Atomic Spin :: Elements of Software

Patrick Copeland gave a presentation at GTAC 2007 about Google’s approach to testing. Most importantly Google focuses on developer testing. Rather than set up software testing teams for each development team, they promote unit testing, automation tool building and developer responsibility for test suite quality. In order to disseminate these ideas, they created what they call the “Test-Certified Ladder”. It suggests a set of small steps to get any development team going on testing:

1. Setup testing tools
2. Learn technologies and techniques
3. Improve test suites

Google also has what they call “Test Mercenaries”. These are specialized teams of dev-testers that arrange time-boxed relationships with development teams to help them improve their tests. Often pairing directly with their partner teams, these mercenaries have a few responsibilities:

1. Introduce new technologies
2. Refactor code
3. Train developers

Finally, Google has a number of methods to disseminate testing knowledge throughout their company:

• Testing on the Toilet: restroom postings of new test technologies, test suite reports, etc.
• Testapalooza: all-day conference where testing ideas from across the whole company can converse.
• Code Green: a monthly magazine-style internal publication, specific to testing at Google

Every presentation from GTAC 2007 is available online at youtube.com.