Mike Bland: posts tagged "testing" Index of and tag-specific Atom feed for posts on Mike Bland's blog tagged: testing 2025-03-27T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/tags/testing.xml Mike Bland mbland@acm.org https://mike-bland.com/about.html Tuple's Distributed podcast 2025-03-27T00:00:00-04:00 2025-03-27T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2025/03/27/tuples-distributed-podcast Jack Hannah of Tuple interviewed me for their new podcast, Distributed, about remote work and all the other things. And thanks to all the fancy video clips he gave me, I got fancy with embedding them. Copyright 2025 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Calls to Action 2024-02-21T00:00:00-05:00 2024-02-21T00:00:00-05:00 https://mike-bland.com/2024/02/21/calls-to-action It's up to you to lead meaningful change using the ideas from this Making Software Quality Visible series. Here are some final resources, insights, and calls to action to improve your own software quality culture. Copyright 2024 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Building a Software Quality Culture 2024-02-15T00:00:00-05:00 2024-02-15T00:00:00-05:00 https://mike-bland.com/2024/02/15/building-a-software-quality-culture Software quality doesn't come from forcing people to use specific tools, techniques, or processes. It happens when making high software quality becomes part of their lifestyle. Here are a few hints to make that happen. Copyright 2024 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Narrowing the Imagination Gap with the Test Pyramid in Action 2024-01-23T00:00:00-05:00 2024-01-23T00:00:00-05:00 https://mike-bland.com/2024/01/23/narrowing-the-information-gap-with-the-test-pyramid-in-action The &quot;Making Software Quality Visible&quot; series will resume shortly. Before that, I'm excited to share a new training project I've developed. I'm also about ready to start a business or find another job soon. Copyright 2024 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Business as Usual: the Normalization of Deviance, Groupthink, and the Arms Race 2023-10-23T00:00:00-04:00 2023-10-23T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/10/23/business-as-usual-normalization-of-deviance-groupthink-arms-race Accepting unnecessary complexity, risk, waste, and suffering as part of Business as Usual produces cultural failures that have actually taken lives. It also encourages an Arms Race mindset that makes problems worse. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Why Software Quality Is Often Unappreciated and Sacrificed 2023-10-16T00:00:00-04:00 2023-10-16T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/10/16/why-software-quality-is-often-underappreciated-and-sacrificed We need to understand, if software quality is so important, why it's so often unappreciated and sacrificed. The next few posts will examine several psychological and cultural factors that are detrimental to software quality. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. What Software Quality Is and Why It Matters 2023-10-12T00:00:00-04:00 2023-10-12T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/10/12/what-software-quality-is-and-why-it-matters To advocate effectively for an investment in software quality, we need to define clearly what it is and why it's so important. We'll consider the economic and social impacts of both internal and external quality. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Vital Signs Reveal the Matrix 2023-09-18T00:00:00-04:00 2023-09-18T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/09/18/vital-signs-reveal-the-matrix Vital Signs are a collection of signals designed by a team to monitor project and process health and to resolve problems quickly. This is as opposed to so-called, performative &quot;data-driven decision making.&quot; Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. The Inverted Test Pyramid 2023-09-13T00:00:00-04:00 2023-09-13T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/09/13/the-inverted-test-pyramid Many projects have too many large, slow, flaky tests and few smaller ones. Retrying failed tests and marking known failures introduce risk and waste. Examining the root causes is essential to breaking the cycle. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Why the Chain Reaction hasn't happened everywhere already 2023-09-11T00:00:00-04:00 2023-09-11T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/09/11/why-the-chain-reaction-hasnt-happened-everywhere-already Unit testing existed before the World Wide Web, and the Test Pyramid has existed for years. Lack of awareness and belief hinders adoption of the Quality Mindset, not a lack of tools or code being "too hard to test." Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Contract/Collaboration Tests and Internal APIs 2023-09-08T00:00:00-04:00 2023-09-08T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/09/08/contract-collaboration-tests-and-internal-apis Contract and Collaboration tests are medium sized tests that validate how one's own code interacts with an external dependency. Internal APIs are adapters that insulate most of your code from changes in such dependencies. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Test Doubles 2023-09-06T00:00:00-04:00 2023-09-06T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/09/06/test-doubles Test Doubles are lightweight, controllable objects that replace production dependencies in smaller tests. Adding seams in your logic to accommodate them enables much faster, more reliable, more thorough testing. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. The Test Pyramid and the Chain Reaction 2023-08-31T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-31T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/31/the-test-pyramid-and-the-chain-reaction The Test Pyramid model and the concept of test sizes are powerful tools for introducing the principles underlying a sound testing strategy. When applied well, they create a positive Chain Reaction of high software quality. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Quality Work and Results Visibility 2023-08-28T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-28T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/28/quality-work-and-results-visibility Software Quality must be visible to promote a Quality Mindset that improves everyone's individual choices, ultimately minimizing complexity, risk, waste, and suffering. This visibility also reveals our common humanity. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Team/Organizational Alignment and Roadmap Programs 2023-08-25T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-25T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/25/team-and-organizational-alignment-and-roadmap-programs Team and organizational alignment is essential to making software quality a priority for everyone. Roadmap programs like Test Certified and Quality Quest help provide focus, shape conversations, and show results. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Legacy code, seams, and the most important design guideline 2023-08-23T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-23T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/23/legacy-code-seams-and-the-most-important-design-guideline Michael Feathers's definition of "legacy code," his concept of "seams," and Scott Meyers's "most important design guideline" are profound insights. Perhaps my "electrical outlet" example will also prove useful. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Code duplication, large changes, and bad excuses 2023-08-21T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-21T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/21/code-duplication-large-changes-and-bad-excuses Developers (and those who work with them) are often misguided regarding the tradeoffs between quality, risk, and productivity. Here I take aim at two common bad habits and one common bad attitude. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Individual Skills Development 2023-08-18T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-18T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/18/skills-development Improving one's skills helps improve one's choices. Helping developers learn to catch bugs early or prevent them altogether is critical to achieving and maintaining high software quality. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Formative Experiences at Apple 2023-08-16T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-16T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/16/formative-experiences-apple I left the industry after Google, but not for long. At Apple, the Quality Culture Initiative embraced the power of "Focus and Simplify." Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Revolution Fixit at Google 2023-08-09T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-09T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/09/revolution-fixit-at-google My Laggard encounter eventually inspired me to organize the Revolution Fixit in January 2008, launching new tools that drastically reduced suffering all across Google. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Rare Happy Ending with a Laggard 2023-08-07T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-07T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/07/rare-happy-ending-with-a-laggard Normally I advise steering clear of those who directly resist change, but in this case, honesty and an open mind created a profound opportunity. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Formative Experiences at Google 2023-08-02T00:00:00-04:00 2023-08-02T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/08/02/formative-experiences-google I learned much more about software quality and automated testing at Google—but more importantly, I began learning how to change culture. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Formative Experiences at Northrop Grumman Mission Systems 2023-07-17T00:00:00-04:00 2023-07-17T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/07/17/formative-experiences-ngms My first exposure to software quality issues and automated testing happened by accident while working on navigation systems for US Coast Guard and Navy vessels. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Starting the Making Software Quality Visible blog series 2023-07-11T00:00:00-04:00 2023-07-11T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/07/11/starting-the-making-software-quality-visible-blog-series This is the first post in a long upcoming series to discuss and refine the Making Software Quality Visible presentation. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Video on the value of smaller tests 2023-06-23T00:00:00-04:00 2023-06-23T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/06/23/video-on-the-value-of-smaller-tests A serendipitous find demonstrates that, at a high level, systems are systems, and the Quality Mindset applies to them all. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Please unsubscribe if unexpected 2023-06-14T00:00:00-04:00 2023-06-14T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2023/06/14/please-unsubscribe-if-unexpected The unsubscribe link is at the very end of the email, if that's how you're reading this. I'll also explain what's going on, and what I've been up to. Copyright 2023 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. go-script-bash v1.7.0 2017-10-08T00:00:00-04:00 2017-10-08T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/10/08/go-script-bash-v1.7.0 I've released go-script-bash v1.7.0, which contains powerful new test helpers and file system modules, as well as project management improvements. Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. go-script-bash v1.6.0 2017-08-27T00:00:00-04:00 2017-08-27T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/08/27/go-script-bash-v1.6.0 I've released go-script-bash v1.6.0, a small release featuring its first user-contributed feature! Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Custom Links 2017-08-11T11:55:00-04:00 2017-08-11T11:55:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/08/11/custom-links Some wheels were meant for reinventing—if sometimes only because we need to teach ourselves how they work! Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Catching up 2017-08-11T11:50:00-04:00 2017-08-11T11:50:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/08/11/catching-up Despite the silence, I've had a few things going on since returning from Europe—and there's still so much to do! Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. The Rainbow of Death—By Diabetes 2017-06-25T00:00:00-04:00 2017-06-25T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/06/25/the-rainbow-of-death-by-diabetes The first Schibsted Testing Fixit on June 22, 2017 was a success! And it inspired some people in ways I couldn't have imagined. Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. Where in the world am I? 2017-06-17T00:00:00-04:00 2017-06-17T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/06/17/where-in-the-world-am-i For most of this time, I've been working in Barcelona with my first paying client, started a new project, wrote a new talk, and have been touring across Europe. Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. go-script-bash v1.5.0 2017-04-05T00:00:00-04:00 2017-04-05T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/04/05/go-script-bash-v1.5.0 I've released go-script-bash v1.5.0, a relatively small release introducing the lib/prompt and lib/existence modules. Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. "Testing Smarter with..." interview 2017-03-27T00:00:00-04:00 2017-03-27T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/03/27/testing-smarter-with-interview Brothers John and Justin Hunter of Hexawise interviewed me for their &quot;Testing Smarter with...&quot; series, just posted to the Hexawise blog. Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. go-script-bash v1.4.0 2017-03-23T00:00:00-04:00 2017-03-23T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/03/23/go-script-bash-v1.4.0 I've released go-script-bash v1.4.0, another large update that includes massive test performance improvements, amongst other significant new features Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. The Rainbow of Death 2017-03-08T00:00:00-05:00 2017-03-08T00:00:00-05:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/03/08/the-rainbow-of-death My presentation of &quot;The Rainbow of Death&quot; at DevOpsDays Baltimore 2017 went really, really well; the slides and full narrative are available here! Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. DevOpsDays Baltimore live stream details 2017-03-06T00:00:00-05:00 2017-03-06T00:00:00-05:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/03/06/live-stream-details The DevOpsDays Baltimore live stream details are posted, so tune in at 9:15am on March 8 to catch <em>The Rainbow of Death</em>! Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. The Revolution Will Be Televised 2017-03-03T00:00:00-05:00 2017-03-03T00:00:00-05:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/03/03/the-revolution-will-be-televised &quot;The Rainbow of Death&quot; talk I'm giving at DevOpsDays Baltimore this Wednesday, March 8 at 9:15am ET is promising to be the best talk I've yet given. Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. DevOpsDays Baltimore and other announcements 2017-02-20T00:00:00-05:00 2017-02-20T00:00:00-05:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/02/20/devopsdays-baltimore-and-other-announcements I'll be keynoting DevOpsDays Baltimore on March 8, I've made updates to my portfolio page, and I've some updates on go-script-bash v1.4.0 and more. Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. go-script-bash v1.3.0 2017-01-16T00:00:00-05:00 2017-01-16T00:00:00-05:00 https://mike-bland.com/2017/01/16/go-script-bash-v1.3.0 I've just released go-script-bash v1.3.0, which is a massive update, especially for logging and automated testing features Copyright 2017 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. go-script-bash v1.1.0 2016-11-27T00:00:00-05:00 2016-11-27T00:00:00-05:00 https://mike-bland.com/2016/11/27/go-script-bash-v1.1.0 I've just released go-script-bash v1.1.0, which adds some major new features, two new builtin commands, and multiple bug fixes and internal improvements. Copyright 2016 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details. go-script-bash v1.0.0 2016-09-16T00:00:00-04:00 2016-09-16T00:00:00-04:00 https://mike-bland.com/2016/09/16/go-script-bash-v1.0.0 I've been obsessed with writing a framework for ./go scripts in Bash, and have just released v1.0.0. Copyright 2016 Mike Bland. Except as noted, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. See https://mike-bland.com/policies.html for details.