Let’s Code: Test-Driven JavaScript

James Shore presents a fascinating screencast
on rigorous, professional JavaScript development

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An in-depth screencast about
Test-Driven JavaScript

You've taught me a lot this past year and have
been better than a teacher, a true mentor.
Jason Weden
I’m completely new to TDD and this is by far
the most comprehensive TDD for JS... your videos are
a breath of fresh air!
Adam Brodzinski
This is a gold mine... This will help a lot in my day job.
Timothy Myers
Love what you're doing. It's helped out our
team tremendously here at Sevenly.
Scott Corgan
I’m delighted with LCJ. It’s interesting and informative, and the
candid way you think aloud makes it personal and engaging.
You’ve done a terrific job.
Crispin Bennett

JavaScript Needs Test-Driven Development

If you’ve programmed in JavaScript, you know that it’s an… interesting… language. Don’t get me wrong: I love JavaScript. I love its first-class functions, the intensive VM competition among browser makers, and how it makes the web come alive. It definitely has its good parts.

It also has some not-so-good parts. Whether it’s browser DOMs, automatic semicolon insertion, or an object model with a split personality, everyone’s had some part of JavaScript bite them in the butt at some point. That’s why using test-driven development is so important.

What is Test-Driven Development?

Test-driven development (TDD) is a technique for ensuring that your code does what you think it does. It’s particularly relevant for JavaScript, with its cross-browser incompatibilities and hidden gotchas. With TDD, you express your intentions twice: once as a test, and once as production code. If the two approaches don’t match, your tests fail, and you’ve caught a bug.

TDD is a great way of catching the majority of programming errors. It’s not perfect, of course—in particular, it can’t tell you when your assumptions are wrong—but it’s very good at catching the kinds of bugs JavaScript is prone to.

Who am I?

I’m James Shore. I’ve been building applications using test-driven development and other Agile techniques since 2000. I’m a recipient of the Agile Alliance’s Gordon Pask Award for Contributions to Agile Practice and I wrote a book called The Art of Agile Development.

What Is Let’s Code JavaScript?

I originally launched Let’s Code JavaScript as a Kickstarter project in 2012. It continued for six years as a subscription-only screencast. In 2022, I made the site freely available to everyone.

The series focuses on rigorous, professional web development. That means test-driven development, of course, and also techniques such as build automation, continuous integration, refactoring, and evolutionary design. We test against multiple browsers and platforms, including iOS, and we use Node.js on the server.

The Videos

The series consists of three main channels. The “Recorded Live” channel focuses on real-world development, warts and all. It’s meant for experienced programmers.

If you’re a new developer, the “How To” channel is for you. It’s meant for beginners who have recently learned to program and are ready to start their professional career.

The “Lessons Learned” channel provides concise reviews of key topics, such as continuous integration, test-driven development, and build automation. It’s great for review and reference.

Release Schedule

The series’ final episode was published in April 2018. Although some of the specific tools and language features are out of date, the purpose of the videos is to show the thought process and design approach used in professional Agile development. That material is remains current and is well worth watching.

There are over 600 episodes available. Most are about 15 minutes long. Although the majority of the videos are intended for experienced practitioners, there’s about 10 hours of content just for beginners.

I have learned so much more than I expected.
I really enjoy your approach to screencasting and
wish the series wouldn’t end some day.