{"id":510,"date":"2016-08-25T11:36:44","date_gmt":"2016-08-25T09:36:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zaven.co\/blog\/?p=510"},"modified":"2025-04-08T19:55:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T17:55:19","slug":"test-driven-development-agile-plm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zaven.co\/blog\/test-driven-development-agile-plm\/","title":{"rendered":"Test-driven development in Agile PLM: an experimental test"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of many reasons for Test-driven development is the mere speed of testing: with automation I\u2019ve managed to increase app testing speeds 5-fold.
\n<\/p>\n

More and more software development processes are run with lean methodologies. However, application testing is very often neglected in order to reduce initial costs and time. In this article I want to present the results of my experiment which is a proof that using Test-driven development doesn\u2019t only pay off, but it also significantly enhances the quality of an app.<\/p>\n

What is Test-driven development?<\/h2>\n

Before I describe the process of my experiment let\u2019s highlight the most important steps of Test-driven development:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Analyzing possible user actions and implemented data<\/li>\n
  2. Writing up potential scenarios and test data<\/li>\n
  3. Creating a software pieces and testing it<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If the app we are making is complex, working with TDD may initially extend the time needed for a test. But what can we gain instead?<\/p>\n

    Test-driven development in Agile PLM<\/h2>\n

    Combined with Agile methodology, TDD controls code quality and app security. Thanks to problem analysis and mocking up input data (correct and faulty examples as well) we can foresee a lot of potential scenarios. Then we can detect weaknesses and properly secure them at the very beginning. If you\u2019d like to learn more about TDD, this<\/a> Wikipedia article covers it very well.<\/p>\n

    In Agile lifecycle managemen<\/em>t, the team is working in a time-sensitive environment. And no matter how experienced developers are, they are prone to making mistakes when under pressure, especially faulty assumptions about data input or user behaviour.<\/p>\n

    \"Test-driven<\/a>

    Source: s2.quickmeme.com<\/p><\/div>\n

    Without automated tests, a developer must manually repeat the same steps over and over<\/b>. He has to input the same data several times to check the correctness of a code action. It takes a lot of time, especially when the app is quite complex.<\/p>\n

    Test-driven development by example<\/h2>\n

    For this article I\u2019ve developed a mobile app which verifies a personal details form. To make the verification process more difficult, I\u2019ve made a few extra conditions. For example, a surname must:<\/p>\n