Pragmatic TDD & Hexagonal Architecture FAQs

Question 1

How is Pragmatic TDD different from standard unit testing?

Accepted Answer

Pragmatic TDD focuses on testing the observable behavior of the system through its public ports rather than testing individual private methods or implementation details, which prevents tests from breaking during refactoring.

Question 2

When should I avoid using the Pragmatic TDD skill?

Accepted Answer

Avoid using this for simple CRUD applications with no business logic, as the overhead of Hexagonal Architecture may outweigh the benefits of domain separation in very basic projects.

Question 3

Does this skill work with any programming language?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the principles of TDD and Hexagonal Architecture are language-agnostic, though it is particularly effective in object-oriented and functional environments like TypeScript, Java, Python, and Go.

Question 4

Should I mock my domain services with this approach?

Accepted Answer

No. This skill follows the philosophy of mocking only at adapter boundaries (external dependencies like HTTP or DB). Internal domain logic should run as real code in your tests to ensure business rules are actually verified.

Question 5

What is the role of Hexagonal Architecture in this skill?

Accepted Answer

It provides a framework for separating core business logic (the domain) from external technical details (adapters like databases or UIs), allowing you to test the core logic in isolation using real code while mocking only the boundaries.

Pragmatic TDD & Hexagonal Architecture

Pragmatic TDD & Hexagonal Architecture

Key Features

Use Cases

Key Features

Use Cases