Test Driven Development is key
Test Driven Development (TDD) is an agile development methodology where requirements are codified into test cases that form the basis for development. The test will initially fail because the feature has yet to be developed. The goal of TDD is to focus on developing code that is good enough to prevent test failures.
Effective TDD ensures that all parts of the software are being tested automatically, at all times. Continuous Testing supplements development by testing the software while it is being developed. At the same time, it assures that no regressions sneak into the software. That way, the developer can concentrate on the new feature and and be notified if existing features are impacted without compromising the speed of development or stability of existing features during the lifetime of the software solution.
TDD instills confidence in the quality of the software. The design can be restructured and streamlined on an ongoing basis using refactoring to prevent Software Entropy - without compromising the speed of development or quality over the software’s lifetime.
A consistent testing structure is invaluable for generating self-documented tests. The test-set from TDD is a critical part of automated quality control in DevOps CI/CD.