DEV Community: Henna Williams

Our Take on TDD/BDD – Which One Do We Prefer?

Henna Williams — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 11:43:05 +0000

Test Driven Development (TDD)

TDD is a one of the best software development techniques which involves writing the automated test cases before writing functional pieces of the code. This technique is popular in agile methodologies as it drives, delivering a shippable product at the end of a sprint. It is also considered as a programming technique. The main aim of TDD is to write clean code that works.

Decked is the set sequence of steps that is generally followed:

1. Write Test Case: In the beginning, the developer, based on requirement documents, starts creating automated test cases.

2. Run all tests and see if the new one fails: Development team runs these automated test scripts against what is currently developed and lists the failed test cases. There are various numbers of failed test cases as none of the features have been implemented yet.

3. Write some code and again run test cases: Development team writes functional code and again executes the automated test script until they are all passed.

4. Refactor code and Repeat: The development team can then organize and refactor the code in order to achieve a tested deliverable at the end of the sprint.

Behavior Driven Development (BDD)

BDD is also one of the software development techniques which involves writing user behavior and specification before writing test automation scripts or the functional pieces of code. Behavior-driven development focuses on the business behaviors your code is implemented. The Agile product owner or a business analyst sit together and write pending specifications in a plain text. The business person specifies behaviors they want to see in the system.

This involves the following steps:

1. The behavior of the user: First, the behavior of the user is defined by a product owner or business analyst.

2. Convert to Automated scripts: These are then converted to automated scripts to run against functional codes.

3. Write some code and again run test cases: Development team writes functional code and again executes the automated test scripts until they all are passed.

4. Refactor the code and Repeat: The development team can then organize and refactor the code in order to achieve a tested deliverable at the end of the sprint.

You can check out [Agile Testing: A Faster Approach to Achieve Quality]

Is TDD Dead?

The truth is that despite of using TDD for decades; TDD is still loved and hated in almost equal measures. At Seasia Infotech, currently, we have more Quality Assurance testers than developers working on a project. Earlier, the regression testing done was quite unsustainable. There also happened live releases in every 3 months along with emergency fixes, despite all the countless hours of QA tests that were done. Additionally, the Code coverage also increased over the months, along with the ratio of the automated to manual testing. Yes, TDD is dead for us, but we should honor its contributions than lingering on the travesties. It marked an important phase in our history, but it’s time to move on.

At Seasia Infotech, we prefer BDD over TDD because BDD is written in a more readable language i.e. English, which is easier to understand for a Product owner while in TDD test cases are written in programming languages such as Ruby, Java etc. BDD focuses more on the behavior of an application for end user point of view while TDD focuses on how the functionality is implemented. BDD is also less impactful as compared to TDD in case of functionality changes.

In our opinion, for systems such as eCommerce or HR system, BDD would be a good option, as it acts a good medium to capture all the user actions. For systems that require third party API calls, jobs, data and exports/imports, TDD might be a better option.

The post Our Take on TDD/BDD – Which One Do We Prefer? appeared first on Seasia Infotech Blog.

Here is Everything You Need to Know About Google’s Latest Event

Henna Williams — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 12:10:42 +0000

Finally, the Google revealed on October 2, 2017, its latest hardware products at a press event in San Francisco. The hardware products launched include two smartphones, smart speakers, a brand new laptop, smart earbuds that within a second translate words into your dialect, a camera that takes its own photographs and a revamped VR headset.

Here is a look at Google’s new smart products:

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL Smartphone

The Pixel is Google’s Smartphone that is particularly designed to show the best possible version of its Android mobile OS. The latest editions of these phones include new fingerprint sensors, OLED screens and are water resistant. A powerful rear camera is something that makes these phones amazing.

In May, Google previewed its Lens feature. The biggest attraction in Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is they have access to Google Lens feature. Here are some functions of what Lens can do:

Provide details about a movie based on its poster
Scan a document and identify phone numbers, email address etc.
Identify the type of flower in a photo
Show reviews and ratings for a business based on its storefront

In other words, we can say that Lens can find the information based on the photos you have snapped or saved.

This time, Google created a portrait mode with just a single camera that utilizes the machine’s learning program. Google says that its machine learning is so smart that it can even perform the desired effects on front-facing camera and does not require a big sensor cluster like iPhone X.

Google’s Pixel 2 has a 5″ screen and Pixel 2 XL has a 6″ screen. Both the phones are now available for pre-orders in Canada, Australia, India, Germany, U.K. And the U.S. Last time, it was a typical task to get a Pixel phone in your hand. This time too, it is unclear yet if Google will increase its supplies for these new models.

Google Pixel Buds

The new smart buds by Google are wireless and are attached to each other with a string. These headphones are designed to work only with Google Pixel as of now, but they have one really amazing feature. The buds can translate 40 languages by Google Translate. The built-in microphones help handle almost real-time translation. While giving onstage demonstrations, the company translated Swedish to English.

Google Clips

Google Clips are a little square camera for individuals who don’t like pressing buttons. You just need to put it in front of a scene, for example, on the floor of a room where kids play often. It will know or detect when something worth recording happens and captures still photos and silent videos.

It particularly detects faces you have trained it to recognize. The Clips’ battery lasts for 3 hours, and its LED lights let you know when it’s recording. The device is not completely original. There have been similar products in the past, but those don’t include Google’s powerful AI technology. Presently, it can work with the pixel, iPhone 6 or later, Galaxy S7 and S8 phones.

Google Home Mini

Google launched its small-sized version of Home speakers which is named as the Google Home Mini. It is a spherical disk with hottest new technologies. While the size is small, it has the same functionalities as the large-sized Google Home like, voice recognition, smart home and calling powers. Four LED lights are embedded at the top and it plugs into the wall.

Google Home Max

To give a direct competition to Apple’s forthcoming Home Pod, Google is also releasing its Home Max. It is a higher end speaker with Google’s built-in Assistant Technology. It contains a feature called Smart Sound, which allows you to set the audio depending upon the surrounding environment. The device is available in light or dark gray color.

It is expected to launch in December and includes 12-months free subscription to YouTube Red.

Tech companies like Google and Apple tend to announce their new products at this time of the year, before the holiday shopping season. This time, both the companies have come with gigantic products. To see the highlights of Apple’s tech event, click here!

The post Here is Everything You Need to Know About Google’s Latest Event appeared first on Seasia Infotech Blog.