DEV Community

Discussion on: Explain "Smoke Testing" like I'm five

Collapse
 
krukru profile image
Marko Kruljac • Edited

Great question! This one really got me thinking, here it goes.

For your upcoming birthday, you ask your parents to buy you a Lego 1989 Batmobile.
The day finally arrives, and you are presented with a wrapped package, but they don't tell you what's inside. It is a surprise.

Your excitement rises, but before you get your hopes up - you examine the package.
Judging by the shape and size of the package, it matches the size of the 3306 piece box for the Lego 1989 Batmobile. Smoke test 1 passed.

You take the present in your hand and feel its weight. Its not too heavy, not too light. Just about right for a box of Legos. Smoke test 2, passed.

You decide to give it one final test before calling it. You shake the box and hear the familiar sound of Legos inside. Smoke test 3, passed!

Now you are fairly confident that the present is some kind of Lego, but you cannot really be sure if it is the Batmobile, so you start with user acceptance testing, unwrapping the present and validating the contents of the box.

Had any of the smoke tests failed, you would have immediately known that the present is not what you asked for, without investing time in detailed testing.

Collapse
 
pradeepradyumna profile image
Pradeep Pradyumna

Wow!

Collapse
 
peter profile image
Peter Kim Frank

This is brilliant, truly a great ELI5 answer. Thank you!

Collapse
 
rnrnshn profile image
Olimpio

Wow. This deserves a prize 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Collapse
 
ajdinmust profile image
Ajdin Mustafić

Way to go! You deserve Lego 1989 Batmobile for this amazingly detailed explanation. :)

Collapse
 
vasilvestre profile image
Valentin Silvestre

Awesome, give this man all the medals !

Collapse
 
napravicukod profile image
Rudolf Jurišić

Awesome explaination