Programmers Without TDD Will be Unemployable by 2022

The author predicts that routine TDD will become a baseline requirement for professional programming jobs by 2022. He defines TDD broadly to include test-first development and BDD-style practice, with developer-written automated unit tests run regularly. He also says this shift will improve software quality and productivity, even if most TDD practice remains mediocre.

Reading notes

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• By 2022, it will not be possible to get a professional programming job without routinely practicing TDD.
• TDD here means test-driven development, including test-first or design-driven development, and possibly BDD-style practice.
• The key characteristics are developer-written automated unit tests and routine execution of those tests, at least every day.
• The author expects TDD quality to vary, with the best practice excellent and most of it only mediocre.
• He says it will become unacceptable in interviews to question TDD, not know it, fail to use it in an exercise, or dismiss it as useless or unproven.
• Programmers will again be expected to write unit tests for their work.
• Unit testing will be overwhelmingly automated, and manual testing is described as a sin.
• The author argues that TDD reduces bugs, improves maintainability, and increases productivity.
• He expects the industry to be in a skills overhaul as programmers learn TDD.
• TDD is presented as a testable skill, unlike Agile in general, which the author says is harder to verify.
• There will be ongoing demand for TDD training and coaching, shifting from introductory courses to improvement and advanced courses.
• Universities and colleges that do not teach TDD may produce graduates who are not employable.
• Students are advised to avoid colleges that do not teach programming with TDD.
• Colleges are advised to adopt TDD quickly to improve recruitment and graduate employability.
• In business, TDD may reduce day-to-day software problems over time, though companies must address the supply side to see the benefit.
• The author says good use of TDD will reduce the need for debuggers, make IDEs less important, and change the developer tools market.