Testing is a critical discipline for any organization looking to deliver high-quality software. This practical book provides software developers and QA engineers with a comprehensive one-stop guide to testing skills in 10 different categories. You'll learn appropriate strategies, concepts, and practical implementation knowledge you can apply from both a development and testing perspective for web and mobile applications.

Author Gayathri Mohan offers examples of more than 40 tools you can use immediately. You'll acquire the skills to conduct exploratory testing, test automation, cross-functional testing, data testing, mobile testing, and visual testing, as well as tests for performance, security, and accessibility. You'll learn to integrate them in continuous integration pipelines to gain faster feedback. Once you dive into this guide, you'll be able to tackle challenging development workflows with a focus on quality.

With this book, you will:

• •  Learn how to employ various testing types to yield maximum quality in your projects
• •  Explore new testing methods by following the book's strategies and concepts
• •  Learn how to apply these tools at work by following detailed examples
• •  Improve your skills and job prospects by gaining a broad exposure to testing best practices
  
  Who Should Read This Book?

This book is primarily tailored for beginners in software testing and existing software testing professionals who want to expand their breadth of knowledge. That said, any software role whose responsibilities overlap with testing, such as an application developer or DevOps engineer, could benefit from the book. In all cases, a fundamental requirement is to possess some coding knowledge, especially in Java, as the book has hands-on exercises in Java and, in some places, JavaScript. Also, if you are a reader who is new to the software industry, I would recommend doing a preliminary read on software development processes such as the Agile and waterfall methodologies before diving into this book.

Navigating This Book

The book starts with an introduction to full stack testing and elaborates on the 10 testing skills that are essential to delivering high-quality web and mobile applications. Once the foundations are established, there are 10 independent skill development chapters. Each of these chapters contains the following structural elements:

• •  The topics essential for context setting are grouped under the “Building Blocks” heading. If you are new to the skill, this section will give insight into what it involves and why and where the skill needs to be applied.
• •  This is followed by a strategy section, which elaborates on how to apply the skill in a given situation.
• •  Then there are exercises that guide the readers with step-by-step instructions on executing the skill using multiple tools.
• •  There is also an “Explore More Tools” section in some chapters, where parallel tools that are similar to the ones discussed in the exercises section, or other tools that may add value at some point for the readers during their practice, are discussed further to enrich the reader’s grasp of the skill.
• •  Lastly, you will find my perspectives, based on personal observations and experience, in some of the chapters, followed by key takeaways, which are a concise overview of the lessons learned in each chapter.

After the 10 skill development chapters, the book talks about how to move further in testing with the help of first principles and individual soft skills. There is also a extra chapter for enthusiastic readers that serves as an introduction to testing in emerging technologies. It presents a brief on testing in four emerging technologies—AI/ML, blockchain, IoT, and AR/VR—with the intention of assisting readers in kick-starting their learning in those areas as well.

About the Author

Gayathri Mohan is a passionate technology leader with expertise across multiple software development roles and technical and industrial domains. Gayathri has proven her mettle by successfully managing large quality assurance (QA) teams for clients at ThoughtWorks, where she is now Principal Consultant at Thoughtworks Chennai. While working as the company's Global QA SME, she defined career pathways and the desired skill development structure for QAs at Thoughtworks. As Office Tech Principal, Gayathri cultivated local tech communities, organized technical events and developed thought leadership across technical themes.