What is Behavior Driven Development (BDD)?

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What is Behavior Driven Development (BDD)?

Behavior Driven Development (BDD) is a software development approach that focuses on collaboration and communication between developers, testers, and business stakeholders. It is an extension of Test Driven Development (TDD) and emphasizes the behavior of the software from a user's perspective.

In BDD, the development process starts with defining the desired behavior of the software through user stories or scenarios. These scenarios are written in a specific format called Gherkin, which uses a structured language to describe the expected behavior in a human-readable format.

BDD encourages the involvement of all stakeholders in the development process, including developers, testers, business analysts, and product owners. By using a common language and format, BDD helps to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical team members, ensuring a shared understanding of the software's behavior.

One of the key principles of BDD is the concept of "outside-in" development, where the focus is on defining the desired behavior first and then implementing the necessary code to fulfill those requirements. This approach helps to ensure that the software meets the intended business goals and user expectations.

BDD also promotes the use of automated acceptance tests, which are written based on the defined scenarios. These tests serve as executable specifications and help to validate that the software behaves as expected. By automating these tests, BDD enables continuous integration and delivery, allowing for faster feedback and quicker identification of any issues or regressions.

Overall, Behavior Driven Development is a collaborative and iterative approach that aims to improve the quality of software by focusing on the desired behavior from a user's perspective. It promotes effective communication, shared understanding, and the use of automated tests to ensure that the software meets the intended requirements and delivers value to the end-users.