Using testing tools to replicate QA defects for bug fixes (screencast)

Long has there been issues to replicate defects found by QA and user acceptance testers for the development team to understand and resolve. For several years, I have used a fairly simple tool to aid in this called Bad Boy. This tool is a browser request simulator that is simple to record and playback.

First the issue:

• Where did the user navigate to?
• What parameters did the user enter?
• What responses where returned?

This might be simple, but replicating this can sometimes be difficult.

Most QA team I have worked with use QA Run, Mercury Quality Center or other very expensive QA testing tools. So expensive that development teams are never give any licenses to use. So how, if QA is using a tool you do not have access to, can you replicate issues and defect they find? The solution can be a free-way product that will create a simple repeatable script that QA member can create and file with the defect. Thus, you can reproduce every action they performed.

So let is work through what the QA Tester would perform:

1. open Bad Boy in record mode

2. Enter test URL

3. Start walking through a test scenario.

After we submit the above search, we are able to see exactly what parameters where sent

parameter q=… shows us the exact search term that was used, along with any other parameters that, as a developer, I would need to replicate and track down issues.

At this point, the user just needs to save the file as a *.bb to their local drive. This file will include all the steps, parameters and actual request and responses for the test.

6. Add file to bug report

Now, when a defect is assigned to a developer, they can just get the test script they need to reproduce the defect, then the developer can play-all from the Test Suite 1, or just a specific step as in Step 1.

I have been using this technique for over 5 years now, and find it a very simple solution to understanding and reproducing issues from QA testing.

Summary:

This tool is free and easy to use for both QA and devlopers alike. This tool also does not require registry access for installations, thus Admin access is not required. So anyone can install this applicaiton on  a windows machine.