This document summarizes a presentation given by Anton Keks on being a professional software tester in the 21st century. The presentation discusses that professionalism involves continuous learning and improvement. It advocates for agile practices like test-driven development, automation, and collaboration between testers and developers. The presentation argues that strict roles inhibit effectiveness and that organizations should focus on craftsmanship, simplicity, and delivering working software incrementally.

1. Anton Keks
@antonkeks
Being a professional
software tester
(in XXI century)
Nordic Testing Days, 7.06.2013

2. Anton KeksAnton Keks
Co-founder ofCo-founder of
Lecturer atLecturer at Tallinn Technical UniversityTallinn Technical University
Agile EstoniaAgile Estonia board memberboard member
●
Author ofAuthor of Angry IP ScannerAngry IP Scanner
Strong believer inStrong believer in
AgileAgile andand Open-sourceOpen-source

3. Professionalism in medicine
● Surgeon 1 does the same operation over and
over and makes a lot of money
● Surgeon 2 knows all the standard operations
and has developed an innovative procedure,
but makes less money than Surgeon 1
●
Surgeon 3 practices own procedure regularly,
but also travels abroad to teach other doctors
how to practice the innovation
Credit http://tinyplanet.ca/projects/professionalism.html

4. 1. There are 2 kinds of tests...
Regression tests
and
Everything else

5. ●
Unit tests
●
Integration tests
● Automated UI tests
●
Acceptance tests
● Usability (corridor) tests
● Performance tests
●
Penetration (security) tests
●
Exploratory tests
REGRESSION
OTHER
STUFF

6. 2. Human life is very short

7. DDD = Deadline Driven Development

8. Let machines do the
repeatable stuff
(we keep only fun stuff for ourselves)

9. Test AutomationTest Automation

10. TDD
DDT
(Development Driven Testing)

11. Can't imagine developers not
doing testing
Can't imagine testers not
doing development

12. A professional in IT
=
Agile

13. Agile is allAgile is all
about...about...
testing!testing!

14. Code smell
vs
Test smell
when releases take time
or 100s of unimportant test cases
slow us down

15. Iterative &Iterative &
IncrementalIncremental
NOT Big-BangNOT Big-Bang

16. AdaptableAdaptable
NOT PredictableNOT Predictable

17. SimplicitySimplicity
Maximizing the amount of work not doneMaximizing the amount of work not done

18. TeamworkTeamwork
NOT Lone RangerNOT Lone Ranger

19. a week

20. The good stuff
Co-location
Verbal communication
Continuous improvement
Working increment of the
software!

21. But canBut can code cowboyscode cowboys
actually do this?actually do this?

22. Or even worse,Or even worse,
bureaucratsbureaucrats??

23. How to be a true professional?

25. Avoid hopeless meetings

27. Focus on what's

28. UNPROFESSIONAL
UNPROFESSIONAL

29. Responsibility of all

30. Pair programmingPair programming
Peer review – Concentration – QualityPeer review – Concentration – Quality
Knowledge SharingKnowledge Sharing

31. TechnicalTechnical
excellenceexcellence

32. SoftwareSoftware
CraftsmanshipCraftsmanship

33. http://manifesto.softwarecraftsmanship.org

34. SoftwareSoftware
Craftsmanship...Craftsmanship...
...the...the CodeborneCodeborne wayway

35. Automate everything
(and more)
DRY
Don't Repeat Yourself

36. DDT checklist
✔Test code in the same repo
✔All tests are part of (continuous) builds
✔Tests should be FAST
✔Track coverage, don't let it fall
✔Pair with the developers
✔Help us with the corner cases

37. Testers
Developers

39. BDD
Bug Driven Development
(You get what you measure)

40. Overspecialization
“Plain specialists”
– Too narrow-minded
– Ineffective
– Poor at communication and collaboration
“Generalizing specialists”
– Understand all required activities
– Are best in one or few areas
– Have a better chance of keeping their jobs

41. o16n
Developer Tester
BARRIERCommunication
Collaboration
Understanding
Knowledge-exchange
New skills
Software Building Team

42. Let's stop all the fight!

43. The final product is
what matters!
(and happy users)

44. At Codeborne
● We don't have strict roles
● No testers, no analysts, no managers
●
Just craftsmen, who create software
● We pair
● And do everything what it takes
● To create software from 0 to 100%

45. In more conservative organizations
● Let developers write the tests
● (learn also to do that)
● Do not waste time on regression testing
●
Do other stuff that matters
●
Trust, remember the common goal
●
Never accept the idea of that's the way its
done here

46. Let's do it!
Anton Keks
@antonkeks