ATDD & HonestCode: A Perfect Pairing

In the recent past, we’ve discussed the ins and outs of Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD) and how the testing process works, which you can read in full here. In this blog post, we’re going to discuss how your business can take software projects to the next level using an ATDD framework in combination with our platform HonestCode.

What is ATDD?

ATDD differs from TDD as more members of the project team are involved in the process as they collaborate to write detailed acceptance tests before seeing if the solution can be developed and implemented.

It’s often referred to as ‘The Three Amigos’, as the people involved include the customer, developers and the testers. As they work together, they must ask the following questions to write their acceptance criteria:

1. Customer: “What problem are we trying to solve?
2. Developer: “How can we solve the problem?
3. Tester: “What about these options?”

ATDD testing provides development teams with the knowledge they need to ensure the software meets the correct criteria and confirms if the intended function is achievable. ATDD testing benefits include:

1. Focus on features with the highest business value
2. Use business domain language instead of technical language to bridge the communication gap
3. By describing behavior —  not implementation — it helps engage stakeholders, and results in effective collaboration.
4. Live documentation provides tested and verifiable acceptance criteria which replaces outdated documentation
5. A full product lifecycle with automated testing improves overall quality

What is HonestCode?

HonestCode is a platform created by Intelygenz which aims to make this process even easier for all users. We created this platform because we truly believe in the benefits and positive results that ATDD can have on a project.

One of the most daunting aspects of creating a software project is the level of understanding of coding. If you’re looking for a new software function but have little understanding of reading or writing code, it might seem like an impossible task to undertake.

With HonestCode, the aim is to make this an accessible process for all involved. This platform gives clients full visibility throughout the whole process without them needing the ability to read or write code.

How Does It Work?

HonestCode provides product owners with a Behavior Driven Development (BDD) / ATDD platform that brings them into the test design process before coding and creation has begun. With HonestCode, customers input their specifications for their project, which is then sent along to our developers to write the code for.

Our Introduction to HonestCode page runs through each step of the process to show the simplicity of creating your own functional specification.

The code written by developers is continuously and automatically verified to ensure the key features and components of the product continue to work as defined, without breaking functionality.

Once this process is completed and the code is thoroughly tested for inconsistencies or errors, the product is trained and ready to go to implementation. The GIF below illustrates how simple it is to publish the tests and validate a product with HonestCode:

HonestCode In Action

Now that we know how HonestCode works, it’s time to look at a couple of real-life examples of the platform in action.

A food delivery company came to us looking to create a new mobile app. To do this, we used two different sets of tests: one initial set for the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) version, and a second set of tests for the definitive cross-platform hybrid version of the app – as shown in the image below. This set reused all the data from the MVP tests and added to it with additional tests for the new features.

This process isn’t always the same, however. For another client, more than 300 different scenarios were applied to validate their scientifically-tested results in every release of their product, as evidenced below.

Overall, HonestCode makes it easy for businesses to get involved with and implement their software ideas – however big or small – within their organization without needing software development expertise.

Is your business looking to implement a new software project, but don’t know where to start? Get in touch with us to book a consultation and get your project off the ground.