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Monday 7 July 2008 - Exploratory Testing in practice.

Do you use ET? If so do you use it in a way more similar to (my understanding of) AdHoc testing, IE randomly going down a path? Or, do you use Charters, sessions, scenes dashboards or some other method?

I think ET is a useful method which can add alot of value but I'm curious as to how it's actually used out there in the big bad testing world. And how many testers are actually 'AdHoc'ing' and calling it ET or vice versa.

IMHO I think most good testers will use ET just as an offset of testing, maybe not in a 'formal' or 'structured' way and in most causes it probably more resembles AdHoc testing.

I probably do abit of both, although I'm not using the 'tools', in some cases I'll have an idea in my head to follow through and in others I'll just randomly be trying different things.

I'm an ExploringHoc Tester! Are you?

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Monday 7 July 2008 - there are others

Posted by Ido Schacham

I'm not aware of the exact terminological differences between Ad-Hoc testing and Exploratory.

Myself, I do quite a lot of ET. Maybe I'm misusing the term, but I'm talking about unscripted testing that starts in a certain area or domain. Usually around the core functionality of our product (Testuff) after we make some major changes, or around new features, or changed areas, etc. Of course, the path takes me to other places than what I set out to test.

Recently I saw an interesting article about session based ET. It sounds like a good idea, and I might try it out next time I exploratore, though maybe it's more relevant for bigger companies where you are expected to do things 'in order' and send back documents to your manager. All we care about here is to track as many bugs as we can and get them fixed.

BTW, what 'tools' are you talking about? Are there proper tools good for ET?

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Tuesday 8 July 2008 - Re:there are others

Posted by spikyone

Ido, thanks for taking the time to comment.

In my understanding AdHoc testing would be randomly clicking around. ET is more structured making use of Sessions, Scene based, etc.

'Tools' may not be the best word, I meant things like Sessions, scenes etc.

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Tuesday 8 July 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by PeteNairn

Read Johanna Rothman's column this week in StickyMinds.

http://www.stickyminds.com/sitewide.asp?Function=WEEKLYCOLUMN&ObjectId=13860&ObjectType=ARTCOL&btntopic=artcol

Interesting article on Exploratory Testing in Agile environments.

I use Exploratory testing, using Sessions. ET is more than just messing about (or Adhoc as it is called) it is about simultaneously designing tests, executing and learning. It requires discipline on the part of the tester as well as testing skill.

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