AXIOMS Paul Gerrard THE TESTING OF

A foundation for thinking and behaviour

There is no agreed set of laws. Is our profession based on weak foundations? I REPEAT….

American Heritage Dictionary: Test: (noun) A procedure for critical evaluation; A means of determining the presence, quality, or truth of something; A trial.

Many books on software testing… And there appear to be 713 of them …

Testing as a lifecycle activity Model-based testing Test-obsessed Testing as exploration Business goal-based testing Agile testing Test-first, test- driven Risk-based testing Testing as learning

Practices are always context- sensitive

Different approaches reflect a different emphasis on the same axioms

“Murder is wrong” is axiomatic.

ALL the Axioms have been compared with the writings of the folk who have objected.

Too many schools push dogma, demand obedience to school rules and mark people for life. They put up barriers to entry and exit and require members to sing the same school song. No thanks.

The Axiom Axioms are one-liners that succinctly state the principle.

Testing has no meaning without stakeholders

You need a source of knowledge to select things to test

Test needs a source of knowledge to evaluate actual behaviour

Your sources of knowledge are fallible and incomplete

If you don’t manage scope, you may never meet stakeholder expectations

Test design is based on models

Testing requires a coverage model or models

The usefulness of the intelligence produced by test determines the value of testing

Test execution requires a known, controlled environment

Testing never goes as planned

The most important tests are those that uncover the best intelligence, fast

Run your most important tests first – you may not have time to run them later

Repeated tests are inevitable

Acceptance is always a compromise

Testing never finishes; it stops

The value of intelligence is independent of who produces it

Suggestions?

Think of the Axioms as thinking tools

Test Strategy Test Strategy Risks Goals Constraints Human resource Environment Timescales Process (lack of?) Contract Culture Opportunities User involvement Automation De- Duplication Early Testing Skills Communication Axioms Artefacts

Design Coverage Value Scope Prioritisation Fallibility Event Oracle Never-Finished Good-Enough Environment Basis Repeat-Test Delivery Sequencing Stakeholder

Sequencing Stakeholder What tests do the different stakeholders value most? What information do the different stakeholders want first?

Much better than generic ‘maturity models’ that MUST BE context-dependent

Who are they? What intelligence do they want? What do they need it for? When do they want it? In what format? How often? Etc.

Risk Management Risk Management Coverage Stakeholder Event Never Finished Never Finished Managing Uncertainty Facilitation, influencing and reporting Expectation management Crisis management

The words software, system, technology, methodology, v- model, entry/exit criteria, risk – do not appear

Testers test software, systems, interfaces, documents, processes, buildings, people etc… (Should they apply to testing anything? Discuss!)

A procedure for critical evaluation A means of determining the presence, quality, or truth of something A trial.

Refinement Examples Applications

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Thank-You! THE TESTING OF