TCRDD

Red/green/refactor driven by git-gamble: each phase runs the tests and auto-commits on the expected result or auto-reverts otherwise.

Workflow

RED   → plan test → approval? → write test → diff approval? → git-gamble --red
        fail? commit → GREEN
        pass? revert → try again

GREEN → plan code → approval? → write code → diff approval? → git-gamble --green
        pass? commit → REFACTOR
        fail? revert → try again

REFACTOR → plan cleanup → approval? → refactor → diff approval? → git-gamble --refactor
           pass? commit → (loop or done or back to RED)
           fail? revert → try again

No git-gamble installed? Do it manually: run the tests, git commit on the expected result, git reset --hard on the unexpected one.

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How to write code

Before each phase:

• Plan approved by user
• Diff approved by user before running git-gamble

RED — Write a failing test

• Ask the user for the smallest next behaviour they want to add.
• Write only enough of a test to fail — stop at the first compile error or failed assertion.

GREEN — Write the minimum production code

• Write only the code that makes the currently failing test pass. Nothing more.
• Resist the urge to generalise, add helpers, or handle future cases — those are for later tests.

REFACTOR

• With all tests green, clean up both production and test code freely.

REPEAT

• Ask the user whether the overall feature or fix is done.
  • Not done → back to RED
  • Done → squash the intermediate commits into one clean commit

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Error handling

Situation	Action
git-gamble reverts your change	The step was too large — split it into smaller increments and try again
Tests are flaky (pass/fail randomly)	Fix or isolate the flaky test before continuing the cycle
git-gamble is not installed	Run tests manually; git commit on expected result, git reset --hard on unexpected

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Resources

Read when	Link
Need visual flowcharts for each phase	git-gamble theory page
Want the original TCR rationale	TCR — Kent Beck
Want deeper TDD cycle theory	The Cycles of TDD — Uncle Bob

Upstream

Before starting TCRDD	Skill	Why
Unsure whether the feature is worth building	kano-triage	Classify the feature before investing in red/green/refactor cycles