Post on 29-Nov-2014
description
Documenting Software Testing Instructions - A Survey of
Successful Approaches
STP Con October 25th, 2011Justin Hunter
Topics
Tradeoffs
Considerations
Documents
Idea Triggers
Context Objectives
Mind Maps“Straw Man”
ChecklistsPersonas
“Kan Ban Cards”
Combinations
Topics
3
Context is Critical
4
Tester’s experience
level / Exploratory
Testing skills
Importance of keeping detailed records (e.g., for regulatory compliance or lawsuit defense)
Context is Critical
5
Tester’s experience
level / Exploratory
Testing skills
Importance of keeping detailed records (e.g., for regulatory compliance or lawsuit defense)
Relatively littledetail
Enough detail to satisfy lawyers
Very detailed
Enough detail to avoid tester confusion
Appropriate Amt. of Detail
6Sources: Key Terms (“Cloud Level” / “Clam Level”, etc.)
http://alistair.cockburn.us/Use+casesImage: accelerateddeliveryplatform.com
Objectives
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Objectives & Assumptions
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Who? W
hen?
Prescriptive vs. Exploratory?
Tradeoffs
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Practical Tradeoffs
10
ManyFew
Reqs Docs and the SUT
Reqs Docs Only
Test ideas from
looking at...
Detailsin tests
Practical Tradeoffs
11
ManyFew
Reqs Docs and the SUT
Reqs Docs Only
Test ideas from
looking at...
Detailsin tests
Prescriptive /Designed Before
Exploratory /Designed During
Documentation Strategy
12
“Straw Man”
13
Every test scriptMUST have:
• Test Name• Test Number• Tester’s Name • Tester’s Dept.• Type of Test • Requirement Number• Pre-conditions• Configuration Details• Test Data• Specific Steps• Designer• Approver• Execution Time (est.)• Expected Results
Time Management
14
Overly-Detailed Documentation
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ActualTesting
Mind Maps
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Mind Maps - Test Plan Template
17http://www.softwaretestingclub.com/forum/topics/the-two-
page-test-plan?commentId=751045%3AComment%3A105353
18http://www.softwaretestingclub.com/forum/topics/the-two-page-
test-plan?commentId=751045%3AComment%3A105353
Clear Communication Example
Evolution of a Mind Map
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“1. Identify Properties you're interested in”
http://testerkiwi.blogspot.com/2011/04/building-exploratory-test-plan-redux.html
Evolution of a Mind Map
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“2. Start Collecting Intel”
http://testerkiwi.blogspot.com/2011/04/building-exploratory-test-plan-redux.html
Evolution of a Mind Map
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3. After Talking to Developer...
http://testerkiwi.blogspot.com/2011/04/building-exploratory-test-plan-redux.html
Mind Maps
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Benefits of mind maps so far... Benefits of mind maps so far...
Creation
Quick and Easy Maintenance
Quick and Easy Collaboration
Quick and Easy
Reporting
Quick and Easy
But would mind maps be detailed enough...
... For junior testers?
... For testers who will join team in six months?
“MindMapping 101 for Testers”
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http://www.bettertesting.co.uk/content/?p=956
Test Details into Test Mgmt Tool
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Collaboration is Easy
Planning & Prioritizing Risks
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http://www.bettertesting.co.uk/content/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Test-Phase-3.4.jpg
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http://www.bettertesting.co.uk/content/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Test-Phase-3.4.jpg
Determining Scope - What’s In
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http://www.bettertesting.co.uk/content/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Test-Phase-3.4.jpg
Determining Scope - What’s Out
Documentation
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Kan Ban Boards
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31
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roxocubes/5786672702/
Paul Holland - (Testing-Focused)
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Paul HollandAlcatel-Lucent
(personal photo of histesting board, used with permission)
Paul Holland - (Testing-Focused)
33
Each note represents a half-day of testing activity (via Session-Based Testing)
Highly recommended reading: For a detailed description of Paul’s experiences with this approach and his lessons learned, check out Michael
Bolton’s “A Sticky Situation” in an upcoming version of STP Magazine. Also, Google “Session-based Test Management”
Kan Ban-ish Tool: Pivotal Tracker
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More Details on Hover-Overs
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More Detail Still by Clicking
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Including Recent Test Results
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Test Descriptions / Size Estimates
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Soap Opera Testing
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http://www.logigear.com/logi_media_dir/Documents/Soap_Opera_Testing.pdf
Tests should be fun and aggressive.
Write scenarios that are:
• Reality-based• Exaggerated, and • Condensed
Soap Opera Testing
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http://www.logigear.com/logi_media_dir/Documents/Soap_Opera_Testing.pdf
42
http://www.logigear.com/logi_media_dir/Documents/Soap_Opera_Testing.pdf
Soap Opera Testing
Soap Opera Example
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http://www.logigear.com/logi_media_dir/Documents/Soap_Opera_Testing.pdf
Personas and “Substruction”
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http://www.software-testing.com.au/blog/2006/07/30/personas-substruction-and-other-trades-tricks/
Behavior-Driven Development
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Behavior-Driven Development
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47
How to Select?
48
49
... How to Handle More Details?
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... and still MORE Details?
How to Document?
51
Test inputs from all 3
mind maps are entered.
jklhlkjhkjhkjh
52
Pairwise coverage in 19 highly-varied tests
Auto-populate Mad Libs-like tests
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Turned into Detailed Test Scripts
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Detailed test scripts: quickly generated by Hexawise.
Checklists
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Checklists
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• Cem Kaner - The Value of Checklists and the Danger of
Scripts: What Legal Training Suggests for Testers http://
www.kaner.com/pdfs/ValueOfChecklists.pdf
• Justin Hunter - http://hexawise.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/
checklists-good-test-scripts-bad/
• Thoughts from the Test Eye - Software Quality
Characteristics
• Michael Hunter, “You Are Not Done Yet”
• Elizabeth Hendrickson - Testing Cheat Sheet
Software Quality Characteristics
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http://thetesteye.com/blog/2010/11/software-quality-characteristics-1-0/
Rapid Reporter (Free Tool)
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http://testing.gershon.info/reporter/
Checklists
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www.kaner.com/pdfs/ValueOfChecklists.pdf
“Easy-Access Executive Summary”
60
http://bitly.com/bundles/hexawise/2
An organized summary of all the links referred to in this presentation is
available in the link below:
Invitation to SlideShare Viewers
61
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