Jul 15

How to use Terminal on Mac

You might immediately become anxious seeing a reference to the “command line” – or as it’s known on Mac, “terminal.” It’s true that it can feel daunting to use at first. But the good news is that it follows straightforward rules.

Once you get the hang of the commands, using the terminal can become second nature. And if you aren’t sure where to start, you can use the cheat sheet below! It contains commands as well as common vocabulary.

Mac Terminal Commands & Cheat Sheet

Tip before you dive in: although you might see commands with quotation marks below, you don’t need to use the quotation marks in the terminal.

How to Open Terminal on Mac:

Accessing the terminal app on your Mac is easy. To open Terminal on your Mac, you can click the magnifying glass search icon in the top bar, and type “Terminal.”

Then, simply double-click the Terminal app result.

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Jun 25

Wes Silverstein

Manual Testing / QA Process

What is Acceptance Criteria?

Team Writing Acceptance Criteria for a Website

What is Acceptance Criteria?

When working in Agile software development, you’ll often see references to acceptance criteria. While the phrase may sound unnecessarily confusing, it’s actually pretty simple. And while not every team uses it, it can be crucial to a successful launch. So what is acceptance criteria?

Acceptance Criteria Definition

The technical definition of acceptance criteria is, “the conditions that a software product must satisfy to be accepted by a user, customer, or in the case of system level functionality, the consuming system.“

Put more simply, acceptance criteria is a list of details (also known as requirements) about how a new software feature should work/look. This ensures that:

The feature is designed well. Otherwise, an important or helpful aspect might be left out – without anyone noticing until the very end.
It works the way it was intended. If the description is vague, developers might have to make assumptions about how each area should work. With acceptance criteria, developers know exactly what design and functionality is expected.
QA knows what to expect during testing. Even if a feature doesn’t feel broken, it might not work the way the product managers wanted it to. If there’s no acceptance criteria, testers can’t report these kinds of issues.

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May 11

Wes Silverstein

Manual Testing / QA Engineering / QA Process

Why Cross Browser Testing is Important

Testing across browsers showing different screen sizes

Why Cross Browser Testing is Important

As an everyday user, when you encounter a bug, you don’t usually stop and think, “Maybe this issue is only happening on Chrome version 89 on Windows 10!” And why should you? Most people expect websites and apps to work properly on their system – especially if they’re not using an esoteric old version of Internet Explorer.

If you work in software development, it’s a good idea to remember that to a user encountering it, that “edge case” bug is everything. But how do you make sure you discover these environment-specific bugs?

And even after finding them, how do you prioritize them? After all, your app or website is never going to look completely perfect for 100% of possible device/browser/screen size combinations. As with most things, finding a balance is key.

Read on to find out more about why cross browser testing is important – and how to do it right. Continue reading →

Jan 11

Wes Silverstein

QA Process

The Role of QA in Sprint Planning

Three people in a meeting with laptops open

The Role of QA in Sprint Planning

Sprint planning is something that most Agile teams do. But when every team has different needs, there isn’t always a “one size fits all” approach. As a result, it’s not always clear what the role of QA should be. Should QA be an integral part of the Sprint Planning process? Or should testers simply be told to look at the Jira board and follow the deadlines? Read on to find out how the role of QA can – and should – fit into the Sprint Planning process.

First things first. Does QA even have a role in Sprint Planning? After all, the everyday answer at many companies may be “no.” But to have the best software development and Agile process possible, it should be “yes!”

QA only has a finite amount of testing time per sprint. So it’s a good idea to make sure testers can provide full test coverage for all tickets in the timeline.

Some tickets in the sprint will also require advanced planning from QA. For example, they may need to write test cases, review design files, or ask followup questions. QA will be more prepared if they know which tickets are in a sprint from the beginning – instead of near the end.

Top 5 Reasons to Involve QA in Sprint Planning

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Nov 15

Wes Silverstein

QA Engineering / QA Process

What Are Edge Cases in Software Testing?

Software development code with a magnifying glass showing a bug

What Are Edge Cases in Software Testing?

Edge cases are a common topic of discussion in software testing. The definition of “edge case” itself is pretty straightforward. But there are many different types of bugs that can fall under the category.

Edge Case Definition and Meaning

In software testing, edge cases are bugs that are uncommon for users to encounter. Note, though, that this doesn’t always mean that it’s hard to reproduce the bug.

Sometimes the bug may be happening 100% of the time – but only on an iPhone model that makes up a very small share of the customer base. Other times, the bug might be happening across browsers/devices, but only 1% of the time.

An edge case can be a minor issue – for example, an inconsistency in the exact shade of blue used on an iOS app vs. the Android version. But it can also be a bug that’s severe when it does happen – like a crash.

Common Edge Cases

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Oct 20

Wes Silverstein

Automated Testing / QA Engineering

SDET vs. QA – What’s the Difference?

SDET standing next to a QA tester using a website

SDET vs. QA – What’s the Difference?

“SDET” is becoming a popular job title in many Software Engineering departments. But it’s not always clear what the difference is between an SDET vs. QA tester. Making matters more confusing, some companies use the title differently than others. Does it just mean a QA engineer or automated tester, or is there more to it? Let’s go over the basics.

What Does SDET Stand For?

SDET stands for Software Development Engineer in Test. This clarifies the fact that SDETs are involved in testing. But it still doesn’t explain exactly what they do, or how it differs from “regular” QA testers.

Differences Between SDET vs. QA

All SDETs are performing a type of QA, but not all QA testers are SDETs. Confused? You’re not alone. Sometimes it can be easier to consider what SDETs are not. In this case, we’re talking about manual testers. Continue reading →

Sep 22

Wes Silverstein

Manual Testing / QA Process

The Ultimate Guide to Regression Testing

The Ultimate Guide to Regression Testing

If you work in or with QA, you’ve likely heard the phrase “regression testing.” For most apps and websites, regression testing is done before every new release. In an Agile QA process, it’s a regular part of the QA testing vocabulary. But what is regression testing, and how do you do it?

The Definition of Regression Testing

To put it simply, regression testing means testing virtually everything in the software. Not just a new feature, and not just each general section – but every button, flow, and interaction in the app or website.

The official definition of the word “regression” is:

a return to a former or less developed state

In software, a “regression” is a bug in an area of the app or website that was previously working. Continue reading →

Aug 18

Wes Silverstein

Manual Testing / QA Engineering / QA Process

How to Write Test Cases Without Requirements

When you’re testing a new feature on an app or website, it’s considered a best practice to have test cases. Ideally, the tester will be given acceptance criteria for the feature being developed. When QA knows exactly what a feature should or shouldn’t do, writing test cases can be easy enough. (If you’re feeling lost, see our article explaining test cases.) But how do you write test cases without requirements?

After all, in the real world of a fast-paced Agile process, chances are you won’t always have them. It’s pretty common to encounter a Jira ticket with a simple description, and no real list of requirements. Sure, you could ask the person responsible to add them. But it’s not always clear who that should be. (The developer? Project manager? Product manager? Higher up?)

In many scenarios, the task can get passed back and forth so long, it delays the testing process by days – if you even end up getting requirements at all. Continue reading →

Jul 14

Wes Silverstein

QA Engineering

How to Start Testing the iOS 14 Beta

Three iPhone devices supported by iOS 14

How to Start Testing the iOS 14 Beta

Although iOS 14 isn’t coming out until September 2020, the iOS 14 beta is officially here! For anyone who works in QA or has an iOS app, it’s a good idea to get a head start on testing. After all, new versions of iOS can introduce bugs into previously working apps.

Ideally, Apple will be fixing any problems by the iOS 14 release date. But there’s no guarantee that your app will work perfectly when the time comes. Find out how to download and start testing the iOS 14 beta below.

iOS 14 Beta Release Date

The iOS 14 beta was released to the public on Thursday, July 9th, 2020.

The finished version of iOS 14 is expected to go live around mid-September.

How to Install the iOS 14 Beta

You can download and install the iOS 14 beta by following these steps: Continue reading →

May 30

Wes Silverstein

Company Culture

Tips and Tools for Working Remotely

Now more than ever, tech companies are moving towards remote work. Most who make the switch find that working remotely boosts productivity, improves worker morale, and lowers costs. One of the other major benefits? Reducing the spread of illnesses. But how do you make sure that you’re set up for success when implementing a remote workforce? Read on for our tips and tools for working remotely.

Remote Communication Tips

To make remote work successful, above all you need good communication. It may sound obvious, but there are specific tips and tools you can use to make sure you’re set for success.

1. Use the right conferencing tool for your organization.

Just because a conferencing tool is trendy doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for your particular needs. These are some of the most common tools for audio and/or video meetings: Continue reading →