The Question of a Decade?
Today, when I draft this post, the calendar date is 14th February 2023. If I look back to 10 years ago and ask myself what are the questions in and around Software Testing and Automation, I see this question. What is that question?
When to start the automation?
We answer, hear, read, and discuss this question, today too!
Often, the opinion that comes out is, ".... to automate when it is stable". Note that it is an opinion, not an answer or a fact accepted universally.
To Start Automation when it is "Stable"!?
My learning is,
Do not think of starting the automation when it is "stable".
The "stable" is an assumption we tend to believe by the outcome of using the system. The binaries are never "stable".
The binaries appear to not show any risks and problems for the way one is using it in a context. To be more precise, we are not seeing the risks and problems that binaries are showing us in other dimensions. That is, the dimensions that we are not aware of or the dimensions that we are not focusing on.
When to Start the Automation?
I learn,
Start the automation, when the system is testable!
This leads to me the questions:
- What is testable?
- When it is testable?
Automate when you learn, it is testable, and identify a layer of testability. This helps to pick the better seam [that is the appropriate layer(s)] for automation in a given context.
Keep the automation structure ready, so that intent of a test can be expressed via code as we identify [a layer of] testability.
Maybe, this is what people say LEFT or SHIFT LEFT or START LEFT. Or, could be out of the SHIFT LEFT BOX!
