test techniques

Stronger, Faster Quality with Simple, Focused Checks

Imagine focusing on prioritized business requirements at the software layer closest to where those business items are implemented. Writing just one check—that is, a programmed verification—per business requirement makes for simple, focused checks, supporting stronger, faster quality around the team.

Matt Griscom's picture
Matt Griscom
When I Really Do Break Software

Pamela Gillaspie has been experimenting with actually breaking software: installing or operating respectable software in a way that renders it unusable. She says testing beyond what your product is strictly responsible for can save your company many support cases—and the goodwill of your users.

Pamela Gillaspie's picture
Pamela Gillaspie
Optimizing Testing: Moving Faster without Compromising Quality

At some point as a tester, you’ve probably been urged by management to reduce the amount of time required for testing without compromising product quality. How can you possibly do that? Weighing the added value and relative importance of each testing task can help you optimize your testing strategy.

Tariq King's picture
Tariq King
The Vocabulary of Testing

Testers in every project and company spend time defining and debating the meaning of common testing terms. Which labels are used for testing activities tend to vary from team to team. How do you reach an understanding? Dawn Haynes addresses the disparities and highlights what's really important.

Dawn Haynes's picture
Dawn Haynes
Why Automation Will Never Replace Manual Testing

Manual testers are experts at the unexpected, while automation is all about predictability. Automation won’t replace manual testing, but neither will manual testing replace automation. Linda Hayes writes that once the difference between them is understood, the fear of automation dissolves.

Linda Hayes's picture
Linda Hayes
Managing Security Testing in Agile Software Development

One of the biggest myths in the world of agile development is that there is not enough time to do security testing. Sanjay Zalavadia shows you the most efficient and cost-effective way of performing security testing in an agile environment: by rolling it into each sprint incrementally, from day one.

Sanjay Zalavadia's picture
Sanjay Zalavadia
Why You Need to Performance Test Your Mobile Apps

Even the most patient users can become frustrated when apps fail to load. A single day's worth of traffic can make or break a business, and that’s why it’s critical to performance test your apps to make sure that they’ll both work on real devices and be able to handle a large number of users.

Josiah Renaudin's picture
Josiah Renaudin
Testing Nonfunctional Requirements in an Agile Lifecycle

As organizations embrace agile, requirements become a challenge because they must be considered and validated in each (short) sprint. Ideally, nonfunctional requirements should be a continuous focus throughout the project. Here are some ways to better address NFRs in an agile development lifecycle.

Michael Sowers's picture
Michael Sowers