Overview

Software development practices shape how teams build, test, and deliver reliable systems. This section covers two foundational methodologies that have transformed the software industry.

What You’ll Learn

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) - Collaborate with stakeholders using executable specifications written in natural language. BDD bridges the communication gap between business and technical teams through Gherkin scenarios that serve as both documentation and automated tests.

Test-Driven Development (TDD) - Write tests before production code using the Red-Green-Refactor cycle. TDD drives design decisions, ensures comprehensive test coverage, and creates a safety net for continuous refactoring.

Why These Practices Matter

Both BDD and TDD represent proven approaches to building quality into software from the start rather than testing it in at the end. Organizations like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have demonstrated that test-first development reduces defects by 40-90% while improving design quality and maintainability.

Learning Approach

Each topic provides:

• Overview - Core concepts and when to apply them
• By Example - 75-85 heavily annotated code examples achieving 95% coverage
• Production Patterns - Real-world implementations from industry leaders

Start with whichever methodology addresses your current challenges - BDD for improving stakeholder collaboration, TDD for strengthening technical foundations.