Long-term effects of test-driven development: a case study

Artem Marchenko, Pekka Abrahamsson, Tuomas Ihme

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference article in proceedingsScientificpeer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Test-Driven Development (TDD) is one of the most widely debated Agile practices. There are a number of claims about its effect on the software quality and team productivity. The current studies present contradicting results and very little research has been performed industrial projects, which have used TDD over an extensive period of time. This paper is reporting on a three year-long application of TDD. We present qualitative findings based on interviews with the team members. As a result, we conclude that TDD has been found to improve the team confidence in the code quality and simplify significantly the software maintenance. The examined team did not notice any significant negative effects over the long-term TDD application and is eager to continue improving the practice application. The authors suggest that results bear direct relevance to the industry and academia. Further research avenues are indicated.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAgile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming
Subtitle of host publication10th International Conference, XP 2009
EditorsPekka Abrahamsson, Michele Marchesi, Frank Maurer
Place of PublicationBerlin
PublisherSpringer
Pages13-22
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-642-01853-4
ISBN (Print)978-3-642-01852-7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009
MoE publication typeA4 Article in a conference publication
Event10th International Conference on Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming, XP 2009 - Sardinia, Italy
Duration: 25 May 200929 May 2009

Publication series

SeriesLecture Notes in Business Information Processing
Volume31
ISSN1865-1348

Conference

Conference10th International Conference on Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming, XP 2009
Abbreviated titleXP
Country/TerritoryItaly
CitySardinia
Period25/05/0929/05/09

Keywords

  • agile
  • case study
  • long-term
  • test-driven development

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