Better Software Magazine Articles

Reloadable Test Data-O-Matic

Reloadable test data takes more time up front (as compared to on-the-fly data creation), but saves blood, sweat, and tears in the long term. It also virtually eliminates "works on my machine" bugs, creates a more intricate and realistic environment, and is the first step on the road to test automation.

Tanya Dumaresq
Lucky and Smart

Charles Darwin was certainly a great scientist, but his career and his discoveries were also strongly influenced by serendipity and luck. What could this great explorer and scientist teach us about testing?

Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
The Key to Good Interviewing

The foundation of any successful assessment is interviewing a diverse cross section of the staff. But asking the right questions and asking those questions right makes all the difference in the quality of information you can elicit from your interviewees.

Robert Sabourin's picture Robert Sabourin
Google Web Toolkit: Writing Ajax Applications Test First

In part two of the series, Daniel introduces Google Web Toolkit's testing infrastructure and demonstrates how to build an Ajax application test first.

Daniel Wellman's picture Daniel Wellman
Give Your Defects Some Static

Computer security has raised the demand for automated tools that can analyze source code for vulnerabilities and defects. Find out how you can put automated static analyzers to work for you.

Know Where Your Wheels Are

Drawing from his experiences while learning to drive, Michael applies lessons he learned from written rules, experiential learning, and the advice of mentors to teaching new testers some valuable skills.

Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
Is There a Problem Here?

Suppose you were testing an application that you had never seen before with no time to prepare, no specification, no documentation, no reference programs, no prepared test cases, no test plan, and no other person to talk to. How do you know that what you are seeing is a bug?

Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
Some Assembly Required

Despite the hype, test-driven development is not as easy as child's play. Successful implementation of TDD requires discipline and an understanding of the potential pitfalls. This article examines the "fine print" of TDD and explains how following some guidelines can help you make it a valuable addition to your development toy box.

Jennitta Andrea's picture Jennitta Andrea
Man and Machine: Combine the Human Mind with Test Automation Tools

Instead of viewing software test automation as an effort to replace manual tests think of it as a means to extend the abilities of the tester. Combining the power of the human mind with automation tools helps fuel observation and discovery and provides a different perspective of the software under test.

Jonathan Kohl's picture Jonathan Kohl
Structure Marking

Structure marking is a programming technique that defends data against damage, especially from software bugs. It adds flags to data structures and checks them at each use to detect damaged data immediately.

Tom Van Vleck

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