This extension allows you to visualize your method for TDD; based on certain simple heuristics, it can bring 'hurdles' to your notice. Once you can see them, you can look for countermeasures or bring about changes in your method.
If you prefer a video of the extension in action Watch the first video in the playlist below.. the last 2 minutes is a session-review, which is what the extension is aimed at. Retrospection and Improvements in your TDD method.
Video walkthrough- Watch the first 5 mins and then skip to the last 2 (if you're in a hurry!)
What can it do
Run your NUnit tests (other runners not supported yet.. ) andsee details of failed tests without having to leave your IDE
Visualize your Red-Green-Refactor rhythm : A streak of red dots / minimal refactoring yellows should be ripe for scrutiny. See screenshots. You should be aiming for a Red Green [Refactor] rhythm. Multiple Reds should be used for introspection.
Show you how frequently you're running your tests: Ideally you should be running your tests every few minutes i.e. 10-30 runs/hour
Annotate TDD buzzkills: you can annotate each test run. The annotation on red test runs are pulled up to populate a tag-cloud like diagram to identify your top-N "buzzkills"
Track time spent in different states: that shows you the relative time you spend in the Compiling, Broken Build, Good build, Test(s) failed and Tests passing states. The idea (refer to J.Kerievsky's Limited Red Society talks) is to minimize the time between two green test runs i.e. minimize the time for which your codebase doesn't build or pass all its tests.
Tells you that you're stuck in a rut: If you've been struggling with fixing your build errors or your tests for over 10 mins, you should see some flashing dots. The tooltips on them would suggest reverting to a good point and using smaller steps this time around. Also you should see some items popping up in the VS task list.
Track if you're refactoring: You shouldn't refactor when you're adding function and vice versa. A little toolbutton allows you to explicitly state and see your current hat. Actually it allows me to identify (and therefore visualize) which green test runs are actually refactoring wins. Shown in Gold.
