TWST5 - Testing Archetypes

Adam Goucherhttp://adam.goucher.ca

an original model of a person, ideal example, or a prototype after which others are copied, patterned, or emulated; a

symbol universally recognized by all

Archetypes

a set of archetypes exist in testing which all testing problems can be rolled up

Archetypes

Archetypesare context free

Archetypesforms, reports, conversion, batch, integration and installation

are all archetypes

Archetypesare not patterns

http://www.fabriclink.com/presentations/velcro/pirate.html

Patternsa description or template for how to solve a problem that

can be used in many different situations

Patternshave a generic context

Patternslogin form, csv-to-xml conversion, windows-based

installation are all patterns

Patternsare not specific situations

http://socect.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/the-brief-life-of-squeezy/

Situationsare context specific

Situationszerofootprint’s visa payment process, amazon’s shopping

cart, google’s search are situations

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/schrodingers-lolcat1.jpg

Hypothesisarchetypes construct patterns

Hypothesispatterns are applied to situations

Hypothesistesting happens at the situation level

Hypothesislearn testing archetypes to do better situational testing

Ironyto teach archetypes we need to use situational examples

Form

Transform