Knowledge shout out! – Who are you, what can you share, what you want to learn

[Bram]

Hi fellow testers,

My name is Bram and I’m a Management Consultant in the fields of Agile, Quality, Testing and Risk Management. I would like to share my experiences and thoughts with you on these subjects. I speak regularly on international conferences and advice and coach clients around these subjects.

I would love to hear your experiences on primarily Enterprise Agile implementations and model based testing.

Regards Bram

[Dan]

Hi Bram!

I’m a firm believer that we all use a model based testing approach to some degree in all our testing.
My interpretation of a model is an object or idea that represents or simplifies an activity or object where it helps us to understand that activity or object… Does that make sense? 🙂

Essentially, we will always build up a model of the system, be it in our heads or documented (maybe in the form of a mind-map or some people even like using excel) so that we can better interpret the system and think laterally, critically and logically about the system and it’s risks and values. So even a quick test that we perform is based on some model, even if it is in our heads and are subconsciously using it…

I remember James Bach stating that “Models link observation and inference”.
I like this statement, but would also add that models that you document (e.g. mind-maps) can also be very useful as a form of reporting the inference!

What are your own opinions on model based testing?

Thanks,
Dan

[Bram]

Hi Dan,
I agree totally with your explanation, the basic context of models are a requirement to do our job as tester. I do think that there is another meaning behind model based testing, at least for me.

I look at model based testing as a way of defining software we can automatically build and automatically “test”. It is more checking than testing but still a big part of the workload we could save on.

This would mean that we will focus on modelling the intent of the software system and kick back and relax after that 😉 Bit of utopia but it would mean that our jobs will focus at testing models and doing ET after delivery. Have you had any experience with this?

Regards Bram

[Ard]

Hm a bit of shallow agreement discussion about the meaning of model based testing.
My definition is the same as the of Bram: you build a model so can do some automated testing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model-based_testing)
This also means that model based testing has the same advantages and disadvantages of automated testing.

But who does have experience in an agile project: is the model build piece by piece in every sprint, just as the software?

[Bram]

It does indeed have the same limitations, it only checks. But we can test the model so that is where our effort will focus upon.

I should think that your model evolves and will be adjusted each sprint. It would be a great sight when we model as a team and each week we compile the software and the testing from it and deliver it to the client.

[Dan]

There are multiple perspectives on how you can look at utilizing models based:
A Tester will utilize a model based testing approach to design what to test.
A Coder will utilize model based testing as a spec and driver for the implementation of the automation.

Depending on your perspective, the advantages and disadvantages differ.
I definitely agree that in either perspective, your models evolve and adjust. Purely because you learn more as you go along.

[coalition]

Do you think creatively, critically, and rationally about the system and its dangers and ideals, whether we keep it in our thoughts or on paper (in the form of a mind-map or, for some, in Excel). Thus even a fast test is based on some model, even just the one dordle we have in our thoughts and use unconsciously.

[Author]

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