Get the Balance Right

Get the Balance Right: ATDD, GUI Automation and Exploratory Testing

Presented by Michael Larsen

Depending on who you talk to, all of our testing challenges can be solved by doing some particular variant of software testing. In the Agile community, Test Driven Development and Acceptance Test Driven Development are quite hot properties. So hot, in fact that some programmers and programming managers have declared that "Test is Dead", or at least, is figuratively so.

Others speak to the proliferation of frameworks and tools that allow for automated testing of the front end/GUI interface, and that this spells the future of testing.

And some say that "sapient, active exploratory testing", performed by engaged humans in a variety of ways, is the truly effective method of performing software testing. Which group is right?

The answer is "all of them, and none of them". None of these approaches alone will guarantee code goes out the door error free.

Taken together, with a good understanding of where each area excels and where each area has deficiencies, and where each can leverage the strengths of each other, development teams and testing teams can bring a balance to development and testing efforts to find the issues that matter.

Agenda

6:00-6:30 - Pizza and networking.

6:30-8:00 - Michael's presentation and discussion.

8:00-8:30 - More networking!

Studio closed at 8:30

About Michael Larsen

Michael has, for the better part of 18 years, found himself in the role of being the "Army of One" or "The Lone Tester" more times than not. This unique viewpoint, along with ideas and advocacy regarding continuous education and learning/re-learning for testers, is frequently grist for the mill that is TESTHEAD (http://mkltesthead.com), his software testing blog. You can also follow him on Twitter at @mkltesthead.