Do we need testers on agile teams?

Janet Gregory, DragonFire Inc. Copyright 2016

EuroStar Test Huddle

November 2016

@janetgregoryca With input from Lisa Crispin

• It’s the same argument again and again.

• One side says “team members should all be able to do everything, and the programmers should do their testing and all testers should be writing code”.

• The other side says “No, that can’t possibly work – programmers don’t know how to test, they don’t have the right mindset”. And on and on it goes.

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• an activity; not a phase • interactive and starts from the beginning • more than testing code

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Potentially shippable product

Potentially shippable product

4

“Whole Team” responsibility for testing

• Who actually does what?

• Can everyone do everything?

…. and do it well?

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6

Matt Barcomb

Cross-functional knowledge

Dis

cip

linar

y sk

ills

http://www.slideshare.net/ehendrickson

Analytical Relentlessly Curious Observant Skeptical Empiricist Critical Thinker Investigator

Analytical Detailed

Logical thinker Investigator Collaborator Clean Coder

…. ….

Breadth of Skills

De

pth

of

Sk

ills

See links for more by Rob Lambert and Adam P. Knight

• Testing provides feedback

• Developers think about testability

• Testers think about the big picture

• Multiple skill sets mean better solutions

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Copyright 2009 Janet Gregory, DragonFire 12

The Agile Testing Quadrants (adapted from Brian Marick)

• Are a thinking tool

• Can be used to explain testing in a common language

• Emphasize whole-team responsibility

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• Checking: Does the system do what it's supposed to do? - let’s automate this together

• Exploring: Are there any other risks or vulnerabilities that we haven't thought about yet?

• Testing = checking + exploring

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**Elisabeth Hendrickson, The Two Sides of Software Testing, Agile Connection

GUI

API

Unit Tests

It’s not just about code !!! ◦ Test assumptions

◦ Explore ideas

The goal:

◦ Shared common understanding of the story

◦ Preventing defects in the code (eliminate waste)

Feature (with

examples) User Story

High-Level

AT

Fix Defects

Code, test & automate story

Accept Story

Explore Examples

Guiding with examples

• Curiosity

• Ability to observe

• Ability to challenge

• To give valuable feedback

• Ability to adapt

• To recognize contexts

• Technical awareness

• Ability to THINK !

Instead of ◦ We’re here to find bugs … or ensure

requirements are met … or break the software …

Think ◦ What can I do to help deliver

the quality solutions?

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Instead of We’re here to code and throw it over the wall and then fix bugs.

Think

What can I do to help create testable code and deliver the software successfully?

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Instead of We’re here to tell you what we want, and you just do it.

Think How can I work with the development team to deliver the software successfully?

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So to answer the question …..

Do we need testers on agile teams?

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Complicated Complex

Chaos Obvious

Disorder

• Testers are NOT responsible for quality

◦ The whole team is

• Programmers do not code alone

◦ Everyone helps them understand what to code

• Your team needs the “right” roles and people

◦ Those in transition may feel protective of role

◦ New skills may be needed

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• Can’t “test quality in”

• Everyone collaborates

• Whole team thinks about testing

• Team is committed to quality

• Elisabeth Hendrickson

CAST keynote http://www.slideshare.net/ehendrickson

Explore It! – new book on Pragmatic Programmers

• Paul Carvalho, http://www.agilejournal.com/articles/columns/column-articles/6515-low-tech-tools-for-the-thinking-tester

• Karten, Naomi, "Are You Listening?", http://www.agileconnection.com/article/are-you-listening, Agile Connection, 2009

• Keogh, Liz, http://lunivore.com - look for her posts on BDD, Real Options

• Knight, Adam P., "T-shaped Tester, Square Shaped Team", http://thesocialtester.co.uk/t-shaped-tester-square-shaped-team/, 2013

• Lambert, Rob, "T-shaped Testers and Their Role In a Team", http://thesocialtester.co.uk/t-shaped-testers-and-their-role-in-a-team/ , 2012

• Levison, Mark, "The Beginner's Mind - An Approach to Listening", http://www.infoq.com/news/2008/08/beginners_mind, InfoQ, 2008

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Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams

More Agile Testing: Learning Journeys for the Whole Team

By Janet Gregory and Lisa Crispin www.agiletester.ca

www.agiletester.com

Contact info

www.janetgregory.ca Email: [email protected] Twitter: janetgregoryca

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