The difference between Behavior-Driven Development and testing: This is a BDD scenario (from Dan North, a man I respect and admire): +Scenario 1: Account is in credit+ Given the account is in … [Read more...] about Behavior-Driven Development vs. Testing
Automation
Avoiding My Curse on Tool Vendors
Adam Goucher noticed that I recently laid a curse upon commercial test tool vendors (with the exception of Hexawise, Blueberry Consultants, and Atlassian). He wondered to me how a tool vendor might … [Read more...] about Avoiding My Curse on Tool Vendors
We Need Better Testing Bloggers
I don't understand the mentality of bloggers like this guy. His view of the history of testing is a fantasy that seems designed to insult people who study testing. It applies at most to certain … [Read more...] about We Need Better Testing Bloggers
The Future Will Need Us to Reboot It
I've been reading a bit about the Technological Singularity. It's an interesting and chilling idea conceived by people who aren't testers. It goes like this: the progress of technology is increasing … [Read more...] about The Future Will Need Us to Reboot It
Confused Methodology Talk #1
This posting by Corey Goldberg illustrates an interesting and all too common kind of confusion people get into when discussing methods and practices. It's worth pondering. On SQAForums, someone … [Read more...] about Confused Methodology Talk #1
Manual Tests Cannot Be Automated (DEPRECATED)
[Note: This post is here only to serve as a historical example of how I used to speak about "automated testing." My language has evolved. The sentiment of this post is still valid, but I have become … [Read more...] about Manual Tests Cannot Be Automated (DEPRECATED)
Quick Oracle: Blink Testing
Background: In testing, an "oracle" is a way to recognize a problem that appears during testing. This contrasts with "coverage", which has to do with getting a problem to appear. All tests cover a … [Read more...] about Quick Oracle: Blink Testing
Test Messy with Microbehaviors
James Lyndsay sent me a little Flash app once that was written to be a testing brainteaser. He challenged me to test it and I had great fun. I found a few bugs, and have since used it in my testing … [Read more...] about Test Messy with Microbehaviors
Counterstrings: Self-Describing Test Data
I was at a conference some months ago when Danny Faught showed me a Perl package for manipulating the Windows clipboard. I turned it into a little tool for helping me test text fields. It's called … [Read more...] about Counterstrings: Self-Describing Test Data
Tools Come at a Cost
One of the experiences I share with a lot of people in this modern world is that I forget phone numbers. I never used to. The problem is that my mobile phone remembers them for me. So, phone numbers … [Read more...] about Tools Come at a Cost