Test-driven development and code size

[Joel Hedlund]

> test-driven development merely means that you take that test case and
> *keep it* in your unit test. Then, once you're assured that you will
> find the bug again any time it reappears, go ahead and fix it.

My presumption has been that in order to do proper test-driven development I would have to make enormous test suites covering all bases for my small hacks before I could getting down and dirty with coding (as for example in http://www.diveintopython.org/unit_testing). This of course isn't very appealing when you need something done "now". But if I understand you correctly, if I would formalize what little testing I do, so that I can add to a growing test suite for each program as bugs are discovered and needs arise, would you consider that proper test-driven development? (or rather, is that how you do it?)

Thanks for taking the time!
/Joel