TESTING ALL THE WAY DOWN, AND OTHER DIRECTIONSJames Thomas@qahiccupps

CEWT #3. 6th November 2016

Tested = Checked + Explored

you need a test strategy that answers two core questions:

1. Does the software behave as intended …?2. Are there any other risks?

Neither checking nor exploring is sufficient on its own.

Some Things I was Thinking

Tested = Checked + Explored.

Values? Units? What operation is “+”?

Do we really always need both checking and exploration? Always?

Past tense brings together both testing and finishing testing.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "I get it. I hadn’t thought of it that way

before. I am testing the requirements ..."

Testing: “[to] interact with the software or system, observe its actual behavior, and compare that to your expectations"

Can this definition apply outside software?

But was I Testing?

I was reading, re-reading, skim-reading, searching, cataloguing, note-taking, cross-referencing, correlating, sense-making, model-building, consistency-

seeking, comparing, reflecting, filtering, factoring, experimenting, evaluating,

being sceptical, thinking critically, thinking laterally, …

But was I Testing?

I criticised the definition,I challenged my model of the definition,

I analysed Elisabeth’s answers,I reflected on the way I asked questions,

I wondered at why I cared about this,I sought justification for all the above, …

But was I Testing?

Well, I was… exploring… a definition of testing… using techniques from that definition… which wouldn’t class my actions as testing

And it felt like testing, to me…

What is Testing?

Testing is the process of executing a program with the intent of finding errors.

Source: Arborosa

Testing is the process of evaluating a product by learning about it through exploration and experimentation …

Testing is RecursiveTesting is simple: you

understand what is important and then you test it.

as each flaw ... is discovered ... [a] mini exploration will result in a more targeted testing exploration

around this feature area

Adam Knight, Fractal Exploratory Testing

Rikard Edgren, EuroSTAR 2015

Testing a sub-sub-feature Testing a sub-sub-feature

Testing a sub-feature

Testing a feature

TESTING ALL THE WAY DOWN

Testing a sub-sub-feature

Testing a sub-feature

Testing a feature

Testing the model

Testing the PO’s viewTesting the links between features

Testing another feature

Testing PO’s expression of their view

Testing the way I’m talking to the PO

Testing whether the PO is the best person to talk to

Testing the end user need

Testing the feature testing

Testing the reason for testing

TESTING ALL THE OTHER DIRECTIONS

So What is Testing for Me?

Testing is the pursuit of actual or potential incongruity.

Selected Credits• Explore It!: https://pragprog.com/book/ehxta/explore-it• Rikard Edgren: https://

www.linkedin.com/in/rikard-edgren-6bb4612,http://qahiccupps.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/testing-is-simple-and-complicated.html

• Adam Knight: http://www.a-sisyphean-task.com/2013/01/fractal-exploratory-testing.html

• Arborosa: https://arborosa.org/2015/06/14/what-is-testing/• The Art of Software Testing: https://

www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Software-Testing-Glenford-Myers/dp/1118031962

• Bolton, Bach: http://www.satisfice.com/blog/archives/856