What is Developer-Tester Buddying?
Software testing is not a one-man job. As a tester, you will usually work with software that was created by a developer, so communication skills are essential for success at your job. First, you will need to gather information on what to test. Some of this information may come from other developers who have better insight on how a particular part of the program works. These developers know the exact number of outcomes that need to be covered in test scenarios. Often, the developer will give the tester an unofficial version of the program, which the tester then tries to break in multiple ways and provide quick yet crucial feedback on what to fix. We call this Developer–Tester Buddying. Even though this method is not considered an official part of the V&V (Verification & Validation) process, it can save a significant amount of time for the project overall.
Buddying can also improve quality by allowing the tester to have a sneak peak at an upcoming feature. This way, the tester can get a head start providing feedback, collecting ideas for future test scenarios, and identifying issues in the design (one of the most expensive issues to fix). Developers are often asked to present these new features to clients in the form of a demo, and it’s a good idea for the tester to participate in this process.
Developer–Tester Buddying is an effective method in the software development process, allowing you to increase the overall quality of the program while also reducing the time needed to implement new features.
Additional Collaboration with Testers
As testers, when we think we’ve found a bug, the first thing we’ll do is make sure it’s a real issue and not just the result of an improper program configuration. In order to do this, we’ll sometimes bring in a programmer to take a closer look at the code. This cooperation comes in handy if we’re really out of ideas – for example, if we need to produce a certain error message but aren’t sure how to get to that point in the software.
However, an investigation like this can require a lot of time, which the programmers might not always have. In this case, asking a fellow, more experienced tester can be a solution. As a team, we’ll always try and handle problems ourselves first. Everyone has their own tasks, and spending too much time pulling someone out of their work can significantly reduce effectiveness overall. It’s important to strike the right balance between collaborative and independent work in order to reach the most effective solutions.
Interested in collaborating with us on your own project? Contact us today and see what our team can do for you!
