Difference between BDD vs TDD in Software Engineering
In software development, two popular testing methodologies, Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) and Test-Driven Development (TDD), play key roles in ensuring software quality. Despite sharing the goal of improving code reliability through testing, they differ in how they approach and implement these tests. This article breaks down the distinctions between BDD and TDD, explaining their methods and practical uses. By the end, you'll have a clear understanding of which approach might best suit your software development needs.
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What is Behavior Driven Development (BDD)?
Behavior Driven Development (BDD) is a development technique that focuses more on a software application's behavior. Mainly it creates an executable specification that fails because the respective feature doesn't exist, then writing the simplest code that can make the specification pass, and as a result we get the required behavior implemented in the system. Actually it is a team methodology where Developers, Customers, and QAs are involved in it.
Process of BDD :
- Write the behavior of the application
- Write the automated scripts
- Then Implement the functional code
- Check if the behavior is successful and if it not successful then fix it
- Organize the code (Optional)
- Repeat the steps for another behavior
What is Test Driven Development (TDD)?
Test Driven Development (TDD) is a development technique which focuses more on the implementation of a feature of a software application/product. Mainly it refers to write a test case that fails because the specified functionality doesn't exist and after that update the code that can make the test case pass and as a result we get the feature implemented in the system. Actually it is a development practice where the developers are involved in it.
Process of TDD :
- Add test case
- Run the test cases and watch test fails
- Update the code
- Run the test cases again
- Refactor the code (Optional)
- Repeat the steps for another test case
Difference between BDD vs TDD
Behavior Driven Development | Test Driven Development |
|---|---|
| Behavior Driven Development is a development technique which focuses more on a software application's behavior. | Test Driven Development is a development technique which focuses more on the implementation of a feature of a software application/product. |
| In BDD the participants are Developers, Customer, QAs. | In TDD the participants are developers. |
| Mainly it creates an executable specification that fails because the respective feature doesn't exist, then writing the simplest code that can make the specification pass and as a result we get the required behavior implemented in the system. | Mainly it refers to write a test case that fails because the specified functionality doesn't exist and after that update the code that can make the test case pass and as a result we get the feature implemented in the system. |
| Its main focus is on system requirements. | Its main focus is on unit test. |
| In BDD the starting point is a scenario. | In TDD the starting point is a test case. |
| It is a team methodology. | It is a development practice. |
| Here language used to write behavior/scenarios is simple English language. | Here language is used is similar to the one used for feature development like programming language. |
| In BDD collaboration is required between all the stakeholders. | In TDD collaboration is required only between the developers. |
| It is a good approach for project development which are driven by user actions. | It is a good approach for projects which involve API and third-party tools. |
| Some of the tools used are Cucumber, Dave, JBehave, Spec Flow, Concordian, BeanSpec etc. | Some of the tools used are JBehave, JDave, Cucumber, Spec Flow, BeanSpec, FitNesse etc. |
Related Articles
- What is Behavior-Driven Development (BDD)?
- What is Test Driven Development (TDD)?
- Difference between TDD vs AMDD in Software Engineering
- Agile testing methods - Behavior Driven Testing
Conclusion
In conclusion, both Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) and Test-Driven Development (TDD) offer valuable frameworks for enhancing software quality through automated testing. While TDD focuses on writing tests that validate the functionality of individual code components, BDD takes a broader approach by emphasizing collaboration between stakeholders to define and validate system behaviors.
