Issue 246

COMMENT

Welcome to the 246th issue!

It's hard to believe that DORA metrics have been around for a decade now.

They're considered an industry-standard way of tracking the software delivery throughput and stability.

So it's great to see Google's Highlights from the 10th DORA report — compiled by Nathen Harvey and Derek DeBellis.

What got my attention is that nearly 75% of responders use AI for code writing and 60% for test automation.

However, as we learn, it has negatively impacted both the software delivery throughput and stability.

No wonder that 39% of responders don't fully trust AI-generated code.

So what is there to learn for us?

Let me answer with this megathread on Reddit — Manual testers are ABSOLUTELY needed.

Happy testing! 🙂

NEWS

Being intentional about exploratory testing

Exploratory testing is one of the most effective approaches. Joep Schuurkes gives some advice on how to do it right.

At the same time, Ian Tinsley points out how to Get Software Engineers to Do the Right Thing.

How Do Employers Measure a QA Tester/Engineer's Proficiency?

Both managers and testers may ask themselves this question. It's hard, and there's probably no one straightforward answer, but it's interesting to see what people suggest.

This discussion continues in another thread about Metrics to assess testers.

Software testing careers: Many paths to success

Do you know your next career move? Oleksandr Romanov outlines the possible career paths for testers and what it takes to grow to the next level.

Furthermore, Bhagya Perera wrote about Software Testing Challenges and How to Overcome Them, followed up by the second part.

The Testing Unknown Unknowns

Jitesh Gosai proposes using a handy behaviour-awareness matrix to discover the testing focus areas.

In relation to that, Maaike Brinkhof explains How I respond to "have we tested everything?".

AUTOMATION

Best Practices For Creating Stable Selectors

When automating tests for web apps, you may run into problems with the flaky selectors. Luis Osvaldo Serna Gomez explains the common pitfalls and suggests possible solutions.

Chekhov's gun principle for testing

This is a great example by Paweł Świątkowski of making your tests more focused and maintainable.

Also, Uros Simic demonstrates How To Improve Testing Framework Performance by leveraging test setup.

Enhancing Testing Efficiency with API Automation Test Shift Left

Yogi Is Ariyanto gives several pieces of advice on addressing and preventing possible issues with the API tests. For example, by improving communication with developers, using BDD and keeping tests close to code.