Application and Web test management, automation and reporting tips

About Testing Misconfused

Testing Misconfused is my collection of testing tips gathered over the last 13 years.

My particular areas of interest are:

  1. Management
  2. Automation
  3. Reporting
  4. Stats
  5. Nonsense

I use the latest tools available, going open-source where possible but also getting the best value out of commercial tools.

My server

A Sheevaplug running node.js linked via 200Mbps Homeplugs to a 3.5/1 Mbit ADSL line, a Quad core development box and an Android phone for the occasional panic update...

That's right - no Apache, no nginx, no IIS, just 5 watts of javascript power all the way.

How node delivers this web site

Some old links (not all will work as I'm converting them from LAMP to node.js):

It's an ongoing process but I have started to write up some new stuff here

Web applications have increased the scope and complexity of web testing.

Performance issues are no longer confined to the back-end.
Web Application Performance

When you think you've understood the rules, prove it with Microsoft's shockingly decent testing tool
Web performance testing with Visual Studio 2008

Cross-browser compatibility issues have produced a plethora of tools and services that display GUI comparisons on multiple browsers - this approach may not be optimal or even necessary.
Cross-Browser Testing via Static Analysis

This website draws on the recent work of Doug Crockford, Steve Souders, ppk and countless others to promote a new approach to web testing.

Useful tips for Test Automation, Management and Reporting, Virtualisation and Test Beds:

Arrays can be useful for holding tables of data in scripts
But Key Value Pairs are better

Achieving Closure
How to handle unrecognised grids

Test Reporting - the Bad Parts
Automatically emailing a summary of the errors

Spreadsheets can be useful for storing test data and results
Getting/Setting named cell values in Excel

But Databases are better
Using Access and SQL Server with TestComplete

So many tests, so little time
You can't test everything, so how do you decide?

Oracle Application Server - EPIC FAIL!!!1!!
Testing this makes no sense

Through the looking glass - Am I coding? Am I testing?
Visual Studio Coded Webtests

Down the rabbit hole - Testers writing unit tests?
Visual Studio web testing with WebAii

Bringing it home - Workflow Driven Testing
How WebAii and SQL saved my sanity