Real Life Requirements For A Test Framework

The layers

The majority of test frameworks solve the same problem, so it is only natural that even on different projects you end up using the same architecture. The variable part is limited to:
-- tests (they depend on requirements);
-- support of the project-specific infrastructure (you may need to implement support for AWS when assigned to project A, and it will not be required on project B, because the stack is completely different).

Balancing team effort

Personally, I developed a habit of thinking of TAF architecture in terms of layers:
-- a layer of test;
-- a layer of helpers (mainly boilerplate, moved out of tests to avoid duplication);
-- core layer and configuration (start up and shutdown, envrironmnet, logging, working with API of third-pary systems, etc.)
This approach has a lot of advantages, because it allows to share workload across the team without stepping on each other toes.

Build your own Goldberd machine: Selenium via SoapUI

NOTE: The code examples I refer to in this blog are no longer available, but you can still read the text

Hello, friends. Here is how you can have Selenium run from SoapUi Groovy script step. This solution was created and tested with:

• SoapUI 5.X
• Selenium 3.X

In brief, you need to

• upgrade the libs under $SOAPUI_HOME/lib (! not bin/ext)
• use a custom java library (goes under $SOAPUI_HOME/bin/ext)

Auxiliary materials.

Code examples can be found here. An example of a project with a Groovy script is inside the project under auxmaterials folder.

Total automation with sellotape and glue

Luckily for all of us every profession evolves, and test automation is no exception. What I can see is test automation is now more affordable, and is done in a more professional way than before.

Same goes for approaches and tools (and for those who still trust Internet more than their own judgement, some gurus have already posted a very good knock out article leaving losers like myself with a tingling feeling of guilt for being too slow to update the blog).

But there's still another subject I would like to speak about. It concerns the approach to automation in general. Actually, it intends to slightly shift the way we understand automation and targets some of the popular stereotypes in attempt to get rid of them.

Some Examples of Bash for Use in Test

Time has come to finally write something of technical nature, not just another advice on how others should work to make me happy. So here is a cheatsheet for a tester who spends at least some of her time with nix console. For obvious reasons it wasn't my intention to cover everything, so please take it just as a memory refresher (or a source of ideas it you find it useful).

NB: It is assumed that as long as you understand what man is, you are fine (use it if my explanation is not enough).

Interesting statistics on test challenges including test automation

Via LinkedIn:
https://www.testingalgorithms.com/survey.html

SoapUi, Groovy and the meaning of life

SoapUi is generally known as a tool for testing web services. Opinion divides on whether to call working with it a pleasure or a torture due to certain differences in professional background of those who gives that opinion. Personally, I believe that is it is a really good tool, but, unlike a washing machine, it needs its fantastic manual to be looked though at the very least: http://www.soapui.org/

Like many other IT tools SoapUi comes in two variants: paid and free of charge community edition. And on top of these two there are two ways of using it (which one you chose depends on your level of expertise). They are:
-- using it as any other UI-based tool
-- use it as extendible multi-purpose multi-tool with some UI for backward compatibility with the brains of normal users.
The latter will be discussed as a remedi against professional midlife crisis and the like.

Why meaning of life though? The thing is I see SoapUi and testing of web services as a great opportunity for those people who crave technical tasks, but can not get them either due to a limited skill with Java or because of all the tasty vacancies being filled in already. Practice proves that dissatisfaction with your job does not always result from shortcomings of your profession but from your lack of understanding what would make up for them. In other words, because you failed to identify the root cause of your dissatisfaction. Please note that it is assumed that the root cause is purely professional and not psychological (as psychological issues are out of scope for this post).