Presenter First: TDD for Large, Complex Applications with Graphical User Interfaces

Presenter First extends the benefits of functionality organized, customer prioritized, test driven development to complex applications with graphical user interfaces. A variation of the Model View Presenter pattern is used to isolate and test customer specified functionality. Unit testing the presenter allows for test driven development to be applied to customer described functionality. This creates an executable design specification for the behavior of the application, independent of the implementation of the user interface and business logic. Given the difficulty and cost of automating system tests for applications with GUIs, unit testing the presenter is a more economical means to achieve test coverage of system functionality. In addition, by concentrating on the functionality specified by the customer and developing the presenter first, minimal and complete requirements for the model and view are automatically uncovered. A complex color measurement.NET/C # application suite developed by the authors is used to illustrate Presenter First. 1