it does for the user.
  • test caseOne specific situation you check, with set inputs, steps and an expected result, for example 'logging in with a wrong password shows an error'.
  • automated testingUsing code and tools to run tests automatically and compare the results with what is expected, so they can be repeated quickly after every change.

More terms: Testing

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: