This blog post is about my notes on slide set for BBST Foundations lecture 2: Strategy.
Before any reading about lecture two, lecture name made me think about word “strategy”. If you want to win, you need strategy in chess, Starcraft, war. Does that imply that testing is game that needs a winner?
And first lecture question is: “Why are we testing”. I looked up in dictionary meaning of word objective because it is important part of answer on previous question.
More brain food:
- how we know that test passed or failed?
- test coverage
- testing finish
- where are we between start and finish of testing?
- how was our testing? Disaster, super tester, useful, missed the point…?
I read lesson required reading: “Managing the
proportion of testers to (other) developers.”
I have been asked that question several times so far during my testing. And I always answered the number. But, this is only the tip of the iceberg. For start, question is what tasks are testers responsibility? I learned about two factor model (project risk vs project size) for predicting staffing requirements and three factor model (product, project and project process). What is mission of the testing group and how the labour is allocated will help in determining tester/programmer ratio.
Next reading: Heuristic test strategy model.
It has five components, three inputs and one output of software tester work. Big like is “Software is complex and invisible.” Project environment brought up my first testing constraint, and that was time to get software build for J2EE application. While reading about five components I automatically mapped them on my latest project. I think that constrained my learning. I read again thinking about Starcraft 2 game. For example, product function elements in Starcraft 2 context gave me a lot material to think. Mapping heuristic test strategy model to Starcraft 2 game helped me to broader my testing knowledge.
Next reading was Recruiting software testers by Ph.D. Cem Caner. I scanned up to list of questions when hiring test manager. Trying to answer those question, I also learned a lot.
How do I Create Value with my Testing? also has a list of valuable questions that every tester should ask himself. Doing that, it will become better tester. It also triggered my own ideas.
Should you read recommended reading list? Yes! I scanned only part of Recruiting software tester because that part was for HR personnel. When I will need to create test plan for my next project I will come back to recommended reading list to read it again because it will help me to create better test plan depending on project context.
Also, it will be very helpful to review my self how am I doing on that future testing project.
Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge (Routledge Classics) is book by Karl Popper. I have met with Popper work in Michael Bolton blog posts and although I do not have access to that book right now (and it is marked with skim reference), I found out part of it as this pdf document. What is all about? Lack of (or poor testing execution) of modern scientific theories. Great read.
