TDD for deterministic, EDD for probabilistic, SDD for formal. The methodology fits the problem.
The choice isn’t preference — it’s problem domain. Deterministic systems (APIs, CRUD, data pipelines) get TDD. Probabilistic systems (ML outputs, NLP, recommendations) get EDD. Safety-critical systems (medical, financial, infrastructure) get SDD.
Binary pass/fail. Write the test first, then the code. The test is the specification. Refactor with confidence because the test catches regressions. Best for systems where correctness is binary and deterministic.
Statistical validation for non-deterministic outputs. Confidence intervals replace binary assertions. Drift detection catches model degradation over time. A/B testing validates improvements. Best for ML-powered features.
Formal verification through mathematical proofs. The system provably meets its specification. No edge case surprises. Expensive, but necessary for safety-critical systems where failure has legal or human consequences.
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