Automation is vital to modern testing. But if you listen to what testers complain about, problems with test automation is a recurring theme. We complain about how hard it is to add, run, or change tests. We grumble about how difficult it is to keep up with developers who keep breaking tests and bemoan the number of bugs missed by our automation. Dave Westerveld digs into some of these frustrations and shares real-life examples of automation anti-patterns. These include test bloat and some of the reasons for it, or what happens if we don't leverage automation in the right places. Dave describes “green” tests that never fail, “red” tests that cry wolf, those tests that you love, and the ones you are afraid of. Dave shares proven solutions for correcting these issues. Learn how to recognize automation anti-patterns and leave with the solutions you need to bring your tests back from the dead and make them useful again.

1. BT6
Concurrent Session
11/9/17 11:30 AM
Automation Anti-Patterns: Deal with
Them
Presented by:
Dave Westerveld
Ansys, Inc.
Brought to you by:
350 Corporate Way, Suite 400, Orange Park, FL 32073
888---268---8770 ·· 904---278---0524 - info@techwell.com - https://www.techwell.com/

2. Dave Westerveld
Ansys, Inc.
Dave Westerveld is a senior test analyst at Ansys, Inc., where he has been
involved in testing many different projects—from well-established products to
the early stages of major new initiatives. His testing roles have included being a
bug hunter, helping build out an automation framework, and mentoring other
testers. Dave has been involved in traditional automation initiatives and has also
helped to drive up product quality through the creative use of automation tools.
With a desire to see teams efficiently produce high-value software, Dave is
enthusiastic about understanding the way in which automation tools can be used
to achieve this goal. He blogs and can be found on Twitter @offbeattesting.

3. 10/17/17
1
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Automation Anti-Patterns
and how to deal with them
By Dave Westerveld
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
The Problem

4. 10/17/17
2
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Good Automation
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Foundation

5. 10/17/17
3
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Many Tests
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Many Tests
Quick Win
● Parallelize Runs
Longer Term
● Monitoring

6. 10/17/17
4
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Few Tests
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Few Tests
Quick Win
● New Tests for Old Code
Longer Term
● Drive Testing Down
● Re-plan Your Testing

7. 10/17/17
5
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Big Test
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Big Test
Quick Win
● Surgical Removal
Longer Term
● Put ‘em on a Diet

8. 10/17/17
6
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Little Test
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Little Test
Quick Win
● Multi-Purpose Tests
Longer Term
● Test Mutation

9. 10/17/17
7
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Red Test
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Red Test
Quick Win
● Drive Exploratory Testing
Longer Term
● Test Refactoring

10. 10/17/17
8
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Green Test
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Green Test
Quick Win
● Two Birds, One Stone
Longer Term
● Time Since Last Failure

11. 10/17/17
9
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Flaky Test
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Flaky Test
Quick Win
● Is it Needed?
Longer Term
● Framework Changes

12. 10/17/17
10
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Solid Test
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Solid Test
Quick Win
● Temporarily Disable
Longer Term
● Review Process

13. 10/17/17
11
Twitter: @offbeattesting - Website: https://offbeattesting.com
Conclusion