The document contrasts test automation and behavior-driven development (BDD). It discusses that while test automation focuses on testing using separate tools, BDD emphasizes interactions and collaboration. The document compares benefits and challenges of each approach and notes that both have value when used together by development teams. Confusion arises when people view BDD and test automation as the same, when they each have distinct but complementary purposes.

1. Contrasting test automation and BDD
- an “interactions over tools” perspective
Seb Rose
Twitter: @sebrose
Blog: https://cucumber.io/blog/
E-mail: seb.rose@smartbear.com

2. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Agenda
Interactions over tools
Test automation
Behaviour-driven development
Compare and contrast
Confusion
Wrap-up

3. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Agenda
Interactions over tools
Test automation
Behaviour-driven development
Compare and contrast
Confusion
Wrap-up

4. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Names have power

5. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Naming is a process
https://www.digdeeproots.com/articles/naming-as-a-process/
“Names are the place we
communicate our insights and
intentions to other humans.”
Arlo Belslee

6. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
What does “agile” mean?
https://newmatilda.com/2016/10/10/19-jobseekers-for-every-job-the-unemployed-elephant-in-the-room/

7. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Perspective is important
“… we have come to value
individuals and interactions
over
processes and tools…”
http://agilemanifesto.org/

8. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Agenda
Interactions over tools
Test automation
Behaviour-driven development
Compare and contrast
Confusion
Wrap-up

9. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Define test automation
“… test automation is the use of
software separate from the software
being tested to control the execution
of tests and the comparison of
actual outcomes with predicted
outcomes.”
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_automation

10. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
What are the benefits?
Higher quality
Repeatability
Faster feedback
More frequent
feedback
Lower costs
?
?
?

11. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
What are the challenges?
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/54918
By
Diego
Delso,
CC
BY-SA
3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21602080
Skills
Testability
Late feedback
Overconfidence

12. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Interactions
Architecture,
Design
Test Automation
Development
& Testing
“The business”
Here are our
requirements
Here’s the
specification
It works on my
machine
Something’s not
right!
There
are some
outstanding
issues

13. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Agenda
Interactions over tools
Test automation
Behaviour-driven development
Compare and contrast
Confusion
Wrap-up

14. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Define BDD
Create a shared understanding of the
requirements through collabora7on, typically
achieved through a structured conversa7on
centered on rules and examples
Examples of system behaviour are
documented using business terminology
The documenta7on is automated, crea7ng
living documenta7on that verifies the
system’s behaviour
Create a shared understanding of the
requirements through collabora5on, typically
achieved through a structured conversa5on
centered on rules and examples
Examples of system behaviour are
documented using business terminology
The documenta5on is automated, crea5ng
living documenta5on that verifies the
system’s behaviour
https://cucumber.io/docs/bdd/

15. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
What are the benefits?
Living
documentation
Shared
understanding
Early learning
Speed of
feedback
Better quality
Lower costs

16. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
What are the challenges?
https://twistedsifter.com/videos/tadpole-to-frog-animation-by-harry-warne/
By Gary Todd - https://www.flickr.com/photos/101561334@N08/28169055190/
https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw1938a/
Change in
working practices Immature tooling Other automated
testing needed

17. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Interactions
Business
Architecture,
Design
Test
Automation
Development
& Testing
Delivery
team
hAp:/
/bddbooks.com
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/keep-your-scenarios-brief-seb-rose/

18. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Agenda
Interactions over tools
Test automation
Behaviour-driven development
Compare and contrast
Confusion
Wrap-up

19. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
BDD Test-automation
Discovery
- collabora7ve
Automated,
business-
readable
acceptance
tests
Automa7on
- aHer/in parallel to coding
- oHen siloed
- performance/penetra7on etc.
- not necessarily business-readable
Automa7on
- by/with developers
- guides coding
- living documenta7on
- other tes7ng needed
Formula7on
- collabora7ve
- shared understanding
Comparison

20. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
BDD Test-automation
Prevalence

21. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Executive summary
Applicable test
domains
Breadth of
impact
BDD
TA
Size of circle has
no meaning

22. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Agenda
Interactions over tools
Test automation
Behaviour-driven development
Compare and contrast
Confusion
Wrap-up

23. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Confusion
hAps:/
/cucumber.io/blog/bdd/bdd-is-not-test-automa7on/

24. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Given/When/Then are just words
Following a
BDD approach
Using Given/When/Then
for test automation

25. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Working software is the goal
“… we have come to value
working software
over
comprehensive documentation…”

26. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Tester skills still valuable

27. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Agenda
Interactions over tools
Test automation
Behaviour-driven development
Compare and contrast
Confusion
Wrap-up

28. @sebrose seb.rose@smartbear.com
Takeaways
Testers without
automation skills
continue to add
value
BDD has a broader
impact
Given/When/Then
is not a
discriminator
Test automation has
more applicable
domains
It’s not either/or.
The best teams
practice BDD
and
test automation

29. Seb Rose
Twitter: @sebrose
Blog: https://cucumber.io/blog/
E-mail: seb.rose@smartbear.com
http://bddbooks.com