What is Agile Methodology in Testing: A Simple Guide(2021)

Introduction

What is Agile Methodology in Testing? Agile refers to a repetitive development methodology, which requires the entire project team’s participation in all the activities. The requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between cross-functional self-organizing teams. Agile methods promote a disciplined project management process that involves frequent inspection and adaptation as per the customers’ requirements. In software development, the users provide corrective and specific feedback to the product development team.  

In this article let us look at:

1. Agile Methodologies
2. Agile Testing Methodologies
3. Agile Testing life cycle

1. Agile Methodologies

There are different agile methodologies in agile testing. The agile methodologies are as follows:

A) Scrum 

Scrum is an agile development that focuses specifically on the team-based development environment. In the entire project development activities, the participation of the entire team is required.

B) eXtreme Programming (XP)

It is based on the customers and their constantly changing demand and requirements. With customer feedback and comments, it creates the product matching the customer requirements. 

C) Crystal

It is based upon three concepts;

• Chartering involves creating a development team, executing preliminary feasibility analysis, drafting an initial plan and development methodology.

• Cyclic delivery consists of two or more delivery cycles in which the product is upgraded and developed, and the final integrated product is delivered.

• During Wrap up, deployment into the user environment, post-deployment reviews and reflections are performed.

D) Dynamic Software Development Method (DSDM)

It is based on Rapid Application Development (RAD) and is aligned with the Agile Framework. It involves iterative delivery of the product, which involves the users and empowers them to quickly reach decisions.

E) Lean software development

It focuses on examining the product and eliminating unwanted things, thereby providing value to the customers. There is rapid development, and a quality product of value is delivered.

The Lean Principles are −

• Eliminate Waste
• Amplify Learning
• Delay Commitment
• Empower the Team
• Deliver Fast
• Build Integrity in
• See the Whole

F) Kanban

It focuses on time management and emphasizes just-in-time delivery of the product, which doesn’t pressurize the team members. The participants have access to the displayed tasks and can take up one from the queue.

2. Agile testing methodologies

There are various agile testing methodologies; they are:

• Test-Driven Development (TDD) − It is based on coding guided by tests. It is based on the relationship between the product developers and the users of the product. The formers run to prepare a code and run tests upon the product and ask the users to test the products and provide them with detailed feedback to catch the defects and fix the bugs at the initial stage.

• Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD) − It is based on communication between the customers, developers and testers and driven by pre-defined Criteria and Acceptance Tests Cases. It focuses on the involvement of team members who have different perspectives. Meetings are held to formulate acceptance tests incorporating the perspectives of the testing in agile, customer and development. Testing looks out for things that could go wrong and how the customers check the problems to be solved, and the development works on solving the problems. The acceptance tests represent the user’s point of view and how the system will function. It helps to verify that the system functions and works smoothly as it is supposed to.  In some instances, acceptance tests are automated by the product developers.

• Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) − It is based on the expected behaviour of the software being developed. It improves communication amongst stakeholders so that all members correctly understand each feature before the development process starts. There is continuous example-based communication between developers, testers, and business analysts. Scenarios are one of the examples which are written in a special format.  The scenarios hold information on how a given feature should behave in different situations with different input parameters. These are called “Executable Specifications” as they comprise both specifications and inputs to the automated tests.

3. Agile testing life cycle

It consists of 5 phases: 

• Impact assessment – The inputs are gathered from the stakeholders and users; it acts as a response mechanism for the next cycle of deployment.

• Test planning in agile – All of the stakeholders gather together for the purpose of organizing the timetable of the flow of the development, testing in agile and delivery process.

• Daily scrums – This includes the daily meetings at the start of the day to catch up on the testing level and prepare goals and things to do.

• Testing agility review – Review meetings held weekly with the stakeholders to study and analyze the progress compared to the goals that the team members have set. 

• Release readiness – At the final stage, the features that have been developed are reviewed, and the decision to launch the product life or not is taken.

Conclusion

Agile testing is a very helpful tool as it facilitates the early detection of errors and defects. The bugs are fixed at an early stage, thereby reducing the cost of product development. An approach in which the customer is at the center promises to deliver a standard quality product at the earliest. 

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