Testing and Quality Assurance are among the essential pillars of high-quality Drupal software development and its reliable operation across industries and niches as a whole. This is exactly why these practices must evolve accordingly, allowing Drupal software engineering specialists to polish and perfect products faster, more flexibly and dynamically, without sacrificing the thoroughness of the processes. And this is where the Agile methodology came in as a real game-changer.
What’s Agile All About?
Agile methodology has come to take over from Waterfall - archaic testing and QA philosophy that used to be a global industry staple, yet failed to prove all-around efficiency in the long run. Its main issue was an overly fixated approach that put testing specialists in the dark - testers had to work with chunks of the product that were completed long-term without their involvement, or they could even get to test only a whole finished product. This put tons of limits and spawned many undermining factors.
Agile testing life cycle
Agile is all about continuous testing and the dynamic involvement of specialists from different but mutually dependent departments. It promotes ongoing testing iterations that take place after every other 2/3-week software development sprint. Thus, Drupal testing in Agile efforts are usually kicked off right at the start of the project. In the long run, this allows for joint test-driven development and testing that results in faster time-to-market and higher end quality overall.
Agile testing techniques
1. Exploratory testing is all about exploration - specialists simulate various unscripted behaviors, seeing how certain readymade parts of software react to them. Tests here are designed in real time based on fluctuations you see. And instead of documenting the whole Drupal testing process, only flaws and defects are documented.
2. Test-driven development promotes very short testing iterations. In a nutshell, specialists design a test that tackles a certain aspect, developers code the means to set that test in motion, and the resulting code is refactored
3. Acceptance test-driven development actively involves the client, developers, and testers in order to gather information from all sides and define the most efficient acceptance testing guidelines. Thus, the client outlines an issue, a developer seeks the way to solve it, and a tester identifies the exact reason for that issue appearing in the first place.
4. Lastly, but not least importantly, behavior-driven development - methodology which has changed the game. BdD is based on the joint efforts of devs, testers, and business analysts outlining executable specifications - scenarios for execution and function of every other feature to be implemented. Such specifications are thoroughly composed before the project development kick-off and are tested further on to be eventually perfected and turned into the end product functionality.
Ultimate benefits of BDD
Streamlined workflow
BDD makes workflow collaboration easier to grasp and well-structured for all involved project participants. It helps properly distribute roles among all parties and make every other participant’s decision more constructive. Diving into the product development cycle becomes easier as a whole. Efficient behavior scenarios can also be written in plain language, avoiding lots of complicated specifics.
More project transparency
When everything is stated, discussed, and documented in a simpler, more comprehensive way, the project progress becomes much more transparent. Everybody gets insights from it without going far.
Design based on business values
BDD highlights and emphasizes business needs and values at the core of the project, streamlining for business-boosting software design. This is done through prioritizing goals and needs with the client, gaining a good understanding of concepts the client has in mind, and delivering more business-driven results. In the long run, this helps avoid unnecessary features and work only with directly relevant things.
Accessible communication
The fewer misunderstandings there are within a project team, the better end product consistency is achieved. As mentioned above, it is truly an advantage when all project participants are on the same page and don’t indulge in conflicts based on mere misconceptions.
End user-oriented processes
Emphasized business values and goals translate to proper end user satisfaction. And when an end user (customer) is happy, the whole business is happy and successful. With a heavy focus on behavior, this is achieved much more efficiently.
Developers are more confident
The adoption of BDD approaches helps developers gain confidence in terms of providing a consistent, properly working clean code. This confidence is granted due to higher workflow predictability.
Reduced costs. Developers help avoid tons of extra expenses with a high-quality software code. This includes costs coming from numerous project risks, maintenance efforts, etc.
Summary
In the long run, the Drupal testing in Agile approach grants more cross-collaboration, faster time to market, and higher quality overall. It all comes down to thorough prioritization and business values emphasizing. With that being said, Agile is best for enterprises with dynamic workflows that often shift and change. On the flip side, companies with more static, laid-back workflows may as well do without it.
Alpha Web Group is quite passionate about the Agile workflow methodology as it enables us to deliver impeccably looking, “feeling”, and performing Drupal-based software products fast while every involved specialist stays on the same page with others. Check out the range of services we deliver through the Agile approach, including Drupal QA and testing.