Break to build - the mindset of the modern day tester
- 1. Break to build The mindset of a modern tester Viktor Slavchev Sr QA mrslavchev.com
- 2. Viktor Slavchev Software tester Blog: mrslavchev.com @thetestingtroll Insert random brag about my achievements This slide is bullshit Nobody reads this far
- 4. Quality is not… A resource Responsibility to single person …testing Testing (by itself) doesn’t improve quality
- 5. Instead we can say… We assert quality We argue about quality We evaluate quality “To test is – to provide valuable information about the state of quality and problems threatening it, so informed decision can be taken” Bach and Bolton (paraphrased)
- 7. What’s wrong with the term “manual testing” Rips off tacit knowledge of testing Puts focus on execution, only Not every testing activity can be turned into a procedure
- 8. Therefore… testing is not manual We say: “Manual lending”, but don’t call the pilot manual pilot “Grade the essay tests manually”, but we don’t have manual teachers “Dig the overburden manually”, but we don’t speak of manual archeologists
- 9. It’s totally OK to say we perform various manual activities while testing. …but please, don’t conclude that makes testing manual, only
- 10. Thinking of testing as an activity Wrong – production line worker Correct – katana swordsmith
- 11. Cliché #3: “Testers are automated”
- 12. Few quick facts about automation False premise that testing is made of steps Focus on tools and practices Only metrics counted are execution time and number of checks Design, modeling, test framing are considered “figured out”
- 13. Four kinds of knowledge – Collins How easy are they to automate? Facts and rules Heuristics and coaching skills Manual and perceptual skills Cultural skills Explicit Tacit
- 14. We are speaking of two different mindsets Software tester Provide information fast Explore to understand Experiment Model Frame Evaluate risks Challenge Evaluate quality criteria Automation programmer Functional correctness Precision/low level checks Feedback in fast consistent manner Assert definitive conditions Isolate variable conditions from the environment Consistent execution every time
- 15. Cliché #4: “Testing means writing test cases”
- 16. How test cases fail to satisfy modern day testing? They document tiny fraction of testing Early formalization, even when not needed Slow and hard to maintain Downgrade testing to steps
- 17. When management asks for test cases, they actually want to hear… Story of the product and its status • Problems • Risks Story about testing • Oracles • Coverage Story how good testing is? Michael Bolton - How is the testing going?
- 18. Test framing “The goal of test framing is to link each testing activity with the testing mission” Always try to ask yourself: How is this test helping me to achieve the testing mission? How is this bug important? Is this the optimal test I can perform?
- 19. Cliché #5: “Regression testing means running the same tests”
- 20. Regression bug: Bug causing regress in quality Regression testing: Testing to expose regression bugs “When we deploy, bugs don’t automatically raise from their graves.” James Bach
- 21. The FART model – Richard Bradshaw
- 23. When I was new to testing, I was told Never test in production It is dangerous for the client It shows bad testing organization
- 24. … but times change and we face some problems Products grow bigger We can’t replicate production fully Unpredicted changes in environment Third party services
- 25. Why is it a good idea to test in production? We act like testing ends in prod, but it doesn’t Production environment – the only one that matters Tons of valuable data useful for us Testing closer to the end user Great eye opener – read everything by Cindy Sridharan - Medium
- 26. Testing in production – credit to Cindy Sridharan
- 27. In order to be a successful tester in the modern age… You own a tiny fraction of quality – testing Testing is not a procedure, but a complex brain work Tools matter, when they help Learn to tell the story of good testing Continue testing in production