The Vocabulary of Testing
I spend a lot of my time with testers, in training sessions and at conferences, defining and debating the meaning of common testing terms. Often, disparity fuels a feisty interaction.
I find this loyalty to some catalog of terms quite puzzling, as every project and company I’ve been part of has developed its own colloquial language to describe their work. Many practitioners I meet confirm my observation, too.
So, to use an example, what’s your definition of a test case? I have had relentless debates, sometimes spanning years, over the meaning of this term, and I have seen others argue to the point of fist-pounding and yelling as well.
Amusingly, on any given day I can get sucked into an argument about the definition of this highly utilized expression. When I realize I’m in the middle of such a tussle, I think to myself, “Dang! How did I get here again?!” I attempt to reset by reminding myself of something Dale Perry said, which is the best conceptual definition of test case I’ve ever heard: “A test case is precisely what you design it to be.”
Now, let’s make it worse! How about a test plan? Or test strategy? Test script? Test procedure, test idea, test object, test objective, or other "testy" things? A quick scan of the most recent version of the ISTQB Glossary defines almost a hundred distinct terms that begin with the word “test.” But there’s more: performance testing, load testing, stress testing, user acceptance testing, smoke testing, component testing, system testing, black-box testing, white-box testing, lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Will it ever end?
No, it will not. As humans, we will always have the need to communicate concepts and ideas to accomplish tasks. On some days, from the testing industry to the project team, it can feel like the Tower of Babel.
Now, I’m not of the mind that we need a single language to work together. I rather think we need a common understanding. So I believe it’s vital to the success of every project for the team to generate a set of terms and definitions (a working glossary that can flex and evolve as needed) that can be shared among team members to facilitate understanding, reduce miscommunication, and improve collaboration.
This process alone will help groups increase their awareness of everyday communications challenges and put a fine point on the need to consistently check in with each other to demonstrate that understanding has taken place. It’s a small step along the maturity curve of testing in organizations, but a core one that’s good to tackle early.
So, when it comes to a testing term you need a consistent name for, call it blue, call it chair, call it tree. The “label” shouldn’t matter; instead, what’s important is a focus on valuing greater understanding to enhance collaboration and team effectiveness.
Dawn Haynes will be teaching the Agile Tester Certification training classes at STARWEST 2015, from September 27–October 2 in Anaheim, California.
