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Understand maintainability, code structure, and the costs of decisions that make future changes harder. Learn what quality signals can and cannot establish.
Terms beginning with B
13 termsBackward compatibility
Backward compatibility is a software maintenance concern describing a condition that can make future changes, verification, operation, or ownership harder. Its practical importance depends on supported behavior, rate of change, and the consequences of delay.
Code quality and technical debtBehavior-driven development
Behavior-driven development is a software testing or test-design practice used to gather evidence about a defined risk, behavior, boundary, or operating condition. It makes the question under test explicit, identifies the inputs and observations that matter, and gives a team a repeatable basis for deciding whether the result is acceptable.
Code quality and technical debtBehavior-preserving change
Behavior-preserving change is a software maintenance concern describing a condition that can make future changes, verification, operation, or ownership harder. Its practical importance depends on supported behavior, rate of change, and the consequences of delay.
Code quality and technical debtBeta testing
Beta testing is a software testing or test-design practice used to gather evidence about a defined risk, behavior, boundary, or operating condition. It makes the question under test explicit, identifies the inputs and observations that matter, and gives a team a repeatable basis for deciding whether the result is acceptable.
Code quality and technical debtBlack-box testing
Black-box testing is a software testing or test-design practice used to gather evidence about a defined risk, behavior, boundary, or operating condition. It makes the question under test explicit, identifies the inputs and observations that matter, and gives a team a repeatable basis for deciding whether the result is acceptable.
Code quality and technical debtBoolean parameter
A function argument whose true or false value selects behavior or a mode.
Code quality and technical debtBoundary value analysis
Boundary value analysis is a software testing or test-design practice used to gather evidence about a defined risk, behavior, boundary, or operating condition. It makes the question under test explicit, identifies the inputs and observations that matter, and gives a team a repeatable basis for deciding whether the result is acceptable.
Code quality and technical debtBranch by abstraction
Branch by abstraction is a software maintenance concern describing a condition that can make future changes, verification, operation, or ownership harder. Its practical importance depends on supported behavior, rate of change, and the consequences of delay.
Code quality and technical debtBranch coverage
Branch coverage is a software testing or test-design practice used to gather evidence about a defined risk, behavior, boundary, or operating condition. It makes the question under test explicit, identifies the inputs and observations that matter, and gives a team a repeatable basis for deciding whether the result is acceptable.
Code quality and technical debtBreaking change
Breaking change is a software maintenance concern describing a condition that can make future changes, verification, operation, or ownership harder. Its practical importance depends on supported behavior, rate of change, and the consequences of delay.
Code quality and technical debtBreaking change rate
The proportion of public interface changes that require consumers to modify or redeploy.
Code quality and technical debtBuild debt
Build debt is a software maintenance concern describing a condition that can make future changes, verification, operation, or ownership harder. Its practical importance depends on supported behavior, rate of change, and the consequences of delay.
Code quality and technical debtBus factor
The minimum number of people whose loss would put a project or critical area at serious operational risk.
Code quality and technical debt