Smoke tests and mirrors
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1) The document discusses nine principles of magic and how they can be applied to software testing. These principles include misdirection, force, repetition, clarity, framing, time lapse, conviction, failure, and hidden complexity. 2) Each principle is explained in the context of magic and then related examples are given for how it manifests in software testing. For example, misdirection in magic involves misleading spectators without confusing them, while in testing it involves avoiding getting lost in details during bug analysis. 3) The document advocates for transferring learning from other domains like magic to spark creativity in software problem solving and breaking out of "programmer's block." It also discusses knowledge sharing across technical and non-technical topics.
Smoke tests and mirrors
- 1. S M O K E T E S T S & M I R R O R S Benjamin Bischoff softwaretester.blog
- 2. T H I N G S T O TA L K A B O U T • Introduction • A short glimpse into magic • Nine magic principles in software • Final thoughts softwaretester.blog
- 3. O B L I G AT O RY „ A B O U T M E “ S L I D E • Benjamin Bischoff • Test automation engineer @ trivago • 22 years in tech • 7 years of SDET experience softwaretester.blog
- 4. S H A M E L E S S P L U G • „Writing API Tests with Karate“ • Packt Publishing softwaretester.blog
- 5. Y E T A N O T H E R „ A B O U T M E “ S L I D E • Started magic at the age of eight • Favourite genre: close-up card magic softwaretester.blog
- 6. M A K I N G C O N N E C T I O N S S P O I L E R A L E R T softwaretester.blog
- 7. A S H O R T G L I M P S E I N T O M A G I C softwaretester.blog
- 8. – L A W R E N C E H A S S , P H I L O S O P H E R A N D M A G I C I A N „The artful performance of impossible things that generates energy, delight, and wonder.“ softwaretester.blog
- 9. TA X O N O M Y • Stage illusions • Parlor • Close-up • Escapology • Pickpocket • Mentalism • Séances • Children’s magic • Classical • Mechanical • Online magic • Mathemagic • Corporate • Bizarre • Street • Comedy • Quick change • Camera softwaretester.blog
- 10. I L L U S I O N T Y P E S • Production • Vanish • Transformation • Restauration • Transposition • Teleportation • Escape • Levitation • Penetration • Prediction softwaretester.blog
- 11. I M P O R TA N T D O C U M E N T S 1700 - 2000 B.C. 1584 1674 softwaretester.blog
- 12. I M P O R TA N T I N F L U E N C E R S Dai Vernon 1894 – 1992 Tony Slydini 1901 – 1991 Juan Tamariz * 1942 softwaretester.blog
- 13. – A R T H U R C . C L A R K E , W R I T E R „Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.“ softwaretester.blog
- 14. M A G I C P R I N C I P L E S I N S O F T WA R E softwaretester.blog
- 15. I . ( M I S ) D I R E C T I O N softwaretester.blog
- 16. ( M I S ) D I R E C T I O N I N M A G I C • Mislead but not confuse spectators • The large action covers the small • The small action covers the large softwaretester.blog
- 17. ( M I S ) D I R E C T I O N I N S O F T WA R E • Misdirection in bug analysis: not seeing the wood for the trees • Unintentional misdirection through bad software design decisions softwaretester.blog
- 18. ( M I S ) D I R E C T I O N I N B U G T R A C K I N G • Exposing too much information • Staying in the perimeter of the error instead of stepping out • Not giving enough information (e.g. swallowing exceptions) softwaretester.blog
- 19. – H A R RY H O U D I N I , M A G I C I A N „ What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes.“ softwaretester.blog
- 20. I I . F O R C E softwaretester.blog
- 21. F O R C E I N M A G I C • Giving the illusion of free choice • Forcing a thought, thing or action • Forcing yourself 🫤 softwaretester.blog
- 22. F O R C E I N S O F T WA R E • Forcing yourself or your solutions and tools onto others • Looking down from your ivory tower 🫤 softwaretester.blog
- 23. – D A I V E R N O N , M A G I C I A N „In magic, today as always, the effect is what counts. The method or methods used are always purely secondary.“ softwaretester.blog
- 24. I I I . R E P E T I T I O N softwaretester.blog
- 25. R E P E T I T I O N I N M A G I C • Repetition as a means of perfection • Never repeat a trick rule • Easy to figure out? • Same effect, different methods? • Is it worth repeating? softwaretester.blog
- 26. R E P E T I T I O N I N S O F T WA R E • Repetition is the key to regression testing • Spot behaviour changes easily • Ensure a known state of the system • Repetition as training (katas) softwaretester.blog
- 27. R E P E T I T I O N I N M O N I T O R I N G • Repeating user scenarios as synthetic monitoring • Otherwise, it is only a one-time snapshot softwaretester.blog
- 28. – B R U C E L E E , M A R T I A L A R T I S T „I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.“ softwaretester.blog
- 29. I V. C L A R I T Y softwaretester.blog
- 30. C L A R I T Y I N M A G I C • Keep your effect clear • Easy to follow and understand • Establish the initial state so that the changed state can be recognised softwaretester.blog
- 31. C L A R I T Y I N S O F T WA R E • Keeping test scenarios compact • Linking cause and effect • Avoiding boredom • Keeping focus softwaretester.blog
- 32. C L A R I T Y I N R E P O R T I N G • Directly see test results • Relevant information without clutter • Same structure across all projects softwaretester.blog
- 33. – D A I V E R N O N , M A G I C I A N „Confusion is not magic.“ softwaretester.blog
- 34. V. F R A M I N G softwaretester.blog
- 35. F R A M I N G I N M A G I C • Finding the context for an effect • Contented context elevates magic beyond puzzles and makes it meaningful • Situational context must fit setting, occasion and location softwaretester.blog
- 36. F R A M I N G I N S O F T WA R E • Having the best idea and intention is not enough • If you phrase it poorly, it can fail miserably softwaretester.blog
- 37. F R A M I N G I N T E A M I N T E N T • Too focussed on providing solutions • Detached from people and needs • Forgetting the why softwaretester.blog
- 38. – E U G E N E B U R G E R , M A G I C I A N „The house of magic has many rooms.“ softwaretester.blog
- 39. V I . T I M E L A P S E softwaretester.blog
- 40. T I M E L A P S E I N M A G I C • Time lapse is a form of misdirection • The longer the time between two events is, the less clear it is softwaretester.blog
- 41. T I M E L A P S E I N S O F T WA R E • Reporting and monitoring has to be on time • Otherwise, it means nothing • Timing is important softwaretester.blog
- 42. T I M E L A P S E I N T E S T F E E D B A C K • Shifting left • Fail fast / learn fast • Fast communication channels softwaretester.blog
- 43. – A L B E R T E I N S T E I N , T H E O R E T I C A L P H Y S I C I S T „The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once.“ softwaretester.blog
- 44. V I I . C O N V I C T I O N softwaretester.blog
- 45. C O N V I C T I O N I N M A G I C • Spectators have to be convinced of an initial state to fully appreciate changes • It is better to convince implicitly softwaretester.blog
- 46. C O N V I C T I O N I N S O F T WA R E • Conviction is stronger than assumptions • The intention of a system has to be clear to detect deviation • This is where BDD comes in softwaretester.blog
- 47. C O N V I C T I O N I N C O M M U N I C AT I O N • Trust that all give their best and work towards the same cause • Get everyone on the same page • Speak a ubiquitous language softwaretester.blog
- 48. – T E L L E R , M A G I C I A N „We estimate the intelligence of the audience as being greater than ours.“ softwaretester.blog
- 49. V I I I . FA I L U R E softwaretester.blog
- 50. FA I L U R E I N M A G I C • Stylistic device • Improving magic by analysing failed performances softwaretester.blog
- 51. FA I L U R E I N S O F T WA R E • Don’t trust tests that never failed before • Failure is the essence of TDD • If something fails, it should be covered with a test softwaretester.blog
- 52. P R E S E N T I N G P R O C E S S FA I L U R E S • SDLC Post-mortems • Present failures and lessons learned • It is one of the best tools to improve softwaretester.blog
- 53. – T H O M A S A . E D I S O N , I N V E N T O R „I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.“ softwaretester.blog
- 54. I X . H I D D E N C O M P L E X I T Y softwaretester.blog
- 55. H I D D E N C O M P L E X I T Y I N M A G I C • Magicians want to hide their skills • Ideally, the magic should happen on its own softwaretester.blog
- 56. H I D D E N C O M P L E X I T Y I N S O F T WA R E • Only show choices when they are needed • Don’t propagate stack traces to the front end • Make error messages meaningful and actionable softwaretester.blog
- 57. S I M P L I F I C AT I O N I N T H E U I / U X • Limiting options for a better user experience • Disabling elements depending on the context • Straight forward happy path softwaretester.blog
- 58. – G R A D Y B O O C H , S O F T WA R E E N G I N E E R „The function of good software is to make the complex appear to be simple.“ softwaretester.blog
- 59. H I D D E N C O M P L E X I T Y I N T H E C L I • Putting a simple proxy in front of a complex system softwaretester.blog
- 60. – S T U A R T C R O C K E R , Q A E N G I N E E R „Quality is the absence of unnecessary friction.“ softwaretester.blog
- 61. F I N A L T H O U G H T S W H E R E T O G O F R O M H E R E softwaretester.blog
- 62. S PA R K I N G C R E AT I V I T Y • Transfer of learning is really satisfying • Thought exercises to break out of „programmer’s block“ • Try it with your own hobbies and interests! softwaretester.blog
- 63. K N O W L E D G E E X C H A N G E • Regular QA knowledge sharing meetings at trivago • Half of the topics are non-technical • A quarter of the topics are completely unrelated softwaretester.blog
- 64. “ B E S T P R A C T I C E S ” • There are no best practices for every situation • They can be adjusted… • …or even turned upside down softwaretester.blog
- 65. M A K I N G C O N N E C T I O N S T H E P O I N T O F T H I S TA L K softwaretester.blog
- 66. T H A N K Y O U ! Benjamin Bischoff softwaretester.blog