Friday, December 5, 2014

Heuristic and COP FLUNG GUN -- Part 1


I have Heuristics given by testers from different geographical locations. I use them to identify to the test or what I perceive from outcome of the test using it. And, I often forget to learn this -- heuristic will not solve problem; it is tester who recognizes there is an unusual here or the usual or the consistency here with help of heuristic.

If this is very much right, then the Oracle never identifies the problem or unusual for itself. It is tester who identifies the problem with the help of an Oracle in the test. The heuristic and oracle helps in recognizing the information (which can be a problem or potential problem or not a problem); it won't identify or solve anything for itself.

For example, the tests done to diagnose if one is HIV positive or not, will not cure him. It may help doctor and test seeker to know the information.  The HIV test is one of the heuristic and the outcome of the test to which it is compared against and evaluated, is an oracle, here. But, it does not solve problem for the doctor and test seeker. It just helped to know the information. Solving or fixing the problem is in hands of test seeker and doctor using this information. That is, the same HIV test each time, the same result probably each time saying negative or positive or may be unable to diagnose.

On learning this, I understand, till to an extent, a heuristic can drive me. If I'm over dependent on the same perspective of heuristic, probably I will remain with the same ideas which I used earlier. With this, I learn, heuristic should help me in exploring further to identify more such heuristics. The more heuristic and oracles, I have, the better I can be prepared to approach and test.

For example, SFDPOT heuristic does not do anything. It is just an acronym for words -- Structure, Functionality, Data, Platform, Operation and Time.  It is me who does the action using the initiative given by word "Structure" in the context of testing.  Likewise, COP FLUNG GUN is useful as SFDPOT is. But both (and any) heursitic does nothing by itself. It is powerful enough when I identify and frame the tests to the context using it.

Are there any similarity between SFDPOT and COP FLUNG GUN ?  Has this thought come into me while I use the list of heuristics every day? I see the similarities in both and one is more specific to a context of mobile testing.

I will take an example of what I see in my practice. When the COP FLUNG GUN is used to assist the testing, I'm curious for the tests which get identified and frames to the context under each factors -- Communication, Orientation, Platform, etc.  Now, I see,

  1. COP FLUNG GUN gave me the help in identifying the factors of mobile handset, software of the mobile handset, operations of mobile, and the mobile apps.
  2. But it did not provide list of component in each factor and it cannot provide too
  3. Thought it provides, it might not be valid for all cases, hence it is heuristic
  4. Heuristic is effective when it is specific for the context of problem learning and solving, right?

What components I see in the Communication, now?  The obvious two stuffs that I happen to hear and see is -- Phone Call and Messages.  Are these the only two components in the Communication?

What the Communication is at all?




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