Periodic Table of Testing Leeds Tester Gathering June 2017
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The document discusses the development of the "Periodic Table of Testing" by Ady Stokes. Stokes created the periodic table as a way to visualize the field of testing and identify gaps in his own knowledge. It provides an overview of different testing areas and their relationships. Stokes uses the periodic table to guide his own learning and ensure he does not forget important testing topics. He sees the periodic table as an evolving model and is interested in feedback on how it could be improved to better represent the current state of testing.
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Periodic Table of Testing Leeds Tester Gathering June 2017
- 1. PERIODIC TABLE OF TESTING An emerging visual heuristic Or; How I’m working out what I don’t know Ady Stokes Leeds Tester Gathering 22nd June 2017 Periodic Table of Testing © Adrian Stokes 2015
- 2. Goals •Hear about the Periodic Table of Testing •Understand why I developed it •See how I’m using it and how I think it could be used
- 3. Me in brief • Background in Audit and designing and testing Management Systems in manufacturing (early testing exposure) • Testing roles since 2004 in a financial environment • In agile teams since 2009 • Business Intelligence • Legacy changes • Standalone applications • Website testing • The Big Test Theory blog (thebigtesttheory.com) @CricketRulz
- 4. The Problems • Learning was by accident • I didn’t really have an overall view of testing • I wasn’t sure where to go next
- 5. Problem: Accidental learner to…
- 6. Solution: Deliberate learner (but how?) • Structure learning in some form of plan • Have a defined but flexible view of the ‘world of testing’ What don’t I know? • Have some form of aid / heuristic for new projects so I don’t forget stuff
- 7. Problem: A view of the testing universe • I know there’s a lot going on, but how to see it?
- 8. I don’t know what I don’t know! Known unknowns Aware but not Understood Known unknowns Aware but not Understood Unknown unknowns Not Aware Known knows Aware and Understand Known Unknown Known Unknown Knowledge Awareness
- 10. Solution contributor: Periodic Table of Data • Way of viewing the data we had in the warehouse • Visualise how new data would align based on it’s properties • Assists analysis • Identify potential gaps
- 11. Periodic Table of Data Properties can overlap dependent on context and use Periodic Table of Data © Adrian Stokes 2012
- 12. Periodic Table of Testing v1.4
- 13. Periodic Table of Testing – Why? •View of the world of testing •Stretch my limit of understanding •Use as a map of learning and record results
- 14. Periodic Table of Testing – How Am I using it? Questions; •Do I understand this ‘view’ of testing? •For each area / tile, do I have enough or even any understanding? •Prompt to learn and share my findings
- 15. Periodic Table of Testing – How Could it be used? • Scope prompt • Career progression prompt (not guide) • Describe relationships • Always an expectation of change
- 16. Awareness Relationships examples (brief) Application Automated solution
- 17. Potential ‘evolutions’ • Elements: Interpersonal; Non functional… • Metacognition (thinking about thinking) to replace the Technique Element? • Test Data could be it’s own category as it can be vitally important? • Tacit knowledge could be explored • Internet of things and so on… no expectation of ‘everything’ Periodic Table of Testing - Evolving
- 18. Let me know after or through my blog What do you agree / disagree with? What’s missing? What should I be learning first? Periodic Table of Testing - Feedback
- 19. Goals – Met? •You’ve now heard about the Periodic Table of Testing •Have some understanding of why I developed it •Seen how I’m using it and how it could be used Periodic Table of Testing © Adrian Stokes 2015
- 20. @CricketRulz – The Big Test Theory.com
- 21. References • Software Testing Magazine – Issue 7 March 2012 • https://www.ministryoftesting.com/2012/03/march-2012-issue-7/ • The Big Test Theory blog – Ady Stokes • https://www.thebigtesttheory.com • Testing Wheel – Ash Winter • http://testingisbelieving.blogspot.co.uk/ • Types of Software Testing • http://www.guru99.com/types-of-software-testing.html
Editor's Notes
- Essentially a way for me to see a learning path through the vast universe of testing
- Always tried to learn as I went along. Web testing meant I had to learn lots in a short period of time. Didn’t have much awareness of web site testing as up to then it wasn’t on my radar This idea goes some way to ensuring I’m better prepared for challenges in the future.
- I have loads of problems, but for today I’ll focus on just a few. I felt a bit like being in the middle of spaghetti junction with no map, satnav or phone to help I’m using the term ‘overall’ loosely to describe all the areas related to testing as we all know we’ll never know everything
- Happened when it happened Sometimes I learnt as something had gone wrong Twitter prompts lots of distractions and pieces of ideas Something current required it
- Being an older gentleman I need help Structure learning in some form of plan, not removing accidental discovery but something when that wasn’t happening Have a defined but flexible view of the ‘world of testing’ What don’t I know? Have some form of aid / heuristic for new projects so I don’t forget stuff
- Did I say world, it feels more like a universe I didn’t find things like Guru99’s list of 100 types of software testing particularly helpful. Other long lists are available Have some form of aid / heuristic for new projects so I don’t forget stuff Some good stuff out there but nothing I’ve found that fits easily on an A4 sheet. E.g. big mind maps
- Known Unknown matrix I had the beginnings of an idea So, where did the table come from?
- I had other problems, are you detecting a theme yet? Well 2012 actually, I need to take you back to another problem I had I worked in Business Intelligence on a data warehouse Testing reports, updating Fitness with automated tests for the ETL (extract, transform, load) process The thing I found hardest was relating new information to existing data So, the Periodic Table of Data was born
- I liked the ideas of how the periodic table tied things together and you could see relationships Better picture in a second Have had some positive feedback that some firms have adopted and find it useful
- Describes the relationships between data and where properties can overlap Helped me consider different scenarios and was easy to have on an A4 reminder You can see on the right how litigation has a relationship with transactions So, the gap I had with testing and where to go with learning lead me to… Periodic Table of Testing
- From one Visual heuristic to another Allows me to see the testing universe Outside looking in view. Ash has an excellent inside looking out view with his testing wheel Consider where to go next to learn and I reminder of things I might have to consider
- Remember my problems? Gives me a view in a way I’m familiar with
- Now have a way to plan my learning and through the blog share what I find
- Looking at a new project it could help suggest the scope of testing When thinking of career it could help suggest specialisation routes to explore I could be used to describe relationships between different elements and techniques, see the example in the next slide
- I hope to describe the relationships between the different elements and that’s what my next blog post is going to be about using a real example If you have awareness of different techniques you could combine them or they could lead to different testing elements or approaches That could also feed into any potential technical approaches you want to use such as feature files or living documentation
- I’m not sure it will ever be ‘done’ Part of me hopes not My next accidental learning could change my view and the table
- As you can see, its an emerging idea that could have some other useful applications Thank you for your patience and are there any questions