Agile testing methods are ways to test software that fit with Agile development principles. In Agile, the focus is on being flexible, working together, and delivering small, usable parts of the software often.
Agile testing is about testing software in the same way Agile development works. Instead of waiting until the whole project is done to start testing, testing is done continuously and in small steps. Agile testing includes various methods, each with its own purpose within the Agile framework. Here are some common types of Agile testing methods:
1-Test-Driven Development (TDD)
Test-driven development (TDD) is a method where code is developed based on automated test cases. TDD focuses on individual units of code and their correctness. It is primarily done by developers. We can think of this like building a Lego set, step by step:
- First, create a test that defines what a small piece of code should do.
- Run this test, which should fail because the code doesn’t exist yet.
- Write the code and run the test repeatedly until the test passes.
- Refactor the Code: Once the test passes, clean up the code and rerun the test to ensure it still passes with the cleaned-up code.
Repeat this process for the next small piece of code, running both the new and previous tests.
The tests are primarily unit-level and code-focused, although they can also be written at the integration or system levels. TDD gained popularity through Extreme Programming (XP), but it is also used in other Agile methodologies and sometimes in sequential lifecycles. It helps developers focus on clearly defined expected results. The tests are automated and used in continuous integration.
To put it in simple terms, imagine you’re baking a cake. At each step, you taste the batter to make sure it’s coming out right. You add ingredients and mix until the batter tastes perfect. Once it tastes good, you move on to the next step and keep checking along the way. By the end, you have a perfect cake because you tested and adjusted it continuously during the process.
2-Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD)
We can say involves defining the criteria for success and creating tests when user stories are first written. This approach ensures that everyone involved — developers, testers, and business stakeholders — has a clear understanding of how the software should work and what is needed to make it function correctly.
ATDD is a team effort where acceptance criteria and tests are defined early on. These tests guide the development process and are written before any coding starts.
As the developers work on the feature, they continuously run these tests to make sure each part works correctly. If something doesn’t work, the tests will show what needs to be fixed. By the time the feature is finished, the team knows it meets all the success criteria and works smoothly.
So, it’s like building a car where the team first agrees on what makes a good car (fast, safe, comfortable) and creates checks (tests) to ensure these qualities. As they build, they constantly check the car’s speed, safety, and comfort, fixing any issues right away. By the end, they have a car that everyone knows is fast, safe, and comfortable.
3-Behavior — Driven Development (BDD)
Behavior-driven development (BDD) helps developers write tests based on how the software is supposed to behave. Since these tests reflect the expected behavior, they are usually easier for other team members and stakeholders to understand.
BDD uses specific frameworks to define acceptance criteria using a simple format:
Given some starting situation,
When an action happens,
Then check for certain results.
The BDD framework takes these requirements and generates code that developers can use to create test cases. This approach encourages developers to work closely with other stakeholders, including testers, to create accurate tests that meet business needs. BDD is broader in scope, focusing on overall behavior and user stories.
Think of BDD like planning a family dinner. Imagine you’re making a checklist for cooking a meal:
Given you have all the ingredients ready,
When you start cooking,
Then you should have a delicious meal by the end.
In this scenario, the checklist helps ensure everything goes smoothly, just like BDD helps ensure the software behaves as expected.
4-Exploratory Testing
Exploratory testing is a software testing method where testers use their intuition and experience to explore the software and find bugs and issues without following a predefined test plan. This approach allows testers to learn about the software and adapt their testing strategies on the fly. This method is particularly effective in complex and dynamic software projects, allowing testers to find unexpected issues that real-world users might encounter.
Think of exploratory testing like discovering the features of a new smartphone. Imagine you just got a new phone and want to learn about all its capabilities. Instead of reading the manual, you start opening different apps, trying out the camera, tweaking settings, and testing various features. During this process, you observe how user-friendly the phone is, identify any unexpected bugs, and assess its overall performance. Exploratory testing aims to uncover how software performs under natural usage conditions, much like exploring a new phone.
Difference between TDD, ATDD and BDD
TDD: Focuses on unit tests for individual functions or methods, uses technical unit tests, primarily used by developers, ensures code correctness at a granular level.
ATDD: Focuses on acceptance tests that validate whether a feature meets business requirements, involves collaboration between customers (or product owners), developers, and testers, ensures that features meet business requirements and are acceptable for release.
BDD: Focuses on the overall behavior of the application and how it meets user expectations, uses scenarios written in a natural language format (often Gherkin) that non-technical stakeholders can understand, Involves collaboration among developers, testers, and business stakeholders.
https://medium.com/@hannahanulur/agile-testing-mastery-strategies-for-continuous-quality-and-improvement-20978b80f01ba>