Development Manager

Tutorials

MG Take a Test Drive of Acceptance Test-Driven Development NEW

Jared Richardson, Agile Artisans

Mon, 05/05/2014 - 8:30am

The practice of agile software development requires a clear understanding of business needs. Misunderstanding requirements causes waste, slipped schedules, and mistrust within the organization. Jared Richardson shows how good acceptance tests can reduce misunderstanding of requirements. A testable requirement provides a single source that serves as the analysis document, acceptance criteria, regression test suite, and progress-tracker for any given feature. Jared explores the creation, evaluation, and use of testable requirements by the business and developers.

TE Innovation Thinking: Evolve and Expand Your Capabilities NEW

Jennifer Bonine, tap|QA, Inc.

Tue, 05/06/2014 - 8:30am

Innovation is a word tossed around frequently in organizations today. The standard clichés are Do more with less and Be creative. Companies want to be innovative but often struggle with how to define, implement, prioritize, and track their innovation efforts. Using the Innovation to Types model, Jennifer Bonine will help you transform your thinking regarding innovation and understand if your team and company goals match their innovation efforts. Learn how to classify your activities as "core" (to the business) or "context" (essential, but non-revenue generating).

Keynotes

K2 Testing in the Age of Distraction: Flow, Focus, and Defocus in Testing

Zeger Van Hese, Z-sharp

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 10:00am

We live in interesting times. Knowledge is available at our fingertips, no matter where we are. Social networks enable communication around the world. However, along with these marvels of the information age come weapons of mass distraction. With so many things competing for our attention—and so little time to focus on real work—it’s a wonder we get anything done at all. What does this mean for testers? A common belief is that only focused concentration leads to productive work—and conversely, that distraction causes procrastination and stifles creativity.

K3 Lightning Strikes the Keynotes

Lee Copeland, Software Quality Engineering

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 4:15pm

Throughout the years, Lightning Talks have been a popular part of the STAR conferences. If you’re not familiar with the concept, Lightning Talks consists of a series of five-minute talks by different speakers within one presentation period. Lightning Talks are the opportunity for speakers to deliver their single biggest bang-for-the-buck idea in a rapid-fire presentation. And now, lightning has struck the STAR keynotes.

K4 Extreme Automation: Software Quality for the Next Generation Enterprise

Theresa Lanowitz, voke, inc.

Thu, 05/08/2014 - 8:30am

Software runs the business. The modern testing organization aspires to be a change agent and an inspiration for quality throughout the entire lifecycle. To be a change agent, the testing organization must have the right people and skill sets, the right processes in place to ensure proper governance, and the right technology to aid in the delivery of software in support of the business line. Traditionally, testing organizations have focused on the people and process aspect of solving quality issues.

K5 The Art of Testing Transformation: Blending Technology with Cutting-Edge Processes

Jennifer Bonine, tap|QA, Inc.

Thu, 05/08/2014 - 4:15pm

Technologies, testing processes, and the role of the tester have evolved significantly over the past several years. As testing professionals, it is critical that we evaluate and evolve ourselves to continue to add tangible value to our organizations. In your work, are you focused on the trivial or on real "game changers"? Jennifer Bonine describes critical elements that, like a skilled painter, help you artfully blend people, process, and technology into a masterpiece, woven together to create a synergistic relationship that adds value to your organization.

Concurrent Sessions

W2 Testing Lessons Learned from Monty Python

Rob Sabourin, AmiBug.com

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 11:30am

And now for something completely different. Monty Python's Flying Circus revolutionized comedy and brought zany British humor to a worldwide audience. However, buried deep in the hilarity and camouflaged in its twisted wit lie many important testing lessons—tips and techniques you can apply to real world problems to deal with turbulent projects, changing requirements, and stubborn project stakeholders.

W11 Succeeding as an Ethnic or Minority Tester

Yousef Harfi, Medavie Blue Cross

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 1:45pm

No one wishes to see himself as different or treat other people differently because of his uniqueness. Unfortunately, we are frequently judged and our skills presumed based on our ethnicity, beliefs, politics, appearance, lifestyle, gender, or sexual orientation. Our professional success and our projects’ success can be derailed because of lack of understanding, stereotyping, or fear. Our professional environment includes us all―brown, black, white, tall, short, male, female, straight, gay, extroverts, and introverts.

W15 Implementing Testing for Behavior-Driven Development Using Cucumber

Max Saperstone, Coveros

Wed, 05/07/2014 - 3:00pm

With the behavior-driven development (BDD) methodology, development teams write high level, plain natural language tests to describe and exercise a system. Unfortunately, it is difficult to develop BDD tests that encompass all interfaces and write tests that can be reused in multiple scenarios. Specifying BDD tests to run as part of different test scenarios without duplicating work frequently requires substantial effort and rework. But Cucumber provides a robust framework for writing BDD tests.