What Is Test Automation?

re: What Is Test Automation?

Hitesh Sharma — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 13:07:50 GMT

Hi,

Thanks a lot for explaining this. But, don't you think SDE's solve greater engineering problems? Say I work on file system, the devs will tackle the challenge of creating something better than we use, but SDET's have the same task as they did for the previous file system, which is to make sure that it works well.

Thanks.

Best Regards,

Hitesh

re: What Is Test Automation?

Joe P Kumar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:09:20 GMT

Thatz a very good piece of information, Steve.

Thanks,

Joe.

re: What Is Test Automation?

SteveRowe — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:49:19 GMT

@Hitesh, it really depends on what you are doing. There are times, like creating a new file system, that development gets to do harder work. How often is a new file system created though? Usually it is incrementally improved. Everyone concentrates on the times development gets to do new work, but the majority of their time is spent doing incremental improvements or just maintenance work.

There are other times that test-dev gets to do the more interesting work. When I was a test-dev working on DVD and video playback, I was involved in an effort to create what is called DirectX Video Accleration or DXVA. During that process, I had the opportunity to implement an MPEG-2 decoder and accompanying video card driver that conformed to the new standard. That was pretty exciting greenfield development.

re: What Is Test Automation?

Hitesh Sharma — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:13:44 GMT

Hi Steve,

Thanks a lot for the response. I must say that I'm starting to feel better about my SDET role. I will continue my enlightenment by following blogs of SDET's and talking to people who are in this role.

Sir, I just love to code and the thought that what if I'm no longer able to do it terrifies me. But, I'm slowly understanding the "SDE" in "SDET". Please continue posting some great blog entries like this one.

Thanks for your time and patience.

Best Regards,

Hitesh

Who is a good SDET?

Hitesh Sharm — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 09:14:26 GMT

Hello,

I have one question in mind, "Who is a great SDET?". I have read the blog post by The Braidy Tester, but I have a few queries.

What make a great SDET? Also who is viewed as a good SDET at MS?

1) Who can finds bugs in the code like anything, but can't tell you what's wrong.

2) One who finds bug through a methodical process, and thus doesn't find as many of them, but can tell what exactly is the problem. And even goes to debug the application and suggest a fix.

3) One who develops creative tools to automate test procedures, some interesting tools that can replicate more scenarios and that too faster, but again, though the tool is greatly written, extensible, maintainable, good quality code, it some how doesn't catch that many bugs.

4) One who has a hacker kind of attitude, who just wants to surrender software down! He sees that as his victory and is not bothered about automating the process, thinking how can you make it better or what went wrong.

Who according to you makes a better SDET of them all? In the internal review of a MS employees, what things are taken in account for a SDET? Is it just how many bugs she found?

I have more questions in mind, if you can answer these then I will put them forward.

Thanks a lot for your support.

Best Regards,

Hitesh

re: What Is Test Automation?

Les — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:03:37 GMT

Hi Steve,

I remember when you reverse engineered the Fairchild com language and was able to replace the damaged and ancient HP1000 server with a fancy 386 PC running DOS 5.0 and a multi-channel RS232 port. I helped you run the cables to the testers. Remember the beltdriven 70MB harddrive the size of a washing machine and the 8.5" floppies. Unless there is a different Steve Rowe then my apologies. I credit you for getting me started in computers in the early 90's.

Best Regards,

Les W.

re: What Is Test Automation?

SteveRowe — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 01:58:22 GMT

@Les, sorry but there must be a different Steve Rowe out there. In the early 90s I was in school.

re: What Is Test Automation?

Pierre — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 07:08:46 GMT

Hi Steve,

I agree that autoamted tests is maybe the only way to keep quality in the product we develop today at a higher and higher pace. I've tried different test automation strategies. To my experience it must be the developers that automates the tests even on the higer level of system tests. Developing and maintaining test is even harder than developing the software itself sometimes. During the christams holiday I ran across a UI testing framework that I think has the right approach. It allows me to record and edit tests from inside Visual Studio. For the smoke tests I need in my current project it seems perfect. You can have a look at www.testautomationfx.com where they have a movie that shows how it works, it is only in beta (that you have to request by mail). I've also tried out TestComplete but I like better to be working in VS with the languages I like (read C# ;).

Keep up the good work.

Pierre