Testing's Primary Value: Establishing Common Understanding

The foremost advantage of testing is fostering a shared understanding among all project stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned.

In traditional software development, the process begins with the business defining a new feature. This feature is usually documented in a written form that describes its intended functionality. Developers interpret this document, may ask questions, and then proceed to implement it. Following this, QA reviews the same document, potentially raising additional questions, and validates whether the final product meets the specified requirements.

One major challenge arises when developers first encounter a new feature. Given their diverse backgrounds, developers may misinterpret requirements and fail to ask critical questions. Ambiguity is particularly problematic, as computers cannot process it. Consequently, when details are lacking in the feature description, programmers often fill in the gaps themselves, inadvertently creating business rules.

Another issue occurs when QA assesses the feature. QA professionals come from different backgrounds than developers, leading to varied interpretations. While this diversity can promote useful discussions and clarify misunderstandings, it often results in unexpected defects for the developers, leading to numerous revisions.

The situation worsens with what is known as the "defect black market," which can inflate bug counts and hinder development speed. Developers may accelerate their delivery timelines at the cost of quality, assuming that QA will catch any issues. Meanwhile, QA thrives on discovering bugs; the more they find, the more satisfied they become. This creates a feedback loop that inadvertently encourages the generation of defects.

So, how can we address these issues? Through testing! Tests serve as examples of usage. Instead of fixating on integration tests, unit tests, or other technicalities, concentrate on creating examples. For each feature, consider the scenarios you want to demonstrate, keeping them as straightforward as possible to illustrate how the product operates.

Examples simplify everything. They are easily comprehensible to programmers, and when ambiguities arise, it's simpler to devise another example and seek clarification. Moreover, examples bridge the gap for QA, aligning their interpretations with those of the developers; even better, if QA thinks of new test cases, they can draft the examples before development wraps up, effectively eliminating the need for rework. Consequently, there is no opportunity for the defect black market to thrive.

Note: If you're familiar with Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), this approach will resonate with you. BDD's goal aligns with the principles discussed here. Whether you have extensive BDD experience or are just starting, focus on creating examples first. If you generate enough examples and observe how different roles respond, you will capture the majority of the value.

Testing's Secondary Value: Ensuring Swift Deliveries

The secondary benefit of testing is maintaining rapid delivery cycles for developers.

In many projects, the initial pace is brisk, but as time passes, the introduction of new features often slows down. This slowdown typically occurs because the code becomes increasingly complex, requiring more time for developers to navigate and implement changes.

While developers could incrementally update the code to keep it flexible for future modifications, this isn't always feasible. As the codebase expands, changes can have far-reaching consequences, making it riskier to alter sections without inadvertently introducing new bugs. Consequently, developers may hesitate to make changes, fearing the potential for new issues, as they struggle to remember all application features and lack sufficient time for comprehensive testing.

With effective testing practices, developers can confidently modify code while ensuring it remains agile. If they feel apprehensive about altering anything, they can quickly run through all examples to verify functionality. Efficient testing is swift; in just seconds or minutes, they can ascertain that everything operates as intended, enabling them to keep the code clean and sustain their delivery speed.

Testing's Final Value: Rapid and Secure Releases

Quality is indeed a facet of the value that testing provides, as it enables us to release products both quickly and safely.

For those engaged in manual testing, you likely understand the necessity of deploying a team of QAs to conduct thorough manual tests prior to any release. You may have automated certain tests, but often still require QA approval to confirm that a feature is complete.

Now, imagine a scenario where manual testing is no longer needed. Picture having all features constructed from examples, with all examples subjected to automated tests. With the push of a button, you could instantly verify that everything has been implemented correctly. How much time would you save for releases? Essentially none; you could deploy immediately after the last development step has passed through your CI/CD pipelines.

This is the essence of Continuous Delivery: automated deployment without the need for human validation. You can release as soon as developers finalize a component of code.

Summary

Testing transcends mere quality; it emphasizes speed. Begin with examples that stem from business-level discussions to ensure all parties remain aligned. Encourage QA collaboration before developers release features to mitigate the defect black market and minimize revisions. Automate your examples to maintain development speed, allowing releases with just a single button press.

The first video titled "Getting Real Value Out of Your Testing" features insights from Matt Heusser, focusing on how to maximize the effectiveness of your testing strategies.

The second video, "Exploring the True Value of Software Testing - Can It Really be Measured?" delves into the quantifiable benefits of testing in software development.