Software testing, a familiar yet slightly unfamiliar vocabulary, different people have different understandings of software testing. If the software is compared to a vast area, the terrain is complex, there are many destinations, and each destination has multiple roads to reach. There may be mines of varying power buried along each road. The responsibility of the testers is to try to walk all the roads before the user enters the area to give feedback on how safe the area is. In the process, if there is a mine in the process, immediately notify the relevant personnel to clear the mine. Limited by time and cost, it is impossible for testers to walk all the roads in advance. Experienced testers often know more roads, just as native-born locals know more roads leading to the mountain than tourists. Therefore, the testers can only arrange the roads that the user is most likely to take according to the priority, and choose the road with the highest priority to walk again, so as to ensure that the user is safe after entering this area. The following will take you to understand the mental journey of more software testers.
1. Role positioning of testers
What is the role of the tester in the project? Is it quality assurance? In many companies, the testing team might be called the quality assurance team. But the responsibility of testers is to improve software quality through test execution, reporting bugs and providing relevant information and evidence. Software quality assurance comes from the entire project team. Serve the roles of company business, project manager, developer, operation and maintenance personnel, technical support personnel, etc.
2. Black box testing is not the blind man feeling the elephant
At present, most of the system function tests, the mainstream test method still adopts the black box test. Many people think that black-box testing is very simple. Black-box testing knows nothing about the internal structure and logic of a product or system. Even many junior testers also hold such a "myth". In fact, to do a good job in black box testing, you need to understand customer needs and usage scenarios, understand the development technology and architecture of the system, understand the development process and design, understand the interaction between the system and other systems, understand the operating environment of the system, etc. series of questions. If these perceptions are one-sided, it is impossible to develop an effective testing strategy. The more testers know about the relevant information of the system, the better they can find problems. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the system under test, a reasonable test scope and test strategy are formulated, and a variety of black-box test design methods are used at the same time to make the black-box test more systematic and comprehensive, rather than "blind men feeling the elephant".
3. Be proactive and use exploratory testing
The difference between a good tester and an average tester is: how to think. Many people think that testers just execute test cases and compare the actual execution results with the expected results. And "smart" test engineers must carry out test strategy formulation and test design. Testers are rarely given absolute advice on what to test and what not to test. Testers need to do some tests based on in-depth understanding of the system, test experience, inference, etc., which requires the introduction of exploratory testing.
Exploratory testing is a kind of testing thinking. It does not have many practical testing methods and techniques, but it is a testing thinking that all testers should master. In order to test better, testers must fully research and understand the system or product in depth. This process is not random and aimless. Testers must give full play to their subjective initiative. In addition to conventional test design, they must fully use test experience to think, learn, and practice, and flexibly change test design for testing. This part of the work is often carried out simultaneously with test design and test execution, but it is not an "impromptu" test, but a process of continuous learning and practice with clear goals. Exploratory testing is generally divided into scenario-based testing, strategy-based testing, feedback-based testing, and freestyle testing.
4. Not being “proficient” at the test
Even if you make full use of various testing methods and testing methods, you can't think that you are "proficient" in testing. Some experienced testers will formulate various test case design standards. In the initial stage of tester growth, these established "routines" are very effective. It allows a junior tester to quickly master various test types. The conventional test design method prevents large deviations and omissions in the test design, and ensures the coverage of the test to a certain extent. But if you stop there, these "old ways" may limit the creativity of your testing thinking. In the process of testing practice, we must constantly "invent" new and better testing ideas and methods. And in the team, constantly observe and learn from other members to enrich their own experience.