6 Top Test Automation Reads: April 2017

These days, an astonishing number of articles and opinions around test automation and software testing are published every day. Sorting through all that information can be a lot of work – so we did it for you. (You’re welcome!)

Here’s our round-up of the top test automation reads in April:

The Birth of Automated Testing at Google in 2005

Gene Kim ( @RealGeneKim)

At one point, even Google was a novice at test automation. Gene shares the story of how test automation became standard practice in the Google Web Server team, the challenges they overcame, and the stunning results of their initiative. Read the article for an inspiring story to remind you that every company and testing team has to start somewhere.

Sandeep Johri ( @sandeepjohri)

Testing: Your Secret Weapon for DevOps Success

Lots of companies are “doing DevOps” but still not getting their desired outcome. Sandeep believes that traditional testing is the culprit, making an argument for the need to transform testing alongside the rest of the software development process. Read this article to learn how transforming your testing boosts DevOps by increasing acceleration, reducing risk, and cutting costs.

Stop Sweeping Your Failing Tests Under the RUG

Bas Dijkstra ( @_basdijkstra)

A failed test indicates the need to fix something, period. Bas tackles one of his pet peeve automation issues: the infamous “Retry Until Green” (RUG) testing method. Read the article for a philosophical take on flaky, failed tests, and the options available to testers aside from “sweeping them under the RUG.”

12 Key Skills & Best Practices from Automation Guild 2017

Joe Colantonio ( @jcolantonio)

If you missed the online Automation Guild 2017 conference, Joe’s got you covered. His summary article recaps the highlights of the conference, shares the over-arching themes, and gives tips from the conference’s hottest sessions. Read the article for quick, digestible insights on BDD, Open Source tools, API testing, Test Data Management, and more.

Overcome Test Automation Plateaus with Service Virtualization

Alexander Mohr ( @AlexSaschaMohr), Cynthia Dunlop ( @c_a_dunlop)

It’s a known fact that enterprises have a hard time enabling test automation past a certain point—especially once they integrate testing into CI/CD environments. Alexander and Cynthia address the problem of the “test automation plateau” and propose how Service Virtualization can work as the key to release test automation into its full potential. Read the article for an overview of how Service Virtualization works, and how it can boost your test automation.

10 Tips for Successful API Testing

Premal Dave

Diving into the world of API testing can be a lot more daunting than UI testing – but skip it at your peril! Dave makes a convincing argument for the growing necessity of API testing, then a set of actionable steps to ensure your API testing is a success. Read the article for a primer of API testing best practices, and motivation to set up a better integrations testing environment.