Category: Test Tools
Comparing files and alternatives(?) to Diff
May 28, 2010
Continuing the ‘what tool’ theme from last week, today’s topic is ‘Diff’. I frequently install windows versions of various Unix command line utilities via the Gnu Utilities for Win32 project. Diff is particularly handy not just for the programming side of automation, but also for comparing output files from automation as well as database queries. Occasionally […]
Building regular expressions
May 19, 2010
When my testing gets technical, there are a lot of things that I only have to grapple with infrequently. Regular expressions are one of those in-again, out-again things for which my expertise varies depending on when you ask me. Today’s Ruby hacking saw me find RegExr which helps you build and test regular expressions, as […]
Watching/tailing multiple log files at the same time with Ruby’s NET::SSH library
A good testing habit when working with web apps is to monitor the log files of servers as you test. In some cases this is easy, especially where there’s a single application server. With the trend toward more service-oriented architectures, and server clusters for high-traffic applications, the environments I’m working in tend to have many […]
JMeter annoyances with If Controller – missing ; before statement
January 15, 2010
After repeated issues trying to get what I thought would be a simple ‘If controller’ working in JMeter, it looks like my issue is to do with the poor examples on the JMeter site. Or else something is making my version and or/installation behave differently. While the example provided on the JMeter site would have […]
Something to try if Squirrel SQL stops working on Windows
August 12, 2009
I’ve been using the free Squirrel SQL SQL client under windows for a month or so now. It’s a good tool, though somewhat annoying to get working. Today it stopped working.  The loading splash screen would display, the progress bar would get about halfway through and then Squirrel would exit without any messages. I had no desire […]
Running Watir cross-browser using Internet Explorer, Firefox and Celerity
July 2, 2009
Since reading about Celerity, I’ve been excited by the idea that I might be able to take my Watir scripts and run them more quickly by using a browser simulator. It also raised the possibility of taking scripts and running them in different environments and on different platforms, because Celerity runs under JRuby without a […]
Test automation models, dehumanising testers and Agile dysfunctions
June 23, 2009
This tweet was forwarded to me yesterday: martinfowler: Manual scripted testing should be a human rights violation It bothered me on a few levels. Firstly, the simplicity of phrasing around manual and scripted testing. Secondly, that agile developers might view themselves as the saviour of oppressed testers everywhere, and the perpetuation of the concept of […]
Tools for simulating slow and low bandwidth connections
May 4, 2009
I needed to do some page-weight testing on a new site, and found these handy plugins at http://www.uselessapplications.com IEThrottle is the Internet Explorer version, and Firefox Throttle is, unsurprisngly, the Firefox version. In Internet Explorer, for me at least, the plugin was hidden in the IE 7 tab bar, next to tools: In Firefox, you’ll […]
A first step toward saying what we mean when we say "Automated testing"
July 27, 2008
“In the universe, nothing can be said to be automatic, as nothing can be said to be without design. An imperfect parallel may be found in human inventions; springs may move springs, and wheels, indexes; but the motion and the regulation must be derived from the artist;” From Elements of Chemical Philosophy Part 1, Vol.1 […]
"Tools for testers" course next month at STANZ
Paul Szymkowiak and I will be running a one-day workshop on tools for testers, as part of the STANZ conference. The current run on August 13th is full, but you can register your interest for future courses via SoftEd, or drop me a line. Details of the course are at http://www.softed.com/stanz/speakersandsessions.htm#tst I’ll have the presentation […]