Articles

Row of cupcakes decorated with blue frosting and rainbow sprinkles, photo by Brooke Lark Shifting Testing Left Bakes In Quality from the Start

“Shift left” is one of the latest buzz terms in software testing. Movements like agile and DevOps recommend that testers shift left, but what does that mean, exactly? Here's how one tester became a believer in the shift-left movement; how he got his team's developers, analysts, designers, and managers on board; and how his entire organization has benefited from the shift.

James Espie's picture James Espie
Icons showing test optimization 5 Ways to Optimize Tests for Continuous Integration

Many teams have existing automated test suites that are not included in a continuous integration program. Maybe the tests take too long to execute, or they are not reliable enough to give accurate results. Here’s how to assess your test suites in terms of value added and time to execute, along with five proven strategies to optimize those suites for CI.

John Ruberto's picture John Ruberto
Arrow pointing left Shifting Testing Left Is a Team Effort

There is a lot of talk in the testing world about shifting left. Basically, “shift left” refers to moving the test process to an earlier point in the development process, independent of the development approach. This article explores a case in which shift-left has been applied, and the lesson is that shifting left cannot be achieved by testers alone—it must result from a team effort.

Car steering wheel photo by Nicolai Berntsen A Case for Test-First Development

You may feel you don't have time to write unit tests, but you really don't have time not to. Steve Poling makes the case that writing tests first not only will yield better code, but will help you get that code working right sooner. Here's how using a test-first approach changes your thinking about coding, lets you see mistakes immediately, and helps you create more testable code.

Steve Poling's picture Steve Poling
Metrics dashboard on a tablet For Great Performance, Rethink Your Load Testing

The word concurrency is often used to define workload for load testing, as in concurrent users. Too often, it's the only input defined. In reality, there are a number of factors that contribute to workload and affect concurrency, and they all contribute to your load testing abilities—and, ultimately, the performance of your product.

Tim Koopmans's picture Tim Koopmans
Legos 100 Percent Unit Test Coverage Is Not Enough

Many people equate 100 percent unit test coverage with high code quality, but that is not enough. Code coverage tools only measure whether the tests execute the code; they make no judgment on the effectiveness of the tests. Testers should review unit tests, even if they have high coverage levels, and either help improve the tests or supplement them with extra tests where necessary.

John Ruberto's picture John Ruberto
Continuous delivery Test Coverage in the Age of Continuous Delivery

Test coverage is a strategy to help us spend scarce testing time on the right priorities. When things were tested last, how much automation coverage we have, how often the customers use the feature, and how critical the feature is to application are all factors to consider. Here are some ideas for keeping quality high when you're transitioning to continuous delivery.

Matt Heusser's picture Matt Heusser
Service virtualization Overcome Test Automation Plateaus with Service Virtualization

With complex enterprise test automation systems, at least some of the many required dependencies are commonly incomplete, unavailable, or operating incorrectly at the time of test execution. The result is timeouts, incomplete tests, false positives, and inaccurate results. Service virtualization can help you overcome this plateau and increase test automation rates.

Sword Testing in Production: A Double-Edged Sword

Testing in production gives more realistic opportunities to test, increases application transparency between the core product team and users, and supports the idea of continuous development through continuous testing. It's a good technique to embrace in your testing process—but it should not be entered into unprepared. Learn the advantages and pitfalls here.

Rajini  Padmanaban's picture Rajini Padmanaban
Shift right Testing the Unexpected: A Shift Right in DevOps Testing

When it comes to testing in DevOps, more than simple regression checking can be automated. By shifting right in the lifecycle and testing in production, you can analyze the undefined, unknown, and unexpected by relying on real traffic and unpredictable test input. With shorter implementation and release cycles, testing and production come closer together.

Stefan Friese's picture Stefan Friese

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