QA and test automation

Stage 1 · Lesson 2 of 7

SDLC, STLC and where testing fits

Testing fundamentals

The (SDLC) is the path a product takes from idea to release, and then its upkeep. The software testing life cycle (STLC) is the testing work inside it. It runs in steps: study the requirements, plan, design tests, prepare environments and test data, run the tests, and close with a short summary.

teams work in , short fixed blocks of work. There, these steps happen for every story (a small piece of work described from the user's side) in every sprint, not once per project. So a tester reviews stories when the team refines them, designs test ideas while developers build, and tests each story as soon as it lands. Knowing where you are in the cycle tells you which testing work is useful right now.

Common trapwaiting for a finished build before you start, which wastes the cheapest moment to find problems: before any code is written.

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  • A map of the whole QA field to check what you have covered and what comes next

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