Modern C++ Programming with Test-Driven Development

2.5 Incrementalism

It’s question-and-answer (Q&A) time!

Q.:

Do you really code like this, hard-coding things that you know you’ll replace?

A.:

I always get this question. Yes.

Q.:

It seems stupid!

A.:

That’s not a question, but yes, it’s an OK first reaction to think this is stupid. It felt stupid to me at first, too. I got over it.

Q.:

Are we going to keep working like this? How will we get anything done if we hard-code everything?

A.:

That’s two questions, but I’m happy to answer them both! Yes, we will keep working incrementally. This technique allows us to get a first passing test in place quickly. No worries, the hard-coded value will last only minutes at most. We know we’re not done with what we need to build, so we’ll have to write more ...