Functional Testing with Domain-Specific Languages
Developing high-quality software requires effective communication among various project stakeholders. Business analysts must elicit customer needs and capture them as requirements, which developers then transform into working software. Software test engineers collaborate with business analysts, domain experts, developers, and other testers to validate whether the software meets the customer’s expectations. Misunderstandings between different stakeholders can introduce defects into software, reducing its overall quality and threatening the project’s success. Domain-specific languages (DSLs) are special purpose languages created to describe tasks in a particular field. DSLs provide stakeholders with a common vocabulary for describing application elements and behaviors. Tariq King describes how DSLs can be leveraged during functional testing to help identify potential issues early and reduce misunderstanding. Tariq demonstrates how a well-designed, testing DSL allows non-technical stakeholders to read and write automated tests, better engaging them in software testing activities. Learn how DSL-based testing tools can be used to improve test case management, regression testing, and test maintenance.