Welcome to the 246th issue!

It's hard to believe that DORA metrics have been around for a decade now.

They're considered an industry-standard way of tracking the software delivery throughput and stability.

So it's great to see Google's Highlights from the 10th DORA report — compiled by Nathen Harvey and Derek DeBellis.

What got my attention is that nearly 75% of responders use AI for code writing and 60% for test automation.

However, as we learn, it has negatively impacted both the software delivery throughput and stability.

No wonder that 39% of responders don't fully trust AI-generated code.

So what is there to learn for us?

Let me answer with this megathread on Reddit — Manual testers are ABSOLUTELY needed.

Happy testing! 🙂

Dawid Dylowicz  

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testmo.com  

Being intentional about exploratory testing

Exploratory testing is one of the most effective approaches. Joep Schuurkes gives some advice on how to do it right.

At the same time, Ian Tinsley points out how to Get Software Engineers to Do the Right Thing.

smallsheds.garden  

How Do Employers Measure a QA Tester/Engineer's Proficiency?

Both managers and testers may ask themselves this question. It's hard, and there's probably no one straightforward answer, but it's interesting to see what people suggest.

This discussion continues in another thread about Metrics to assess testers.

reddit.com  

Software testing careers: Many paths to success

Do you know your next career move? Oleksandr Romanov outlines the possible career paths for testers and what it takes to grow to the next level.

Furthermore, Bhagya Perera wrote about Software Testing Challenges and How to Overcome Them, followed up by the second part.

ministryoftesting.com  

The Testing Unknown Unknowns

Jitesh Gosai proposes using a handy behaviour-awareness matrix to discover the testing focus areas.

In relation to that, Maaike Brinkhof explains How I respond to "have we tested everything?".

substack.com  

Best Practices For Creating Stable Selectors

When automating tests for web apps, you may run into problems with the flaky selectors. Luis Osvaldo Serna Gomez explains the common pitfalls and suggests possible solutions.

medium.com  

Chekhov's gun principle for testing

This is a great example by Paweł Świątkowski of making your tests more focused and maintainable.

Also, Uros Simic demonstrates How To Improve Testing Framework Performance by leveraging test setup.

hashnode.dev  

Enhancing Testing Efficiency with API Automation Test Shift Left

Yogi Is Ariyanto gives several pieces of advice on addressing and preventing possible issues with the API tests. For example, by improving communication with developers, using BDD and keeping tests close to code.

medium.com  

Leak detection using UI tests

Memory leaks on mobile devices can lead to crashes. Danil Perevalov explains the approach they took to catch such issues during UI tests.

medium.com  

Strategies to simplify your BDD step definitions

If your team practices behaviour-driven development, Tamás Balog has several tips on how to improve that with examples in Java and Cucumber.

Furthermore, Thananjayan Rajasekaran shares more about Managing Shared State Between Step Definitions in Cucumber JS.

ministryoftesting.com  

Test smart: which automation strategy to choose for peace of mind?

Following a well-received article on applying test automation, this time Julia Kocbek describes various test strategies (not only the test pyramid!).

Moreover, Sander van Beek describes yet another step on the Test Automation Roadmap: Enterprise.

uxdesign.cc  

1st Time Performance Testing: Prioritizing, Preparing, and Perfecting

Sh-Yin Lim shares insights from a journey of setting up performance tests for the first time using k6.

Also, Emanuel Sperandio explains Data Factory — How to randomize your data to make your tests easier to handle and more realistic with examples in Java.

medium.com  

Parameterized Android Tests with Burst 2.0

Sam Edwards outlines how to parameterize unit tests in Kotlin using an open-source library — Burst.

handstandsam.com  

Open Source Accessibility Plugins in Cypress

If you're planning to test your web app for accessibility, Mark Noonan describes three free Cypress plugins for the job.

cypress.io  

The Uncomfortable Truth About Modern Test Automation Frameworks

While testers are currently fascinated by Playwright and Cypress capabilities, Ryan Craven argues that Selenium is still the right choice for test automation projects.

substack.com  

Book Review: Leading Testing Activities

Looking for a new read on testing? Nicola Lindgren shares her thoughts on the recently-released Leading Testing Activities book by Jesper Ottosen.

nicolalindgren.com  

Test maintenance... 😂

Thanks for reading!

If you like this newsletter and it helps you become a better tester, you can say thanks and buy me a coffee.

Dawid Dylowicz