What is Shift Left Testing? Do you need to use that term to improve your Software Testing and Development process? I don't think so.
- why I don't use the term Shift Left
- Explanation of what Shift Left means when people use it
- Explanation of what Shift Left might mean when people hear it
- How to Shift Left incorrectly
- How to improve your test process without using the phrase Shift Left.
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Shift left-testing
1. What is Shift Left Testing?
Alan Richardson
www.eviltester.com
www.compendiumdev.co.uk
@eviltester
http://testerhq.com/post/blogs/eviltester/2018‑06‑11‑on‑shift‑left/
@EvilTester | www.eviltester.com 1
2. According to Wikipedia
Shift left testing is an approach to software testing and system
testing in which testing is performed earlier in the lifecycle (i.e.,
moved left on the project timeline).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_left_testing
So why not just say "Test Stuff Early"?
@EvilTester | www.eviltester.com 2
3. A Danger with "Shift Left" is that we move
an entire activity earlier.
Rather than spreading it over the life of the Software
Development Process.
@EvilTester | www.eviltester.com 3
5. What if ...
there is value in conducting Performance Testing at multiple times
in the life of the project/sprint/iteration?
testing early means we can't test certain things?
testing early means we have to test again later?
@EvilTester | www.eviltester.com 5
6. What if we didn't say "Shift Left"?
And instead:
we continually look for opportunities to test.
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7. "Shift Left"
sounds like you're talking like a Consultant rather than a real person
obscures, rather than clarifies, whatever point you are trying to
make
makes me think of 'moving a whole thing' rather than improving the
System
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8. "Shift Left" concentrates on the Testing
and seems to assume that we can do that
without changing the System of
Development.
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9. Create Test Approaches based on the
System Of Development.
Depending on the System of Development we test in
different ways.
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10. Dont "Shift Left"
Do Change Your Development Approach to allow
you to Test and Develop Better.
@EvilTester | www.eviltester.com 10
11. Craft a System of Development (which
includes Testing) to meet the needs of the
System we are building, to respond to
Risks that we identify and the issues that
we find.
Systems grow and evolve. We need to be good
enough to identify improvements we can make and
take advantage of opportunities to Test.
@EvilTester | www.eviltester.com 11
16. BIO
Alan is a test consultant who enjoys testing at a technical level using
techniques from psychotherapy and computer science. In his spare
time Alan is currently programming a multi‑user text adventure game
and some buggy JavaScript games in the style of the Cascade Cassette
50. Alan is the author of the books "Dear Evil Tester", "Java For
Testers" and "Automating and Testing a REST API". Alan's main
website is compendiumdev.co.uk and he blogs at blog.eviltester.com
@EvilTester | www.eviltester.com 16