Opinion

Opinion

• 5 software testing books QA professionals should dig into

  There's no cookie-cutter crash course on software testing. However, these five books can get beginners on the right path to better quality software.  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

• 3 ways to test in production promptly and productively

  As much as Agile and DevOps changed development, they also shifted testers' roles -- to the right. Gerie Owen offers three ways to evaluate apps in production to find failures.  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

• How the developer experience builds trickle-down usability

  Developer experience is the equivalent of user experience (UX). The way developers experience tools and consume libraries matters and leads to better engagement.  Continue Reading

• Good teams come clean about their IT competence

  How is your company culture going to stay up to date on IT trends? Don't let that question linger, since, sooner or later, you'll work with a technology you don't understand at all.  Continue Reading

• The road to effective bot development in DevOps environments

  A bot that simply helps you help yourself goes a long way in a DevOps environment. One bot that does one thing really well is better than an army of chatbots.  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

• A DevOps developer should be adaptable, creative

  Unlike in the past, companies don't necessarily look to hire developers with hard technology skills. DevOps is changing the rules, so, for developers, it's time to get creative.  Continue Reading

• How to save DevOps from cargo cult programming

  The meaning of DevOps -- better cooperation between developers and operations professionals -- has been lost in many companies. Expert Theresa Neate explains what has to happen.  Continue Reading

• The secret to DevOps test automation? Pick your battles

  The pain of software test automation is real, particularly in a DevOps environment. But what if it was possible to approach it all differently? App maker Airtasker has a plan.  Continue Reading

• Salary snapshot: Test automation engineer salaries in four cities

  It seems nearly any job related to DevOps carries a higher salary, and test automation is no exception. Here's our salary snapshot of test automation engineers in four U.S. cities.  Continue Reading

• Why new feature testing should be at the heart of DevOps

  Continuous testing is a good idea, but if used as a Band-Aid, it will miss things. Expert Matt Heusser explains why the focus should be on new feature testing.  Continue Reading

• It's past time to revisit Agile's definition of 'done'

  The definition of 'done' only covers what happens on the dev side. So, it's not very useful in a DevOps shop. Expert Theresa Neate explains what needs to change.  Continue Reading

• Why software resilience should be the real goal of DevOps

  To improve your software development process, use DevOps to create a resilient system. Expert Matthew Heusser explains why reliability is no longer the goal.  Continue Reading

• How a DevSecOps process gives security a voice

  Security teams have worked quietly in the background of software quality projects for years. The DevSecOps process puts the long-lost co-worker, security, front and center.  Continue Reading

• Database virtualization lets developers code with confidence

  For the longest time, sharing a database has meant long nights for developers. But as more and more organizations adopt virtualized databases, those days are numbered.  Continue Reading

• What developers must know about supervised machine learning

  Humans play a vital role in training an ML/AI system. Expert Torsten Volk explains what software developers need to understand about machine learning education.  Continue Reading

• The promise of ML/AI is real -- so are the challenges

  Machine learning and artificial intelligence will make the impossible happen, if developers can understand the what-ifs involved. Expert Torsten Volk unpacks it all.  Continue Reading

• How developers can use SageMaker for DevOps machine learning

  SageMaker from AWS gives software developers a way to tackle AI and machine learning. But expert Torsten Volk said it will also require lots of experimenting.  Continue Reading

• Why the promise of low-code software platforms is deceiving

  Low-code/no-code platforms mean anyone can code, right? Wrong. Columnist Bob Reselman explains why this is a dangerous thought for enterprises.  Continue Reading

• Is there a software developer age limit? Apparently, it's 45

  Software development is a young person's purview, according to a Harvey Nash Technology Survey. Expert David Savage explains how over-45s can stay in the game.  Continue Reading

• How the Testing Manifesto is going to change development

  Thinking about software quality and testing is happening too late in the process. The antidote is a new set of guidelines that will change how everyone thinks about testing.  Continue Reading

• What breakthroughs we won't (and will) see in DevOps 2018

  Will 2018 be the best of times for DevOps? Perhaps. But there's no doubt sweeping changes on the developer and operations sides are coming. Here's what to prepare for.  Continue Reading

• Why you should get on board with software testing trends

  Will your organization design a machine learning app in 2018? Or should you pick up DevOps skills to be in demand as a tester? These trends will all have a major effect on software testing.  Continue Reading

• Agile and DevOps are better together in 2018

  IT industry observers agree: When you add DevOps and Agile, you get more than the sum of the parts. See how experts envision the combination of Agile and DevOps in 2018.  Continue Reading

• Discovering what DevOps means through help wanted ads

  Three companies searched for DevOps engineers -- and posted three different job descriptions. All of which illustrates the difficulty in defining DevOps.  Continue Reading

• Take the pain out of software developer hiring

  Hiring software developers is hard enough, but finding the right ones for the job is even harder. Here's what you need to consider to future-proof your development team.  Continue Reading

• Low-code platforms move the BizDevOps trend forward

  The next IT mashup -- BizDevOps -- brings business leaders to the table, and new no-code/low-code platforms give them the tools to be active participants in app development.  Continue Reading

• New software testing strategies come up big at EuroSTAR 2017

  In this roundup, expert Gerie Owen travels to the EuroSTAR Testing Conference in Copenhagen and offers her perspective on testing trends, including AI and neural networks.  Continue Reading

• Johanna Rothman rethinks what it means to be an Agile enterprise

  Agile kind of has a bad rap and is also being eclipsed by DevOps. Consultant Johanna Rothman makes the case for why Agile needs a fresh start and how to get there.  Continue Reading

• DevOps evangelist lessons in Agile philosophy pushback

  The Agile philosophy is too rigid and dogmatic for its own good. The DevOps evangelist better pay attention or risk DevOps irrelevancy.  Continue Reading

• Who is responsible for software development and design?

  Can developers and designers ever meet in the middle? And if so, how can they speak the same language? Expert Jason Grant offers tried-and-true advice for making it work.  Continue Reading

• Combat waste with a DevOps feedback loop, triage and automation

  DevOps should be a straightforward process, but waste and inefficiency stymie efforts. Combat them with quick feedback, triage and automation.  Continue Reading

• Developer burnout is the symptom, Undercapitalization the disease

  Without enough business capital, your superstar DevOps engineers are at high risk for developer burnout. And it’ll take more than a vacation to fix the problem.  Continue Reading

• Lean testers bring DevOps and QA together

  Early and continuous feedback is the engine that drives continuous delivery. DevOps and QA work hand in hand. That's why every product team must involve Lean QA testers.  Continue Reading

• Experts: Shift left toward DevOps automated testing

  If you get anything out of this post, it's shift to the left. Automate your DevOps testing and bring it closer to the dev process, the experts urge.  Continue Reading

• UX vs. UI design: It's complicated but important to understand

  User experience is tied to user interface, but they're not the same thing in software design. Expert Jason Grant offers his take on how to use both to make better software.  Continue Reading

• Bad DevOps leads to developer burnout, survey finds

  Won't somebody please think of the developers? Blame tools, blame leadership, but the lofty DevOps goal of faster delivery time too often leads to burnout, a new survey finds.  Continue Reading

• Why your team needs to embrace shift left testing right now

  There is an endless debate about when and how to test software. Shift left testing is the latest theory, and it brings developers in to the process. Jennifer Lent unpacks it for us.  Continue Reading

• How the UX role fits in to modern software development

  When it comes to modern application development, understanding the role UX plays is key. Expert Jason Grant explains how a working knowledge of UX can save time and money.  Continue Reading

• Inside DevOps success stories: Quality, stability and velocity for all

  Successful DevOps adoption is as much about changing institutionalized culture as embracing new tools and technologies. DevOps isn't just for the unicorns anymore.  Continue Reading

• Mobile projects: Here's how to get them right the first time

  Mobile software applications are all the rage, but they're very tricky to get right. Expert Jennifer Lent unpacks what you need to do -- and think about -- first.  Continue Reading

• DevOps testing: Never trust the world outside the enterprise

  Find out why a white-hat hacker claims "the biggest thing that keeps me up at night is the code DevOps is writing for the infrastructure," and what security pros can do about it.  Continue Reading

• DevOps and software disruption: The new assembly line

  How do you put the current software disruption in its proper perspective? CloudBees CTO Kohsuke Kawaguki says look back 100 years to the Ford assembly line.  Continue Reading

• It's a good time for QA professionals -- here's why

  When testing is brought into the development process early, everything just works better. Jennifer Lent explains how and why QA pros are finally being taken seriously.  Continue Reading

• DevOps automation remains a high hurdle for DevOps culture

  Automated testing remains the key to Continuous Development and Integration. How can an enterprise embrace DevOps culture without embracing DevOps automation?  Continue Reading

• What does soft-ripening French cheese have to do with DevOps QA?

  For DevOps QA and soft-ripened cheese: Go with your gut.  Continue Reading

• Here's why IoT testing is really going to matter to QA pros

  It's easy to ignore the challenge of IoT and testing if that's not your job, but that's soon going to change. Expert Jennifer Lent explains what you need to know.  Continue Reading

• DevOps vs waterfall: Can they coexist?

  DevOps and waterfall won’t mix. If your teams are still siloed in the waterfall model, this effectively undermines any of the benefits that DevOps could offer the enterprise.  Continue Reading

• How testing automation has become the engine that drives DevOps

  If enterprises hope to consistently deliver a stable product, they’ll need to rely on automated DevOps testing to ensure quality from development through deployment.  Continue Reading

• DevOps and testing: How QA professionals fit in the DevOps landscape

  Keeping professional DevOps testers involved – early on and in as much of the delivery process as possible – ensures that your product is delivered on time and in working order.  Continue Reading

• Top DevOps implementation obstacle? Culture and testing automation

  What’s stalling successful adoption of DevOps? Culture, testing automation, legacy systems, and more, according to a recent Quali study.  Continue Reading

• Do DevOps developers have to do it all?

  Startup culture created a need for developers who could see a product from concept through launch. Now, these DevOps developers are a principal agent of DevOps culture.  Continue Reading

• Which came first, DevOps or Agile?

  In short, Agile is different from DevOps insofar as the former is part of the latter. DevOps vs. Agile is not defined by opposition. DevOps won’t replace Agile. It supports Agile.  Continue Reading

• Getting comfortable with the low-code development platform

  Learn why no-code/low-code development platforms with drag-and-drop capabilities should be a welcome alternative for developers and simplified method for non-developers.  Continue Reading

• BizDevOps: Here's how to make it happen in your organization

  With its roots firmly in Agile, BizDevOps is tomorrow's development methodology. Columnist Jennifer Lent explains why getting there is going to be so challenging.  Continue Reading

• Are you a bad software test manager? Or do you have one? Here's help

  If you want to up your game as a test manager, you'll need to listen and offer to serve others. Expert Jennifer Lent has spot-on career advice for software test managers.  Continue Reading

• Five qualities of a good software tester (hint: it's not tech skills)

  It's tempting to think software testers just need technical chops. Of course they do, but that's not all. Columnist Jennifer Lent explains what else you might need.  Continue Reading

• Don't get stuck: Here's how to avoid the worst Agile meeting syndrome

  Too much talking and not enough listening equals boredom and ineffectual meetings. Columnist Jennifer Lent has great advice on how to keep regular Agile gatherings lively and relevant.  Continue Reading

• The secret to Agile problem solving? OpenSpace Agility

  Even Agile organizations get stuck sometimes. What to do? OpenSpace Agility is a bold new way to work through problems, but it can be tricky. Expert Jennifer Lent explains.  Continue Reading

• Couldn't make Nordic Testing Days? Gerie Owen shares her story

  Expert Gerie Owen traveled to Tallinn, Estonia for Nordic Testing Days. Here's her first-hand look at this vibrant, grass-roots testing conference and a peek inside KGB headquarters.  Continue Reading

• Want to see how Agile works in practice? Here's an inside look

  To really understand how Agile works, you need to try it. Columnist Jennifer Lent spent a day trying Agile on for size. Here are her takeaways on what works and what doesn't.  Continue Reading

• STAREAST Conference from an insider perspective

  From technical testing techniques to communication tips, the most recent STAREAST Conference had something for everyone. Expert attendee Gerie Owen shares her perspective.  Continue Reading

• An hour of coding in school could trump intuition

  After my kids took a short programming course, I wondered about the future of human instinct. Do coding, analytics and other high-tech teachings numb intuition?  Continue Reading

• How to find value in customer experience testing

  The year 2016 will be the year of customer experience testing. Expert Jennifer Lent explains why and how we'll stop guessing and instead focus on what customers do with apps.  Continue Reading

• Three traits of a mature Agile team

  What it takes to have successful mobile project development might surprise you. Expert Jennifer Lent shares the secrets around creating a mature Agile team.  Continue Reading

• Fine-tuning Agile product owner responsibilities

  When marketing efforts change, Agile product owners should get ready to mix it up, too. Expert Jennifer Lent shares her firsthand experience with Agile.  Continue Reading

• The product owner role is critical in software development

  When the product owner role isn’t strongly developed, it can derail the best-run software projects. How do you deliver the right product when the business is less than fully engaged?  Continue Reading

• Agile techniques work for more than software development

  Talk about success for Agile techniques -- it's not just for software development. An expert applies Agile techniques to family management.  Continue Reading

• Continuous integration: Agile best practices

  The path to continuous delivery starts with a focus on Agile development and perfecting your continuous integration practices.  Continue Reading

• Agile Manifesto: Readers refute 'anti-planning' idea

  Jennifer Lent examines the backlash from her last month's column that suggested the Agile Manifesto promotes anti-planning.  Continue Reading

• Agile teams: Embrace ALM in the cloud, new technologies

  Agile teams looking for beneficial new tools should take note of three technology trends: ALM in the cloud, mobile ALM and social ALM.  Continue Reading

• An expert suggests how to measure software quality

  This expert says the trick to measuring software quality is focusing on real business requirements and established engineering standards.  Continue Reading

• Agile Manifesto: Both timeless and outdated?

  The Agile Manifesto changed the way we look at the software development process. Today, the Manifesto is outdated in some ways and timeless in others.  Continue Reading

• Three traits of continuous software development

  What is 'continuous' in software development? Combining iterative development with automation produces code so quickly it is now thought of as continuous.  Continue Reading

• Four principles for staying true to real Agile

  Over time, software teams develop their own variants of Agile. Here's how to make sure your practice remains aligned with the spirit of Agile.  Continue Reading

• Avoid software defects by testing code

  To prevent software defects, test the code. But before you do, question every assumption behind the software. No question is too trivial to raise.  Continue Reading

• Learning culture critical to Agile success

  Quality Time columnist Jennifer Lent spoke to Lisa Crispin and Janet Gregory about their new book and the learning culture needed for companies practicing Agile. Get the inside scoop here.  Continue Reading

• Experts flunk out on secure coding practices

  A recent survey shows software professionals have a basic understanding of application security concepts, but they lack the knowledge to fix the resulting security issues.  Continue Reading

• Tackling the whole-team Agile approach

  Achieving a whole-team Agile approach is hard. Here's how one coach took unusual measures to get her team members talking, asking each other for help and tackling each issue as a team problem.  Continue Reading

• Is a college degree required for computer programming?

  Is computer programming becoming a trade? Technically speaking, you can skip college, go to coding school and land a good job. Here's why that's a bad idea.  Continue Reading

• Agile pairing and Agile swarming jumpstart projects

  Pairing and swarming can boost Agile productivity. Management expert Johanna Rothman explains how to get started with these practices and why they work.  Continue Reading

• Dual-track Agile keeps requirements in check

  A key aspect of dual-track development is fixing false assumptions about a project before they make their way into the software. In other words, it is a way of getting requirements right.  Continue Reading

• Keep teams focused with performance bottleneck analysis

  To prevent finger pointing, software pros need compelling evidence and persuasion skills to prove a performance bottleneck stems from the partner's code.  Continue Reading

• Building a better mobile user experience

  Apps that deliver the best mobile user experiences are context-sensitive and have great communication skills to build trust with their users.  Continue Reading

• Searching for god uncovers Agile community's passion

  An accidental search for the Agile god unearths extreme passion within the Agile community.  Continue Reading

• Automated testing tools: Four reasons why projects fail

  Using automated testing tools is often harder than manual testing. The most successful automation projects are those that never go on autopilot.  Continue Reading

• Improving development teams with agility

  Improving development teams includes both Agile and agility in middleware development, cloud and mobile computing and business process management.  Continue Reading

• Application portfolio management: Treat software as a valuable asset

  Application portfolio management helps businesses track their important business apps, making them less intangible and their value more visible.  Continue Reading

• Editor’s Note: Putting simplicity in the software process

  In this issue, you’ll find the latest on ALM tool integration, dashboards and transparency to help in making decisions about ALM tools.  Continue Reading

• Developing collaboration, automation strategies throughout the software lifecycle

  Enterprise software development and management can involve coordination of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people and processes. Is it any wonder communication and collaboration is so difficult?  Continue Reading

• Editor’s note: Version control and requirements management tools

  In this issue, experts will share source code control system automation strategies, hosting options for code repositories and trends in requirements management tools.  Continue Reading