

When TDD Doesn't Matter - eugenparaschiv
https://www.facebook.com/notes/kent-beck/when-tdd-doesnt-matter/797644973601702

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mannykannot
It is good to see a respected teacher and theorist of the agile movement
making the point that good judgement is preferred over dogmatic adherence to a
set of principles.

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Verdex
Apparently this was posted a year ago, which is kind of frustrating for me
because it's exactly the sort of analysis I've been hoping for since I was
first introduced to TDD.

I'm not really comfortable with the space that he's constructing, but at the
very least it's a space. Like if you had a bunch of requirements you might be
able to actually determine if TDD makes sense via somewhat objective criteria
instead of via whomever makes the best appeal to pathos.

What I actually want (and have been working on creating) is some sort of
problem space[1] that allows you to analyze any given problem such that you
can determine whether TDD will benefit or harm the development and
verification of a solution.

[1] - It looks suspiciously like a general purpose problem space is kind of a
ridiculous thing to try and define mathematically. I've had to set my sights a
bit lower than my initial goal, but the ultimate dream would be objective
analysis based off of high level discussion of what the stake holders want.

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brianwawok
I feel like you get a feel for this as you grow gray. 98% of the code I write
is not tdd.2% is instant tdd and I am happy for those times.

Things that make the tdd cut for me? Writing an algo. Maybe a maze solver.
Maybe a payroll tax calculator. Maybe a monthly bill calculator.

I want these parts of my system rock solid, and it is super easy to make wack
a mole where you fix one bug to regress a previously fixed bug. Love very
solid TDD tests here.

Other 98% if my app? No way. Tdd adds cruft and can steer you to local maxima
aND away from the optimal solution.

