What is a Test Condition?

What is a Test Condition?
According to ISTQB glossary definition, a Test Condition is an aspect of the test basis that is relevant in order to achieve specific test objectives. Well, this sounds as a very formal definition isn't it? And it is not very informative in case you do not have much experience with test analysis.
In order to better understand what is a Test Condition we need a better, a bit informal definition. How about this - a Test Condition is something that we can test. So some condition, rule, option, part of functionality, etc that we can test is a Test Condition.

Why do we need Test Conditions?
In order to test better, efficiently and effectively we need to identify Test Conditions so "all" possible items could be tested. We should not miss any of Test Conditions as they are the subject of further analysis and prioritization. When we will be creating test cases we would use Test Design Techniques in order to create a defined number of effective Test Cases and not just a bunch of simple checks over your application, in case we are going to create Test Cases for a manual test execution.

Where to look for Test Conditions?
In any place in your work items - requirements, specification, design documents, code, acceptance criteria, etc. All these documents are called a Test Basis as they serve a source of a Test Conditions.

What to do with Test Conditions? 
Further analysis and prioritization of Test Condition is required for effective test cases creation. We need to review them, create a basic tractability if required and prioritize according to your testing strategy and/or approach. If we have a limited development/testing time and test itself is risk based then we need to prioritize them according to a risk level.

Test planning is not only for Test Plan documents

This blog post is about test planing for story and changes testing

   Test planning is a set of planning activities before testing should be started. All those planning activities are described and explained in a project Test Plan. All test planning phases are for a Test Plan, but some of them could be perfectly used for bugs verification, story and changes testing, etc.

Do we need to know how to code?

So, before I became software tester, I thought that everyone in IT have to know how to code, even if they aren't programmers. In my opinion, even testers had to know at least one programming language, on which a project is developing. But then, when I started to read about software testing, I found out about Black Box testing! Wow, you don't need to know any programming language to become a tester! And in that time it was awesome for me, it was like revelation :)
Now, after all those years, from time to time I began to see those articles about discussions whether testers need to know how to program. Actually, it was a big bunch of almost the same articles :) but every article was about the same idea - testers, programming, why? :)
So, you might think that this article will be about the same? No! But it starts like that.
I just wanted to say, that out there, there are people in IT, or other industries, who likes everything about new technologies, about programming etc. And it shouldn't be so serious issue for us, for them to decide whether they need to know programming or not. I know that all IT guys - system admins, developers or software testers - are clever enough to learn something new, something useful! And I think, that in future more and more new projects will require testers with programming skills as it happened with sys admins - now some of them are devops. Same could happen with Software testers.
So, I can even say, that programming isn't so hard to learn, of course you don't have to be a guru in Java/C#, or to know all frameworks and related tools. In most cases you have to know just basics + main OOP principles and this is not so hard to learn. Trust me, I got through that :)

So, to sum up - in my honest opinion, I have to say that it's not so hard to learn programming, so give it a try! And later you will benefit from your knowledge.
Or, don't touch it, leave it, maybe it isn't your's?

No offense, this is just my personal opinion. So, nothing personal - just software testing :)

Good luck!

How to find your first job as a software tester

So, you already know Software testing fundamentals, basics of Jira and other related tools. Now it's time to start looking for a job, if you feel ready for it.
First you'll need is a good resume! In this short article I won't write how to make a selling resume, maybe next time. In this article I'll just say that you'll need one. Next step is send that resume to selected IT companies, and here you'll get your first job offer, if you are really lucky, or, like 99% of people who decided to become a software tester and don't have any experience yet - you'll get NOTHING :( even any reply from company's recruiter. Yes, that happens all the time, unfortunately.
So, what you should do in this case? First of all, no matter what - don't give up! Next, take a look at your resume, maybe it's not selling you? Maybe it shows that you don't have any knowledge? If it's not, and your resume is good enough to get a job, that means you need to get some connections!
And yes, connections and networking is all what you need for now! You even can don't know something about testing, yeah, maybe you skipped something to learn, doesn't matter, because with help of right people you can get your job even without that missing knowledge. Other question, how you'll pass job interview? :) But for now not about that. Now about networking.
You see, companies always tries to close a vacancy by their internal resources, than, by recommendation of their current employees, and only after - by posting job ad.
So, if you didn't get any reply from any recruiters, that means you have to find connections! You can ask your friends, maybe someone work in IT already, or maybe someone know a guy, who knows a guy :) In this way, you have to find as many people from IT as possible. You have to meet with them and tell about yourself, about your desire and dream to become a software tester, also you have to show that you're reliable and very responsible person, and show them your IT knowledge. So, when they will see that, they could be sure, that you are right guy for a job as software tester. And when they will hear that their company is hiring - they will recommend you! That is your main goal for now - to be recommended! After you'll just have to prepare yourself for a job interview, maybe learn what you missed and fill lack of knowledge! All what will follow is only up to you!
Good luck!

Next day update:
Also you should look for a local IT events and go there to meet new people and show yourself. That could be could opportunity to make some new professional connections.

P.S. Sorry for my English, I'm not following a goal to write perfect English, I'm following a goal to share useful information.

Where to find some web project to write Webdriver auto tests for?

Hi there
Recently I was looking for some simple web project to write auto tests for it, but unfortunately I didn't find anything worthless. Someone just don't interesting in auto tests and someone wants them in C# to be written (I'd like to use Java).
Anyways, I was looking at CodePlex, made the announcement in Twitter, but no one responded :(
So, I've decided to try it one more time here.
Actually, I can write tests for some, randomly chosen, sites, but this is not that way I want to work. Ideally, I'd like to join to existing project, where someone is already writing webdriver tests on Java, in that way I'll learn how to write them in real life projects and real working environment.
And later, I want to start writing articles related to automation testing here, in my blog.

So, if anyone knows some web projects which requires or want someone to write autotests - I'd like to propose my candidature!

Thanks

How to be more productive and stay healthy

  Recently I've read an article - "Decision Making, Problem Solving, Introducing Ideas, Being Influential". This is an article without some new statements, but with pretty common things about our personality, how to act in different situation and what to expect in result. But I've found one very important thing, which so many people ignoring - our health! In that article were three useful tips - about minimum hours of sleeping, drinking a water and standing, walking.
  So little advice about health, and so many about persons character were in that article so I've decided to add some statements from myself. For me, I'd write something more about health, especially about back! I wan't write about importance of men's back, I just say that it's very-very painful when it hurts. So, I'd recommend to do more stand ups in your workplace and if you are allowed, you can even do some workouts.
  Second thing - your eyes! Probably they are even more important than back and to be honest, I don't know how much time it's recommended to look at monitor and how many breaks you should do, but I think that as many breaks as possible will be better!
So, this article is not like mine others, but i think that all is important - not only tech skills, but also things like health and workouts.
Stay safe, stay health!

Just a little update

More than one year have passed since my last post here, for a long time I didn't write anything here because I had different plans for my future. Maybe later I'll write about them, but for now it's a secret :)
As you probably know, IT always was interesting for me and I liked to read some programming tutorials, articles about software testing like other people read fiction books. So, I think, this all IT stuff is like more than just a hobby! It's a way I want to do in future. And that's why I'm thinking how to restart this blog, and I've a few ideas. So, keep looking on this blog.