Tester’s need to learn to code…. and any number of other way of paraphrasing Simon Stewarts comments in his Keynote at EuroSTAR 2012.
I’m not entirely sure on the exact phrase he used but I heard a number of renditions after.
They all alluded to the same outcome:
“Testers need to code or they will have no job”
Speaking with Simon briefly after the event it’s clear his message was somewhat taken out of context.
I get the impression he was talking about those testers who simply sit and tick boxes. Checkers, as I think they are becoming known.
Simon suggested that these people should learn to code otherwise they will be replaced by a machine, or someone who can code. There were some who took great distaste to the general sentiment, and those who are in total agreement, and of course probably some in between and some who don’t care.
Simon himself was greatly pragmatic about it and suggested that learning to code will free people up to do good testing, a sentiment I can’t imagine many arguing with.
Those who know me have often commented that I often sit on the fence and try to see the positive in each side of an argument. It will therefore come as no surprise that I agree, and disagree about the message Simon was communicating.
I agree that Testers who do purely checking will (and should) be replaced by machines to perform the same action. Some of these people, (with the right peers and support, the right company and willing market conditions) could become great “Testers” whilst the machines automate the tedium. Some won’t and may find themselves out-skilled in the market.
But I don’t believe that all Testers have to learn to code. I know of a great many who don’t but are doing exceptional testing. Saying that, I think each team needs to have the ability to code. This could be a programmer who helps out, or a dedicated “technical tester” who can help to automate, dig deep and understand the underlying product.
I’m an advocate of encouraging Testers to learn to code, especially those new to the industry who are looking for early encouragement to tread down certain career paths. I’m also an advocate of using the wider team to solve team wide problems (and automating tests, reducing pointless activities and having technical assistance to testing are team wide problems).
When you hear a statement like “Testers need to learn to code” don’t always assume it tells the whole story. Don’t always assume it means learning enough code to build a product from scratch. Don’t always take these statements at face value. Sometimes the true message can become lost in the outrage in yours (or someone else’s) head, sometimes it might not have been communicated clearly in the first place and sometimes it might just be true; but too hard for people to accept.
- Learn to understand code and your job as a Tester may become easier.
- Learn to understand how the world around us works and your job as a Tester may become easier.
- Learn to understand how you, your team and your company works and your job as a Tester may become easier.
- Learn how to sell, convince, persuade and articulate problems to others and your job as a Tester may become easier.
There are many things which could help you become a good, reliable, future proof(ish) tester. You can’t learn all of them. You can’t do everything. Coding is just one of these elements just like understanding social sciences, usability, performance or critical thinking are some others.
Learning to code can be valuable, but you can also be a good tester and not code. It’s not as black and white as that.
I know how to code. I’m glad I know how to code. It helps me test.
However TESTERS DO NOT NEED TO LEARN HOW TO CODE.
The idea that testers need to learn to code grows out of a determined ignorance about testing– like you say, it’s an attitude that people have when they confuse testing with checking. It also grows out of an ignorance about all the different kinds of testers and testing that there are in the industry.
And telling testers that they need to learn to code will discourage interesting thinkers from becoming testers. We can’t assume that people who like to program are just like other people in every important way.
My brother, who is a wonderful tester and a brilliant test leader, can’t program. He doesn’t want to learn. He doesn’t need to learn. He’s now Director of Livesite quality at eBay. Here’s a quick test to tell if someone is a moron: if that person can look at my brother in action and conclude that he’s not qualified to be a tester.
Thanks for the comment James.
I do think that we run the risk of alienating good people from entering the field of testing by insisting that they code. I’d never looked at this argument from the perspective of trying to attract people to testing. Thanks for adding a further dimension to my thinking about this subject.
Rob