Tools

A command-line package installer is a handy tool that installs your desired software package without a fancy UI, yet it often proves to be more effective than some tools integrated into expensive IDEs. Brew and Pip are two of the more popular options for package installers when using the script language Python. But what’s the difference between them, and which makes more sense for your use? Here’s an introduction to Brew and Pip for testers.

If you want to start automating your test cases, László Szegedi makes an argument for using the popular Python and Selenium combination. Here, he gives a test script you can use after every release to find any serious regression bugs in the system, to be executed automatically. Integrate it with your existing development pipeline and you get a pretty useful tool for continuous improvement.

A design pattern consists of the pattern name, the problem it solves, how to implement the solution, and some consequences. There are also proven patterns like this that can be used in testing. This article lists and defines many commonly used patterns that can help you solve problems, improve code maintenance, and just make your life easier.

We like to hope that we will consider all possible situations when devising our tests, but it’s all too easy to overlook the unusual cases. That’s the benefit of random test generators. We might feel comfortable after testing a few dozen test cases; these tools generate hundreds. With more stuff getting tossed at the wall, there is a greater likelihood that something interesting sticks.