CH04. L02. Experience-based Techniques

Summary

The video script delves into Experience-based testing techniques, emphasizing the reliance on a tester's expertise acquired through past experiences. It highlights two main informal techniques: Error Guessing, where testers anticipate defects and focus testing on those areas, and Exploratory Testing, used when specifications are scarce or time is limited. The script underscores the importance of these techniques in complementing formal testing methods, ensuring a comprehensive approach to uncovering software defects.

Takeaways

• 🧩 Experience-based techniques rely on a tester's accumulated knowledge and skills from previous testing experiences with similar applications and technologies.
• 📚 These techniques are informal and do not adhere to a specific methodology, highlighting the importance of individual tester expertise.
• 🔍 Experience-based testing is crucial after formal techniques like black box and white box testing, as it can focus on areas not covered by the formal methods.
• 🔑 There are two main experience-based techniques: Error guessing and Exploratory testing, each with its own approach and application.
• 📝 In Error guessing, testers create a list of potential defects based on their experience and then specifically test these areas, a method known as 'fault attack'.
• 🎯 The 'fault attack' targets expected defects and failures, leveraging the tester's understanding of common software failures.
• 🚀 Exploratory testing is particularly useful in situations where software specifications are lacking or when testing time is limited.
• 🔎 During Exploratory testing, testers explore and investigate the software's functionality to determine what works and what doesn't, guiding further testing decisions.
• 🗂️ For Error guessing, a list of expected defects and a targeted testing design are created to focus on these areas.
• 📋 In Exploratory testing, a test charter is developed, outlining test objectives and the time required for each, integrating test design, execution, logging, and learning.
• 🛡️ Exploratory testing can also be used to review and ensure that the most critical defects are identified during the testing process.

Q & A

What are Experience Based Techniques in software testing?

Experience Based Techniques in software testing are informal methods that rely on the tester's experience and skills acquired through testing similar applications and technologies. They do not follow a strict methodology but are based on the individual tester's expertise.

Why are Experience Based Techniques important even though they are informal?

Experience Based Techniques are important because they allow testers to focus on areas that formal techniques like black box and white box testing may not cover, leveraging the tester's accumulated knowledge and intuition to identify potential issues.

What are the two main techniques under Experience Based Techniques?

The two main techniques under Experience Based Techniques are Error Guessing and Exploratory Testing.

Can you describe the Error Guessing technique?

In Error Guessing, a tester creates a list of potential defects based on their experience and then specifically tests those areas to uncover the expected defects. This approach is known as 'the fault attack'.

What is the purpose of creating a list of expected defects in Error Guessing?

The purpose of creating a list of expected defects is to guide targeted testing efforts towards areas where failures are anticipated, allowing for a more focused and efficient identification of issues.

Under what circumstances is Exploratory Testing typically used?

Exploratory Testing is typically used when software specifications are unavailable or insufficient, or when the testing time is limited, allowing testers to explore the software and make informed decisions about what to test.

What is a test charter in the context of Exploratory Testing?

A test charter in Exploratory Testing is a document that outlines the test objectives along with their respective time boxes, indicating the time needed for each objective to be tested.

How does the Exploratory Testing technique integrate with the test design, execution, logging, and learning processes?

Exploratory Testing is synchronous with test design, execution, test logging, and learning, allowing for a dynamic and adaptive approach to testing where the process evolves as new information is discovered.

What is the benefit of using Exploratory Testing to check on the test process?

Using Exploratory Testing to check on the test process helps ensure that the most critical and serious defects are found, as it allows for continuous assessment and adjustment of the testing approach based on real-time insights.

Why is it recommended to review Experience Based Techniques in the text file?

Reviewing Experience Based Techniques in the text file can provide a deeper understanding of the concepts, enhance the application of these techniques in practice, and offer additional insights and clarifications on their usage.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Experience-based Testing Techniques

This paragraph introduces experience-based testing techniques, emphasizing their reliance on a tester's accumulated knowledge and skills. It highlights that these informal methods vary among testers and are crucial for identifying issues that formal techniques might miss. The paragraph outlines two main techniques: Error Guessing, where testers predict potential defects and focus on testing those areas, and Exploratory Testing, used when specifications are lacking or time is limited. The latter involves creating a test charter with objectives and time frames, and is characterized by its simultaneous nature of design, execution, logging, and learning. The paragraph also notes the importance of reviewing experience-based techniques for continuous improvement in the testing process.

Keywords

💡Experience based techniques

Experience based techniques refer to a set of informal testing methods that rely heavily on the tester's accumulated knowledge and skills from previous testing experiences. In the script, these techniques are highlighted as being particularly important after formal techniques like black box and white box testing, as they allow testers to focus on areas that may be missed by more structured approaches.

💡Tester's experience

Tester's experience is the collective knowledge and skills a tester has gained through testing similar applications and technologies. It is a crucial component of experience based techniques, as it informs the tester's approach to identifying potential defects and areas of focus within the software being tested. The script emphasizes that this experience varies from tester to tester, impacting the application of these techniques.

💡Informal techniques

Informal techniques are testing methods that do not adhere to a strict methodology or framework. They are flexible and adaptive, allowing for a more personalized approach to testing based on the tester's experience. The script mentions that experience based techniques are informal, which means they can be tailored to the unique context of each software application and the tester's expertise.

💡Error guessing

Error guessing is one of the two experience based techniques discussed in the script. It involves the tester creating a list of potential defects that may occur in the software based on their experience and then specifically targeting those areas for testing. This approach is likened to a 'fault attack,' where the tester is proactively seeking out the expected failures.

💡Exploratory testing

Exploratory testing is the second experience based technique mentioned in the script. It is particularly useful in situations where software specifications are limited or testing time is constrained. This technique allows testers to explore the software's functionality and identify key areas for testing, making decisions on the fly based on their findings.

💡Fault attack

The term 'fault attack' is used in the script to describe the strategy of specifically targeting areas of the software that are believed to be prone to defects based on the tester's experience. It is a proactive approach within the error guessing technique, aiming to uncover expected failures before they become issues.

💡Test charter

A test charter is a document used in exploratory testing that outlines the test objectives and the time required for each to be tested. The script explains that the test charter is created during exploratory testing to guide the tester in focusing on specific goals within a given timeframe.

💡Test design

Test design refers to the process of planning and creating tests to evaluate the software's functionality and performance. In the context of the script, it is mentioned in relation to error guessing, where a design is created to target the expected defects listed by the tester.

💡Test execution

Test execution is the phase of testing where the designed tests are actually run to evaluate the software. The script mentions that exploratory testing is synchronous with test execution, meaning that the testing and the recording of results occur in real-time as the software is being tested.

💡Test logging

Test logging involves documenting the results of test executions, including any defects found and their characteristics. The script notes that exploratory testing is synchronous with test logging, emphasizing the importance of immediate documentation during the testing process.

💡Learning

Learning in the context of the script refers to the continuous process of gaining insights and improving testing strategies based on the outcomes of exploratory testing. It is an integral part of the technique, allowing testers to adapt and refine their approach as they uncover new information about the software.

Highlights

Experience-based techniques rely on a tester's experience and skills acquired through testing similar applications and technologies.

These techniques are informal and do not follow a specific methodology, varying in application from one tester to another.

Despite being informal, experience-based techniques play an important role after formal black box and white box testing methods.

Experience-based techniques help focus on testing parts that formal techniques may not cover.

There are two main experience-based techniques: Error Guessing and Exploratory Testing.

Error Guessing involves creating a list of likely defects to test based on the tester's experience and knowledge.

The approach of Error Guessing is termed 'fault attack', targeting expected defects and failures.

Exploratory Testing is used when software specifications are unavailable or insufficient, or when testing time is limited.

In Exploratory Testing, testers explore the software and determine which functions to test based on available information.

Exploratory Testing allows testers to make decisions on which parts to test and how to utilize the remaining testing time effectively.

Error Guessing involves creating a list of expected defects and a design for testing to target these defects.

Exploratory Testing involves creating a test charter with test objectives and their respective time boxes for testing.

Exploratory Testing is synchronous with test design, execution, logging, and learning.

Exploratory Testing can be used to check the test process and ensure the discovery of the most serious software defects.

Reviewing experience-based techniques is important to understand their value and application in software testing.

The transcript emphasizes the importance of a tester's experience in identifying and addressing software defects.

The transcript provides insights into two key informal testing techniques that complement formal testing methodologies.

The transcript offers practical advice on how to apply experience-based techniques in real-world software testing scenarios.

Transcripts

We will talk about Experience based techniques.

From its name, we should remember

that there is a part of testing depends on

the tester's experience and skills,

which was acquired through testing

similar applications and technologies

to the software he has.

These techniques are informal

because they don't follow a certain methodology.

However, it depends on the experience

of each tester which differs in application

from one tester to another.

Even though it is informal,

however, its role is important after the formal

techniques which are the black box & white box.

This is because through the tester's experience,

he can focus on testing some parts

which the formal techniques can't cover.

There are 2 techniques in

the experience base:

First: The Error guessing

Second: The Exploratory testing

we'll start with the most used which is

the Error guessing. The approach

that a tester follows in it, is that

after he checks the software

and all modules of it, he should start writing

a list for all the defects that are

likely to appear in the software.

And according to this list, he will test

these parts in particular, to

discover the defects in them.

This approach is called

"the fault attack".

It is an attack for the defects and failures

that we expected and wrote in the list,

according to our experience and

our knowledge on the software failures

The second technique of

the experience based is

the Exploratory testing, and this is used in 2 cases.

First: If the specifications of the software

are not available or very few.

or if the testing time is short.

So we, as testers,

will explore the software

since the available specifications

are very few or not enough.

Then we'll check the software functions,

whay they do / don't,and what is working

and what is not. According to this

investigation process about the software,

the tester can take the decision

which ones will be tested and how to

make good use of the time left

for testing. In the Error guessing

technique, we've created a list for the

expected defects, and a design

for the testing that will attack

these defects.

As for the exploratory testing,

we will create a test charter, in which

the test objectives will be added in

in front of their time box, which

means the time needed for each objective

to be tested.

According to the test charter,

the exploratory testing is

synchronous with test design,

test execution test logging and learning

A note about the exploratory testing is that

this technique can be used to check

on the test process, to help us

ensure that the greatest

and the most serious defects of the software

were found. Don't forget to review

Experience based techniques in the text file