Notes on testing, automation, and software craft.
I was lucky enough to have started my career in a small company and then in a start up. Both provided me with an environment perfect for learning. I sat with experts who took time out of their day to help answer my questions. From them, I learned the basics of what I still use… more »
I recently open sourced a simple Micropython library for LoRaWAN on the Raspberry Pi Pico. (If you are interested, You can find it on GitHub.) If you are unsure what that all means, let me unpack it for you... Micropython is a slimmed down version of Python 3.x that works on… more »
“Works on my machine!” “Fails most epicly on my test system!” “Oh, wait… it works on CI but fails in Test env 3.” Sound familiar? These sorts of conversations are thankfully a thing of the past. Wait, hold on are you still having these sorts of conversations? That's probably… more »
A long time ago, in a country far away, a cunning politician suggested a way to reduce crime. He stated that a simple test that could be used to catch all the criminals. When tested, all the criminals would fail the test and be locked up. There’d be no need for expensive courts… more »
“Muggins! 2 for 15. My points!” My son shouts in my face. I frown and re examine my cards, sure enough, I’ve missed a card combination. I scramble for a response… “Err... ACC Rule 10 sub section 1 part (b) states I have to be informed prior to the game that the rule is in… more »
It's 1982 and there's a bull market in the western stock exchanges. After being in the doldrums for 6 years the Dow Jones Industrial Average index is climbing steeply. In London, the FTSE 100 index is also witnessing a steady climb, despite the ongoing war in the South Atlantic.… more »
Mostly Harmless, I've talked and written about randomisation as a technique in software testing several times over the last few years. It's great to see people's eyes light up when they grok the concept and its potential. The idea that they can create random test data on the fly… more »
The release shipped. For a while, the team felt good. The work was done, the team had achieved something, and that was rewarding. Unfortunately for the team, it wasn't long before a problem was found. The Product Owner wasn't happy and had asked was going on down there in the… more »
There is a pattern I see with many clients, often enough that I sought out a word to describe it: Manumation, A sort of well meaning automation that usually requires frequent, extensive and expensive intervention to keep it 'working'. You have probably seen it, the build server… more »
Shutter sync is an interesting artefact generated when we video moving objects. Take a look at this video of a Helicopter taking off: <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube nocookie.com/embed/yr3ngmRuGUc?feature=player embedded"… more »