The Evil Tester's Guide to Technical Testing

Eurostar Webinar 4th December 2012

Alan Richardsonwww.eviltester.com

www.compendiumdev.co.ukwww.seleniumsimplified.com@eviltester

Warning: This Webinar contains Opinions.

● Why should you care?● How to spot Technical Testing?● What stops Technical Testing?● Test Techniques Revisited● How a technical tester views a system● Can anyone do this?● The bluffer's guide to technical testing

Why Should you care?

Why should you care?

"Technical Testing sounds like hard work and I can get away without doing this stuff."

Reasons Based on FEAR

● Projects are becoming more technical

● "They" are now testing

Reasons based on HOPE

● Flexibility

● Find different types of bugs faster

● Find bugs faster

● Add more value

● Future proof yourself

What IS Technical Testing?

I don't know...

...But I do know:

● Technical knowledge transfers between domains

● Testing != Technical

And I know it when I see it... So let's play...

The

"Is it Technical Testing?"

Game

"Do you look in the Database?"If you say...

"I don't look at the database that's not my job."

Are you doing Technical Testing?

NO - wrong attitude

"Do you look in the Database?"If you say...

"Of course I look in the database, I run these queries that the developers gave me"

Are you doing Technical Testing?

No - Not enough Understanding

"Do you look in the Database?"If you say...

"Yes, I use the default admin tool, I run custom queries before and after I use the app, to check results. I understand the DB schema pretty well."

Are you doing Technical Testing?

Yes - with more to learn

"Do you look in the Database?"If you say...

"Of course, and I sometimes ssh in, I never use the default tool, I prefer DBToolX. I have a script that compares the schema between releases, and yeah, I query the db to see what's going on."

Are you doing Technical Testing?

Yes - I aspire to this

How to spot it?

● Attitude● Asking Questions● Leave no stone unturned● Tool Up● Pairing● Experiment● Own It

Test Techniques Revisited

Boundary Value Analysis

● Process a drop down with 250 items

● One technical premise: loop conditions are tricky

boolean foundit=false;for(int item=1; item<=250; item++){

if(db.isItemPresent(dropDown.get(item)){foundit=true;break;

}}

BVA and Technical Knowledge

● What if the technical premise changes?

foundit = false;for(Item item : dropDown.getItems()){

if(chosenItem.equals(item)){foundit=true;break;

}}

How a Technical Tester Views Your Application

A Non-technical view of an app

http://www.compendiumdev.co.uk/selenium/search.php

Requirements Doc

Functional Spec

Non-functional Requirements

A Technical View - Web App Terrain

A Technical View - Server Terrain

A Technical View - Browser Terrain

A Technical View - Architecture Terrain

A Technical View - User Terrain

What StopsTechnical Testing?

What stops technical testing?

● Environment● The Manager● ...

● Personal Motivation

Environment: Lock it down

You can try to stop technical testing by locking down the environment.

The Manager

"I'm a manager, I don't need to be technical."

Personal Motivation...

"Will trumps everything"

Can Anyone do this?

If I can do it, anyone can do it...

... and I've seen other people do it.

Shh... don't tell anyone... but...

...I'm not that technical

I've learned some secrets...● Ask questions● Catalogue the technologies

○ use the default tools● Copy others

○ pair and make notes● Study and learn

○ on your own● Identify tools by modelling:

○ Observation○ Manipulation○ Interrogation

● Experiment● Keep Learning

"Don't worry about breaking things. Testers are supposed to break things."

... and I've seen other people do it.

If I can do it, anyone can do it...

Bluffer's Guide to Technical Testing

A Bluffer's Guide to Technical Web Testing - starter for 13

Further Reading

● The OWASP Testing Guide○ http://www.owasp.org/index.php/OWASP_Testing_Project

● Putting Systems to Work by Derek Hitchins○ http://www.hitchins.net/SysBooks.html (free download pdf)

● The Art of War by Sun Tzu○ provides a generalisable model for technical testing - including

map/territory, observation (use of spies) and manipulation○ www.sonshi.com○ http://www.feedbooks.com/book/168/the-art-of-war

● The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi○ How to practice and improve○ http://www.feedbooks.com/book/3953/the-book-of-five-rings

Next up: YouAlan Richardson

@eviltester

eviltester.comcompendiumdev.co.ukseleniumsimplified.com