The testing industry is blooming exponentially with new trends, tools, and patterns popping up constantly. Many of these new patterns claim to increase the productivity of testers and testing. Nevertheless, not all patterns increase productivity. Often, testers unconsciously fall into such anti-patterns. This article covers some common anti-patterns during <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/understanding-agile-testing-framework/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">agile testing</a>, along with some tips and ideas on countering them.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/Y7rO41D_EpXrKw0I-yabuctY-jJkwtvYPTm2LIFpKe44nOHGl4BJmxEPeOw2Dh2fR2llNNMOX5yi5U9__PD3Vi3XmhZE2Fj6TLjkWroY_Qbc4gydkQsRTp5c54qXW0gwmPnAW8BsqGG23K5Ew5-1As4W6UmaCydZkjLjVns7xsyLmrmADa41UU86QY8E7uNrKvFle1oQ1g_1748948487.jpg" alt="A picture containing glass

Description automatically generated" width="600" height="400"/></figure></div>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Anti-Pattern">1 Anti-Pattern</a></li><li><a href="#Not_Documenting_Things">2 Not Documenting Things</a></li><li><a href="#Over_Emphasis_on_GUI_Tools">3 Over Emphasis on GUI Tools</a></li><li><a href="#Restricting_Efficiency_to_Test_Automation">4 Restricting Efficiency to Test Automation</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-anti-pattern">Anti-Pattern</h2>



In your everyday life, you would have observed, read, and heard about common patterns for approaching and solving problems efficiently. The term anti-pattern, however, is often unfamiliar to many. An antipattern is a pattern that is often thought of as a standard solution to a problem, but often has negative consequences or is counter-productive in the long run.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/gUnjJbfwXSKnfg0J_Uwv_B-h2J3Xawu4H5ZsMhZl3IybRX4sOi8fEGtsk0RRbKtefY1eUdpMMJdgK_rR3nrDdsgB3jG1Ty0lOIKLptODkX8K4al9PwZxS6t9jB8NSSEbZp_uJrpoj3G8VaO9q6dgmEQaam7lfmuel7UU50K5HK9vTAP0bUJf2u6HQ7OlGlpuKgK_Zeb4EQ_1748948485.jpg" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" width="600" height="400"/></figure></div>



In order to help you better understand this concept, here are a few examples of common anti-pattern during agile testing:



1. Measuring with surrogate or proxy measures.i. For example, measuring the number of tests added by a tester to measure their productivity.ii. The use of proxy measures to measure progress is often founded on incorrect assumptions and biases.iii. Such measures are only used because they are easy to count.2. Using tools or practices in the wrong context.i. An example would be using email communication, where using chat would have been more convenient and efficient.ii. Any tool or practice is merely a heuristic for solving a particular problem.iii. A sapient use (the use of skill and care) and understanding of the context/purpose are essential.iv. If all you have is a hammer, everything will look like a nail.



Now that we understand what an anti-pattern is. We&#8217;ll discuss three common anti-patterns that most testers encounter:



<ul><li>Not Documenting Things</li><li>Over Emphasis on <a href="https://www.softr.io/web-app/best-gui-software-platforms" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GUI Tools</a></li><li>Restricting Efficiency to Test Automation</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-not-documenting-things">Not Documenting Things</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/-Jt_PlqxxRT0-x2UWRkFm64KUPqsEhjKyKU3ZX9Gol1ajQrt00p00mLiW6HSU7_xztZPNaFzLVoZhwh5CnT9EgN-b8rGq1U07CGXi-9h5O1-SluAcRjoCrn1ZLBsCvMVSJJ8NAEgHfcCwzgFlJD542vi-4_SvABrxlFJKk6KAnYNiTrwFNEelkLy0iyVPaH4taRNpeXy5Q_1748948491.jpg" alt="desc" width="400" height="400"/></figure></div>



In the industry, it is a common misconception that Agile means no documentation. It&#8217;s true that Agile emphasizes building working software over &#8220;comprehensive documentation&#8221;. Nevertheless, not documenting things, at all, is one of the biggest productivity traps. It is true that we do not need overly comprehensive documentation of the entire software. Nonetheless, documenting creates a local cache about yourself that ultimately helps you be more productive, and these caches are easily retrievable from your <a href="https://www.workstreams.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">workflow management platform</a> for team use.



If you have ever worked in a distributed team, you are familiar with the common practice of members asking for information via chat messages or emails. These formats are often short-lived and flow down the system instantly. People often have to repeat the same or similar information when someone else asks for it. Furthermore, this creates reliance on people for project information and degrades the rollout/transition experience when someone leaves the team.



When documentation is done, it can be used as a local cache to share information that people would have otherwise gathered from you. Every time a document is read by someone, you instantly save the time you had originally invested in creating it. The returns on this investment will also compound over time, just like any other investment.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/luA8HQ7am8-lORKLaDvqd_4PbHuIuWaDaIjAs0dsIL23BQNfpFKjLj2T1X--8mmlhb5qtmXY8_yWOKTGS9JC_jjEjjerck9vFLtlPjOJP2EMk2lwqYyM3afsg7vY1AsMR5a5ezJgZ5b4ElyEW-QxToGoy5GDWk1vhB_2Hxttw6wWu3O7VOD-C8rZlRmj-WFGGU0jvlj1dA_1748948486.jpg" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" width="600" height="400"/></figure></div>



In other words, whenever you share information that isn&#8217;t documented, make sure it is documented. I consider documenting my work to be one of my most important productivity secrets. Depending on the context, I try to move important and persistent information to either of these:



<ul><li>Wiki</li><li>Readme</li><li>Test Notes</li><li>FAQ Doc</li><li>Flow Chart Documents</li><li>JIRA, etc.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-over-emphasis-on-gui-tools">Over Emphasis on GUI Tools</h2>



It is easy to visualize information when using GUI tools because they simplify complexity. Testers typically use GUI tools to generate data, filter data, run tests, and so on. There are, however, some limitations associated with GUI tools, such as:



<ul><li>Platform dependent</li><li>Distracting</li><li>Less Verbose</li><li>Requires more space &amp; memory</li><li>Slow</li></ul>



It can be a productivity anti-pattern to place too much emphasis on GUI tools. Often, command-line interfaces are more effective for quick, basic, and quirky tasks. Having fluency with the command line improves your flexibility and productivity as an engineer in both obvious and subtle ways. CLI tools have their own benefits in the long run. Often, operating system commands, shell scripts, keyboard shortcuts, etc., are capable of doing heavy-lifting GUI tasks quickly. It is usually more convenient to work with CLI terminals when you have constrained devices that do not have enough space or are restricted from using GUI tools.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/9Sdq2YLxRhfeurbV3UoUNiu_q6xHNkqwKByBT9wgkx8Bh_KiOWmak8EMJ7buS1Dhv_AgAavl5mjRrObmO5jKZzuoEVy7nUqEwfZm4sKHIzfiGmKMf4YlheJGW8lK-00iqV6EY8EpOFBc1YUM8UaphvIRDcnvcK3zK2nmZG8DlBvKrdO-AUhj_rWWmCv2WCRrOIIJ1R__gg_1748948490.jpg" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" width="600" height="400"/></figure></div>



Want to learn about more about CLI &amp; CLI Utils? Here are some references:



<ul><li><a href="https://github.com/jlevy/the-art-of-command-line" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Art of Command Line: Master the command line, in one page (github.com)</a></li><li><a href="https://github.com/learn-anything/command-line-tools" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Awesome Command Line Utilities (github.com)</a></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-restricting-efficiency-to-test-automation">Restricting Efficiency to Test Automation</h2>



Testing efficiency is often associated with the automation of test procedures or the execution of tests via automated test scripts. However, the use of tools can improve efficiency in all aspects/phases of testing. The use of tools can greatly enhance testing efficiency if they are used intelligently. There is a wide range of possibilities for automation in various test activities, such as:



<ul><li>Test Environment Setup</li><li>Mocking Component Behavior</li><li>Test Data Preparation</li><li>Test Build Generation</li><li>Micro Utilities / Scripts</li><li>Text Fillers</li><li>Monitoring</li><li>Test Environment Cleanup</li></ul>



Automating your day-to-day tasks is possible in a variety of ways, and the examples above are only a few. Any task that&#8217;s repetitive or lacks creativity should be considered for automation whenever possible. Most of the time, you will find already available tools or similar ideas to build your own tool to enhance your testing efficiency.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/V_O2ZcrfAadTDQaSAL8frI1l3HHmZKAyRtJ11zjK_dbPC4OfkrDES9cydmci1Ec7WsOEj4Lu4ySwmUh7ywHmaSvkygJCH1W8Ey6gdpYAAQ-1L0TtS2bDtrgP1dbbDX5Fd9Q6vW2n2J7XpAoceeDthbQYV6vjMNpnX38FKPHs-PbrY3fAz1qqBQ6X1k5w6JDfIo6jO97P1A_1748948488.jpg" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" width="600" height="400"/></figure></div>



Moreover, small utilities, macros, micro tools, and extensions can enhance your testing efficiency as well. A few examples of such small tools and extensions are listed below:



<ul><li><a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/session-manager/mghenlmbmjcpehccoangkdpagbcbkdpc?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Session Management</a>&nbsp;– Save Tabs with Project / Purpose. One Click Opener.</li><li><a href="https://bugmagnet.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Bug Magnet</a>&nbsp;– Exploratory Testing Assistant</li><li><a href="https://gofullpage.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Go Full Page</a>&nbsp;– Save your Pages (Full)</li><li><a href="https://fakefiller.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Fake Filler</a>&nbsp;– Free, Fake, Random Form Filler</li><li><a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/exploratory-testing-chrom/khigmghadjljgjpamimgjjmpmlbgmekj" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Exploratory Testing Extension</a>&nbsp;– Note Taker</li><li><a href="http://www.uxcheck.co/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">UX Check</a>&nbsp;– UX Guidewords / Heuristics</li></ul>



Testsigma too supports a lot of such add-ons supporting various <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automation</a> actions and data generators powered by the Testsigma Team and the Community. Checkout the Testsigma add-on marketplace here: <a href="https://testsigma.com/addons" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma Addons Marketplace</a>



<button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="margin: auto"><a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Try out Testsigma Open Source</a></button>



For all our visual readers, I have summarized this entire article in the form of this <a href="https://xmind.app/m/hZYNxi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mind map</a>.

Agile Testing: Arresting Anti-Patterns to Foster Productivity

In today&#8217;s software world, testing is an inevitable part of the process, but if you&#8217;re new to it, it can be hard to know where to begin. The following guide will provide you with a basic understanding of some of the most frequently used terms and how they can be applied to your work. It will also have some tips that will help you improve your software testing efforts.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#_A_8211_Application_Under_Test_AUT">1 🤖 A &#8211; Application Under Test (AUT)</a></li><li><a href="#_B_Bugs">2 👾 B – Bugs</a></li><li><a href="#_C_8211_Change_Requests">3 🙏 C &#8211; Change Requests</a></li><li><a href="#_D_Data">4 🎲 D – Data</a></li><li><a href="#nbsp_E_8211_Exploration">5 &nbsp;🎮 E &#8211; Exploration</a></li><li><a href="#_F_8211_Fault_Failures">6 🔴 F &#8211; Fault / Failures</a></li><li><a href="#_G_8211_Great_Resources">7 📢 G &#8211; Great Resources</a></li><li><a href="#_H_8211_Heuristics">8 ⁉️ H &#8211; Heuristics</a></li><li><a href="#_I_8211_Ideas">9 💡 I &#8211; Ideas</a></li><li><a href="#_J_8211_Judgement">10 🪛 J &#8211; Judgement</a></li><li><a href="#_K_8211_Knowledge">11 🧬 K &#8211; Knowledge</a></li><li><a href="#_L_8211_Lateral_Thinking">12 🎃 L &#8211; Lateral Thinking</a></li><li><a href="#_M_8211_Mental_Models">13 💭 M &#8211; Mental Models</a></li><li><a href="#nbsp_N_8211_Note_Taking">14 &nbsp;🧾 N &#8211; Note Taking</a></li><li><a href="#_O_8211_Oracles">15 🏮 O &#8211; Oracles</a></li><li><a href="#_P_8211_Priority">16 ☝️ P &#8211; Priority</a></li><li><a href="#_Q_8211_Questioning">17 ❓ Q &#8211; Questioning</a></li><li><a href="#_R_8211_Requirements">18 📒 R &#8211; Requirements</a></li><li><a href="#_S_8211_Strategy">19 ⚙️ S &#8211; Strategy</a></li><li><a href="#_T_8211_Tools">20 🔧 T &#8211; Tools</a></li><li><a href="#_U_8211_Users">21 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 U &#8211; Users</a></li><li><a href="#_V_8211_Visualization">22 🔦 V &#8211; Visualization</a></li><li><a href="#_W_8211_World">23 🌍 W &#8211; World</a></li><li><a href="#_X_8211_Xtreme_Cases">24 ❄️ X &#8211; Xtreme Cases</a></li><li><a href="#_Y_8211_Yourself">25 😄 Y &#8211; Yourself</a></li><li><a href="#_Z_8211_Zen">26 🙌 Z &#8211; Zen</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-a-application-under-test-aut">🤖 A &#8211; Application Under Test (AUT)</h2>



<ul><li>An application or software system that you are testing is referred to by this term.</li><li>Some common application types:<ul><li>Console</li><li>Web</li><li>Desktop</li><li>API, etc.</li></ul></li><li>Hardware testers often use the term DUT, which stands for Device Under Test.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-b-bugs">👾 B – Bugs</h2>



<ul><li>A bug is anything about a product that threatens the value of a product. – James Bach.</li><li>Other related terms<ul><li>Error: Something wrong with the product</li><li>Critical Condition:&nbsp; Data value or environment condition or step to reveal the problem</li><li>Defect: Bug with Legal Implications &#8211; Used in lawsuits</li><li>Symptom: Behavior that suggests an underlying problem </li></ul></li><li>Reference: <a href="https://leanpub.com/bugadvocacy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Bug Advocacy by Rahul Parwal</a></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-c-change-requests">🙏 C &#8211; Change Requests</h2>



<ul><li>A change request is something that is not a bug or threat to value.</li><li>Nevertheless, it is a request that the developer strives higher or maximizes what has already been worked on.</li><li>Tip: Phrase a request like a request.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-d-data">🎲 D – Data</h2>



<ul><li>Think about Data Coverage rather than Test Cases</li><li>Learn to Visualize and use the power of data!</li><li>Testing is as good as the data that you are using.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-e-exploration">&nbsp;🎮 E &#8211; Exploration</h2>



<ul><li>Exploring = Discovering unknown information to find out about any possible risks.</li><li>Exploratory Testing = Simultaneous Test Design + Execution + Learning&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Dr. Cem Kaner defines exploratory software testing as a style of software testing that optimizes the value of testing work by treating test-related learning, test design, test execution, and test result interpretation as mutually supportive activities that run in parallel throughout the project.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-f-fault-failures">🔴 F &#8211; Fault / Failures</h2>



<ul><li>A fault is a mistake in the code</li><li>Failure is misbehavior caused by the fault</li><li>Ex: 404 error due to wrongly configured app.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-g-great-resources">📢 G &#8211; Great Resources</h2>



<ul><li>If you are a self-learner, there are lots of great (free) resources available to you.</li><li>Some of the most popular compilations are listed below:<ul><li><a href="https://www.huibschoots.nl/wordpress/?page_id=441" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Great Resources – Exploring Software Testing</a></li><li><a href="https://testautomationu.applitools.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Test Automation University</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.ast-bbst.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">AST Testing Docs</a></li><li><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://testsigma.com/blog/</a> </li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-h-heuristics">⁉️ H &#8211; Heuristics</h2>



<ul><li>A heuristic is a fallible way to solve a problem &#8211; James Bach &amp; Dr. Cem Kaner</li><li>Ex:&nbsp;<ul><li>Knife: To cut things</li><li>Map: To find places &amp; directions</li><li>Rule of thumb</li></ul></li><li>Reference: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaxdheQfE8s&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Understanding Heuristics in Testing</a></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-i-ideas">💡 I &#8211; Ideas</h2>



<ul><li>Testing is all about test ideas</li><li>Heuristics help to think of test ideas.</li><li>Common Sources of Ideas<ul><li>Product</li><li>Business Requirements</li><li>Team</li><li>External Factors</li><li>Project</li><li>Stakeholders</li></ul></li><li>Reference: <a href="https://xmind.app/m/SXm4EU/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">37 Sources of Test Ideas</a></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-j-judgement">🪛 J &#8211; Judgement</h2>



<ul><li>Testing is a sampling activity.</li><li>It is common for testers to sample a small number of tests from an infinite space of possible tests.</li><li>Your judgement will help you to identify:<ul> <li>What to test?</li><li>Why test?</li><li>Risk areas!</li></ul></li><li>A good judgement comes from experience and time.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-k-knowledge">🧬 K &#8211; Knowledge</h2>



<ul><li>Knowledge is stored in two forms:<ul><li>Tacit Knowledge: Which includes:<ul><li>Experience</li><li>Thinking</li><li>Competence</li></ul></li><li>Explicit Knowledge: Which includes:<ul><li>Data, Information</li><li>Documents</li><li>Records</li><li>Files</li></ul></li></ul></li><li>Reference: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tacit-Explicit-Knowledge-Harry-Collins/dp/022600421X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Tacit and Explicit Knowledge: Collins, Harry</a></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-l-lateral-thinking">🎃 L &#8211; Lateral Thinking</h2>



<ul><li>Testers are often recognized as out of the box thinkers. Example:<ul> <li>What can go wrong?</li><li>What is certain to go wrong?</li><li>What if someone tries something extreme?</li></ul></li><li>With lateral thinking, a problem can be viewed from a creative perspective.</li><li>Additionally, it facilitates creative problem-solving.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-m-mental-models"> 💭 M &#8211; Mental Models</h2>



<ul><li>This is a mental picture of how something works.</li><li>Ex:<ul><li>Flow Charts</li><li>Architectural Diagrams</li><li>Maps, etc.</li></ul></li><li>It is common for professional testers to use mental models consciously.</li><li>Reference: <a href="https://youtu.be/vFsM-slJoeY" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Heuristics &amp; Why you should care about them?</a></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-n-note-taking">&nbsp;🧾 N &#8211; Note Taking</h2>



<ul><li>The importance of taking notes during tests cannot be overstated.</li><li>What does a typical test notes document contain:<ul> <li>Risks</li><li>Ideas</li><li>Observations</li><li>Questions</li><li>Links to resources, etc.</li></ul></li><li>Popular Formats:<ul> <li>Doc Files</li><li>Mindmaps</li><li>Excels</li><li>Readme files, etc.</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-o-oracles">🏮 O &#8211; Oracles</h2>



<ul><li>An oracle is a heuristic principle or mechanism by which you recognize a &#8220;potential&#8221; problem.</li><li>Some commonly used consistency oracles:<ul> <li>Consistent with claims</li><li>Consistent with History</li><li>Consistent with Purpose</li><li>Consistent with our image</li><li>Consistency within product</li><li>Consistent with user&#8217;s expectations</li><li>Consistency with comparable product</li><li>Consistent with standards or regulations</li></ul></li><li>Used to guide:<ul> <li>Test Design</li><li>Bug Evaluation</li><li>Test Reporting</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-p-priority">☝️ P &#8211; Priority</h2>



<ul><li>Priority is the urgency to fix a problem.</li><li>By default, prioritizing is a business decision.</li><li>In general, testers don&#8217;t set the priority.</li><li>However, stakeholders may benefit from valuable information provided by the testers as they set the priorities.</li><li>Read more about <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/difference-between-priority-and-severity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">priority and severity</a>.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-q-questioning">❓ Q &#8211; Questioning</h2>



<ul><li>It is one of the most underrated tools of a tester</li><li>Using questions to gather information helps guide testing.</li><li>Questioning Toolkits:<ul><li><a href="https://www.developsense.com/blog/2010/11/context-free-questions-for-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Context-Free Questions for Testing</a></li><li><a href="https://testingtitbits.com/context-free-questions-for-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Context-Free Questions for Automation</a></li><li><a href="http://www.fno.org/nov97/toolkit.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Question Bank</a></li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-r-requirements">📒 R &#8211; Requirements</h2>



<ul><li>Usually the starting point of a project. This document defines your product&#8217;s various components.</li><li>In most cases, requirements aren&#8217;t explicitly stated, and they&#8217;re often tacit.</li><li>Question stakeholders to know their requirements (or “desire”ments).</li><li>Reference: <a href="https://leanpub.com/b/requirements" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Exploring Requirements</a></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-s-strategy">⚙️ S &#8211; Strategy</h2>



<ul><li>Test Strategy: Given a testing mission, how will you achieve it?</li><li>It defines answers to questions like:<ul> <li>Who&#8217;s going to run the tests?</li><li>What potential problems are they looking for?</li><li>What aspects are they testing?</li><li>What tools will be used?</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-t-tools">🔧 T &#8211; Tools</h2>



<ul><li>Tools are an integral part of every testing task we perform as testers</li><li>Tools are an assistant to one&#8217;s testing effort.</li><li>Reference: <a href="https://leanpub.com/productivitytoolkit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Ultimate Productivity Toolkit</a></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-u-users">🧑‍🤝‍🧑 U &#8211; Users</h2>



<ul><li>They are the consumers of your applications</li><li>It is important to study different users in order to generate relevant test ideas.</li><li>Here is an example of common user personas for a shopping application:<ul> <li>SHOP-A-HOLICS: They make multiple purchases.</li><li>CART-ABANDONER: They probably add things to the cart. Applies discount but does not make a purchase.</li><li>THE PRODUCT RETURNER: They tend to return products a lot.</li><li>THE DISCOUNT CHASER: Applied for a discount but is hunting for more. Do we allow multiple discounts?</li><li>THE PSEUDO-SMART: Tries to reduce cart content after discount is applied. Are we giving the discount coupon when the cart value changes?</li><li>THE WANNA BE SMART: Tries an SQL injection in place of a discount voucher input value. Are we safeguarding against these possible threats?</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-v-visualization">🔦 V &#8211; Visualization</h2>



<ul><li>There is visual intelligence in all of us.</li><li>It&#8217;s unfortunate that only a few harness it.</li><li>Common visualization ways:<ul> <li>Doodling</li><li>Diagramming</li><li>Whiteboarding</li><li>Mindmapping</li><li>Sketch noting, etc.</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-w-world">🌍 W &#8211; World</h2>



<ul><li>Our expectations are that the product will be consistent with what we know or can observe in the real world&nbsp;</li><li>Something that is inconsistent with how the world works is an alert of potential trouble</li><li>Example: Map showcasing roads with blue color and water with orange color.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-x-xtreme-cases">❄️ X &#8211; Xtreme Cases</h2>



<ul><li>Normally, development occurs within defined boundaries.</li><li>Testers often try out &#8220;Xtreme&#8221; cases to see &#8220;What If?&#8221; someone does this.&nbsp;</li><li>The extreme cases are a good way to check for:<ul> <li>System Boundaries</li><li>Performance Bottlenecks</li><li>Security Risks</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-y-yourself">😄 Y &#8211; Yourself</h2>



<ul><li>Each tester is unique; each tester is different</li><li>“You” are the most significant differentiator to the testing you do.</li><li>Listen to yourself 🙂</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-z-zen">🙌 Z &#8211; Zen</h2>



<ul><li>Zen is a state of calm attentiveness, where intuition guides one&#8217;s actions.</li><li>You often receive intuitive signals from your tacit brain.</li><li>Use your intuition to analyze and act.</li></ul>



Hey! Thanks for sticking around. Hope this article helped you with some common software testing terms, tips, and advice. If you want to check out an open-source testing solution, check out Testsigma.



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A to Z of Software Testing: Terms, Tips, & Advice for Newbies

Software Testing is primarily an information-gathering process that assists stakeholders in making informed decisions. However, it can be problematic to gather information if the testing process is constantly interrupted by diversions and interruptions. <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/best-software-testing-tools-qas-are-using-in-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Software Testing tools</a> and test automation scripts can lead to false positives if proper measures and considerations are not taken when setting up the testing and automation process.



In this article, I will discuss some of the common causes behind false positives and provide you with some tips and tricks to help you avoid them during your <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">software test automation</a> process.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#False_Positives">1 False Positives</a></li><li><a href="#Common_Causes_of_False_Positives_in_Software_Testing">2 Common Causes of False Positives in Software Testing</a><ul><li><a href="#1_Flaky_Test_Automation_Scripts">2.1 1. Flaky Test Automation Scripts: </a></li><li><a href="#2_Changing_Locators_Automation_Hooks">2.2 2. Changing Locators (Automation Hooks): </a></li><li><a href="#3_Unstable_Test_Environment">2.3 3. Unstable Test Environment: </a></li><li><a href="#4_Impractical_Test_Sequence">2.4 4. Impractical Test Sequence: </a></li><li><a href="#5_Configuration_Issues">2.5 5. Configuration Issues: </a></li><li><a href="#6_Script_Development_Execution_on_one_specific_machine">2.6 6. Script Development &amp; Execution on one specific machine: </a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Impact_of_False_Positives">3 Impact of False Positives</a></li><li><a href="#Avoiding_False_Positives_in_Software_Testing">4 Avoiding False Positives in Software Testing</a><ul><li><a href="#1_Auto-Healing_Locators">4.1 1. Auto-Healing Locators: </a></li><li><a href="#2_Robust_Locators_Automation_Hooks">4.2 2. Robust Locators (Automation Hooks): </a></li><li><a href="#3_Automatic_Retry_Reruns">4.3 3. Automatic Retry / Rerun(s): </a></li><li><a href="#4_Scheduling_test_runs_periodically_to_ascertain_stability">4.4 4. Scheduling test runs periodically to ascertain stability: </a></li><li><a href="#5_Develop_execute_on_separate_machines">4.5 5. Develop &amp; execute on separate machines: </a></li><li><a href="#6_Plan_Testing_across_Layers">4.6 6. Plan Testing across Layers: </a></li><li><a href="#7_Refreshing_Test_Environment">4.7 7. Refreshing Test Environment: </a></li><li><a href="#8_Verbose_Logging_Observability">4.8 8. Verbose Logging &amp; Observability</a></li><li><a href="#9_Using_Contract_Verification_Scripts">4.9 9. Using Contract Verification Scripts: </a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 class="has-text-align-left" id="h-false-positives">False Positives</h2>



False Positives are commonly observed due to:



<ul><li>Errors in software test automation scripts</li><li>Instability in the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test environment</a></li><li>Failures due to third-party libraries or cooperating processes, etc.</li></ul>



If you are into software test automation, you may have already seen false positives like:



<ul><li>Automation Test Script Failure due to changing locators</li><li>Test Pipeline Failure due to Build Issue(s), etc.</li></ul>



<h2 class="has-text-align-left" id="h-common-causes-of-false-positives-in-software-testing">Common Causes of False Positives in Software Testing</h2>



Now that we have an understanding of what a false positive is, let&#8217;s look at the common causes:



<h3 id="1-flaky-test-automation-scripts">1. Flaky Test Automation Scripts: </h3>



It is one of the most common reasons behind false positives during software test automation. Flakiness or instability can be due to many factors. Some of the popular ones are:



i. Poor design of test scripts



ii. Non-modular / non-maintainable code structure



iii. Non-clean code



iv. Poor testability of the application



Read here &#8211; all about <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/flaky-test/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flaky Test</a>.



<h3 id="2-changing-locators-automation-hooks">2. Changing Locators (Automation Hooks): </h3>



Regardless of the test automation platform, a common feature is the reliance of automation on some hooks or locators. If these hooks change too frequently or are not defined in a robust way, it may lead to frequent false positives followed by an investigation and fixing time. Commonly used automation hooks are:



i. XPaths



ii. JSON Paths



iii. XML Paths, etc.



<h3 id="3-unstable-test-environment">3. Unstable <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test Environment:</a> </h3>



There are a number of factors that can directly or indirectly affect the state of a system and the environment in which it is being tested. Some of such factors are:



i. The current and changing state of the system 



ii. Dependent processes and their effects on the test environment



iii. Version changes



iv. Breaking contracts



<h3 id="4-impractical-test-sequence">4. Impractical Test Sequence: </h3>



In some cases, a test depends on specific business logic. Ex: Reading software from a device makes sense if you have already written software for the device. If someone wants to test the read functionality but does it after a delete software test, it will just lead to an impractical test sequence and a false positive.



Write Software &#8211;&gt; Read Software



Delete Software &#8211;&gt; Read Software



<h3 id="5-configuration-issues">5. Configuration Issues: </h3>



Most complex software have a configurable build, and deployment system. When such configuration is not managed properly, it can lead to a range of configuration-related issues. Oftentimes, the configuration(s) is done manually, which can lead to unintended issues



Also, as an automation engineer, does your test suite consider specific versions of each dependency? Does it also consider the test environment states? Do your automation scripts use the setup and teardown (cleanup) modules to set up the test environment?



<h3 id="6-script-development-execution-on-one-specific-machine">6. Script Development &amp; Execution on one specific machine: </h3>



Scripts that only run on local machine is mostly FLAKY. Script developers often ignore factors that may change on other machines when developing a script for a specific machine. Moreover, Programs don&#8217;t do what they haven&#8217;t been told to pay attention to, which leads to false positives.



<h2 class="has-text-align-left" id="h-impact-of-false-positives">Impact of False Positives</h2>



False positives often end up creating a ripple of side effects. It can impact testing in ways you might not expect. Here is how false positives can impact your testing:



1. Loss of time:&nbsp;



i. In going through logs



ii. In investigating the problem



iii. In reproducing the test steps



iv. In fixing the test scripts, environment, etc.



2. Noise in Automated Testing Cycles



3. Loss of credibility &amp; integrity: False positives from your software test automation is inversely proportional to your test process credibility.



4. Defocus on the actual information gathering process (testing)



“The more you go in one direction, the far you go from the opposite direction.”



Jerry Weinberg



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<h2 class="has-text-align-left" id="h-avoiding-false-positives-in-software-testing">Avoiding False Positives in Software Testing</h2>



The best strategy to deal with false positives is by avoiding them in the first place. To prevent false positives, here are some tips and tricks:



<h3 id="1-auto-healing-locators">1. Auto-Healing Locators: </h3>



If you have ever attempted GUI App automation, you already know about the challenge of continuously changing locators. However, a good automation solution will allow multiple locators to identify GUI elements that can be used to make the system self-heal in the event of a locator failure. Ex: <a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma</a> provides the facility of auto-healing locators by default.&nbsp;



<h3 id="2-robust-locators-automation-hooks">2. Robust Locators (Automation Hooks): </h3>



Writing robust locators is a craft and requires a good understanding of the element lookup process. Learning how to write robust and stable locators is always a good investment.&nbsp;



<h3 id="3-automatic-retry-rerun-s">3. Automatic Retry / Rerun(s): </h3>



Automatic retry/rerun strategy can help you know the consistency of the issue. In some cases, the issue can be due to a momentary glitch in the test environment. Automated rerun strategies confirm this and save you time investigating a false positive.



<h3 id="4-scheduling-test-runs-periodically-to-ascertain-stability">4. Scheduling test runs periodically to ascertain stability: </h3>



A script not running is as good as a script, not present. Testing scripts should always be run periodically to ensure the stability of the environment, product, test scripts, infrastructure, etc.



<h3 id="5-develop-execute-on-separate-machines">5. Develop &amp; execute on separate machines: </h3>



Running regression tests on separate machines is a good strategy to avoid the pitfall of flaky scripts. Testing on separate machines helps reduce the likelihood of flakiness. You can also run headless tests or use docker containers or cloud systems. Read about <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selenium-headless/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selenium Headless Tests</a>



<h3 id="6-plan-testing-across-layers">6. Plan Testing across Layers: </h3>



Planning entire testing on one layer can be a bad strategy in most cases. Testing should always be planned across several layers. Also, consider the flakiness index of different layers. Flakiness Index: UI &gt; API &gt; Unit



<h3 id="7-refreshing-test-environment">7. Refreshing <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test Environment</a>: </h3>



Test Environment and state can lead to false positives in your test results. Things that generally help to avoid such issues are:



1. Resetting State



2. Using Hooks



i. Setup 



ii. Teardown 



3. Spinning up docker containers, etc. 



<h3 id="8-verbose-logging-observability">8. Verbose Logging &amp; Observability</h3>



<h3 id="9-using-contract-verification-scripts">9. Using Contract Verification Scripts: </h3>



If you are <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/api-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">testing API</a>(s) that depends on contracts, then it is always good to run scripts that:



i. Monitor Contracts



ii. Monitor Dependencies



For all our visual readers, I have summarized this entire article in the form of this <a href="https://xmind.app/m/sxBCik/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mind map</a>.



We hope you learned something about false positives and how to avoid them during the testing process through this article.



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Software Test Automation False Positives & How to Avoid Them

What are False Positives & How to Avoid Them?

A common theme among most software testing organizations is their escalating interest in Test Automation. While test automation has grown in popularity, there are still many myths and biases surrounding it. Such myths can unknowingly create a self-limiting boundary and negatively impact the possibilities of test automation.



In this article, I will discuss some common test automation myths and biases that people have towards test automation.



Note: “!=” operator has been used throughout this article to denote inequality. If you are not familiar with this operator, please read it as “not equal to”.&nbsp;



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/JnI0za16kMOF_iG_85IXpCXTK0hcD57Pb9QGyW2uAIb6jjrTsEfvJ0wLFpajIII9iYdlWguDSIBQ82ZS4ty9jgYwCqIPyGxMvZhkNvh4Pxt7_oq9lLSqRdAaiaAptuz1A9ed5-kX_1748949212.png" alt="Test Automation" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



Test Automation != Test Execution



<a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Automated testing</a> is often viewed as executing tests. However, this is one of the most common misconceptions. Automation is defined by Wikipedia as a wide range of technologies that reduce human involvement in processes. It is often the execution of tests that consumes the largest portion of the overall testing phase. Automating this phase can certainly save a great deal of time.&nbsp;



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/IADSI33fDoRWTz0V_kPKrspZjO6af7wICBJeWUh8MMVeARQbMMbeglgunvLWNue4RbGFaZGOh0094NGxwyXbH696vRa6GuLVSUMwiGbSNSPVXUsWsU-CK-gA24kIdKhpnPBtKilG_1748949211.png" alt="Test Automation - Test Execution" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



However, Test Automation goes beyond Test Execution. Test Automation covers a broad range of possibilities. At each step of the testing lifecycle, there are a number of activities where test automation can reduce human effort. Here are some examples:



<ul><li>Test Environment Setup:<ul><li>Installing libraries using scripts</li><li>Setting configuration variables, etc. </li></ul></li><li>Mocking Component Behavior<ul><li>Useful in IoT &amp; Embedded Software Testing</li><li>Can also reduce (or eliminate) actual hardware/component need </li></ul></li><li>Test Reporting<ul><li>Generating summary report/email.</li><li>Linking screenshots/logs to the reports.</li><li>Triggering emails on test execution, completion, etc. </li></ul></li><li>Rerunning failures<ul><li>It is helpful to automate the re-execution of failure/flaky tests.</li><li>It also helps to examine the consistency and probability of the failure. </li></ul></li><li>Test Data Preparation<ul><li>Creating synthetic test data</li><li>Creating dynamic &amp; random test data </li></ul></li><li>Scheduling Test Runs<ul><li>Based on schedules</li><li>Based on continuous integration rules </li></ul></li><li>Test Build Generation<ul><li>Preparation of release candidates for testing </li></ul></li><li>Updating results to ALM Tools<ul><li>Ex: JIRA, Team Foundation Server, Polarion</li><li>Using API endpoints </li></ul></li><li>Monitoring Production Logs </li><li>Comparing Files </li><li>Cleanup of Environment, etc.</li></ul>



 



“Just because you’ve counted all the trees doesn’t mean you’ve seen the forest.”



Anonymous



Test Automation != Quality Assurance



Over the years, Testing has been mistaken for quality assurance. A similar outlook is shared by Test Automation, which is often regarded as a <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/quality-assurance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">quality assurance</a> activity. Let&#8217;s look at the definition of quality to see how test automation isn&#8217;t quality assurance.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/2p3-UiSjv8uyuag99LTxzVzPAXbmj52_koz9CExsFSybqDS1kY1ydp3ESZvVwKwUWqIqcmO9Y15AiYPImE9YVfDgCjbgjtcisKasZgwPPjvleUuKJquwNWpVuJwk_c1zSTtJ59v3_1748949216.png" alt="Test Automation - Quality Assurance" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



<ul><li>One of the popular definitions of Quality is that it is “value” to someone “who” matters. Depending on context and personas, “value” and “who” take on different forms. Thus, quality is a multidimensional concept.</li><li>By performing checks through tools, <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test Automation</a> will help you find information. Having such checks will enable you to find regression issues.</li><li>With Test Automation, you can define checks to detect:<ul><li>Functional Issues</li><li>Performance Issues</li><li>Security Issues</li><li>Accessibility Issues</li><li>UI, Responsive Issues, etc.</li></ul></li></ul>



<li>Quality will, however, mean different things to different people. Below are some typical software user personas:<ul><li>Marketing Team</li><li>Tech Writers</li><li>Testers</li><li>Programmers</li><li>Managers</li><li>Customer Service</li><li>Business Specialists</li><li>Support/Sales</li></ul> </li>



<li>
Different notions of quality will apply to your context according to the persona of your customer. Here are some of the possible quality attributes:&nbsp;<ul><li>Reliability</li><li>Speed</li><li>Usability</li><li>Scalability</li><li>Maintainability</li><li>Testability</li><li>Documentability</li><li>Trainability</li><li>Functionality</li><li>Supportability</li></ul></li>



<li>While you may be able to control some of these attributes, the majority are beyond your control or scope as a test automation engineer.</li>



 



“Quality is not what happens when what you do matches your intentions. It is what happens when what you do matches your customers’ expectations.”



Guaspari



Test Automation != Test Scripts



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/EYncNjApheyjVT3BWwLS0jqwx4SxJ-7XYRqtKepLbZ48Pm8HiLVMXR1pk9vMhQYNQcbnHsl9Pu_7AlvY1nyITCCVt8EnUAAxziNikUQXmxR0TYdcRa7FUmy-ZFKLuRyCJK5s-aoH_1748949215.png" alt="Test Automation - Test Scripts" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



<ul><li>Newbies in test automation often focus heavily on the writing of test scripts.</li><li>Even though <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/test-script/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test Scripts</a> are one of the visible outcomes of test automation, there is more to it than that.</li><li>Automation engineers perform several activities that are often overlooked. They include:<ul><li>Modeling application</li><li>Test data generation</li><li>Developing framework / reusable libraries</li><li>Work towards CI-CD-CT<ul><li>CI = Continuous integration</li><li>CD = Continuous delivery/deployment</li><li>CT = Continuous testing </li></ul></li><li>Documenting automation / Preparing readme documents.</li><li>Logging automation</li><li>Test design</li><li>Defining test execution strategy</li><li>Developing accelerator tools</li><li>Code review</li><li>Version controlling &amp; tagging</li><li>Configuring / Parameterizing </li></ul></li></ul>



“Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.”



Martin Fowler



Test Automation != Coding



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/k2rRMbXPLOSKWcfwUUX431oZ_WCYjV9WwsyMY53FGNOiQpnG5mHzO2-48XlFd3bbavTo2dViNXausKaa5V-EoScY9PmsZib5W-Bvr8pQJr8oKJU9ts3NZG8yUxC3VToFLUphmQLx_1748949218.png" alt="Test Automation - Coding" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



What programming language do I need to learn to be successful in test automation?”. On a daily basis, I hear this question from people. Yes, programming has historically been at the heart of automation. It is no longer the only way to automate.



<ul><li>With the rise of no-code test automation tools, the obvious equation of automation = programming has changed.</li> <li>Today, You can automate test execution using coded tools as well as no-code tools.</li> <li>Automating reduces human intervention, and there are various ways and tools to achieve it without or with coding.</li> <li>If you are new to no-code tools, you can check out Testsigma which is a popular open-source no-code tool<a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Testsigma</a>. Here is the link to the open-source version of Testsigma:<a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> testsigmahq/testsigma: Build stable and reliable end-to-end tests @ DevOps speed. (github.com)</a></li></ul> 



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 <li>Even if you are a beginner in the field of automation, no-code tools can certainly be used as a starting pathway for learning automation.</li></ul> 



“No-code is the first most accessible step of web and software development. lt allows anyone to create software, visually, without writing code”



Ben Tossell



Other Popular Myths



Well, the myths don&#8217;t end here. Test Automation is associated with countless other myths. Here are a few popular ones:



<ul><li>Test Automation = Automation Tools</li><li>Test Automation = No Manual Testing</li><li>Test Automation = Test Team Downsizing</li><li>Goal of Test Automation = 100% Automation</li></ul>



 “Everything really interesting that happens in software projects, eventually comes down to people.”



James Marcus Bach



For all our visual readers, I have summarized this entire article in the form of this mind map. Check this out here:





Hopefully, this article has given you an idea of the various possibilities and opportunities you can explore if you are interested in test automation. These ideas are often overlooked amidst myths, biases, and unrealistic expectations surrounding test automation. It&#8217;s always a good idea to explore and consider possibilities that may work for your context.



Happy Exploring! Happy Myth Busting! Happy Test Automation!



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4 Most Common Myths Around Test Automation

The open-source movement has become the most talked-about topic in the tech industry for the past two decades. We see a huge demand, inclination, and adoption of open-source software by organizations as well as software workers. This quest for open source will only grow with time, and as testers, this opens up an array of opportunities for us as well as testing and tech communities.



In this article, I have condensed my thoughts on <a href="https://testsigma.com/open-source-contribution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Open Source</a> for Testers. I will discuss Open Source using the 5W1H (What, Where, Who, Why, When, and How) approach.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_Open_Source">1 What is Open Source?</a></li><li><a href="#Where">2 Where?</a></li><li><a href="#When">3 When?</a></li><li><a href="#Why">4 Why?</a></li><li><a href="#Who">5 Who?</a></li><li><a href="#How">6 How?</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="what-is-open-source">What is Open Source?</h2>



In terms of etymology, Open Source is composed of two words, Open, and Source. &#8220;Open&#8221; is a synonym for available, accessible, and transparent. &#8220;Source&#8221; stands for the source code or design.



In short, Open Source is any solution/program/project whose source code is freely available for use or modification from the original design. Open-Source solutions come under various licensing models which define the detailed terms for adoption, use, reproduction, and distribution.



<ul><li>In open source, a community or a group of people work together to achieve a common goal and share the output (updates/enhancements) back with the community.</li><li>You might have already worked on open-source solutions even if you are a newbie. It&#8217;s everywhere and growing rapidly. Examples include:</li></ul>



“Open Source is a development methodology.”



Richard Stallman



Check here &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/tools/open-source-testing-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Open Source Automation Testing Tools</a>



<h2 id="where">Where?</h2>



The following are some of the areas to watch out for if you are interested in knowing, learning and contributing to Open-Source:



<ul><li>Open-Source Communities</li><li>Open-Source Projects</li><li>Open-Source Organizations</li><li>Open-Source Mailing Lists / Forums / Discord Groups</li></ul>



“The power of open source is the power of people. The people rule.”



Phillippe Kahn



Check here &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/open-source-contribution-for-testers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Open Source Contribution for Testers</a>



<h2 id="when">When?</h2>



A major reason for people&#8217;s enthusiasm for open-source contributions is the freedom that it gives them to work at their own pace and convenience. It can also be viewed as a passion project, hobby, or educational pathway.



“Open Source can propagate to fill all the nooks and crannies that people want it to fill.”



Mitch Kapor



<h2 id="why">Why?</h2>



Hopefully, you have already grasped the basics of open source and its presence in the tech/testing industry. We will look at some of the interesting prospects opened up by open source for testers:



<ul><li>Opportunity for Everyone: From beginners to experts, the open-source world always has something for you.</li><li>Collaboration: Working on such initiatives will require you to collaborate with people from different backgrounds.</li><li>Practice your skills: Learning a new skill/technology? Not sure where to practice/test them? Start with any open-source project and practice your skills. If you are a programmer, pick any feature/bug and try to add your implementation to it.</li><li>Contribution Opportunity: If you fix any bug or implement a new feature, you can directly send a pull request to the maintainers and be an active contributor to that project. The opportunities for participation are not limited to coding, we will discuss other aspects of this in the later sections.</li><li>Learning Opportunity: <a href="https://github.com/open-source" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Open-source communities </a>are full of experts and talented community people. If you go there with an open mind, you will learn a lot.</li><li>Know about the state of the art: Open-source projects tend to use state-of-the-art solutions that provide opportunities to learn some of the most recent tech skills.</li><li>Building your portfolio: As you begin your contribution journey, you will soon accumulate a nice portfolio of your contributions.</li><li>Networking: Networking is often an ignored aspect of such initiatives. Nevertheless, it could open you up to many opportunities.</li></ul>



 “Once open source gets good enough, competing with it would be insane.”



Larry Ellison



<h2 id="who">Who?</h2>



<ul><li>Thanks to the digital revolution, open source is no longer exclusive to a small group of people. Instead, you will find a wide variety of people from all over the world.</li></ul>



 



“In <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/why-how-to-contribute-to-open-source-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open source</a>, to really do something well, you have to get a lot of people involved.”



Linus Torvalds



<h2 id="how">How?</h2>



Once you understand the What, Where, Who, Why, and When, the most important question is HOW to start with the Open Source World?



Here are a few starting steps and checkpoints that will assist you in getting started with Open-Source:



<ul><li> Learn and get familiar with Git and Github:</li><li>Identify your Contribution Opportunity: As we discussed earlier, everyone has an opportunity to contribute. They can be seen under two major categories: a. Coding Contributions: This will include contributions that would require you to work on the source code. This might be something you should take a look at if you are good at programming. You can contribute towards: i. Product Features ii. Bug Fixes iii. Scripts for Unit Tests, CI-CD, etc. b. Non-Coding Contributions: You don’t always need programming experience to contribute. One of my first contributions was adding documentation and reporting bugs. It was greatly appreciated and gave me the confidence to work more towards open source. If you&#8217;re a first-timer or not sure where to begin, you can always contribute towards: i. Documentation ii. Guides iii. Raising Issues, Retest them, Providing feedback, etc. </li><li>Typical Flow for Contributing: i. Learn about the existing implementation ii. Modify / Add Something iii. Get it Reviewed, Send a Pull Request iv. Get Feedback</li></ul>



Positive feedback will most likely result in your Pull Request being accepted. Otherwise, you will most likely receive comments for improvement. Eventually, once your pull request has been reviewed and accepted, you have made your first contribution.



<ul><li>Take Initiative: You don’t have to always wait for someone to guide you on where to start. You can take initiatives and contribute to: i. New Features ii. Bug Fixes iii. Updates to Existing Features</li></ul>



Hopefully, you now have a good idea of how to get started as a tester with open source. If you are a complete novice, here are some tips from my personal experience:



<ul><li>Start with small issues</li><li>Build your confidence</li><li>Have a Learning/Accountability Partner</li><li>Have a Mentor</li><li>Get familiar with codebase/source</li><li>Know that this is a journey and not a destination.</li><li>Remember, there is always something for beginners.</li><li>Coding is not the only area for contributions. You can do non-coding contributions too.</li></ul>



Check here &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-contribute-to-testsigma-open-source/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">How to Contribute to Testsigma Open Source </a>



I hope this article helped you learn more about the various possibilities that open source has for testers!&nbsp;



“In real open source, you have the right to control your own destiny.”



Linus Torvalds



Happy Testing! Happy Exploring! Happy Collaborating!



Read here- <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/types-of-testers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Types of Testers</a>

Open Source for Testers – What, Where, Who, Why, When, and How 5W1H