Software - A game of questions and answers

"The most serious mistakes are not being made as a result of wrong answers. The truly dangerous thing is asking the wrong question."
— Peter Drucker

"Testing is a questioning process in order to evaluate software" - James Bach

"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." - Pablo Picasso

"One who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; one who does not ask a question remains a fool forever." - A Chinese proverb

Other day I was discussing with one of my colleague … somehow our discussion went about interpreting in simple terms the whole “game” of software development and testing. Here is what and how ended up in agreeing on the “simple” model to describe software and software lifecycle …(not SDLC but SLC)


Software development is about coming up with answers (and demonstrating those answers with an example) to the questions raised by testers, end users and other stakeholders.

Software testers ask questions about claims and capabilities of what software is supposed to do, take the questions to developers and project mangers and ask for answers.

Project manager or project sponsors scan these questions and pick up those that they think are worth “answering”, prioritize them and pass on the developers for providing answers and ways to demonstrate the answers. Before releasing the software to testers, developer do some question-answer session with buddy developers and leads (peer testing, unit testing and code reviews)

Developers then get on mission to analyze questions and develop/construct answers in the form of capabilities in the software and “release” to testers to check to see the answers are “satisfactory”. When developers do not get answers or feel that it takes relatively long time to find the answers – they turn to project manager with their analysis as why answer can not be made available immediately. Project manager then takes the decision of “deferring” those “unanswered” question to be taken up in future releases.
At times Testers, act on behalf of end users and other

Testers verify those answers and check to see they are OK … some times there will be follow-up questions or new questions (regression bugs/issues) and they are routed to developers via the project manager. This cycle repeats until there are new questions to be answered by the developers.

So … as long as there are questions to be answered about software … there will be the need of developers (who will provide answers) and there will be need of Project managers (to prioritize and check which questions need to be answered) and hence a software development project …

Guess what … it is software testers who drive the whole thing by asking relevant and important questions about software – about it’s claims and capabilities …

So … as important trait of a tester is to practice asking “good” questions …

Shrini

Software - A machine or an organism or ?

“The first obvious difference between machines and organisms is the fact that machines are constructed, whereas organisms grow. …

Whereas the activities of a machine are determined by its structure, the relation is reversed in organisms - organic structure is determined by processes”

This is how Fritjof Capra opens up chapter 8 of his celebrated book “Turning point”
http://www.mountainman.com.au/capra_1.html

How do we understand software …? As a machine or an organism? Does software grow? How do we understand software by it structure or by observing (!!!) it behavior? What are useful models of software that help us to understand?

What kind of thing is this software? One thing is sure … it is not just code …

A general System …!!!! It is code and about various connected systems … can you think of all those systems connected with software system or systems?

Shrini

Are all best practices "worthless"? Testing Best Practices

Other day I was quoting following from Jerry’s new book on testing to one of my colleague who is a “best practice” proponent.

…..The risks in these two situations are vastly different, so do you think I recommended the same testing process I used for finding a personal web-writing application? Do you imagine I recommended that my client install random freeware pacemakers into live patients until he found something he liked, or didn't dislike? Why not?

I took above sentences as reference and told him.. “Can you use software testing strategy that one uses for web application writing to that of an embedded software in a heart pace maker? Hence best practices are such a junk thing ...”

To that he was silent for a while answered --- I agree with your point that test strategy or approach used for web application cannot be applied for embedded software in pace maker … How about picking the practice from a same field/domain – will that not save the time, energy and effort for my client ? Let us say I develop a list of practices for a given field (embedded software used in human bodies) and keep “selling” them as best practices (jump start kit) for those clients who deal with such software? What is your opinion? Would you still say … best practices (in a context) are junk?

I did not have a good answer for him …. Then we discussed about “universal best practices” (I am not sure if such phrase exists as all best practices are universal in nature by default and context less??) such as “walking is good for health”,”Test considering end user scenarios”, “Do unit testing” “Do code review”, “Aspirin is good for heart”, “Drunken driving leads to accidents”, “Do meditation to calm your mind” etc. I told him about at least 3 contexts for each of these best practices where following best practices can lead to harmful effects.

After listening to me … he said … Shrini … you appear to be "making up" all these contexts to prove your point …I want you to answer my question – Are all generic best practices recommendations are worthless or fake? When customers want something readymade that will help them to jumpstart the work, they would like to see if I, as a consultant, can bring some “best practices” from my previous similar experiments. Is that expectation unreasonable?

I am thinking ... I don’t have a good answer for him … do you? I hope Jerry would have some answer …

Are there any "universal best practices" or by default all best practices are universal and context free? Will a best practice cease to remain as bet practice once it comes with a context?

[update] Quoting from Jerry's book again - "As humans - we are not perfect thinkers, we are affected by emotions and we are not clones. We are Imperfect, irrational, value driven,diverse humans - hence we test software and test our
testing AND hence test "best practices" that sales and marketing folks associate with software testing.

Shrini

Exploratory Testing SHOCK ....

A colleague of mine other day expressed his struggle to make exploratory testing work for his time (scalability and making it as a best practice !!!) . He said "Exploratory testing is HIGHLY person DEPENDENT - that is the biggest problem for me ... Do you have any process document for doing best exploratory testing. I will have that included in our testing process framework. BTW that will help us in earning some kudos from our CMMI level 5 assessment team."

I said --" ... that is true ...why exploratory testing ... any good sapient testing is "person - human" dependent. A good testing requires thinking and inquisitive human mind. Are you planning to get testing done by machines, robots - so that your person dependency goes away? If yes .. kindly ask the CMMI team to order few robots for a Testing POC (proof of concept) "

He could not answer for a while ... then responded with low voice "I know you will say something like this only ... I have an answer… Automation!!!! I have raised a request for buying 10 licenses of this # 1 tool in the test tools market .. Howzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt ?"

Now it is my turn to faint ....