Introduction to exploratory testing

In agile testing, exploratory testing is an important component that combines system exploration and system testing, agile testing can be used to achieve agile goals.

Exploratory testing is not a testing technique recently proposed, nor is it a very profound technique-in fact, many test engineers are consciously or unconsciously using it. So what is exploratory testing?

The understanding of the exploratory test itself is controversial, so it is difficult to give an accurate definition of the exploratory test. However, in general, the exploratory test has the following characteristics:
1. exploratory testing emphasizes the "simultaneous" of test design and test execution-This "simultaneous" is relative to the strict "first design, then execution" in the traditional software testing process;
2. test engineers continuously learn the tested system through tests;
3. The focus of exploratory testing is creation;

The starting point of the exploratory test is "If the tester has not actually used the system, it is impossible to really understand and master the system, and it is impossible to really test the system effectively ", I believe that all the test engineers who have tested the system will acknowledge this point. Indeed, it is difficult to fully understand this system before we have come into contact with a real system, although the test plan and use cases can be written according to the requirements or design requirements in the test plan stage, these use cases cannot be too operable.

In fact, the exploratory test provides another test idea: "If we can gradually study the system in the system test, will the test be more efficient ?" In my opinion, the answer to this question is obvious. If the test engineer is able to gain a deeper understanding of the system during the test, then use the more advanced understanding, this naturally makes testing more efficient.

Exploratory testing is just a way of thinking and is not a definite process. Therefore, when exploratory testing is used, the question of when cannot be avoided. That is to say, when will the exploratory testing be more effective? My answer is "when you think it is appropriate" :) Because exploratory testing can be tailored to different test levels, such as exploratory testing for business scenarios and exploratory testing for functional points, even brainstorming Exploratory tests can play a positive role in tests.