Testing Times in Real Life – Part I

Comparison Testing:
In the examination hall, I used to copy and fill the answer papers. But my teacher compared the papers and caught me red handed. This identification of malpractice is called as “Comparison Testing”. Hope most of us would have faced this scenario and strongly agree with this point :-).

We started to test from our childhood days; however we do it without our knowledge that it is defined as testing :-). Let us realize this by reading my real time experience.


Security Testing:
While leaving from home, we lock the door. Even though we know that we locked the door, we will try to pull the lock and check whether it’s locked properly. Now we derived it as security Testing.

Stress Testing and Load Testing:
Normally I used to take only 3 Dosa for my dinner. Recently I went to a marriage reception and had dinner. I started taking dosa, since the dosa was nice I kept asking dosas and started eating more.
After eating 6 dosa i felt like vomiting.

Load Testing: 3 Dosa
Stress Testing: Going beyond the limit (6 Dosa)

Regression Testing:
If our bike tyre punctures, the mechanic will fix the puncture and attach the wheel. The job of a mechanic is not only fixing the punctures, but also he will drive the bike to some distance to ensure that the break and other important functionalities of the bike are working fine.

Retesting:
In continuation with the above example, the mechanic will fill the air and immerse the tube in water to ensure that there are no more punctures in the tube. Checking only the tube is called as retesting.

Test Environment:
Consider this example
I just took my office access card and try to open my house door. Definitely my house door is not going to open.
Now can I say my access card is not working? Definitely I can’t.
We can’t test the application in some other environment and start logging defects. We need to test the application in appropriate test environment. Setting up the “Test Environment” is very important while testing the application.

The second part of this blog depends on your valuable comments.

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Hot Discussion @ Coffee Day

This week I went to my native. My friends were also in native during this weekend , They called me and told that they also came to my native and asked me whether we can go out for a coffee in evening.

Around 6.45 p.m we both of us met in a coffee shop (not like city coffee day). In local language,we will call it as tea kadai It will be having only two benches.

Me and my friends occupied one of the benches in the tea shop. We started to speak about our college memories like the malpractices during exams, outings, inter college competitions etc…..

Suddenly the topic changed to the technical side. All my friends are working as a developer in a top MNC company. I am the only tester in that.

We started having a hot discussion about testing Vs development.

Friends: Machan, testing profession is waste and any one can do testing da.

Me: Can you tell me some instance.

Friend: We are working for a prestigious client in which around 200 developers were involved in the projects. But no testers were involved in my project.
Me: I am really very surprised to hear that no testers were allocated to a project in which around 200 developers were involved in it.

To get the back ground I asked my friend few questions…..

Me: How many projects are currently running for your client?
Friend: Most of the projects will be related to support and very often we will be getting a development project.

Me: Whether you will be allocating the effort for testing?
Friend: Yes, as per the standards we will be allocating 15-20% of the development effort towards testing.

Me: How will you utilize that 15-20% of the effort?
Friend: We will be utilizing those efforts for development. For testing, we will be using only 3-5%.

Me: Who will be doing the testing for those projects?
Friend: Sometimes the person who develop the code will be testing. Very rarely the peer will be do the testing.

Me: Whether we will be maintain any testing related artifacts in your project?
Friend: We will be having only functional test cases.

Me: If you have found any defects, How will you be tracking it?
Friend: No. If we have found any defects, we will be fixing the defect directly instead of wasting some time to log the defect.

Me: Have you tried deploying a tester in your project?
Friend: Yes. Once we deployed a tester in our project. But it doesn’t works out.

Me: Can you tell me the reason, why it does not work out in your project?
Friend: Our application involves backend testing. But the tester does not have enough knowledge to run even a simple SQL Query.

Me: Do you think it’s the problem with the tester?
Friend: Off course, it’s the problem of a tester.

Me: While recruiting the tester, have you explained the required competencies skills to him clearly?
Friend: No, We just asked for a tester who has 2 years of experience.

Me: You should have clearly explained the competencies skills of a tester.
Friend: Hmmm.

Me: Have you got any UAT or production defects in your project?

Friend: Yes, we have got around 120 UAT defects.

Me: Whether you have done a causal analysis?
Friend: Yes. We did it.

Me: Can you tell me which the major cause for UAT defects?
Friend: In low tone, he told “Inadequate Testing”.

Me: Do u need a better explanation to prove testers plays a vital role in the success of a project!!!!

Friend: After 2 mins of silence…

With a smile he told I will accept machan. Suddenly we heard a noise in the background. We turned and saw… It was the tea shop owner shouting at us to pay the bill and leave the shop. Because its already 10.00 p.m and he need to close the shop. My friend told he will pay the bill, I told I will pay the bill. At last one of my friend paid, who came just at that time to join us paid the bill of Rs.20 for 5 tea and we all left the place by saying Good Night!

If you would like to have a discussion with me, you can join this program. Coffee with Vijay (that’s me) @ Coffee day :-)

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WWF – Testers Vs Developers

My friends in development kept asking me that they can’t find my post for developers. In fact they have started forming a group to bang me :-)

I was travelling to my native for a weekend in rock fort express. Just had a thought that I should post a blog about the bondage between testers and developers. In IT industry we can even conduct a debate show (Testers Vs Developers) like “Neeya Naana” in Vijay TV.

Here you go with the blog on the same ...

I was just analyzing where this gap arises. It’s due to the misconception that dwells between the testers and the developers. This can be easily avoided if we eradicate the rivalry attitude between the two.

For Testers:

• The existence of defects in the application is not only because of the developer’s code. There may be many other factors too.
• Testers should understand their job first. Testers are not here only to find defects but to help the developers by communicating the gap at the earliest to deliver a quality product.

For Developers:

• Testers are not testing the application to just find an error on your code. A tester is the last person to test the application and acknowledge that it is fit for use.
• Testers reduce the developer’s burden by taking the responsibility of testing which was earlier a developer’s task.
• Testers will always be claiming that there is no sufficient time for testing. It is better if the developers give a clear picture on the activities that are taking place during the developing phase. With that the testers can plan their activities simultaneously.

The issue can be resolved by cultivating the following habits.

• Being transparent
• Have a Unique aim to deliver a quality product.
• Good interactions and sharing suggestions in a friendly manner.

Ability to work as a team by eradicating the mindset that the developers and the testers are from different team.

T-Together
E-Everyone
A-Achieve
M- More Let’s work as a team and achieve more!!

Here lies the passion for making a positive difference.

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You can also win a project!!!

A thought always runs in my mind “Is it only the onsite account managers who can win a project proposal for us?”

We might think our role is to just to develop/test the application and we always stick to our roles.

This mindset was eradicated by my recent real time experience. So let me share this with you all.

Situation: I was planning to purchase a new mobile and hence I was surfing the net to look for the availability of a best mobile with an affordable price. I liked a model and found that the showroom “X” is selling the mobile for the lowest price when compared to the others. I had a chat about this with my friend. He suggested me to call a private help desk to look for the nearest branches from my office so that I can grab it soon

I called up the help desk from my mobile (really not from my desk V-net :-))

Tring Tring …….

CSR: Hi Vijay, how can I help you.
I was surprised and speechless for a while. (I thought whether I became very popular? How they know my name? ). After 10 seconds of silence, the conversation started.

Me: Can I have the address and phone number of the “X” showroom branch near to my office?
CSR: Politely they asked me, Are you looking out for new mobile or for mobile service?

Me: I m planning to buy a new mobile.
CSR: Let me confirm your number, its “9***********”.

Me: I changed my mobile number. The number is XXXXXXXXXX (How did he know my old number? Again a surprise)
CSR: Thank you sir. I will be sending a message to your mobile. Do you need any more information?

Me: That’s it .Thanks!!

Very next moment I got a message from the private help desk with the information I need. He sent the phone number of showroom “X” and showroom “Y”.

A little later I received a call from the representative of showroom “Y” and we had a discussion about my preferences. I was telling them that the nearest place is Velacherry from TCO. The representative checked and informed me about the availability of the phone in the showroom.

In another 10 min, I received a call from the velachery branch manager. Before I could ask for the address, the branch manager gave the address of their showroom. Even though the selling price of the mobile is more in the showroom Y when compared to showroom X, I liked their commitment and dedication. The way they handled the call, the comfort level, the quick responses without taking much of my time everything impressed me much.

It’s because of the CSR and a sales representative in the showroom Y, the dealer got a new customer(Me only :-)). I related this real time experience with the IT industry. 3 questions aroused in my mind.
1. Why can’t we win a new project?
2. How to win a project being an employee?
3. What we need to for that?

I have my own answers for these questions. Hope you will also have some answers but the point is “Are we following it efficiently?” Many of us say “NO”

Let us work as CSR (an employee) from the private help desk and worker of showroom “Y” shop, so that we can even win new projects to our organization.

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