Evolution to and overview of Specification By Example (SBE) and Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD)

1. Ministry of Testing, Boston
How Specification By Example is Changing
How We Plan and Test Our Solutions
Greg Tutunjian, Enterprise Agile Coach
Optum Technology, Boston
January 25, 2017
Test Automation
In The Hands of “The Business”

2. Ministry of Testing, Boston
PurposePurpose
Business
Testing
Evolution
Business
Testing
Evolution
Business
Testing
Guidance
Learn
More
Agenda
2

3. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Purpose
3

4. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Why QA Professionals
4
1. Outside-in Testing (versus inner-loop testing)
1. Solution-centric (versus development-centric)
1. Incrementing Value (versus incrementing feature count)
1. (More) Multidisciplinary (versus usual disciplines)
1. (Finally) Direction-setting (versus waiting)

5. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Take Away Potential
5
1. Investigate Further
1. Experiment @ Work
1. Engage Other QA (Like-minded) Professionals
1. Community of Practice (versus center of excellence)
1. Advance Adoption

6. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Greg T Bio
6
1. Application Developer (short lived)
1. Systems Engineer (longer lived)
1. Team Builder (never happier)
1. Agile Delivery Lead (storm, norm, form, deliver)
• Enterprise Agile Coach (delivery focus)

7. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Experience Informs
7
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2016
Getting
To
Done
Application
Developer
Business-
side
Testing
25%
50%
75%
100%
Innovation
Practices
Form &
Lead
Teams
Ken
Schwaber
On-site
Solution
Architect
Enterprise
Agility
Enterprise
Culture &
Happiness
Agile
Manifesto
Scaling

8. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Change
(De)Evolution
8

9. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Satir Change Model
9

10. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Business Testing Evolution
10
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2016
25%
50%
75%
100%
Repeatable
?
Add Value?
Transferable?
Cost Effective?
Spec
BRD
Value
Era
Data
Proto
Kno
w
Agile
BRD Agile
mainframe
minicomputer
client-server
WAN & LAN
small
teams
enterprise agility

11. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Trust Gap
11
1. Patience
1. Engagement
2. Awareness
3. Feedback
1. Listening

12. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Business
Testing
Guidance
12

13. Ministry of Testing, Boston
• Specification By Example (SBE)
A collaboration method for specifying requirements and tests
whose benefits include producing correct and reliable
documentation, setting expectations clearly and concisely, making
validation more efficient and reducing rework.
Definitions
13

14. Ministry of Testing, Boston
• Acceptance Test Driven Development (ATDD)
A repeatable means of collaboration between the business (or
customers), testers and developers to produce testable
requirements resulting in higher quality software more
frequently.
• Behavior Driven Development (BDD)
A more mature means of collaboration (than ATDD) between
the business (or customers), testers and developers to produce
testable requirements resulting in higher quality software more
frequently.
Definitions
14

15. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Chart A Course
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1. Focus on high-risk solution areas
• Versus starting small & low-risk
1. Work in pairs
• Build knowledge & increase confidence
1. Facilitate Workshops
• Plan in advance; Amenable business owner(s)
1. Community of Practice
• Share your successes

16. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Testing Framework
16
Scaled Agile, Inc. 2016

17. Ministry of Testing, Boston
1. Business-side Tooling:
• Gherkin (language & rules)
• Cucumber (command-line translator)
2. Feature: A Gherkin-specified set of scenarios
3. Scenario: A list of steps Cucumber will run
4. Steps: Step-wise test instructions
• Step Definitions: Connection to domain-specific
support code
• Support Code: Entry points to automation library
1. Automation Library: System-behavior outcomes
The Business Writes Code
17

18. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Flow
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Project
System
Features
Scenarios
Steps
Step Definitions
Support Code
Automation Library
Business
Facing
Technolog
y
Facing
The Cucumber Book

19. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Simple Example
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Feature: Refund item
Scenario: Jeff returns a faulty microwave
Given Jeff has bought a microwave for $100
And he has a receipt
When he returns the microwave
Then Jeff should be refunded $100
Gherkin Keywords
Data
© Cucumber Limited. All rights reserved.

20. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Gherkin Syntax
20
© Cucumber Limited. All rights reserved.
• Feature (Individual solution attribute; adds value)
• Scenario (Example composed of steps; an executable specification)
• Steps: Given, When, Then, And, But
• Background (Step abstraction for repeated steps)
• Scenario Outline (Scenario abstraction for repeated scenarios)
• Examples (Paired with scenario outline: Data Table)
• Doc Strings: """ (Pass text to a step definition)
• Data Tables: | (Pass list of values to step definition)
• Tags: @ (Group scenarios for Cucumber execution)
• Comments: # (In-line comments)

21. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Functional Example
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Scenario Outline: feeding a growing cow
Given the cow weighs <weight> kg
When we calculate the feeding requirements
Then the energy should be <energy> MJ
And the protein should be <protein> kg
Examples:
| weight | energy | protein |
| 450 | 26500 | 215 |
| 500 | 29500 | 245 |
| 575 | 31500 | 255 |
| 600 | 37000 | 305 |
© Cucumber Limited. All rights reserved.

22. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Step Definitions
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© Cucumber Limited. All rights reserved.
• Translate plain text Gherkin steps into actions
that will interact with the system-under-test
• Each step has a corresponding Step Definition
• Step Definition: Small piece of code with a
pattern attached to it.
• The pattern links the step definition to all the
matching steps, and the code is what
Cucumber will execute when it sees a Gherkin
Step.

23. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Getting Started
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1. Identify Business Partner & Project
2. Adopt Basic (Business) Scenario (from strategic backlog)
1. Write Step Definitions
1. Establish Technology-facing Flow
1. Coach, Mentor & Train Business
1. Scale To Maximize ROI

24. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Make It Happen
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1. Effective and practical video training
1. Partner with a visible & available advocate
1. Partner-driven workshops
1. Coach, Mentor & Train Business
1. Incorporate into strategic plans
6. Don’t forget about ROI

25. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Learn More
25

26. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Learn More
26
• Specification By Example: How successful
teams deliver the right software, Gojko
Adzic
• ATDD by Example: A Practical Guide to
Acceptance Test-Driven Development,
Markus Garner

27. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Learn More
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• Cucumber Recipes: Automate Anything
with BDD Tools and Techniques, Ian
Dees, Matt Wynne, Aslak Hellesoy
• The Cucumber Book: Behavior-Driven
Development for Testers and Developers,
Matt Wyne and Aslak Hellesoy

28. Ministry of Testing, Boston
Learn More
28
• Satir Change Model:
• Virginia Satir Global Network:
https://satirglobal.org
• Steven Smith Adaptation:
http://stevenmsmith.com/ar-satir-change-
model
• Cucumber Community: https://
cucumber.io

29. Ministry of Testing, Boston
The End
29
Thank You