Articles

Brain made of computer circuits and binary code A Simpler Way of Using Machine Learning to Shift Testing Left

The advantages of shifting left and testing as early as possible are obvious. But as you automate more testing, the test suite grows larger and larger, and it takes longer and longer to run. Instead, just automate the process of finding the right set of tests to run. The key to that is machine learning. This isn't AI bots finding bugs autonomously without creating tests; this is a different way to use machine learning, and it’s far simpler.

James Farrier's picture James Farrier
Power button Simplify Continuous Operation Tests with a Periodic Reboot

Continuous operation tests find important bugs, partly as a result of their long operation and partly by increasing the probability of finding statistical bugs. However, CO tests have their own downsides. Mandating a periodic reset or reboot can work around these issues, as well as save time and cost for testing, reproduction, debugging, and fix verification.

Michael Stahl's picture Michael Stahl
Gearbox for a car with a manual transmission Shifting Your Testing: When to Switch Gears

Shifting your testing either left or right can meet different needs and improve different aspects. How do you know whether to make a change? Let your test cycles be your guide. Just like when driving a car with a manual transmission, if the engine starts to whine or you’re afraid you’re about to stall out, switching gears may be just what you need.

Maximilian Bauer's picture Maximilian Bauer
Graph showing how testing earlier costs less and means fewer overall defects The Shift-Left Approach to Software Testing

The earlier you find out about problems in your code, the less impact they have and the less it costs to remediate them. Therefore, it's helpful to move testing activities earlier in the software development lifecycle—shifting it left in the process timeline. This article explores the shift-left methodology and how you can approach shifting left in your organization.

Arthur Hicken's picture Arthur Hicken

Better Software Magazine Articles

QA Is More Than Being a Tester QA Is More Than Being a Tester

QA testers often take on more of a role than just testing software code. When the team needs help, QA should lend a hand in assisting with business analysis, customer communication, user experience, and user advocacy.

Amanda Perkins's picture Amanda Perkins
The Unspoken Truth about IoT Test Automation The Unspoken Truth about IoT Test Automation

The internet of things (IoT) continues to proliferate as connected smart devices become critical for individuals and businesses. Even with test automation, performing comprehensive testing can be quite a challenge.

Rama Anem's picture Rama Anem
Test-Driven Service Virtualization Test-Driven Service Virtualization

Because enterprise applications are highly interconnected, development in stages puts a strain on the implementation and execution of automated testing. Service virtualization can be introduced to validate work in progress while reducing the dependencies on components and third-party technologies still under development.

Alexander Mohr's picture Alexander Mohr
testing Adopt an Innovative Quality Approach to Testing

How much testing is really enough? Given resources, budget, and time, the goal of comprehensive testing seems impossible to achieve. It’s time to rethink your test strategy and start innovating.

Rajini  Padmanaban's picture Rajini Padmanaban

Interviews

Melissa Tondi Embracing Tools and Technology in QA: An Interview with Melissa Tondi
Video

In this interview, Melissa Tondi, senior QA strategist at Rainforest, discusses the foundation you need in order to have a positive introduction for new tools and technologies. She explains why the team leader has to understand what motivates each individual and how to get them excited about their job. Melissa says team members also have to realize that if they are in any way involved in testing software, they are a technologist, so they have to embrace the tools and technology that will continuously improve and streamline repetitive tasks.

Jennifer Bonine's picture Jennifer Bonine
Bob Galen Strategic Leadership in Agile: An Interview with Bob Galen
Video

In this interview, Bob Galen, principal agile coach at Vaco Agile, talks about the importance of getting rid of silos by breaking down the barriers of “them and us” and becoming “we.” He also discusses the need for agile managers to steer away from a tactical management view toward a more strategic leadership view. That means leading their teams by setting expectations and guidelines and being available to help if needed, but ultimately just trusting their teams to get the job done.

Owen Gotimer's picture Owen Gotimer
Peter Varhol and Gerie Owens What Testers Can Learn from Airline Safety Improvements: An Interview with Peter Varhol and Gerie Owens
Video

Technologist and evangelist Peter Varhol and Gerie Owens, a test architect and certified ScrumMaster, discuss their STARWEST presentation, “What Aircrews Can Teach Testers about Testing.” They talk about how testers can apply airline safety practices to their teams’ delivery of high-quality applications through complementary expertise, collaboration, and decision-making. They also explain how blind deference to authority and automation can be detrimental to a testing team, and how to use everyone’s skills to achieve success.

Jennifer Bonine's picture Jennifer Bonine
Robert Sabourin Testing in the Dark: An Interview with Rob Sabourin
Video

Rob Sabourin, the program chair for STARWEST 2018, discusses the selection process for conference speakers, his favorite aspect of the conference, and the interactive Test Lab. He also details his “Testing in the Dark” talk, which gives strategies to use when you’re required to test software without any requirements, design, or product knowledge.

Jennifer Bonine's picture Jennifer Bonine

Conference Presentations

STARCANADA 2019 Providing Value as a Leader: More Than Just Being the Boss
Slideshow

Being a test manager is more than just being the boss. Sure, there is direction to set, issues to address, hiring, performance reviews, and status updates.

Jeff Abshoff
STARCANADA 2019 3 Steps to QA Success from a VP of Quality Assurance
Slideshow

Are you a leader with a quality problem? Every organization struggles with quality at some point in their product lifecycle. Knowing what to measure and how to build a culture of quality with specific and actionable methods is key.

Karen Holliday
Agile DevOps West What's That Smell? Tidying Up Our Test Code
Slideshow

We are often reminded by those experienced in writing test automation that code is code. The sentiment being conveyed is that test code should be written with the same care and rigor that production code is written with.

Angie Jones
STAREAST Testing in Production
Slideshow

How do you know your feature is working perfectly in production? And if something breaks in production, how will you know?

Talia Nassi

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