Basic tools for QA manual
Screenshots
Every tester has their favorite screenshot tools. When your application has some problems with UI (if you have UI of course, and even if you don’t, you might need to screenshot both the console responses and the database query results), you need to take a screenshot, and those screenshots should be taken correctly.
- Lightshot. Universal tool, allows you to select an area for a screenshot, edit screenshots and save them to the cloud. Doesn’t work with video.
- Jing. Can take screenshots, saves them both locally and to its cloud, knows how to record video (unfortunately, recorded only in Flash).
- Recordit, it allows you to record video and turn it into a gif in one motion. But everything you record, it immediately puts in the cloud.
Monosnap can make videos, save them locally and turn them into gifs.
Prototyping
There are cases when you don’t know how the expected page should look like (no design or description). And in these cases are saved drawing on the board or paper schemes how the page should look like. But if you work remotely, or part of the team works remotely, it is better to use an online service for prototyping pages.
HotGloo. Very user-friendly and intuitive interface. Contains more preset elements. No ability to “click” on the buttons, only to make schemes of pages and site structure. A paid service.
Balsamiq. One of the most popular tools in the world. There are containers, elements from which you can draw a web page, mobile app, or anything by simply dragging and dropping “pictures”. There is a “version control” system. You’ll have to pay for the service.
- Pencil. A browser plugin, not many features, but free.
Test data
- Mockaroo. Allows you to pick up e.g. card numbers or user names. Also knows how to generate SQL-queries, for example, you give the name of the base you want to go to, and what parameters are there, and it creates from this insert.|
- Generate Data.com. An alternative data generation tool.
- Random Text Generator. Text Generator.
- Bug Magnet. A plugin for Chrome and Firefox with a pre-saved set of test data. When you have some text field on your screen, you just right click on it and in the menu select bugmagnet, inside you will find a bunch of different predefined test data in different groups: by length, by format, by language, even the simplest scripts for testing XSS. An indispensable product for exploratory testing. Even if you have an e-mail field and you forgot which e-mail is valid and which is not, this tool did it all for you, you just have to find the right item in the list. What’s important – it’s also customizable, i.e. you can add your own sections to the menu.
- Form Filler. A plugin for Chrome that can, at the click of a button, next to the address bar, fill out your form.
Spell Checker and Translations
- Language Tool. A free spell checker tool. Unlike some competitors, works stably.
- Google Translate. No Comments. Google Translate.
Images
Lorem Pic Sum. A service that allows you to generate pictures. You can set the size of the picture, color and even theme: kitty, city, food, transport, etc. Minus for the service is stability.
- Dummy Image. Minimum functionality, maximum usefulness. Allows you to generate images of the desired resolution and format with a given background.
Pairwise Testing.
When we use equivalence classes and define bounds for them, we can get a lot of test cases. Even if hundreds or thousands. Technique of pairwise testing will help significantly reduce the number of test cases in this case. The essence of the technique is a pairwise search of all values of all parameters. I.e. each value of each parameter should be paired with each value of other parameters at least once.
I can not say that I use this technique every day, but nevertheless, sometimes it comes in handy.
The tools for the Pair Wiser technique are:
- Pair Wiser (unfortunately, the online version is no longer available, but the local version remains). How to use – start parameters in Pairwiser, press “generate test” and I get a list of tests. A table showing what you need to test and with what, what instances you need to create.
- Pairwise Teremok Games. Free analogue with web interface.
There are many other tools, but most of them are console-based, not as visual.