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
Test Strategy
Technique: Paired Exploratory Survey
I named a technique the other day. It's another one of those things I've been doing for a while, but only now has come crisply into focus as a distinct heuristic of testing: the Paired Exploratory … [Read more...] about Technique: Paired Exploratory Survey
When Does a Test End?
The short answer is: you never know for sure that a test has ended. Case in point. The license plate on my car is "tester." It looks like this: On December 20th, I received this notice in the … [Read more...] about When Does a Test End?
How Challenging Each Other Helps the Craft
Regular readers know that I'm dissatisfied with the state of the testing industry. It's a shambles, and will continue to be as long as middle managers in big companies continue to be fat juicy targets … [Read more...] about How Challenging Each Other Helps the Craft
Three New Testing Heuristics
A lot of what I do is give names to testing behaviors and patterns that have been around a long time but that people are not systematically studying or using. I'm not seeking to create a standard … [Read more...] about Three New Testing Heuristics
Advice to Lawyers Suing Toyota
A press release by Toyota recently stated: Toyota’s electronic systems have multiple fail-safe mechanisms to shut off or reduce engine power in the event of a system failure. Extensive testing of … [Read more...] about Advice to Lawyers Suing Toyota
Question: How to Rapidly Test Maintenance Releases?
A correspondent writes: "I have a test management problem. We have a maintenance project. It contains about 20 different applications. Three of them are bigger in terms of features and also the specs … [Read more...] about Question: How to Rapidly Test Maintenance Releases?
Designing Experiments
I experience intellectual work, such as testing, as a web of interconnected activities. If I were to suggest what is at the center of the testing web, on my short list would be: designing experiments. … [Read more...] about Designing Experiments
Question: How Many Times Should You Run a Test?
Kevin asks: What is the best or industry standard for how many times a test case should be run? There are questions that should not be answered. For instance, "What size unicorn do you wear?" or "How … [Read more...] about Question: How Many Times Should You Run a Test?
A Question About Test Strategy
Maria writes: A) Your presentation Test Strategy: "What is it? What does it look like?" applies to creating a test strategy for a specific application (I've also read Ingrid B. Ottevanger's article … [Read more...] about A Question About Test Strategy