The Test-Driven Development in Scientific Software: A Survey paper, published in the J.C. Software Qual journal in 2015, examines experiences with test-driven development in the scientific computing area.
| Resource information | Details |
|---|---|
| Paper title | Test-Driven Development in Scientific Software: A Survey |
| Authors | A. Nanthaamornphong and J. Carver |
| Publication | Year 2015, J.C. Software Qual, DOI: 10.1007/s11219-015-9292-4 |
Test-driven development (TDD) is often touted as a best practice for software development. However, studies of the impact of TDD in traditional software development have so far shown mixed results in practice. This paper is one of the few to examine experience with TDD specifically in the scientific computing area.
Based on a community survey, the paper analyzes the benefits reported by users of TDD, the problems reported in adopting TDD, and challenges and solutions of refactoring (an important part of the TDD process). Although the authors' assessment is that, once again, the impacts of TDD are mixed, the more detailed discussion of the findings should make this paper a useful reading for anyone considering implementing TDD in their development processes. Not only might it help decide whether or not to proceed with TDD, but it might also help those who proceed adapt the process to obtain better results.
