Exploratory Test Automation
CAST August 4, 2010
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
1
Source Material
The content of this talk has been taken
from work done by Cem and Doug on a
book by the same name.
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
2
What Is Exploratory Test
Automation?
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
3
Considerations for Automation
• Theory of error
• Input data
• Sequential
dependence
• Output data
• Comparison
• Detection
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
•
•
•
•
•
•
Evaluation
Troubleshooting
Notification
Retention
Maintenance
Relevant contexts
Copyright © 2010
4
Disk Buffer Size
• Write random sized records
• Read random sized records
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
5
Database Record Locking
• Create random set of records
• Launch several threads to
– Select a random record
– Open record exclusive for random time, or
– Open record shared for random time
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
6
Exhaustive Testing
• Maspar sqrt
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
7
Reset Database
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
8
Simulator Generation Of
Results
• Telenova example
• Maspar compiler example
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
9
SVD Generation
• SVD: the means to verify data is embedded into
the data itself
• Database records example
• Data communication packets example
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
10
Database Links
• Modified database engine to verify forward and
backward links
• Chose a schema
• Generated a number of records
• Generated random inserts, modifies, and deletes
• Used random values for field entries
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
11
Summary
• Not all automated tests have to do
the same thing each time
• Many different ways to explore
using automation
– Looking faster and more deeply
– Working in areas not humanly
accessible
Douglas Hoffman
Cem Kaner
Copyright © 2010
12