Elevate Your SDLC with DART: The Ultimate Test Design and Review Process
"Quality is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution" ??
DART (Design and Review Tests) is one of the key exit criteria items in the Code Freeze milestone we discussed in the "Release Gates and Exit Criteria" article. ??
In the dynamic world of software development, the DART phase plays a pivotal role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality features, enhancements, and fixes. This crucial step bridges the collaboration between developers and SDETs (Software Development Engineers in Test), solidifying test coverage before the feature, enhancement, or fix is implemented.
Why DART is Critical? ??
In the cloud era, updates impact all customers within a region simultaneously. This makes thorough testing not just a priority but a necessity. Customer trust and credibility hinge on the quality and stability of every release. DART ensures that all scenarios, from basic functionality to edge cases, are considered.?
Key Elements of DART ??
The DART phase emphasizes comprehensive planning and review, leveraging inputs from:
Building Comprehensive Test Coverage ??
To achieve robust test coverage, the team leverages a checklist that acts as a reminder for often-overlooked aspects, such as:
This structured approach allows the team to create new test cases and link existing ones for thorough regression testing.
Collaborative Review?
The collaboration between product managers, developers, and SDETs during this phase is pivotal. By working together, they ensure that all potential risks and edge cases are addressed. This not only improves the quality of the final product but also helps in identifying gaps in the existing test suite.?
Preventing Regressions ???
One of the primary goals of DART is to deliver new features, enhancements, or fixes without causing regressions or impacting existing functionalities. By meticulously designing and reviewing tests, the team can catch issues early and maintain the integrity of the software.
Conclusion ?
Incorporating the DART phase into the SDLC is essential for achieving higher-quality releases. It ensures that thorough test coverage is established and that potential pitfalls are identified and mitigated. With DART, teams can ship with confidence, knowing that they have done their due diligence to protect customer trust and system reliability.? Thanks to Prakash Gajera Bhavani Neerathilingam Manohar Tatavarthy shailendra bhadauria Thrupthi R Rajesh Panchal - Transformation Catalyst and many others who helped define DART process.
Measuring to Improve ??
“Measure what matters and if you can't measure it, it doesn't exist.” Tracking key quality metrics during DART allows for continuous improvement and identification of gaps in the testing strategy.?
Request for Feedback ???
Your feedback is invaluable in refining the DART process.
?? Let’s ship with confidence and no regressions! ??