QW2001 Paper 8V2

Mr. Shel Siegel
(Tescom)

Component Based Architecture for Automated Testing

Key Points

Presentation Abstract

As test automation tools flourish it is easy to be lulled into thinking that automation will increase productivity or add value to the testing process. In this regard an old saying applies “if you give a fool a tool, the fool will be able to do what he/she does not know how to do ….. faster”. In other words, a fool with a tool is still a fool!

Recently I asked an assembly of more than 350 QA and test managers how many had designed or implemented an architecture for the automated test scripts they were producing. Less than 5% had architected their automation projects. Shocking wouldn’t you say?

If we in the test and software quality fields believe that it is desirable for our developer counterparts to architect and design their software projects why did only 5% of the managers of testing departments architect and design their automation testing projects?

This talk presents a simple and powerful automation architecture for regression test scripts using tools like WinRunner or Silk.

About the Author

I co-founded The Alliance for Software Quality (1991) and co-developed the Quality Optimization (QO) software quality deployment methodology (1993) and the Hierarchical Testing Approach. (1996). I worked with the American Electronics Association (AEA) National TQC Steering Committee to provide “leadership for quality” in the software industry. (1994) I was the technical editor for Software Quality World and I am known as a dynamic presenter at conferences on the subjects of project management, quality engineering, and software testing techniques. I chaired the committee that designed IBM’s System Evaluation Laboratory at Santa Teresa Labs (1983) and I have built and directed quality departments for large and small software companies since 1981.