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Best Practices and Context-Driven Software Testing
Building a Bridge

By Neil Thompson

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Summary: The second basic principle of the Context-Driven school of software testing states that there are good practices in context, but there are no best practices. I believe that there are, although not the traditional ones. I propose a simple test by asking "Is there ever a time I wouldn't do or care about X?" If the answer is no, then X is an "always-good" practice. Practices such as risk management, prioritisation of work, using appropriate skills, choosing appropriate techniques, making informed decisions, and understanding our context, all seem to fit this definition. What varies is the degree of formality with which the practice is performed. In this paper, I explain: why the concept of "best practice" does not need to be inconsistent with a context-driven approach, how to evaluate your specific context, and how to choose specific good practices along the formal-to-informal continuum.


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This paper was originally presented at StarEast 2003.
 

About the Author
Neil Thompson is an independent testing consultant and manager based in the United Kingdom, serving blue-chip clients through www.TiSCL.com, either directly or in association with other consultancies. He has considerable international consulting experience, and is co-author with Paul Gerrard of the 2002 book "Risk-based ebusiness testing."

Neil has worked for over twenty-five years in information systems, initially with a computer manufacturer then with two of the UK's leading software houses. His career continued with an international user organisation followed by ten years as a management consultant with global firms. He has a wide perspective on the IS business, through diverse roles including programmer, systems analyst, team leader for enhancements and maintenance (in addition to new software development), and project manager.

Neil is a graduate of Cambridge University (UK), and a member of the British Computer Society (and its specialist interest groups in Software Testing and Configuration Management). He is also a Certified Management Consultant with the Institute of Management Consultancy (UK) and a member of the IEEE. Neil spoke at the first EuroSTAR in 1993, then again in 1994 and 1999. At EuroSTAR 2002 he co-taught a popular tutorial with Paul Gerrard on risk-based testing. Neil's first visit to STAREast was in 2002, and he is delighted to be speaking here in 2003.



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