Theo Moore

Trans-Siberian Orchestra tonight!

2008-11-20T07:13:20-05:00:00

Sheri and I are going to see TSO for the third time tonight. If you've not seen them, you oughta. We managed to get third row seats this year, and we've never been closer. This is something I hope will become a holiday tradition for us (it may already if 3 times counts as a tradition).

I can hardly wait!

TestComplete: A very brief review

2008-11-12T09:34:50-05:00:00

PLEASE NOTE: THESE WORDS ARE MY ONLY MY OPINION. SPARE ME THE EXERCISE OF DELETING YOUR COMMENTS AND LAUGHING AT YOU IF YOU FLAME ME OVER THEM, TROLLISH ONE!

***BEGIN EDIT***

There is a gentleman who has commented on this particular post who, it seems to me, wants to argue semantics. Upon checking his blog, I have determined that he has a particular axe to grind with regards to "automated testing" (a term, it would appear, he considers an oxymoron). As I am not particularly interested in a philosophical argument, I have chosen not to explicitly respond to his post. Out of respect for his opinion, I have of course left his comments in place so a reader may form their own opinion. I do, of course, appreciate his time for the post; I just don't feel like arguing over what I feel are nit-picking points. I am certain he would not agree, and since that is case, I feel like we should agree to disagree and have done.

I will answer one of his questions, though: I am indeed male...or I was last time I had my DNA analyzed. The results are available on request. :-)

***END EDIT***

I've been asked to test out TestComplete for our organization. We are a Hp tool (Quality Center/QTP) shop, but we've been unhappy with QTP lately. QTP is a good tool, but it needs a serious overhaul (IMO) in order to remain competitive. It's sort of like Windows back at the Win 95 stage; it is so ubiquitous that it can limp around and still have good market share.

As an aside, QTP basically does web testing well, but it is not so good (again, IMO) at handing non-web apps. It also requires a plug-in (read as: costs more) for each type of app you want to test. You want to test Delphi? Buy the plug-in. ActiveX? Buy the plug-in, etc. It also wants you do special builds to make some of the plug-ins work (Delphi, for example). If you are testing interfaces with a third-party app (as we are) getting the special build is out of the question so QTP isn't an ideal solution. Honestly, it's pretty darn expensive, too. I don't know how much we pay (ok, I do, but I can't say what it is), but it's a LOT for what we get. Support alone each year is in the tens of thousands and this is for only a couple of licenses. I can honestly go on and on about the weaknesses of QTP because I've used it a lot. It does have many strengths (ease of use for new users being a major one), of course and I don't mind working with it. Heck, I guess I better not given it's the tool I've used most.

But this post isn't really about QTP. I only mention some of the sticking points I have with QTP so I can contrast them against TC.

TestComplete, right out the box tests just about any darn thing you want. Period. I threw it at Delphi and it works great. It loves .Net and Java apps (Ah, reflection, what a wonderful thing!). The Web testing is a *little* less simple than QTP, but that's workable. It also works well with embedded ActiveX in webpages, something that QTP always hiccups on.

TC supports many languages rather than just VBScript (ala QTP). You like DelphiScript? Knock yerself out. It handles it great. C# Script? Get to it! All good. Obviously, the choice of language is sort of minor as most of them operate more or less the same (with different syntax), but it's cool that it works with them all. Obviously, your language of choice is independent of the language the AUT is written in (except in some odd cases, but I haven't tried this yet).

TC uses two modes for test object recognition: standard and "open". Standard is good for black box testing, where you simply interact with the interface. Open is nifty, because it lets you interact with the objects and data behind the interface. You can insert test conditions, check object status, intercept function calls (I think), all kinds of stuff.

TC will interface with MSBuild, Team System, run nUnit/jUnit scripts, and even do your nails. It comes with a HTTP load testing tool built-in (unlike QTP which has no such thing...you are stuck using LoadRunner, as separate purchase). I've not tried the load testing tool yet, but for the price, how bad can it be?

My only criticism of TC at this point is this: if you are new to automation, this is NOT the tool to learn on. I've said many times that if you want to do good, workable automated testing, you are best served with a dev background. TC makes the dev background almost a necessity. Much like Rational Functional Tester (IBM's premier functional testing tool...it ROCKS, btw), a dev background is a requirement not just something that would be nice.

I believe we are going to purchase this tool in the near future to use with our new product (it's a .Net 3rd party tool we are going to customize) and I am sure I'll have more to say as I use it. My thought is that it's even possible I'll pine away after my dear old QTP.....

Maybe I'll never have to see the infamous QTP "General Error" (The QTP equivalent of saying "I am broke and I won't/can't tell you why) ever again....

Now, time to get TC to do my nails.....

A moment to pause and reflect

2008-10-26T10:32:19-04:00:00

I went to play hockey last night. I don't go on Friday night often, but I had time this week and didn't get any other ice time this week. Seemed like a great chance. When I got to the rink, I found a couple of players from my team were there. Very cool. Good practice could be had, and we did.

While we were changing, one of them told me a sad story. Mark, one of the players on one of the teams against which we play and with which we practice, had a heart attack while playing on the very ice surface we were going to play last night. He was playing on Thursday when it happened. He flatlined and they were never able to get it going again. He was declared dead on the ice right there. Mark was 43 and leaves a wife and kids(I believe).

It got me to thinking about how glad I am I got my health in order earlier this year. In February, Sheri and I embarked on a course to get ourselves in shape. Initially, the plan was just to lose a few pounds, but there more I lost and the stronger my heart/body, the better I felt. Now, I've lost 64 pounds and some large amount of fat (BMI is being done on Monday so I'll know how much). I am in the best cardio-vascular shape I've been in ages. I skated last night with kids half my age and kept up.

I realize that even with all of the exercise and weight loss, a heart attack is still a real possibility at any age. However, I know I have drastically reduced my chances and increased my quality of life.
When I get tired, and wonder if it's worth it, I'll remember Mark.

Somewhere, Mark is taking his shift as center, and I pray he's scoring on every shot.

Crash the net, boss!

Busy Month

2008-10-15T08:26:29-04:00:00

It's been a crazy month at work, what with losing personnel and "accelerated timelines" (read as: director sucking up to IT VP). As a result, I've not had much time for anything 'sides work and working out. The former is a bummer but the latter rocks!

The one other thing I've managed to have time to do is watch some TV on DVD. Sheri and I have started (as I've mentioned previously) watching some of the Sci-Fi shows about which most everyone else seems to rave.

Most recently, we've tried Heroes. We watched the first episode the other night, and I must say, it's pretty darn compelling. I sure hope it manages to maintain that aspect as we continue to watch.

Anyway, just a brief update to explain why I've not been here much.

Fitness Update:

2008-10-09T10:10:45-04:00:00

My weight loss has continued, and I feel great. I have now lost 63 pounds, but this number is difficult to use as a gauge as I am in the gym 5-6 days a week now.

I will be measuring my body fat in a couple of weeks, which should give me a better indication of my progress. I can tell you, however, that I bought new jeans 2 weeks ago and they are now one size too big and slide off without being unbuttoned. What a far cry from last year! I posted some pics of myself from last November on my Facebook page even though it was terribly embarrassing to see them.

I sort of find it ironic, though, that my biggest problem with diet now is that I am not eating enough. Seriously. I eat 5-6 times a day, but stick to fruits and veggies 95% of the time with a little chicken thrown in. As a result, I am getting approx. 1000-1200 calories a day. Well, just one 45 minute session on the elliptical machine burns approx. 650. That doesn't even count any from the muscle building portion of the workout. So, clearly, I am not getting enough. I've even added whey protein to my daily intake (about 80 grams) because I was getting less then 10 grams a day (not even enough for a normal person, much less someone who works out as much as I do). The added calories from the whey brings me up to about 1500 on a good day. The funny part is that I am full to the gills most all of the time (the whey is very filling) and am rarely hungry. Sheri has been sneaking extra food into my lunchbox in an effort to entice me to eat more, but I just don't. One of the trainers at my gym keeps fussing at me about it, too, but it's hard to eat when you aren't hungry and your tummy feels full. Guess I'll have to try and find a balance.

Anyway, I feel better than I've felt in ages. I just hope and pray my discipline holds. 'Course, it has for 6 months now, so I suspect it will.

RealDvD in legal trouble

2008-10-07T13:55:33-04:00:00

Apparently, as reported here, RealDvD is not currently available (as reported in a previous post of mine) thanks to Hollywood believing that it violates copyright. I have tried the software out, and I like it. It's convenient to have playable copies of DvDs I own, even if they are tied specifically to my machine. Sometimes, it's cool to rip a DvD to take on my laptop somewhere. Will be a real bummer if it is ruled illegal is not sold; I was considering purchasing it when my trial ended.

Pity...

I used to be a headbanger....

2008-10-05T20:20:42-04:00:00

...now I will be Headblader. Thanks to a buddy, I now have on order a starter kit to get the old head shaved. I figured I'd totally embrace the inner convict look. With tats and goatee, shaved head was all I was missing. :-)

Dragon*Con: Marriot rooms now available!

2008-10-01T18:45:07-04:00:00

Sheri randomly checked with the Marriot last night about rooms for next year's D*C and they were available. This was total surprise as they weren't supposed to be available (per our last call to the Marriot) until December. We were determined to be in one of the host hotels, so we've been carefully monitoring the situation. As soon as they were available we grabbed them. Chances are they'll go fast as the Marriot is usually the host hotel where you can actually get sleep (if you want it), as opposed to the others which are usually too busy.

DragonCon is September 4th through the 7th of next year; only 336 days left.

I won!

2008-10-01T18:41:23-04:00:00

Turns out I talk too much and post too much in my blog. :-) I won 8th place last month (September) at Community Credit. It's a pretty cool way to get credit for just being active in the community. It's nice to be recognized. :-)

QTP: GetQueryStringValue

2008-09-30T22:00:13-04:00:00

I recently updated a handy function for our QTP library. It is a handy function that will extract the query string from the URL in a current displayed browser, parse it, and store it in such a way that the user can call for the value by name. It is also pretty smart that it stores and only parses it one time. It remembers what the last browser was, and if the URL changes, it re-parses the string. Pretty handy. So, if you wanted a value out of the query string for say, lnkey, you'd simply call it like:

myVar = Browser("MyBrowser").GetQueryStringValue("LnKey")

It's made extracting such values infinitely simpler and provides a standard interface for use by the whole team.

Handy.

RealDVD is available

2008-09-30T10:05:18-04:00:00

RealDvD is now available for a 30 day trial and reduced price ($30 compared to $50). This basically makes a licensed copy of your DvD on your hard drive to "protect your DvDs" and allow you to easily take your collection with you. It will rip to portable drives as well as hard drives. However, the ripped copy is locked down to your specific license on your specific machine.

This is interesting for many reasons. It won't allow you to burn the DvDs (I don't think), but it doesn't prevent you borrowing your buddy's DvDs (or renting them) and ripping them. I am not sure how this is 100% legal as the company claims, but I suppose it is no different than using any of the fly under the radar ripper software packages to make an illegal copy except that it locks the copy to one specific machine.

I think I may give this a try and will report more once I have.

Garmin nuvi 260: I was lost but now I'm found

2008-09-29T15:13:29-04:00:00

Picked up a new toy over the weekend (I love gadgets, the gods helps me). I was going to dinner for a friend's birthday and had to miss my turn. We found the place ok, but I was reminded how much I don't like being lost. As a matter of fact, I hate it. I decided I'd had enough of this (after ending up in what I refer to as "Banjo, South Carolina" the week prior for the mud run), so went a found one.

I decided on the 260. It's sweet. It has none of the extra features (like phone bluetooth or MP3 player...stuff I call "fluff"), and does a great job. I considered the 205 (cheaper), but the 205 might say "1.0 miles, turn right", the 260 says "1.0 turn right on First Street North". The combination of voice prompt with the visual cue of a road sign greatly contributes to my send of well-being. The 260 also has a full size SD card slot (apparently the map updates come on them) rather than the microDC as supported by the 205. 'Course, the 205 does come in red (which matches my car), and the 260 in grey only.

I considered the 260 wide screen, but ultimately decided that if I am driving, I ain't lookin' at the screen anyway...or I shouldn't be anyway.

If yer looking for a good, reliable, easy to follow GPS without the extra fluff features, the 26o is a nice option.

Visual Studio 2010 "Black Box"

2008-09-29T09:37:16-04:00:00

CNET has an interesting teaser article describing a "black box" feature for VS2010. As a developer/tester, I can tell you this would be excellent! Imagine having all the details of the application state on a crash or error. As the article describes, it should reduce the "works fine on my box" approach to defect resolution. As a developer, it will reduce my feeling of helplessness when a defect pops up that I can't reproduce. As a tester, I will be able to provide additional information about the problem that will allow better communication between me and the developer. Apparently, there's not much more being said about VS2010 at present, but this feature alone sounds most excellent.

Torchwood: Poor man's X-files?

2008-09-28T19:41:05-04:00:00

Sheri and I have been switching off between BSG and Torchwood. We heard people raving about TW at DragonCon this year, so we figured we'd give it a try. Heck, we started watching Firefly and BSG on recommendation; would TW be as good?

Sadly, no.

So far (and we are on disc 4 of the first season), we are honestly underwhelmed. I keep hoping that it will improve, so we watching the episodes. It's just not catching me as I had hoped. I don't find the characters particularly compelling and the interactions between them don't seem genuine. Just my two cents; spare me the flames if you disagree. We actually liked the X-Files, but this seems like a lukewarm attempt to catch the X-Files feel and audience. I understand that people absolutely love this show, but I can't for the life of me understand why.

Most recently episode to disappoint me was "Countrycide". If there was ever a worse rip-off of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I've never seen it. It was so brusingly unoriginal that I practically sent the other DvDs back to Blockbuster un-watched. I am going to give the series to the rest of this DvD (3 more episodes) and it it doesn't improve I think we're done.

NHL on Hulu!!!!

2008-09-28T11:16:01-04:00:00

I don't like TV (if you've read my blog lately you'd probably not believe that) normally. I do like to watch some shows, but I tend to try to avoid the whole TV experience (commercials, etc). I like to rent DvDs from Blockbuster for shows that are several seasons in (BSG, for example). Sheri has been a big fan of Hulu for watching "her shows" (Dancing with the Has-Beens, Project Aufwiedersein, So You Think You Can Faceplant, etc.), but I've never really found a compelling reason to check it out much.

That has changed for all eternity.

Sheri showed me FULL NHL GAMES on Hulu!!!! I was watching Red Wings vs. Penguins Game 6 for the Stanley Cup finals. Given I am still a few weeks from the new NHL season, it was a wonderful, excellent way to get a taste of one of my favourite pastimes. It has also fired me up for the season to come...

You know, I look a lot like those guys when I play my weekly game, too....