Do you use TDD (Test-Driven Development) in your software development process? If so, have you ever tried to use it for bug fixing?

Many developers think that TDD is only useful for writing new features and that it’s not practical for fixing existing code. However, as the article “TDD: Why I Decided That Debugging Wasn’t Worth My Time” by Riccardo Viviani explains, TDD can actually be a powerful tool for avoiding the need for debugging altogether.

The key is to see TDD as a way of preventing bugs from happening in the first place, rather than just a way to verify that your code works correctly. By writing tests before you write any code, you’re forced to think about all the possible scenarios that your code might encounter, and to design your code in a way that can handle them all. This means that you’re less likely to introduce bugs in the first place, and if you do, you’ll catch them early in the process, when they’re easier to fix.

Of course, this requires a shift in mindset. Instead of seeing TDD as an extra step that slows you down, you need to see it as a way of avoiding spending time debugging later on. And if you’re still not convinced, consider this: according to Viviani’s article, he observed teams using TDD were able to reduce the time spent debugging by 48% compared to other teams. Additionally, he found that adding a new feature to code developed following TDD required about 75% less time.

So if you’re not already using TDD for bug fixing or new feature development, it might be time to give it a try. And even if you are, there are always new ways to improve your TDD skills and make your code more reliable.