A Context-Driven Approach to Automation in Testing
This is a detailed explanation of how automation helps us in software testing. We show that automation can do much more than merely simulating a user who is pressing buttons. A downloadable pdf.
Mary Alton
A Rapid Testing Framework
Here’s a narrative roadmap of many elements of RST. At the top are the premises underlying software development and why we test; below is the “activity vortex”, with the tester and heuristic at the eye of the hurricane.
A Ridiculously Rapid Introduction to Rapid Software Testing (video)
Over the years, we’ve seen the introduction of Structured Programming, Total Quality Management, Agile, Scrum, Devops—and after all this time, projects still stumble and products still drive us crazy. Why? Part of the reason is surely that many projects are … Learn more
Breaking the Test Case Addiction
Testing, as we’ve pointed out (many times), is not test cases; testing is a performance. Testing, as we’ve pointed out, is the process of learning about a product through exploration and experimentation, which includes to some degree questioning, studying, modeling, observation, inference, etc. … Learn more
Exploratory Testing
Do you perform any exploratory testing on APIs? How do you do it? Here’s an in-depth version of the reply I gave, with the benefit of links to deeper material. To begin: application programming interfaces (APIs) are means by which … Learn more
Exploratory Testing 3.0
In the beginning, there was testing. No one distinguished between exploratory and scripted testing. Jerry Weinberg’s 1961 chapter about testing in his book, Computer Programming Fundamentals, depicted testing as inherently exploratory and expressed caution about formalizing it. He wrote, “It is, of course, … Learn more
Heuristic Test Strategy Model
The HTSM (v.5.7.5) is a set of guideword heuristics designed to help you think better about test strategy. It includes four focus areas: test techniques, project elements, product elements, and quality criteria categories. You can use it casually or rigorously. … Learn more
How RST is Different From “Factory-Style” Testing
This document lays out, in many dimensions, how RST methodology differs from and contradicts the type of testing advocated by the ISTQB, TMAP, and similar systems. In my opinion, which is informed by decades of watching the industry, working in … Learn more
How to Evolve a Context-Driven Test Plan
This is a process guide for creating a good test plan within the RST methodology. It consists of seven tasks. The tasks can be performed in any order, or simultaneously and iteratively.