1. “Whodunit?” What the great detectives have taught me about testing.
Robert Sabourin
President & Principal consultant
AmiBug.Com, Inc.
Montreal, Canada
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

2. “Whodunit?” Overview Learning, Metaphors Sherlock Holmes
Hercules Poirot
Dick Tracy
Sgt. Friday
Lt. Columbo
Quincy
MacGuyver
Other lessons
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

3. Learning and Metaphors
Teaching
Learning
Retaining
Applying knowledge
Share experiences
Don’t get carried away …
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

4. Sherlock Holmes A. Canon Doyle “The Great Detective”
Partner Dr. Watson
Nemesis Dr. Moriarity
Stories, novels
Theater, Movie, Radio
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

5. Sherlock Holmes Deductive reasoning Analysis and action “Elementary”
Reconstruct event chains
“See and observe”
Footprints, ashes, creosote
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

6. Sherlock Holmes Exploratory testing Observe, assess, act
Attention all details
Traps to isolate bugs
Improbable not impossible
Work with a partner who takes great notes
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

7. Hercule Poirot Agatha Christie “Belgian Detective” Refugee in England
Novels, short stories
Movies, TV
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

8. Hercule Poirot Prim and Proper In place & in order All must make sense
Attire
Mustaches
Home
Garden
In place & in order
All must make sense
Everyone is suspected
Persistent
Question everything
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

9. Hercule Poirot Account for all you observe Persistent questioning
Be organized and orderly
Act with professional integrity – be proud
Do not rely on hearsay, check for yourself
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

10. Dick Tracy Chester Gould “Stop gangsters” Comic strips Comic books
Movie serials
Movies
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

11. Dick Tracy Guns blazing Fighting villains Weird evil bad guys
Nothing subtle
Blunt and to the point
Action oriented
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

12. Dick Tracy Develop testing attacks Ferret out specific bugs
Stress testing
Protection testing
Software Breaking
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

13. Sgt. Friday Dragnet Jack Webb producer/star American TV series
Depicted typical police work
Based on real cases
1950s and later 1960s
360+ original episodes
Movie + Radio too
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

14. Sgt. Friday “Just the facts” Pragmatic Process, policies & procedures
Reconfirm every detail
Follow-up every lead
Document everything
Work in a team! (always a pair of officers)
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

15. Sgt. Friday Find the right approach Test Systematically
Checklists are useful
Note new test ideas
Follow up all leads
Cross check details (oracles)
Capture excellence
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

16. Lt. Columbo Peter Falk Columbo Television movies NBC 1971 to present
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

17. Lt. Columbo “Just one more thing” Stories about wife “Acts naive”
Gains confidence
Catch crook off guard
Worn trench coat, rare trashed Peugeot
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

18. Lt. Columbo Question strategically Gain confidence
Tease the system into revealing bugs
Be persistent
Keep close to problem area – keep coming back
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

19. Lt. Columbo Caution – use only in emergency situations
Get developers to give us information if they feel we do not understand what is going on
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

20. Quincy Jack Klugman NBC 1976-1983 Television series First of ME genre
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

21. Quincy Medical Examiner Social responsible Crime Fighting Coroner
Forensic analysis
Team of specialists
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

22. Quincy Forensic testing Study failed system Understand causes
During test capture tons of info
Study how software impacts environment
Know peers in other teams
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

23. MacGyver Produced by Henry Winkler (The Fonz) ABC TV 1985-1992
“New series”
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

24. MacGyver The phoenix Out of the fire “Jerry-rig solutions”
Use tools at hand
Leveraging
Survival knowledge
“Just Enough”
Duct tape Swiss army knife
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

25. MacGyver Fans
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

26. MacGyver Be resourceful Master use of basic tools In testing what are:
Swiss Army knife
Duct Tape
Survival knowledge
Apply skills and experience to new problems
Think on your feet
Use tools and information at hand
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

27. "No! Try not, Do. Or do not. There is no try."
Yoda
"No! Try not, Do. Or do not. There is no try."
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

28. “Bond - James Bond” What I learned from James Bond
There is a magic project somewhere
Testers get the tools they need from Q
Tools cost a lot and really work
Magic bug finding lasers
Parachute ejector seats to avoid PMs
Testers find bugs
Testers solve all the problems
Testers save the world
Testers get the girl
With a license to kill so developers answer your questions
And actually read your bug reports!
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

29. “Metaphors are limited”
Testers
Great Detectives
See a project all the way through
Stop after apprehending the crook
Watch developers take the credit
Are always seen as the hero
Trudging along all sorts of projects
Always assigned to cool projects
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004

30. Thank You
Questions?
26-Dec-18
© Robert Sabourin, 2004