You may hear folks talk about crypto wallets. What are these and how do you choose which kind to use? What Is a Crypto Wallet? A wallet is used to hold your crypto. Associated with your wallet is a unique set of keys: 🔑 a public key (your wallet's...
You may hear folks talk about ...
Read MoreI'm known in tech for Java development, software testing, and public speaking. So you may be wondering what brings me to Block's decentralized finance division as Vice President of Developer Relations. Oooh, I'm so glad you asked! Let me share some fun, little known facts...
I'm known in tech for Java dev...
Read MoreThose looking to break into the test automation field have difficulty doing so because of lack of experience. One way to gain experience is, of course, to study and practice on your own. But how do you demonstrate your newfound knowledge to employers? Other professionals, such as front-end developers,...
Those looking to break into th...
Read MoreLately, I'm hearing a lot about crypto, blockchain, bitcoin, Ethereum, smart contracts, defi (decentralized finance), dapps (decentralized applications), DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations), NFTs (non-fungible tokens), web3, and on and on. I wanted to learn more about all of this stuff so I started digging around for...
Lately, I'm hearing a lot abou...
Read MoreHere is a recipe for deserializing API responses into the new Java construct: Record, and using it for easier verification....
Here is a recipe for deseriali...
Read MoreA common frequently asked question is "what is the career ladder for a test automation engineer?". This is a great question, as this role is often perceived as a flat one which makes it difficult for managers and practitioners alike to determine how one can...
A common frequently asked ques...
Read MoreI had the pleasure of getting some of my favorite developer advocates together in one virtual space to discuss the role of Developer Relations! If you are interested in becoming a developer advocate, are currently a developer advocate, or just want to know what is...
I had the pleasure of getting ...
Read MoreTechniques to manage a large suite of automated tests within a CI environment and yet still get fast feedback....
Techniques to manage a large s...
Read MoreDo you know what to look for when reviewing test code? Here are 8 specific things I pay close attention to when conducting code reviews for tests....
Do you know what to look for w...
Read MoreAngie Jones explains the architecture behind Selenium 4’s new Chrome DevTools API and how to use it to take your tests to the next level....
Angie Jones explains the arc...
Read MoreLearn 3 practical approaches to achieve in-sprint test automation to reduce risk and technical debt....
Learn 3 practical approaches t...
Read MoreThe Playwright open source automation framework has released a Java API for cross-browser end-to-end testing! See how to install Playwright, create tests, and implement the Page Object Model design pattern....
The Playwright open source aut...
Read MoreJoin the TAU community as we celebrate this amazing milestone - 50,000 engineers now enrolled! I'll be hosting a Live Stream Party which will include special guests (instructors and students), trivia games, and TAU swag prizes! All who attend will also get a cool new...
Join the TAU community as we c...
Read MoreThis recipe shows how to automate the playing of an online tic-tac-toe game using Selenium WebDriver and Java...
This recipe shows how to autom...
Read MoreWhile most people are still using Java 8 from six years ago, new versions of the language are being released every six months! The latest Java versions provide an abundance of new features, such as functional programming capabilities, switch expressions, local variable type inference, additions to...
While most people are still us...
Read MoreThis recipe demonstrates how to use Selenium 4 to mock geolocation of user within Chrome DevTools....
This recipe demonstrates how t...
Read MoreWhen using Cucumber, if you want to share state between multiple step definition files, you'll need to use dependency injection (DI). There are several options: PicoContainer, Spring, OpenEJB, etc. If you're not already using DI, then I recommend PicoContainer. Otherwise, use the one that's already...
When using Cucumber, if you wa...
Read MoreHere is a recipe for programmatically reading data from an Excel spreadsheet using Apache POI. Note that in this example, I'm using the spreadsheet to store test data. However, this is NOT an endorsement to manage your test data this way. This is just one practical...
Here is a recipe for programma...
Read MoreHere is the recipe for automating the task of selecting a date from a Date Picker component. I illustrate this recipe with Selenium WebDriver and Java, however, the recipe itself can be used with any automation tool and programming language. Recipe to Automate Date Picker Selection Ingredients ...
Here is the recipe for automat...
Read MoreFor the next couple of months, I’ll be live streaming every Wednesday at 12:00 PM PST. In each session, I’ll take a specific automation challenge and come up with a recipe for solving it....
For the next couple of months,...
Read MoreThe most popular design pattern used in web UI test codebases is the Page Object Model (POM) design pattern. These tips should help you design healthy classes that implement the Page Object Model design pattern. The use of this pattern promotes separation of concerns (e.g....
The most popular design patter...
Read MoreI joined a live Twitch session with Jason Lengstorf on his show "Learn with Jason". We paired as I showed him how to use Cypress for test automation, and also how to add visual testing to his suite, using Applitools. We had an absolute blast building...
I joined a live Twitch session...
Read MoreSelenium 4 brings Relative Locators (originally named Friendly Locators). This functionality was added to help you locate elements that are nearby other elements. The available options are above, below, toLeftOf, toRightOf, and near....
Selenium 4 brings Relative Loc...
Read MoreI've released a brand new course - completely free - on Selenium WebDriver with Java! The Test Automation University course takes you from zero to 100, covering introductory and advanced concepts in 3.5 hours! I cover all of the following in this free Selenium tutorial: How to...
I've released a brand new cour...
Read MoreBehavior Driven Development, also known as BDD, is an example-based methodology for developing software. The key to BDD is collaborative exercises between Business, Development, and Testers. These parties are collectively known as the Three Amigos. When beginning the work for a new feature, the three amigos...
Behavior Driven Development, a...
Read MoreMany teams struggle to automate their tests within the same sprint that the feature is developed, thus leading to technical debt. In my latest article, I've provided 3 techniques to help you close your sprints with tests in place! Read it on Techbeacon by clicking the...
Many teams struggle to automat...
Read MoreSince Java 8, there have been many cool features introduced. In fact, Java is releasing a new version every 6 months! With so many additions, it can be hard to keep up. Here’s how some of the newer features from Java 8 – 12 can...
Since Java 8, there have been ...
Read MoreMost people do a pretty lazy job of testing APIs. In my ABCs of APIs workshop, I ask people to manually test an API. When looking at a response, they typically glance at it, and maybe carefully review some of the key fields. Same goes...
Most people do a pretty lazy j...
Read MoreWith Java being the most popular language for test automation, I decided to create a FREE course that teaches core Java! This course is a self-paced, online video course which includes tons of practical examples and also exercises for you to try on your own. Many...
With Java being the most popul...
Read MoreA code smell is code that isn't technically wrong, meaning, it works; however, the implementation of said code is problematic in that it's difficult to manage and thus can lead to delayed development time and even the introduction of bugs. There are many writings about code...
A code smell is code that isn'...
Read MoreThere's been a resurgence of codeless test automation tools. I've been burned by these types of tools in the past, so have written an open letter to codeless tool vendors with a list of demands. Many have responded. There's also been lively discussion from community...
There's been a resurgence of c...
Read MoreI recently conducted research to determine the most widely used programming languages for UI test automation. A complete write-up of my findings, with percentage breakdowns, can be found on Applitools blog. But here's the results at a quick glance....
I recently conducted research ...
Read MoreThere’s two ways to invoke PDF test automation using this tool. In the first one, I'll show how to execute the PDF validation via the command line. In the second, how to execute it as part of an automated test....
There’s two ways to invoke PDF...
Read MoreDZone published a 2019 Guide to DevOps e-Book which contains a chapter that I've written called Testing in CI. In this chapter, I cover key considerations which are needed for your automated tests if you'd like them to be a part of your team's continuous...
DZone published a 2019 Guide ...
Read MoreI've published a free course on Test Automation University that walks you through how to define a successful test automation strategy and the many considerations you need to make to do so. This course is great for those who are starting a new test automation...
I've published a free course ...
Read MoreFun fact: In addition to being an automation engineer, I am also a game designer. I created a competitive fashion game that has all of the elements that keep players coming back for years. In this talk, I share the key aspects to game design and...
Fun fact: In addition to being...
Read MoreJoe Colantonio hosted Dave Haeffner, Gil Tayar, and myself for a roundtable to discuss 2019 trends in test automation. We discussed some side effects in tooling and automation practices we're seeing due to the continuous testing movement; the re-emergence of codeless test automation tools; which...
Joe Colantonio hosted Dave Hae...
Read MoreWhen automating scenarios, we have to be very careful to capture all of the various verification points that a tester would process when executing a test. I've written about this issue in Adding a Peripheral View to Test Automation, and stressed how important it is...
When automating scenarios, we ...
Read MoreThere is a great demand for software development engineers in test (SDETs), which is a hybrid role between Developer and Tester. However many employers are finding that simply finding a developer who writes test or a tester who writes code is not enough. There's so...
There is a great demand for ...
Read MoreFor many, Machine Learning and AI are nothing more than buzz words. However, machine learning is a realized form of AI that is currently being utilized by top tech companies in products that we use every day. For this reason, it’s important that we understand...
For many, Machine Learning and...
Read MoreI've been exploring some of the newer testing tools lately and this week I had a look at TestProject. This tool promotes itself as a free community-driven test automation application, which really piqued my interest. It works as a graphical interface to industry-standard test automation...
I've been exploring some of th...
Read MoreIf you've been in software development for any amount of time, chances are you've dealt with code reviews where the comments are harsh, blunt, or sometimes downright rude. Code reviews are a form of feedback, but unfortunately they often lack the thoughtfulness that would be exercised if you were being...
If you've been in software dev...
Read MoreThere's a lot of talk nowadays about the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) will have on testing. There's a new generation of testing tools being developed that employ AI with promises of making testing much more efficient for us. This is very exciting, and I look...
There's a lot of talk nowadays...
Read MoreWith JavaMail API, I've been able to not only verify that an email was received, but also verify its contents, open links within the email, extract data sent (temp passwords, verification codes, etc). Someone recently asked me about email verification within automation, so I decided...
With JavaMail API, I've been a...
Read MoreDoes your application and test automation code reside in separate repositories? If so you're missing out. Angie Jones explains the benefits....
Does your application and test...
Read MoreI’ve seen (and written) several automation projects where each page class requires a constructor that takes a WebDriver object so that the page classes can access the current browser instance. There’s nothing particularly wrong with this, but I do find it a bit annoying to...
I’ve seen (and written) severa...
Read MoreBefore 2018 kicks in, 4 leading experts joined forces to share the test automation trends that will dominate our daily work procedures and processes in the upcoming year. Automation Guild Conference founder, Joe Colantonio, hosted a panel with three Dev/Test thought leaders: Angie Jones, Richard Bradshaw,...
Before 2018 kicks in, 4 leadin...
Read MoreAre you interested in becoming a test automation engineer? Do you lead a team you'd like to see transition toward test automation by learning the skills needed to do this role? Here's a 3-step guide on how to get started with the test automation career path. Simply...
Are you interested in becoming...
Read MoreThe concept of shifting left suggests that testing be done earlier in the software development process. The notion of this is admirable and, when done properly, can enable teams to be very successful with their quality initiatives. However, the implementation of this practice is often...
The concept of shifting left s...
Read MoreWhen learning an object-oriented programming (OOP) language, we learn about key concepts in theory, but it's not always clear on how to apply those concepts to practical software development. And many automation engineers learn programming by taking the hands-on approach and jumping head first into scripting...
When learning an object-orient...
Read MoreAt Twitter, we currently have 14 automation engineers and more than a quarter of them are new college hires. All of us work on different projects which span various areas and platforms: web, iOS, android, web services, etc. In a shop like this, it's very...
At Twitter, we currently have ...
Read MoreDon’t become a closet rock star! While developing your brand as a thought leader, your company may not be aware of the impact that you’re making on the industry. Learn key strategies to ensure that your external stardom is also recognized and celebrated internally within...
Don’t become a closet rock sta...
Read MoreI was recently featured in QASymphony's e-book, The Future of Software Testing: 12 Testing Experts Share Their Predictions discussing my thoughts on what's in store for the future of software testing, and how testers can prepare and adapt to this transformation. Here's an excerpt of...
I was recently featured in...
Read MoreTest Automation Engineers are in high demand, but that doesn’t mean companies are willing to lower the bar in hiring for these roles. With test automation projects failing left and right, flaky tests crippling continuous integration pipelines, and automated tests causing maintenance nightmares, managers feel...
Test Automation Engineers are ...
Read MoreWhen done properly, Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) can drastically improve the communication and understanding of requirements. An additional benefit is being able to utilize the domain-specific language of the requirements to drive test automation. However, like any other automation initiative, when done poorly, this too can...
When done properly, Behavior-D...
Read MoreMike Horn, a writer for Smartsheet, reached out to me and several other test automation practitioners for a piece he was writing on the basics of test automation. Mike, not being an automation engineer himself, didn't know what he was getting into when he opened...
Mike Horn, a writer for Smarts...
Read MoreIt's no secret that I've led several successful automation projects, however, to get to this point I had to learn quite a few painful lessons the hard way. As the saying goes, experience is the greatest teacher. Well hopefully, you can utilize my experiences to...
It's no secret that I've led s...
Read MoreI had the honor of contributing a chapter to Eran Kinsbruner's new book, The Digital Quality Handbook: Guide for Achieving Continuous Quality in a DevOps Reality. My chapter is titled "Actualizing Quality While Practicing Agile" and focuses on how to effectively perform mobile testing in...
I had the honor of contributin...
Read MoreOnce upon a time I needed to automate tests for machine learning...
Once upon a time I needed to a...
Read More#SeConfAustin - The Build that Cried Broken ...
#SeConfAustin - The Build that...
Read MoreAs someone who regularly interviews candidates for test automation roles, there are common mistakes I see companies making that drive their automation engineers away. On TechBeacon, I've written about the top five actions that may cause your automation engineers to bail. Review your practices and see if...
As someone who regularly inter...
Read MoreEuropean Testing Conference 2017 ...
European Testing Conference 20...
Read MoreMike Cohn's Test Automation Pyramid is a guide that is frequently cited as a good practice to follow. It suggests that: the bulk of your automated tests should be unit tests the next largest group of tests should be developed to target the service layer...
Mike Cohn's Test Automation Py...
Read MoreTechGirlz, a wonderful organization that I volunteer with who is committed to bridging the gender gap by exposing middle school girls to technology, recently held an exciting workshop that introduced 25 girls to Raspberry Pi, a credit-card sized computer, and Python, a programming language. The girls...
TechGirlz, a wonderful organiz...
Read MoreIf you search online for articles on Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), you're likely to find more literature on how everyone is doing it wrong versus what it really is and practical success stories in using it. I've read article after article explaining how teams are claiming...
If you search online for artic...
Read MoreAs quality initiatives shift left in an agile world, software testing teams realize that they must rely on the fast feedback of automated scenarios for continuous integration and deployment. But even when people understand test automation basics, most automation initiatives fail. There are many reasons why test automation initiatives fall short,...
As quality initiatives shift l...
Read MoreOne reason why human testers are far better at finding bugs than automated scenarios is because testers aren't just validating the expected results. They are also able to recognize unexpected surprises and anomalies within the application. For example, take a look at this application and assume...
One reason why human testers a...
Read MoreTestBash Philly 2016 ...
TestBash Philly 2016 ....
Read MoreSelenium Conf 2016, London, UK ...
Selenium Conf 2016, London...
Read MoreAngie speaks all over the world about emerging technologies and software development. Here are upcoming events where Angie will be speaking or teaching technical workshops....
Angie speaks all over the worl...
Read MoreWhen interviewing candidates for UI automation openings, I like to give them typical automation 'problems' to solve. Most of the problems provide them with a picture of a UI and the corresponding HTML, and ask how they would automate something given a tricky DOM. I'm...
When interviewing candidates f...
Read MoreTL;DR: taught a workshop and it went great. planned as a Selenium workshop but morphed into a broader automation workshop. presents practical use of automation over simplistic unrealistic intro; raving reviews from attendees. As continuous integration is becoming more of a reality at the company that...
TL;DR: taught a workshop and i...
Read MoreIt's conference season for me! In my role, it's imperative that I stay up to date with current trends and technologies, so for the next few months, I'll be soaking up as much knowledge as possible via tech conferences. One conference that really caught my eye...
It's conference season for me!...
Read MoreI'm an Adjunct Instructor who teaches Java programming to college students. I was recently asked by Anna Royzman, President of A Quality Leadership Institute, if I taught my students about testing. For a moment, I felt a pang of guilt because I don't have any...
I'm an Adjunct Instructor who ...
Read MoreBehavior Driven Development (BDD) has become a popular approach in communicating requirements between stakeholders of agile teams. In fact, it's so effective that it's also being adopted in automation strategies by using Cucumber to write test scenarios in Gherkin (a non-technical, human readable language) and...
Behavior Driven Development (B...
Read MoreThe Ministry of Testing recently launched Gem Webinars, and I did a talk on patent development from a tester's perspective. Recording of Webinar: Slides: Feedback: I clearly got a challenge for my new job. Identify something patentable. Thanks for inspiration, @techgirl1908 #testgems — Maaret Pyhäjärvi (@maaretp) August 22, 2016 Interesting to...
The Ministry of Testing recent...
Read MoreDevelopers should not lead your automation efforts. I've never seen this succeed. In fact, many times I have been brought on to teams to clean up the mess that is left behind when developers try to lead this effort. The reason is simple. Developers are not...
Developers should not lead you...
Read MoreThere's quite a demand for automation engineers. Unfortunately, as the demand grows, so has the difficulty in finding testers with automation skills. As of late, I'm seeing more of a push from companies to transition their existing testers into more of an automation role, and I'm...
There's quite a demand for aut...
Read MoreTest cases are important. They provide step by step instructions on how to validate a feature. They are essential for cross-training and necessary for auditing. They also take quite a bit of time to write, do not seem to be testers' favorite activity, and instantly become outdated...
Test cases are important. They...
Read MoreI've been in Automation for more than 10 years. I consider myself a hardcore automation engineer, and have always thought that to truly get automation done you need programmers...
I've been in Automation for mo...
Read MoreMarlena Compton wrote a very interesting blog post on the power structure in tech and how she believes women and minorities are pushed into software testing roles. Marlena advises...
Marlena Compton wrote a very i...
Read MoreI received a pleasant surprise when the Principal of Sci Academy High School in New Orleans, LA invited me to deliver the keynote address at their 2016 Commencement Ceremony. While the honor alone overwhelmed me, the bigger story brought me to a moment of reflection....
I received a pleasant surprise...
Read MoreThe Black Data Professionals Association (BDPA) sponsors a wonderful technology training program for high school students in the community. Some of the students even go on to compete regionally and nationally in web development competitions! I was asked to teach a Saturday workshop and was given...
The Black Data Professionals A...
Read MoreI am very passionate about advocating for minorities and women in tech. One way that I champion this cause is by volunteering with organizations such as TechGirlz, which is a non-profit dedicated to reducing the gender gap in technology by targeting middle school girls and...
I am very passionate about adv...
Read MoreI hosted a vendor booth at the US2020 RTP Gaming Expo where I showcased my Indie fashion game, Diva Chix, on my 13” Macbook. Amongst the other vendors were virtual reality exhibits, dog robots, and dozens of other fancy and futuristic games. More than 250 middle...
I hosted a vendor booth at the...
Read More