Test Automation for the Non-Technical Tester

Presented at STC Bangalore 2012.

Non-technical testers sometimes fear automated testing. Often this fear is from FUD or misunderstanding automation's role. This talk hopes to bridge the gap of misunderstanding so non-technical testers (those who've traditionally been "manual" testers) can understand how automation helps them deliver better value to the project by focusing on exploratory and high-value testing instead of rote repetition of manual test scripts.

Transcript

1. Test Automation for the Non- Technical Tester Understanding Automation’s Value
2. Jim Holmes @aJimHolmes Jim.Holmes@Telerik.com http://FrazzledDad.com http://bit.ly/JimAtTestStudio
3. “Scripted manual tests are immoral” -- Robert “Uncle Bob” Martin, NYC BDD Exchange conference, 1 Oct 2012 (@gojkoadzic http://bit.ly/11Vbm8t)
5. Medical Devices
6. Mindless repetition of scripts? Poor value for company
7. Automation frees testers to do higher value work
8. Exploratory Testing: Use testers’ skills and knowledge
9. Why do testers avoid automation?
10. Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD)
11. “Automation is going to take away my job!”
12. “I don’t know how to write code!”
13. “There’s too much to learn!”
14. “If you dislike change, you’ll dislike obsolescence even more” -- General Eric Shinseki, Chairman, US Joint Chiefs of Staff
15. Don’t fear automation, learn where you can use it to add more value
16. Automation “checks” software, People “test” software -- Michael Bolton, 2009
17. Automated tests “check” for regressions...
18. They’re fast, repeatable, and specific
19. Automation can give rapid feedback
20. ...but there’s much they can’t see
21. Types of automation
22. Unit Tests
23. Integration Tests
24. Functional (UI) Tests
25. Performance/Load, Security
26. Testing Pyramid -- Permission from Lisa Crispin
27. HOW automation is used
28. Unit Tests Run locally (constantly!) by developers
29. All Types Regularly or scheduled on build/testing server
30. Where can testers collaborate with developers on automated tests?
31. Developers write “shallow” or “Happy Path” tests
32. Testers bring different views to project
33. Testers help extend coverage of automated tests (But focus on valuable tests!)
34. Automation is only part of an overall quality approach
35. “Testing is dead”
36. No, it’s not -- but it is dramatically changing!
37. Developer/Tester collaboration is critical for a project’s success
38. Whole Team Approach
39. Testers are pessimists and look for negative testing
40. Automation shouldn’t be feared
41. Automation checks, good testers test
42. Automation brings more value to the customer
43. Automation frees testers to be creative and use their skills
44. Jim Holmes @aJimHolmes Jim.Holmes@Telerik.com http://FrazzledDad.com http://bit.ly/JimAtTestStudio