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Software Testing Best Practices

• To get results in low-code development, collaboration is key

  To capitalize on the efficiency of a low-code tool, a business will need to organize a team that knows exactly what it wants to accomplish. That's not easy to do. Continue Reading

• Examples of low-code projects show stumbles and successes

  Can business staff and software developers really work together on a low-code project? It's not easy, but it can be done. Continue Reading

• How experts run shift-left and shift-right testing

  It's time to eliminate the testing bottleneck. Perform tests early and late in the SDLC to keep software moving -- and cut down on defects. Continue Reading

• How to hold effective Agile sprint planning meetings

  Successful Agile sprints aren't about 10x developers or all-night testing sessions. It all comes down to how you plan. Here's how to plan sprints that run in an effective way. Continue Reading

• Software development must align with your business-side team

  Software development has become a company-wide process, with business teams now offering their input. DevOps must learn to work with them for projects to succeed. Continue Reading

• 5 ways to empower remote development teams

  It's hard to maintain productivity when you work from home. Take up these remote dev and test practices to keep software projects on track despite the obstacles.Continue Reading

• 4 ways to make a distributed Scrum team work

  Distributed Scrum team members must find virtual ways to replicate the workflows, practices, tools and perks that a colocated team has access to -- from the comforts of their homes.Continue Reading

• Can we fully automate our software testing?

  Your boss has jumped on the bandwagon to automate software testing. Don't despair. Software testing expert Matt Heusser walks through what to say -- and do -- to keep everyone happy.Continue Reading

• 10 tips on when to refactor code

  Developers only have so much time available. Here's how to prioritize code refactoring so you get the most value from the least amount of effort.Continue Reading

• Test automation maintenance requires knowledge sharing

  An important but overlooked aspect of test automation maintenance is the institutional knowledge of how the testing is done. Don't restrict that information to just a few people.Continue Reading

• How do you run effective standup meetings?

  When it comes to Agile standups, throw out the rulebook. Effective standup meetings result from flexibility, not rigidity. Follow these five guidelines to get more engagement.Continue Reading

• What's the purpose of a Gantt chart for large-scale projects?

  A Gantt chart's selling point is that it's simple to understand at a glance. But a large-scale project, such as a DevOps transformation, quickly turns that advantage into a flaw.Continue Reading

• Pick user-centric software performance testing metrics

  Unlike other types of tests, performance tests gauge how well an application works -- not whether it fails. Testers must pay close attention to these metrics to keep end users happy.Continue Reading

• How Python makes automating security tasks a snap

  Security professionals with coding skills can get a lot done in not a lot of time. Hear why Python suits beginners and how it puts security and developers on the same team.Continue Reading

• 6 key ways to improve developer productivity

  Unproductive dev teams aren't necessarily staffed by unskilled or unmotivated workers. Give developers a boost with these concrete strategies, not strict mandates or inspirational posters.Continue Reading

• How to train junior developers in 5 steps

  Junior developers thrive on trust and training -- even if you're wary of the former and have little time for the latter. Here's how to get inexperienced programmers tuned up fast.Continue Reading

• What's in store for software development trends in 2020?

  New year, new IT priorities. While not all initiatives stick, these development and testing trends will shape how teams create, evaluate and deploy software. Get ahead of the curve.Continue Reading

• How to get DevOps into compliance, and vice versa

  IT organizations that are serious about DevOps, especially with integrated release pipelines, need compliance and governance workflows that dovetail with the app delivery approach.Continue Reading

• 4 DevOps communication principles to get teams talking

  One of DevOps' supposed benefits is better collaboration and communication, but it doesn't come out of nowhere. Address these communication challenges to get everyone on the same page.Continue Reading

• Automation, UX among top software development goals for 2020

  New Year's resolutions are a way to take stock of where we are, and where we want to be. Programmers, QA testers, UX designers and others share their software dev goals for 2020.Continue Reading

• 5 can't-miss software development news stories of 2019

  Before you finalize your 2020 plans, take a minute to catch up on app-dev news stories that will shape the next year. Here are the five top news stories for 2019, with analysis.Continue Reading

• DevOps in the enterprise requires focus on security, visibility

  App dev, quality and delivery challenges constantly pop up in DevOps implementations. Hear how overworked IT professionals deal with these challenges, and how tools can help -- or not.Continue Reading

• Is RPA the future of test automation?

  IT organizations will use test automation, RPA and low-code development tools to create, assess and automate complex processes in the near future.Continue Reading

• Low-code platforms face off: Mendix vs. OutSystems

  Low-code products target different audiences. So, will traditional or citizen developers use low-code platforms more in the future? We pit Mendix vs. OutSystems to explore each approach.Continue Reading

• How to perform test automation maintenance

  Automated tests run on their own, but they need a little help to stay in shape. Proactively address test automation maintenance with initiatives in these two key areas.Continue Reading

• Prioritize DevOps and Agile outcomes, not transformation

  Tools are easy; people are difficult. So, when it comes to an Agile or DevOps transformation, focus on the desired outcomes, not the process changes, as we discuss in this podcast.Continue Reading

• Why it's time to take IT burnout seriously

  Disengaged or apathetic employees are a sign of weak culture -- not weak people. In this podcast, Dr. Christina Maslach shares what IT job burnout looks like and how to address it.Continue Reading

• How to improve code quality, from teamwork to AI features

  Development teams must enforce code quality from day one. Take a multifaceted approach to write, and then manage, secure application code with this advice from experts.Continue Reading

• Mistakes to avoid in low-code app development

  Yes, low-code tools look easy to use. In certain situations, they are a great option. That doesn't mean users can't mess up if they're not careful.Continue Reading

• A low-code platform can do a lot, but it has limits

  If you're ready to jump into low-code development, you'll want to know what these platforms can help you accomplish and how to sidestep common troubles.Continue Reading

• 10 tips for effective change management in Agile

  Agile development encourages product owners to address customer needs through change. Follow these 10 tips for change requests and management practices that keep projects on track.Continue Reading

• 4 vital UX testing methods for concept through development

  Don't rely on a single UX test, and don't create an overloaded bottleneck that delays development. Instead, deploy these four UX assessments iteratively and often.Continue Reading

• A DevOps pipeline works only when the tooling works

  A DevOps toolchain needs to help IT people do their job, sure. But to do that, it also needs to provide useful glimpses into the process so that everyone is in the loop.Continue Reading

• Build a DevOps toolchain that's efficient and effective

  Is it possible to create a DevOps toolchain that meets the needs of developers, IT operations teams and business staffers? Here's how to devise a strategy.Continue Reading

• How to tame ever-changing requirements in software development

  When one sprint ends, another begins -- but not before you receive a heaping new pile of requirements. Here's how to deal with requirements changes efficiently, every time, any time.Continue Reading

• Implement a DevSecOps pipeline to boost releases' security posture

  Break security out of its silo, and get the whole team on board to create a culture of quality with the right tools at the right time -- and stop blindly rushing to release.Continue Reading

• 5 key ways to fulfill the role of QA in DevOps

  DevOps teams want production-ready code, which means someone in this fast-moving pipeline needs to think like a user. Enter QA, with its toolkit of exploratory tests, design review and more.Continue Reading

• Why DevOps underscores the importance of software testing

  There's no debating the importance of software testing. But QA should be everyone's responsibility. In this podcast, learn how to follow a team-wide approach to quality.Continue Reading

• Which programming practices alleviate code redundancy?

  WET code leaves apps bogged down. Learn how to reduce the challenges brought on by code redundancy by programming based on the DRY principle.Continue Reading

• Listen and learn about QA automation, built-in quality

  Poorly designed environments and QA automation scripts impede digital transformation. In this podcast, we discuss how to stabilize a quality signal and implement continuous improvement.Continue Reading

• Try these 5 team-building activities for software developers

  Whether it's a soft skills workshop, simulated outage exercise or in-house tech conference, these one-day events get dev teams out of a coding rut. Plan yours now.Continue Reading

• 10 skills of highly effective software testers

  QA professionals with hands-on experience and a mix of technical and soft skills offer great value for software engineering teams. Testers with these 10 skills can boost their careers.Continue Reading

• Staging environment best practices that boost software QA

  Despite advances like shift-right testing in production environments, staging environments still have a crucial role to play.Continue Reading

• Apache exec talks prudent open source software project usage

  The open source community faces a number of technical and existential threats. A veteran talks open source's role, funding, security and compliance, as well as his favorite projects.Continue Reading

• How to build a test automation framework

  To create an automated testing framework, establish plans for test creation, tools, reporting, logs and maintenance.Continue Reading

• How to form a regression testing plan with these 5 questions

  Make regression testing part of a software quality control plan. Determine the project's testing requirements, and team preferences, to clarify a potent regression testing strategy.Continue Reading

• GitHub Enterprise features, dev appeals reveal strategy

  GitHub made moves in 2018 and 2019 to broaden and deepen its user base. Learn the major changes that users should know before committing code on the platform.Continue Reading

• Define a continuous improvement process with EA models, practices

  Continuous improvement isn't just about centers of excellence or feedback loops. Ultimately, it must bring the vast enterprise architecture into rapid-fire code changes, and vice versa.Continue Reading

• Contract-driven testing syncs API providers, consumers

  To check if the APIs your software depends on meet expectations, apply a consumer-driven contract testing framework. Let's examine the syntax, tooling and examples of this approach.Continue Reading

• How GitHub and Bitbucket augment key Git features

  Learn how GitHub and Bitbucket enhance the Git version control system, enabling management and security on top of Git's native abilities to clarify workflows and protect data.Continue Reading

• How to make distributed Agile teams efficient and collaborative

  Agile teams don't always exist under one roof, but they should still be aligned in responsibilities and goals. Here's the best way to approach global Agile team management.Continue Reading

• Which code quality metrics should devs track?

  Developers and testers strive to create quality, reusable code to deploy apps faster and keeps users happy. But what metrics should they track to evaluate code quality?Continue Reading

• How Agile and DevOps leadership empowers the whole team

  A dictatorial style of leadership doesn't cut it in Agile and DevOps shops. Here's how managers can ditch bad habits and instead encourage team experimentation and decision-making.Continue Reading

• Boost QA velocity with incremental integration testing

  The longer it takes to perform tests, the less Agile your team is. Here are four common approaches to integration tests that help reduce bottlenecks and delay.Continue Reading

• 6 ways to accelerate automated software testing

  Reducing software test time requires a change in approach. Consider ways to simplify test setup, eliminate redundant aspects of your procedures and override failures.Continue Reading

• Measure UX or risk losing customers, says consultant

  A quality customer experience helps ensure software product viability. So, why do organizations stop short in their UX efforts? In this podcast, Isabel Evans espouses the value of UX.Continue Reading

• Ease conflicts with software engineering project management

  Development teams try many ways to balance business priorities with software quality in a project -- and most of them don't work. Here's how to keep that relationship balanced.Continue Reading

• Enlist Jira for testing with these test management add-ons

  With the right add-ons, Jira users can turn the tracking product into a potent test management platform. Gauge your organization's Agile maturity, and then consider these options.Continue Reading

• 5 factors for using open source code in proprietary software

  To make the best use of the vast and varied pool of open source software available, developers must be astute about what can actually best serve a project.Continue Reading

• How low-code governance helps IT protect data, limit sprawl

  Low-code app developers must adhere to policies that govern data and resource usage. Lacking governance puts budgets, security and compliance at risk.Continue Reading

• Make application usability a priority -- wherever testing occurs

  Testers don't have time to fully evaluate apps before deployment. But poor-quality code simply isn't an option. Enter shift right and APM, two tasks testers must be ready to accept.Continue Reading

• Secure open source components to bypass breaches

  As enterprises increasingly turn to open source code to cut dev efforts and costs, IT industry vendors recommend that they secure dependencies and deploy patches to safeguard apps.Continue Reading

• Undertake software dependency management to reduce conflicts

  Apps can bind to dependencies with various levels of interconnectedness -- sometimes to deleterious effect. Here's how to approach software dependency management and reduction.Continue Reading

• Author, QA expert extols continuous testing virtues

  Long tests and isolated QA grind app delivery to a crawl. In this episode of 'Test & Release,' author Eran Kinsbruner explains how DevOps cannot exist without continuous testing.Continue Reading

• How to implement a winning interoperability testing strategy

  From security to data transfers, network complexity and testing environments, development teams have a lot to address to perform effective interoperability tests.Continue Reading

• Compare trunk-based development to feature-based approaches

  The repo-centric trunk-based development model can be a good fit for teams adept enough to maintain a codebase. But it means taking the road less traveled.Continue Reading

• Hire testers with a mix of technical skills and hutzpah

  There's a lot at stake when you hire a software tester -- and a lot to consider about the applicants. Matt Heusser shares how to evaluate capabilities and personalities.Continue Reading

• How the Agile paradigm saved app development

  Traditional app-dev thinking can lead to modern-day failure. In this excerpt from Scrum -- A Pocket Guide, Gunther Verheyen explains why Agile is a must, not optional.Continue Reading

• Automate tests with attention to UI, rapid feedback and more

  If your app-dev group just can't seem to get automated tests right, you're not alone. Here's how to implement an effective test automation strategy, one piece at a time.Continue Reading

• Concourse vs. Drone: Pick a CI/CD tool that fits your team

  For CI/CD, a software team should weigh how well a tool fits into its existing practices. Drone and Concourse each highlight ease of use and pipeline features.Continue Reading

• Why human instinct causes mistakes in project management

  Project management isn't brain surgery, but it involves brain chemistry. A testing expert discusses how we instinctively value gains and losses and how it leads to bad decisions.Continue Reading

• Learn the basics before you work with Git

  Git can scale with complex environments, but more conflicts can arise. Get the Git basics down before your developers use forks or branches for projects.Continue Reading

• Why I moved from programming to a software testing role

  Testers rejoice when they find flaws, even as project managers gnash their teeth. Matt Heusser explains how, in QA, he learned to stop worrying about deadlines and love the delay.Continue Reading

• 5 software development trends propel innovation in 2019

  Get ready to jettison your comfort zone and dive into shift-right testing, IoT development and other emerging skill and coverage areas for software developers and testers.Continue Reading

• Foster cross-team collaboration with IM, mind maps and more

  Build a collaborative workspace that's more than just an HR slogan. These tools get teams to talk and tackle problems together.Continue Reading

• Ways to partially implement Agile and still get results

  Pair programming, iterative workflows, timeboxed builds and other Agile tenets benefit app dev teams. Here's how to incorporate Agile practices and culture with minimal disruption.Continue Reading

• Big picture QA testing skills foster better app usability

  As companies wrestle to fit QA into budgets, keep in mind the skills that human testers provide -- from customer satisfaction to disaster prevention.Continue Reading

• Combat algorithm bias with these software test pointers

  As AI penetrates all kinds of software, it's imperative that testers devise a plan to verify predictive results. Put QA professionals on task to root out AI bias.Continue Reading

• Prioritize UX in a serverless mobile app framework

  There's no universal approach to incorporate serverless functionality into mobile app development. Cloud tools and serverless elements can complicate a deployment.Continue Reading

• Construct a better build-deploy pipeline with these 6 measures

  Developers can launch code to production faster than ever, and still do it safely, with careful attention to the build-deploy pipeline, tests and monitoring metrics.Continue Reading

• DevOps metrics point to fast releases, open source adoption

  You can always be better at DevOps. Assess these metrics from a variety of DevOps teams to see where you could stand to improve -- and give your team some positive reinforcement.Continue Reading

• Continuous testing in Agile means less work, more coverage

  Rather than ride the turbulent roller coaster of testing bottlenecks and uncontrolled code updates, go on the steadily paced continuous testing Ferris wheel.Continue Reading

• Enterprise value streams' role in a software delivery model

  Do software delivery teams overstress speed and discount value? Mik Kersten, CEO of Tasktop, which produces value stream tools, shares his thoughts in this Test and Release episode.Continue Reading

• Craft an integration testing plan with quality before quantity

  When it comes to integration testing, the end user is more important than the test volume. Increase test efficiency to please both application users and owners.Continue Reading

• How to foster collaboration in software development

  App owners, developers and testers are friends -- not enemies. If it doesn't always feel that way on your collaborative team, use these techniques to foster better communication.Continue Reading

• Calibrate your definition of 'done' in Scrum to meet requirements

  Get together with business leaders before software launches and find common ground to define done. One company's idea of perfect code is another's lurking disaster.Continue Reading

• The developer's crash course to the application network

  Developers, we get it; you don't want to deal with the network. But hear us out, as a basic understanding of subnets, VPNs and IP addresses boost app stability and performance.Continue Reading

• Prevent AI bias in predictive applications before it starts

  While AI offers predictive insights, developers must train AI models to ensure accurate results. These five types of input, in particular, can cause poor output from the finished app.Continue Reading

• How startups can accelerate a software product launch

  At your software startup, product delivery must be top priority, even at the expense of some bells and whistles. Get creative with some shortcuts to deliver quality software.Continue Reading

• Q&A: Eric Mizell explains the reliability challenges of DevOps

  DevOps teams face significant challenges, tasked to deliver code faster than ever. OverOps' Eric Mizell believes, though, continuous reliability can go hand in hand with CI/CD.Continue Reading

• Improving testing architecture when moving to microservices

  Gamesys, the developer and operator of many online games, rethought its approach to testing during the move from a monolith. A pyramid made software tests more manageable.Continue Reading

• Why QA, CI falter without automated release management

  Automating software release management can help speed deployments and improve continuous integration processes and application quality.Continue Reading

• Security in open source software isn't automatic

  Just how much time and effort should you commit to securing all that open source code your organization makes use of? Probably more than you are now.Continue Reading

• OSS security requires DIY scrutiny, not trusting 'many eyes'

  How many ways can hackers exploit the security flaws in open source? Cybersecurity experts count the ways and the approaches that can prevent costly security breaches.Continue Reading

• Run code complexity tools and Java coverage tests with Maven

  No software should go into production without complete test coverage. Here, we look at how to install Maven and use it to run code complexity tools and ensure full Java code coverage.Continue Reading

• Learn how to install Jenkins CI to enhance your DevOps skills

  In this video tutorial, we demonstrate how to install Jenkins CI, and subsequently run a simple build job. It's a first step to acquire key DevOps skills.Continue Reading

• Improve the rapid application development model for deployment readiness

  Get a better understanding of the top three areas in IT to improve a rapid application development model. Expert Tom Nolle discusses the future of RAD and DevOps.Continue Reading

• Understand continuous delivery and continuous deployment

  Learn why it is important to understand the differences between continuous delivery and deployment. Expert Matt Heusser discusses how they work with one another.Continue Reading

• Five tips for testing with mobile app developer tools

  Mobile app developer tools can alleviate the confusion of mobile test projects. Here are five strategies to consider if you're in the midst of testing complications.Continue Reading

• Get the most out of continuous testing with Jenkins

  With dev cycles shrinking all the time, Jenkins' compatibility continues to evolve. Set up Jenkins for effective CI/CD with quality plug-ins that enable continuous testing.Continue Reading