Rob Sabourin - Monty Pythons Flying Test Lab - EuroSTAR 2010

© Robert Sabourin, 2006 Slide 1

Monty Python’s

Flying Test Lab

Robert Sabourin

President & Principal consultant

AmiBug.Com, Inc.

Montreal, Canada

[email protected]


And now for something completely different . . . Monty Python's Flying Circus

revolutionized comedy and brought zany British humor to a world-wide

audience. However, buried deep in the hilarity and camouflaged in its twisted

wit, lie many important testing lessons—tips and techniques you can apply to

real world problems to deal with turbulent projects, changing requirements,

and stubborn project stakeholders. Rob Sabourin examines some of the most

famous Python bits—―The Spanish Inquisition‖ telling us to expect the

unexpected, ―The Dead Parrot‖ asking if we should really deliver this product

to the customer, ―The Argument‖ teaching us about bug advocacy, ―Self

Defense Against Fresh Fruit‖ demonstrating the need to pick the right testing

tool, and a host of other goofy gags, each one with a lesson for testers.

• How to test effectively with persistence

• Make your point with effective communication

• Keys ways to clarify project goals and requirements

Monty Python’s Flying Test Lab!


• Overview– Learning and metaphors– Ambiguous requirements– Logic and reasoning– Dead software– I always wanted to be a tester– Throw code over the wall– Help desk arguments– Communications– Testing tools– Nobody expects the process

inquisition



Learning and Metaphors

• Teaching

• Learning

• Retaining

• Applying knowledge

• Share experiences

• Don’t get carried away …







Ambiguous Requirements

• Is it really perfectly

clear?

• Do not tick off the

stakeholders

• Decision tables?

• Real communications?


Witch Burning

• False logic

• Incongruent chain

of reasoning

• A witch weighs the

same as a duck!


Witch Burning

• Indirect

measures

• Calibration

• The sound of

wisdom.


Dead Parrot?

• When I bought

this software you

said it was taking

time to get to

know my

computer.

• ―Norwegian Blue

Screen Saver‖


Dead Parrot?• What do you

mean it’s

sleeping?

• It’s crashed!

• It has abended

• It will run no more

• It is deceased

• This is a dead

program!!!


Lumberjack

• I always wanted

to be a tester,

Leaping from

bug to bug …

• “He’s a tester

and he’s OK –

He Sleeps all

night and he

works all day”


Lumberjack• He crashes

code and eats

his lunch and

lives by the

blue screen

• And when he

hears of Vista

he runs to the

latrine!


The Taunting

• So what exactly are

the developers

throwing over the

wall?

• A cow or a duck?

• Can we really ―run

away!‖?


The Argument

• Helpdesk …

• This isn’t an

argument, it is a

series of

contradictions?

• Yes it is!

• No it isn’t.


Trading Languages

• Do you

understand the

customer?

• Do your

customers

understand you?


Defend against fruit

• Choose the

right tool for the

right job.

• Take heed – do

not take claims

at face value.


Spanish Inquisition

• Nobody expects the

process inquisition!

• Our three weapons

are Fear, Surprise

and a Fanatical

Devotion to Thick

Binders


Holy Hand Grenade

• Follow instructions or

just plain act on it.

• Do testers need to

hide behind process?


SPAM

• SPAM is finally

pervasive!


Thank You

Questions?

Technology

Rob Sabourin - Monty Pythons Flying Test Lab - EuroSTAR 2010