creating a better testing future: the world is changing and we must change with it
DESCRIPTION
The IEEE 829 Test Documentation standard is thirty years old this year. Boris Beizer’s first book on software testing also turned thirty. Testing Computer Software, the best selling book on software testing, is twenty-five. During the last three decades, hardware platforms have evolved from mainframes to minis to desktops to laptops to tablets to smartphones. Development paradigms have shifted from waterfall to agile. Consumers expect more functionality, demand higher quality, and are less loyal to brands. The world has changed dramatically and testing must change to match it. Testing processes that helped us succeed in the past may prevent our success in the future. Lee Copeland shares his insights into the future of testing, sharing his Do’s and Don’ts in the areas of technology, organization, test processes, test plans, and automation. Join Lee for a thought provoking look at creating a better testing future.TRANSCRIPT
W6 Concurrent Class
10/2/2013 11:30:00 AM
"Creating a Better Testing
Future: The World Is Chanign
and We Must Change With It"
Presented by:
Lee Copeland
Software Quality Engineering
Brought to you by:
340 Corporate Way, Suite 300, Orange Park, FL 32073
888-268-8770 ∙ 904-278-0524 ∙ [email protected] ∙ www.sqe.com
Lee Copeland
Software Quality Engineering
With more than thirty years of experience as an information systems professional at commercial
and nonprofit organizations, Lee Copeland has held technical and managerial positions in
applications development, software testing, and software process improvement. Lee has
developed and taught numerous training courses on software development and testing issues
and is a well-known speaker with Software Quality Engineering. Lee presents at software
conferences in the United States and abroad.
9/19/2013
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1
Lee Copeland Software Quality Engineering
Creating a Better
Testing Future
The World Is Changing and
Testing Must Change With It
2 2
Topics
• Our World is Changing Rapidly
• The Curse of Past Successes
• The Don’ts and Do’s for Future Success
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3 3
Technology Is Changing
Then
Now
4 4
Customers Are Changing
Less loyal to
brands
Expecting
more
capability Less tolerant
of low quality
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5 5
Business Is Changing
• In the past, organizations controlled the
communication, both content and channels
• Today, with the Rise of Social Media …
6 6
Communication is Changing
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Communication is Changing
• Organizational structure controlled tester
communication, both content and channels
• Social media can connect testers world-wide
8 8
Development Process Is Changing
Then
Now
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9 9
Development Process Is Changing
• Assembler • COBOL • Fortran • C • C++
• Java • HTML 4/5 • JavaScript • XML • SQL
Then
Now
10 10
Testing Must Match Development
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Testing Must Match Today’s Technology
IEEE 829 Testing
Standard
1983 1983 1987
12 12
Topics
• Our World is Changing Rapidly
• The Curse of Past Successes
• The Don’ts and Do’s for Future Success
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13 13
The Curse of Past Successes
• Processes that made us successful in the past
may prevent us from being successful in the
future
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The Curse of Past Successes
Camera Film
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The Curse of Past Successes
Video Rental Stores
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The Curse of Past Successes
Newspapers
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17 17
The Curse of Past Successes
Brick and Mortar Stores
18 18
The Curse of Past Successes
Getting Bills in the Mail
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19 19
Topics
• Our World is Changing Rapidly
• The Curse of Past Successes
• The Don’ts and Do’s for Future Success
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The Don’ts and Do’s
Focus
Organization
Test Process
Technology Planning
Automation
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21 21
The Don’ts and Do’s
Organization
22 22
Organization
• DON’T
– Maintain teams of “developers” and “testers”,
throwing products over the wall
– This was supposed to foster “independence.”
Instead, it created “us vs. them”
Development Test
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Organization
• DON’T
– Set up Testing Centers of Excellence
– “It’s where the disengaged gather to not
produce”
– David Hussman
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Organization
• DO
– Integrate developers and testers together
on the same team
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The Don’ts and Do’s
Test Process
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Test Process
• DON’T
– Cling to a Waterfall style when your
organization is moving toward Agile
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Test Process
• DON’T
– Try to test EVERYTHING
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Test Process
• DON’T
– Confuse Checking with Testing
Michael Bolton
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Test Process
• When we already believe something to be true,
we verify our belief by checking. Checking is a
process of confirmation, verification, and
validation
• Checking is a highly automatable process
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Test Process
• Testing is something that we do with the
motivation of finding new information
• It is a process of exploration, discovery,
investigation, and learning
• Testing is not automatable. It’s using our brain
in real time, and it’s really fun
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Test Process
• DO
– Adopt a Customer-focused approach to
testing
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Test Process
• DO
– Focus on “What Value Does Testing Add?”
rather than “What Processes Does Testing
Execute?”
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33 33
The Don’ts and Do’s
Technology
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Technology
• DON’T
– Use Stone Age techniques, tools, and
technologies
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Technology
• DO
– Embrace new technologies
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Technology
• DO
– Consider open source test tools
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The Don’ts and Do’s
Planning
38 38
Planning
• DON’T
– Adopt rigid, overly detailed
plans
– Restrict testing to explicit
requirements
– Remember: “No battle plan
survives contact with the enemy”
– Helmuth von Moltke
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Planning
• DO
– Create plans that
Tell a story
Present essential data
Inspire and communicate
Describe a reasoned plan of action
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The Don’ts and Do’s
Automation
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Automation
• DON’T
– Rely on Capture/Replay
42 42
Automation
• DON’T
– Try to automate every test
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Automation
• DON’T
– Try to replace humans in testing
44 44
Automation
• DO
– Use Test-driven Development
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45 45
Automation
• DO
– Use Acceptance Test-driven Development
46 46
Automation
• DO
– Use Exploratory Testing
“Simultaneous
learning, test design,
and test execution.”
– James Bach
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47 47
Automation
• DO
– and Session-based Exploratory Test
Management
Perform Exploratory
Testing in Sessions:
Charter
Timebox
Reviewable result
Debriefing Jon Bach
48 48
The Don’ts and Do’s
Focus
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49 49
Focus on Prevention Over Finding
• DO
– Remember, while finding defects is
important
– We should be focused on defect prevention
activities
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The Don’ts and Do’s
Focus
Organization
Test Process
Technology Planning
Automation
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Thanks for Attending
Shameless
commercial
message
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My Thanks To
• Dorothy Graham
• David Hussman
• Jonathan Kohl
• Alon Linetzki
• Dan North
• Martin Pol
• Rob Sabourin
• Alan Shalloway
• Adrian Zwingli
For their ideas, review, and comments