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Entropy in #testing and #softwaretesting

When we model a system (maybe to develop use cases or other test design purposes) then entropy is introduced.

Our model has "reduced" the system - ie we’ve thrown away information or created uncertainty.

We can help to alleviate this by other test design techniques such as exploratory testing.

But where we have made assumptions about the system (or really used a model for the test design) then we’ve increased the amount of entropy in the process.

There’s a balance between trying to model the system accurately to achieve higher accuracy in the test design and using the model as a tool for the test design (good enough modelling.)

Not an easy balancing act!

Amplify’d from googletesting.blogspot.com
Testers introduce entropy into development by adding to the number of things a developer has to do. When developers are writing code, entropy is low. When we submit bugs, we increase entropy. Bugs divert their attention from coding. They must now progress in parallel on creating and fixing features. More bugs means more parallel tasks and raises entropy. This entropy is one reason that bugs foster more bugs … the entropic principle ensures it. Entropy creates more entropy! Finally there is math to show what is intuitively appealing: that prevention beats a cure.
We can’t banish this plague but if we can recognize the introduction of entropy into development and understand its inevitable effect on code quality, we can keep it at bay.
Read more at googletesting.blogspot.com