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Keynote 3

Whose Test Is It Anyway?

Maaret Pyhäjärvi

09:00-10:00 CEST Thursday 15th June

There is a question that people keep asking me, expecting there is a simple recipe they just need to learn: how would you test this? When your job is to find some of what others may have missed, the responses vary greatly. Software development is a social activity, and the social context determines what work gets priority.

In this talk, we review my 10-step recipe in exploratory unit testing of a program created using computer-assisted software authorship.

When AI writes us a program, we can ask ourselves how we would test this, and review the recipe and results. The 10-step recipe, clear in hindsight, is created with social software testing, by pair and ensemble testing with individuals and groups for training purposes. I picked up ingredients that make my recipe particularly good for demo purposes.

You won’t be repeating my testing, you will be testing other programs and systems. Instead of the recipe, let’s focus on succeeding with the ingredients: social software testing – sourcing other people’s ideas; perspectives and oracles – knowing how to operate and assess in a versatile manner; and strategies and tactics – knowing ideas that lead us, and diversifying options of ingredients. It’s not about testers, but testing. It’s about the results, the impact, the feelings, and the costs – both direct and opportunity.

We are stronger together than alone, and always both learning and contributing, getting the best out of everyone into the work we do.