Theo Moore

Every time you bring automation to a place where there was none (to speak of) previously, the reaction is pretty mild and no one seems to care a lot.

That is, of course, until you release your first script.

I recently did a demo for my boss and his boss, along side one of the manual testing leads. I had built a script that did detailed error message validation (create a set of data, generate error, verify that the error given was the right one, rinse, repeat), but had used reusable components with a set of datasheets the manual user can maintain. She can add new scenarios, edit old ones, select ones to run, etc, entirely by changing sets and fields in the data. It is truly a data-driven test engine that puts the control in the hands of the manual tester, and I don't have to do anything but maintain it. I even defined a quasi-meta language for the test to use which added some keyword driven testing to it, too.

BTW, I *love* this kind of test and will opt to build them this way anytime I can. It makes life *so* much simpler.

Everyone who saw it was very happy. I'd done exactly what I'd said I do, which they admitted was more than they thought I could *really* do. I'd exceeded expectations, and made some people very happy. Any day you do this, why, it should be a good day. This one certainly was.

It was the next day that things got scary.

See, we now want to automate just about everything. Heck, the admin assistant was asking me if I can automate the coffee maker. I have been asked to automate all kinds of things...the list is huge and is constantly being readjusted. This reaction is normal when an organization is first exposed to the power of automation, and I was prepared for it. This reaction was particularly strong, though.

Success is its own punishment sometimes, I guess.

I am building tools, scenario builders, data pumps...all kinds of things. I am thrilled with the work, of course, as it gives me plenty to do and I am not likely to be pulled off those things anytime soon. It is a little daunting to have the next 6 months worth of work rapidly filling up with projects to do.

Yay, me! :-)