Happy Chinese New Year – Xin Nian Kwai Le! Another Chinese Lunar year is about to begin and Tricentis is ready to predict all of the software test automation trends that this lunar year will bring!
It’s the year of the Fire Rooster. For some, this may conjure montages of eating hot wings on the beach; however for the Chinese lunar calendar, the year of the Rooster signals success for all of the animals – but with some hard work.
This year will bring new innovative challenges to the software testing community, including using machine learning (e.g., AI) to tackle testing complexities caused by frequently-changing applications (thanks Agile) and the continuing growth of Big Data. Also, the rise of self-driving cars and IoT products shows that development is already on the cusp of disruptive innovation…will software testing follow, or lag behind (like the rooster crowing at noon)?
2017 is a great year for software testers to leverage test automation tools to take on these new challenges.
RAT
2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948
You adapt easily to new environments and are a born explorer due to your curious nature. If you’re a tester, this year might be a good year to finally find out why exploratory testing is much more than just a common bug hunt. In fact, maybe this is your chance to join forces with fellow bug catchers in a quest to “shift left” testing and better align your manual testing efforts with Agile and DevOps.
OX
2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949
As an ox, you’re great at achieving your goals step by step, but may be susceptible to limiting yourself. However, your detailed approach and organizational skills help you to see the importance in testing your data warehouses (DWH/BI) during migrations or across releases. Vital checks for both data quality and data processing are important to anyone struggling to automate regression testing for data warehouses, or embark on a BI or database migration project.
TIGER
2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950
Tigers are known to be brave, competitive, and even a bit unpredictable, so be sure to use your energy sensibly by doing the legwork before every release. This year means taking precautions and shifting your testing to the left. Not only will this help you eliminate long end-to-end test cycles and expose defects when they are easier, faster, and cheaper to fix, but it will also enable continuous testing as you work automation and service virtualization into your development cycle.
RABBIT
2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951
Rabbits are known to be alert, quick, and skillful. However, you may also come off as cautious and conservative. As with most of the animals this year, it will be essential for you to work hard in order to achieve your goals. But don’t work harder than you have to. If you and your team already have assets built out in open source tools, you can import them into many more comprehensive test automation solutions. That way, you don’t lose all the work already invested in these tests—plus you can have additional capabilities that a broader testing solution adds to them.
TIGER
2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950
Tigers are known to be brave, competitive, and even a bit unpredictable, so be sure to use your energy sensibly by doing the legwork before every release. This year means taking precautions and shifting your testing to the left. Not only will this help you eliminate long end-to-end test cycles and expose defects when they are easier, faster, and cheaper to fix, but it will also enable continuous testing as you work automation and service virtualization into your development cycle.
SNAKE
2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953
You have the most enigmatic character of all the animals and are the most intuitive of them all as well. Your intuition means you’re already ahead of the curve, and whatever project you are working on at the moment will be disrupting the software market any minute now. So surely you will have already looked into how AI and machine learning will revolutionize testing. We’re excited by the prospect of not only using it for test automation, but also for analyzing and predicting testing needs based on available data. Since machine learning will require a reliable big data source, AI will go hand in hand with big data testing.
HORSE
2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954
You are animated, active, and energetic and this is evident in your work life. This year all the pieces will slowly come together and it help you see the bigger picture. You will begin to understand how supporting DevOps and Continuous Delivery processes requires mastering continuous testing.
GOAT
2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967, 1955
Goats are viewed as quite gentle, but they are actually tough cookies on the inside. You show your true strength under extreme conditions, like a mobile app. Look into perfecting your mobile app by testing it under patchy conditions as well! Simulating bad a network service can give you the insight you need to ensure that your app delivers through thick and thin.
MONKEY
2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956
Monkeys are intelligent, quick witted, confident, and of course – agile. This year, the fog will lift and you’ll be able to see all the fortune headed your way. But just because good things are coming, doesn’t mean that you should go back to your old ways – be sure to stay Agile! Stay motivated by checking out our tester’s field guide to spotting an Agile company!
ROOSTER
2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957
Beware Roosters – it’s your year! Unfortunately, this means that there will be bumps along the way. But if you accept the challenges and face your fears, it can be a great year. If you’re a manual tester, this may mean making the jump over to automated testing. If you are looking for an easy way in, check out our free training courses and the Tricentis Tosca trial.
DOG
2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958
Those of you born in the year of the dog seem to have an innate sense of loyalty. This year, your loyalty will lie in perfecting your craft and finding less traditional methods in achieving your goal. As a result, you will be able to relax and enjoy your life. It could be because you have finally figured out the secret to test automation. This year, you know you’ll be cutting your testing time in half – if not more – simply by automating everything.
PIG
2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959
Pigs handle things with care and ease. Your co-workers know that you have a great sense of responsibility and are sure to finish projects on time. The most important thing to remember this year is to not rush into anything, especially when creating your test cases! Make sure you aren’t testing blindly by developing a testing strategy and defining your risks from the start. You’ll be able to save time and cover your bases all at once.