Due to the demands for reduced cycle times, automated tests are considered “table stakes” these days—whether you’re working on agile or waterfall projects. How do you minimize the cost of creating and maintaining—and maximize the value you get from—these automated tests? What kinds of tools should you use to avoid getting mired in test automation rework hell? Gerard Meszaros shares a toolkit of techniques for preparing robust, easily-understood automated tests that also serves as a specification of what should be built. Gerard lays out the key success factors—using different levels of tests, consciously managing the scope of each test and its level of detail, writing tests using business (not technical) terminology, and selecting tools that support this strategy. Exercises give you hands-on experience refactoring tests to make them more readable and maintainable. Gain a valuable appreciation for the kinds of tools you’ll need to prepare tests anyone can read and understand.
Gerard Meszaros
An independent software development consultant and trainer, Gerard Meszaros has more than thirty years of experience in software and more than a decade of experience in agile methods. Gerard is an expert in test automation patterns, refactoring of software and tests, and design for testability. He has applied automated unit and acceptance testing on projects ranging from full-on eXtreme Programming to traditional waterfall development in a wide range of industries. Gerard is an expert in the implementation and customization of agile methods such as Scrum, lean, and eXtreme Programming. His book xUnit Test Patterns—Refactoring Test Code won a Jolt Productivity Award in the Best Technical Book category.
Do you find yourself with limited influence over what gets shipped on products you test? Is your report card on product quality often ignored? Do you think you can contribute more? Join Gerard Meszaros as he describes ways to transition from approaching quality with brute force testing to an enlightened and strategic perspective that will have real impact on product quality. Instead of criticizing the product, become an integral part of the development process and learn how you can help define what should be built. Gerard explores design for testability concepts and describes key testability requirements that will afford better, more efficient testing. He explains test design techniques that describe software functionality in layers of plain language tests. Gerard shows how a collaborative approach for building the right product results in much better outcomes from both quality and schedule perspectives. Stop rushing through multiple test-and-fix cycles that result in a less than quality product. Be part of the solution!