Modern C++ Programming with Test-Driven Development

8.18 An Overview of the Mikado Method

The complete process follows an initially daunting nine-step cycle. Once you’ve worked your way through the cycle a few times, however, it won’t be far from second nature. You’ll ingrain it even faster than the TDD cycle.

1. Draw the Mikado Goal, an end state you want to reach.

2. Implement the goal in a naive manner.

3. Find any errors.

4. Derive immediate solutions to the errors.

5. Draw the immediate solutions as new prerequisites.

6. Revert code to its initial state if there were errors.

7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for each immediate solution.

8. Check in code if there were no errors; mark the prerequisite goal complete.

9. Is the Mikado Goal met? If so, you are done!

Most of the days or weeks you end up spending on a large refactoring ...