What is the difference between test-driven development (TDD) and behavior-driven development (BDD)?

When you are just getting started with automating your JavaScript testing, there is a lot of queries. You will perhaps see people talk about unit testing, test-driven development (TDD), and behavior-driven development (BDD). But which one is the best approach and what is the difference between test-driven development (TDD) and behavior-driven development (BDD)?

Test-driven development (TDD) and Behavior-driven development (BDD)

TDD (Test-driven development) is a software development technique that entails writing automated test cases earlier writing functional pieces of the code. This is well-liked in agile methodologies as it drives to deliver a shippable product at the end of a sprint. The TDD process consists of the following steps:

· Initiate by writing a test

· Run the test and other tests also. Here, your newly added test should fail. If it does not fail here, it might not be testing the appropriate thing and thus has a bug in it.

· Write the least amount of code required to make the test pass and run the tests to verify the new test passes

· Optionally refactor your code and again repeat from 1

The most tricky thing about TDD for several developers is the fact you have to write your tests before writing code.

BDD (Behaviour-driven development) is a software development technique that describes the user behavior earlier to writing TA scripts or the functional code. Used in an agile sprint, this technique makes sure that a shippable product is produced at the end of a sprint. BDD addresses this trouble by presenting you with how to test. You shouldn't test implementation, but instead behavior.

· The Behaviour of the user is explained by a product owner/business analyst/QA in English.

· After that this is converted to automated scripts to run against functional code.

· The development team then starts scripting the functional code to make sure the test script shows them a green light.

· The team of developers can then refactor and organize the code to generate a tested deliverable in the last part of the sprint.

BDD can be driven by a plethora of tools such as PowerTools, Cucumber, Docker, FitNesse, etc. The test scripts write up is specifically in plain English in Wiki frameworks, Gherkin, etc. This reduces the risk of developing code that would not stand up to the accepted behavior of the user.

TDD vs. BDD

· Unlike Test-driven development test cases written in programming languages like Java, Ruby, etc., Behaviour-driven development is in a more readable format by each stakeholder since it is in simple English.

· BDD explains the application behavior for the end-user while Test-driven development focuses on how functionality is executed. Functionality Changes can be accommodated with fewer impact on Behaviour-driven development as opposed to Test-driven development.

· Behaviour-driven development allows all the stakeholders to be on the same page with necessities which makes approval simple, contrasting to Test-driven development.