Tool Stack for The Shift Left Testing Approach
Before we dig into the tool stack, let’s understand what is Shift left testing and why it’s important in the Software Development Lifecycle.
How many times have you known situations of software projects, that had a budget overrun or missed deadlines? If you are wondering if it’s not normal, don’t worry. It is. What is funny is that the deep-rooted of all the problems above is not poor planning but it’s all about when software testing is done and how often it is done.
The idea of Shift-Left testing — a method that seeks to ensure software quality by integrating testing activities early in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) — arises. This way, we can catch and fix issues faster while maintaining high-quality code and smooth product delivery, the ultimate goal of software quality assurance.
What Shift Left Approach
In other words, this approach focuses on the left, when testing takes place towards the beginning of the software development lifecycle.
Since the traditional approach of software development was sequential, most of the testing was relegated to the last phase of the project. On the contrary, this technique meant more expensive rework and rehearsal of schedules. Hence, the explosion of the Shift Left deployment came up to implicate testing squads at the earliest stages of software development.
The Relationship with Agile
Shifting Left testing approach is perfectly aligned with agile approaches in which every cycle involves individuals, interaction, feedback and rapid deployment. This is contrary to the traditional software development life cycle approach in which code review is done only when the end product is ready.
Some organizations take Shift Left even further by integrating testing into the coding phase itself, employing practices like Test-Driven Development (TDD) and utilizing static analysis tools to identify potential issues early on.
Benefits of Shift Left Testing
Early Bug Detection: Giving teams the chance to detect bugs and tackle them before they grow to a critical size and fixing is too costly and time-consuming. This helps to avoid fixes and saves time and money during the development process.
Cost Reduction: As mentioned earlier, finding out and fixing the defects in the early stage prevents rework and saves money that will be later used for the rest of the work (time and costs).
Higher Quality Code: Fewer reworkings of the previous code designs and the disappearance of last-minute fixes and patches would ultimately improve the end product quality, hence higher customer satisfaction. Also, the code will become more maintenance-friendly.
Check my previous article on why clean code is important.
Improved Time Management: By simplifying the testing, teams can follow the scheduled timelines more strictly, and this procedure helps to avoid late implementation.
Implementing Shift Left Testing
Switching to Shift Left testing requires the developers’ focused efforts. Here’s how to begin:
Agree on Coding Standards: Implement uniform guidelines for coding so that consistent practice is ensured and the chance of making mistakes is minimized.
Integrate Testing Early: Implement testing within the early stages of the project, either as part of the agile methodologies or by writing unit tests for every feature.
Test Automation: Use test tool automation to facilitate regular testing and give fast reactions about code stability.
Tool Stack
Some popular tools that can aid in Shift Left testing include:
This can be varied based on the tech stack you are using. However, you can get the basic idea from this.
- BDD tools: Jbehave (My favourite), Cucumber, and SpecFlow will help to write test cases that all the stakeholders can understand. This will reduce the misunderstanding of the product requirements.
- Static Code Analysis Tools: SonarQube, ESLint, and Checkstyle can analyze source code for bugs and vulnerabilities early in the development process.
- Continuous Integration (CI) Tools: Jenkins, Azure DevOps pipelines, GitLab pipelines etc. automate building, testing, and deployment processes, ensuring that code changes are thoroughly tested before integration.
- Automated Testing Frameworks: Selenium, Playwrite, JUnit/TestNG , and pytest enable automated testing of various types, including unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests.
- Security Scanning Tools: OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, and Nessus help identify security vulnerabilities, allowing teams to address potential threats early on.
Changes After Adopting Shift Left
Shifting to a Shift Left approach brings about several noticeable changes within an organization:
- Reduced Testing Wait Times: Testing becomes an ongoing activity. So no need to wait until the completion of the development phases. So this leads to increased resource utilization.
- Increased Customer/Product Owner Involvement: Customer//Product Owner participation in testing activities becomes more prevalent, leading to products that better meet user needs.
- Adherence to Testing Pyramid: The emphasis on unit testing aligns with the principles of the testing pyramid, ensuring a balanced approach to test coverage. Also, this will reduce the test execution time (E2E tests are more time-consuming).
- Diverse Testing Team: Testing becomes a collaborative effort involving individuals from various roles within the organization, leading to a more comprehensive testing strategy.
- Higher Test Coverage: With testing starting earlier and occurring more frequently, the overall test coverage of the codebase increases.
Is Shift Left Testing the Way Forward?
The true performance of the Shift Left testing boils down to an organization being ready to accept changes and make quality an ultimate priority during the entire SDLC. Implementation may take time; however, the positive effects of the TDD will make the adjustment worthwhile for strategic software development teams.
Finally, the integration of Shift Left testing and the right tools can contribute to the efficiency and quality of software applications, and the ability of companies to keep up with the ever-changing fast-paced market.
Summary
[Shift Left Testing]
|
|----[Early Testing]
| |---- Requirement Analysis
| |---- Design Validation
| |---- Code Reviews
|
|----[Agile Integration]
| |---- Scrum
| |---- Kanban
| |---- Continuous Integration (CI)
|
|----[Test Automation]
| |---- Unit Testing
| |---- Integration Testing
| |---- End-to-End Testing
|
|----[Collaboration]
| |---- Developers
| |---- Testers
| |---- Stakeholders
|
|----[Continuous Improvement]
| |---- Retrospectives
| |---- Process Refinement
| |---- Training and Development
|
|----[Tool Integration]
|---- Static Code Analysis Tools
|---- Continuous Integration (CI) Tools
|---- Automated Testing Frameworks
|---- Security Scanning Tools