1.1.2 Programmed Tests

Writing tests in some kind of scripting language is certainly powerful, but it puts a strain on the resources of a team, because the test code itself becomes a project in its own right and also needs to be checked and maintained. The extra costs added by programming GUI tests can be considerable.

Tests written in code also have the problem that they no longer view the software as a black box and may miss important aspects relating to the acceptance. In addition, automation experts (experienced software developers) become the only people who can write or maintain tests. It is generally inadvisable to test your own work, but this is what can happen if testing remains solely in the realm of the developers. Writing tests without coding from the black box perspective not only allows test experts to automate tests (and therefore brings the test perspective to the forefront), but also puts developers in the shoes of the users, which helps to focus and improve the test.



Copyright BREDEX GmbH 2011. Made available under the Eclipse Public License v1.0.