determinedTester's Journey

 API Testing       I have experience with functional UI testing, but for a while, I've been interested in learning more about API testing. When I first started looking for materials, I discovered a few, but most of them give an introduction to the APIs and moving on to automation or tool usage. Before automating, I need to understand how to test an API endpoint and all of the potential use cases.     I had learned CRUD operations, HTTP verbs, and status codes. Prior to employing tools, I sought out additional information about API testing.  I attended an event hosted by Ministry of testing on API testing by Hilary Weaver-Robb , and found a detailed presentation on Github.com/g33klady.  I now have greater clarity and can move forward with my studies thanks to this. I'm now reading and practicing Allan Richardson's Automating and Testing a Rest API. I'll be contributing what I learn in this area as I learn.

  What I noticed after starting to blog    “ Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man” –Francis Bacon  In summer 2022, I was on the lookout for ways to improve my testing skills. From LinkedIn, I found various testers talking about getting trained by Ajay Balamurugadas . I reached out to Ajay. After a meeting, he agreed to train me 😀.  The training started, and I was making steady progress. Ajay questioned me after a few sessions if I had ever written a blog and urged me to do so right away. I wasn’t ready for it. Here is why...   Usually, Slack and email are the places where I write (or type 😜). Most of my responses would consist of no more than four words per sentence!!  My status reports and testing notes are the longest documents I produce. Naturally, I wasn't prepared, so when I heard about starting a blog, I found it amusing. One fine day I sat and started, I was just typing and deleting.. Couldn’t move past the first sentence (or word :-)

  How I started using  HTSM for my testing     When I initially learned about it, it sounded really technical and alien. I had to read this document, several times to fully grasp it.     The HTSM (v.5.9) is a set of guide-word heuristics designed to help you think better about test strategy. It includes four focus areas: test techniques, project elements, product elements, and quality criteria categories.   When I was given a new project at my work, I found this at the perfect time. My typical approach to performing an initial spec analysis was to start with test cases. Then rewriting again in the midway, then again, because it was messy.   I was writing functional tests based on the functionality, then would go to UI tests. While doing that I'd get some test ideas from the expected behavior, I'd switch here then. I wasn't following any structure or plan.   At that time I was getting training from Ajay Balamurugadas, he assigned me the project of using HTSM principles for