A Magazine on Software Test Automation

Though software test automation has been around for quite some time by now, success with test automation is far and few. Test automation space is replete with marketing hype, technical jargon, and claims of “silver bullet” solutions. Adding to the woes are idiosyncrasies of test automation tools used. Scene is sufficiently confusing to an innocent but curiously enticing to the gullible.

In my experience, failures are partly due to i) expectations based on hype rather than facts from the field, ii) half-hearted but expensive approach to automation as an extension of manual testing and iii) lack of business focus. These are, by no means, unique to software test automation; we have seen this repeated many times over in the past

I think, it is time for the dust to settle with increased demand for quality in software. I have come across a magazine focused exclusively on automated testing.

I am glad to see such an effort; it is need of the hour. I hope this magazine would help in harvesting success patterns, promoting knowledge exchange, scientific spirit and objective analysis in test automation space.

Presenting success at RSDC 2009

It feels great to selected to presented at IBM Rational Software Development Conference 2009. Unfortunately, due to personal priorities, I would not be able to make it to the conference.

Success (QM15: Effective Test Automation of SAP Implementations) would be presented by my manager Vipin Kumar (Managing Director and Software Engineering Evangelist, Astra Infotech Pvt Ltd), who has played a crucial role all through for the success of this project

Some observations on software testing and test automation practices

Following are my comments on “What do you think about the future of Software Testing?” in International Association of Software Architects group in Linkedin

Software testing was undervalued but no longer. Yes, there are people who undervalue software testing .

There is a tendency to overlook important of testing in immature software development environments. This typically happens in organizations or projects in a reactive (or worse, firefighting) mode. Immediacy of business imperatives in such cases being to churn out code (as if quality is of someone else’s concern….. An interesting thought in this line http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/2800.html ).

Testing is an integral part of any development activity, and hence an integral part of software development as well.

Test driven development is a great way forward, it brings focus on testing quite upfront and makes it almost inescapable

I agree with the bottom line from Stephen with a minor refinement: Adherence to craftsmanship and good coding practices, plus the use of a good automation tool. I would also like to add agile values and principles to the list.

Refinement being “good automation” rather than “good automation tool”. What we need is automation, and tool is incidental. Purpose could also be served by in-house automation effort. In-house automation could also result in a tool. I am making refinement as purchase of tool generally comes with expectation of a “silver bullet”

Yet another proud moment!

A great day indeed!

Astra Infotech‘s Astra Test Automat is awarded the prestigious ‘Ready for Rational Software’ certification from IBM, with best practices compliance.

This is now Astra Infotech‘s second solution after Astra Model Creator to receive this certification

Yet another milestone!

IBM publishes Astra Infotech‘s case study for test automation of SAP implementation. IBM’s FIRST IBM SAP Reference Case Study with Rational!.

Astra Test Automat

We, at Astra Infotech, have launched a new plug-in Astra Test Automat which will revolutionize the way you are automating software testing

Details on the product are available in IBM Global Solutions Directory

Presentation at RSDC 2008 Munich

We have presented two papers at RSDC 2008 Munich. One on product engineering and another on SAP test automation
Of course, we had presented a paper at RSDC 2006 Bangalore on Use Case based approach to a major eGovernance project

First success in Germany!

I have completed my first assignment after coming to Germany, successfully, and I got the mail from customer to that effect today! Long way to go still but this is my first and critical milestone!!

Of course, I was working with another customer remotely from India for quite a few months earlier, and that was successful. But first success after my physically being in this country is sweet indeed!

Pursuing professional excellence in Germany

Looks like my personal issues that had been holding me back especially in last two years are settled for good.  Now I have moved to Germany.. I had been working with customers here for about a year by now, with remote connection from India. Still helps to be here to understand them better, and for them to know me better, and thereby deliver more effective solution. As a person like me who had been resisting international career all along, it was a big step to make this decision to move.

For how long in Germany? I am not clear as of now… probably a few months to a couple of years.  Establish, scale up,  transition and then I should be off into something else. More on my work here in subsequent blogs

Wake up, or perish…..

Those who had been interacting with me over last few years would remember me as a doomsayer who had forewarned of the current recession.

Writing on the wall was clear. Cosmic dance between creation and destruction goes on. Those who watched great boom with awe are now watching the doom with despair.

Can it be any different? Answer is an emphatic Yes!

For an industry, nascent like software development, it is time for stocktaking, time for a pause and making right choices. Whether nation, business houses or individuals, those who make right decision would stay on in the race; and others vanish into oblivion…. an inescapable fact of life.

It is time we realize software development is yet another industry, yet another business, yet another profession with all the responsibilities that comes along.

It is a job,  a means of living, a business. It goes into creation of intangible social structure that someone is depending on, for their life, for their job. What we do affect the very social fabric we depend on.

It is time for keeping purse string tight; it is time to correct excesses but making right decisions, right investments

A quick glance into the past shows us that other industries have gone through a similar cycle. For instance, great depression of 1930s forced a correction with practices like lean production/manufacturing; brought in the balance, controlling the excesses of those times. World has come around a full cycle!

What does that mean for us now? More on that later… but as a software engineer consider, how many hours of your work is truly creative, that require ‘YOU’? If yes, how does the human intensive work, where everyone needs to be creative and apply the intellect, is engineering? If not why you are not doing it? can you be replaced by a machine? a software? another person? Every business house needs to start thinking the same… every software engineer needs to start thinking the same

Remember, if you are not asking these questions, answering these questions, and acting on them, there is someone else who is doing it, and that would decide your fate!