How to fail with BDD

Having helped many companies adopt BDD over the years, Dan has seen some remarkable, inspiring, worrying and downright scary activities performed in the name of BDD. It seems there are many ways to interpret both the theory and practice of BDD, and this talk attempts to navigate some of that landscape, and provide guidance and advice for those setting out on their BDD journey.

Transcript

1. How to fail with BDD
   Dan North
   @tastapod
   

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2. How to fail with Testing and BDD
   Dan North
   @tastapod
   

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3. How to fail with BDD and Testing
   Dan North
   @tastapod
   

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4. @tastapod
   Defining BDD
   *back in the golden age of 140 characters
   

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5. @tastapod
   Defining BDD
   

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6. @tastapod
   Defining BDD
   https:/
   /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior-driven_development
   BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
   multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
   automation, agile methodology.
   It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
   defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
   working, tested software that matters.
   

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7. @tastapod
   How to fail with BDD
   BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
   multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
   automation, agile methodology.
   It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
   defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
   working, tested software that matters.
   

   View Slide

8. @tastapod
   How to fail with BDD
   BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
   multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
   automation, agile methodology.
   It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
   defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
   working, tested software that matters.
   

   View Slide

9. @tastapod
   Ignore outside-in, pull-based
   Are you starting where you should? Or just where you know?
   Where does demand coming from?
   What is the next most valuable thing to work on?
   

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10. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

11. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

12. @tastapod
    Ignore multiple stakeholder
    Operate a feature factory
    Fall into the Build Trap™
    Accumulate technical debt
    Create a support nightmare
    

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13. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

14. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

15. @tastapod
    Ignore multiple scale
    Gherkin fixation
    Cucumber allergy
    Tool fixation
    

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16. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

17. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

18. @tastapod
    Ignore high-automation
    Without automation there is no feedback
    Without feedback there is no direction
    Copy-and-paste is not automation!
    Automation is a programming activity
    

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19. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

20. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

21. @tastapod
    Ignore interactions
    Developer confirmation bias
    Tester confirmation bias
    Tooling as passive-aggressive shield
    

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22. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

23. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

24. @tastapod
    Ignore working, tested software
    BDD is not about conversations!
    BDD is about shipping working software that matters
    using conversations!
    

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25. @tastapod
    How to fail with BDD
    BDD is a second generation, outside-in, pull-based,
    multiple stakeholder, multiple scale, high-
    automation, agile methodology.
    It describes a cycle of interactions with well-
    defined outputs, resulting in the delivery of
    working, tested software that matters.
    

    View Slide

26. @tastapod
    Defining Testing
    What? Why?
    “to increase confidence
    for stakeholders
    through evidence”
    Definition Purpose
    

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27. @tastapod
    Defining Testing
    “to increase confidence
    for stakeholders
    through evidence”
    pragmatism
    empathy
    ingenuity
    

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28. @tastapod
    How to fail with Testing
    “to increase confidence
    for stakeholders
    through evidence”
    pragmatism
    empathy
    ingenuity
    

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29. @tastapod
    Ignore pragmatism
    Feature files for everything!
    Test coverage targets
    Moar tests!
    

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30. @tastapod
    How to fail with Testing
    “to increase confidence
    for stakeholders
    through evidence”
    pragmatism
    empathy
    ingenuity
    

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31. @tastapod
    Ignore empathy
    Those pesky stakeholders again!
    What are you are testing, and why?
    Are you just focusing on the nearest or noisiest?
    

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32. @tastapod
    How to fail with Testing
    “to increase confidence
    for stakeholders
    through evidence”
    pragmatism
    empathy
    ingenuity
    

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33. @tastapod
    Ignore ingenuity
    When the only tool you have is a gherkin…
    Step outside of your own echo chamber
    Shift testability concerns upstream
    

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34. @tastapod
    You can fail with BDD and Testing
    You just have to not be doing BDD
    and not be doing Testing
    

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35. Thanks for listening!
    https:/
    /dannorth.net
    @tastapod
    

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