TDD as if you Meant It: Some Traditional TDD – part 2 (Episode 7)
About
This is the second episode of an alternative evolutionary design approach. During the (Episode 5) I refactored the code to generate a builder. The alternative presented in Episode 6 and 7 is to stop using TDD as if you Meant It for a while and start using some traditional TDD.
Focus on the Problem
During this second episode for creating the builder with traditional TDD, I am trying to focus on finishing the problem. This means I am trying to get in a flow state, where everything works well at the end. Also that means that I am often taking bigger steps than what you saw in the first 5 episodes. This is because I consider the risk being smaller, and because I know where I want to get.
Refactoring
Because I am focusing on the problem, I am doing more refactoring. And the type of refactoring is faster, in bigger and more direct steps. I want to leave a nice code base behind so I try to have the best code I can for the moment. So then during the next episode I can use this code with ease.
Scale of Evolutionary Design
At one extreme I am in the point where I know exactly what I need. In this case any form of Evolutionary Design or TDD is useless. I might want to add automated tests (while adding the code or after) to perform the checks on the code just for regressions.
At another extreme I don’t know at all what I need, but I have the specs. So I start with them and I focus on the principles of refining the code concepts in order to extract the appropriate design entities.
During this codecast I will situate myself very close to the extreme where I know pretty well what I want. But careful to be sure you always introspect and clarify if you have all the information to take a design decision without enough proof. Your solution might be too complicated or just inappropriate.
Video
Check the video below with the codecast:
What’s Next?
Check the next episode on TDD as if you Meant it here: http://blog.adrianbolboaca.ro/evolutionary-design
On the same page you can find more ideas on Evolutionary Design.
Credits
Many thanks to Keith Braithwaite for creating the concept of TDD as if you Meant It
Teddy bear thanks to Erik Talboom for all the pairing, discussions that lead to so many twists we discovered together with TDD as if you Meant It.
Special regards to JB Rainsberger for the fun pairing we did using TDD as if you Meant It
