Introduction:

Test-Driven Development (TDD) is an iterative development process that involves writing tests for a feature before implementing the feature itself. It’s an essential practice in agile development methodologies and ensures higher-quality software with fewer bugs. This course is designed to introduce developers to TDD, focusing on how writing tests first can improve code quality, development speed, and maintenance over time.

Objectives:

By the end of the training program, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the TDD process and how it fits into agile development methodologies.
2. Write unit tests and integration tests using industry-standard testing frameworks.
3. Apply TDD techniques to improve code design and ensure better software quality.
4. Refactor code with confidence by having test coverage for each functionality.
5. Incorporate TDD in real-world projects, enhancing team collaboration and software maintainability.

Outlines:

Introduction to Test-Driven Development (TDD)

• What is TDD?
• The benefits of Test-Driven Development.
• TDD in agile and other development methodologies.
• The "Red-Green-Refactor" cycle.

Setting Up the Development Environment

• Overview of common testing frameworks (JUnit, NUnit, Mocha, Jasmine, etc.).
• Setting up the environment for TDD.
• Writing your first test and understanding test runners.

Writing Unit Tests

• Fundamentals of unit testing.
• Writing simple unit tests before coding.
• Assert statements, test cases, and test fixtures.
• Common testing patterns and best practices.

The TDD Process: Red-Green-Refactor

• Writing failing tests (Red).
• Writing just enough code to pass the test (Green).
• Refactoring code for improvement without changing functionality.
• Repeating the cycle for all features and improvements.

Mocks, Stubs, and Test Doubles

• Understanding test doubles (mocks, stubs, and spies).
• Writing tests that simulate different dependencies.
• Using test doubles to isolate unit tests from external components.

Refactoring with TDD

• Importance of refactoring in TDD.
• Techniques for safe refactoring.
• How to avoid introducing bugs while improving code quality.

Integration Testing and TDD

• Difference between unit tests and integration tests.
• Writing integration tests in the TDD workflow.
• Ensuring system components work together smoothly.

Testing Edge Cases and Exception Handling

• How to write tests for edge cases and potential bugs.
• Testing error handling and exceptions.
• Coverage strategies to ensure completeness.

Advanced TDD Techniques

• Outside-in TDD and the London School of TDD.
• TDD for legacy systems.
• Testing asynchronous code and APIs.
• Working with databases and file systems in a TDD environment.

Real-world Application of TDD

• Incorporating TDD into team workflows.
• Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) pipelines.
• Writing maintainable tests that evolve with your codebase.
• Case studies and examples from real-world projects.

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

• Dos and don`ts in TDD.
• How to balance speed with test coverage.
• Avoiding over-testing and test paralysis.