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Code on a computer screen Testing a Software Rewrite

Suppose we’re looking at a system rewrite where the stakeholders have none of the original engineering documentation. (This isn't surprising; documentation becomes obsolete—or even misleading—as the system changes, and corresponding docs don't get updated.) What can we do? Here are some tactics to use—and risks to anticipate—when testing a system rewrite.

Steve Poling's picture Steve Poling
Cursor hovering over a question mark button Keeping Accessibility in Mind: Cognition, Memory, and Attention

Digital accessibility refers to assistive technologies as well as to accessibility of web and mobile applications and electronic documents. But there are crucial aspects to accessibility beyond syntactical correctness of the HTML code and supporting a range of browsers and devices. Software testers must have knowledge of accessibility patterns and use a variety of tools to understand the experiences of people with disabilities.

Albert Gareev's picture Albert Gareev
Graph showing boundary values Using Equivalence Partitioning and Boundary Value Analysis in Black Box Testing

Equivalence partitioning and boundary value analysis are two specification-based techniques that are useful in black box testing. This article defines each of these techniques and describes, with examples, how you can use them together to create better test cases. You can save time and reduce the number of test cases required to effectively test inputs, outputs, and values.

Josh Giller's picture Josh Giller
Testing team standing around a computer and smiling 3 Methods for Better Communication and More Effective Testing

Successful delivery of software requires the entire team, so it’s imperative that everyone choose their words carefully so they convey what they really mean, are sensitive to others’ feelings, and consider all aspects of a problem. Here are three questions to remember when communicating about your software testing projects to ensure you’re considering the power of words.

Ajay Balamurugadas's picture Ajay Balamurugadas
Hand holding a light bulb in front of a sunrise 6 Unexpected Career Tips for Thinking Testers

Of course getting training, practicing the skills of testing, moving into the right product line, and learning are all necessary for testers to grow their careers. But when Jon Hagar asked himself what helped him grow as a thinking tester, he came up with some ideas that are more off the beaten path. Consider these six tips and your future will be bright.

Jon Hagar's picture Jon Hagar
Circle made of arrows Why You Need Continuous Testing in DevOps

DevOps is more than adopting the right set of tools; it's a cultural shift that incorporates testing at each stage of the agile project lifecycle. Continuous testing is key to unlocking this culture change because it weaves testing activities into every part of the software design, development, and deployment processes, which helps everyone involved communicate more, collaborate better, and innovate faster.

Tom Alexander's picture Tom Alexander
Hand holding black rotary telephone When DevOps Gets Lost in Translation

The waterfall method of developing software is a bunch of translation activities: The design is a translation of the requirements into the language of architecture, the code is another, and a formal test process is a third. And with each translation, there’s the opportunity to introduce error. When your DevOps team is isolated, it creates another handoff, and another point of failure.

Matthew Heusser's picture Matthew Heusser
Racecar on a track Test Faster: How We Cut Our Test Cycle Time in Half

In just a year, one test team reduced its test cycle by more than 50 percent. It took analysis, planning, and effort—first they looked into how they spent their time, and then they questioned whether they could reduce time in any of those areas. Once they knew where they could be more efficient, they could start tackling their blockers. Here's how you can, too.

John Ruberto's picture John Ruberto
A police officer stands on a street with his back to the camera The Quality Police: Testing like a Law Enforcement Officer

After ten years as a police officer, Adrian Oniga became a software tester. He was expecting a dramatic change, but he soon discovered that there are many similarities between testing and police work, including questioning, investigating, exploring, and analyzing. Here are some ways you can test like a law enforcement officer.

Adrian Oniga's picture Adrian Oniga
A developer and a tester looking at each other warily Examining Cross-functionality Bias on Software Development Teams

Cross-functionality means having all the necessary people and skills on one self-organizing team. Unfortunately, the execution of cross-functionality is often biased. The main traps we fall into are misunderstanding the value of specialization, hero worship, and not “walking the cross-functional talk” as organizations. Let’s examine each of these pitfalls in the hope that your teams may avoid them.

Natalie Warnert's picture Natalie Warnert

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