How AI helps QA Shift Left

May 16, 2023

by Appsurify

Shipping with confidence is hard. Even leveraging all best practices, Digital Leaders and Testers may only feel 99% confident their release will be bug-free. Getting that additional 0.9% is painstakingly time-consuming.

Read on to learn how Appsurify helps testers significantly increase confidence without additional effort so QA can ship earlier and faster using their AI-powered risk based testing tool, TestBrain.

Inflectra Ninjas - Technical Assistance Drop-ins for Spira And Rapise Users

April 5, 2023

Inflectra is proud to introduce a new user engagement program called Inflectra Ninjas.

Inflectra Ninjas is a series of hour-long workshops where Inflectra’s technical support team, Devs, and testers help customers find solutions to their real-world challenges. This unscripted, some-to-many technical assistance drop-in will help facilitate a quicker adoption and ease of use of Inflectra’s flagship products: Spira and Rapise. 

Read more and sign up for upcoming sessions.

TestProject Discontinued - Need Alternatives?

January 9, 2023

Recently it was announced that the free test automation tool - TestProject - has been discontinued and will be end of life on March 31, 2023. Beginning November 16, 2022, the creation of new TestProject accounts will be disabled and on March 31, 2023, all previously existing TestProject accounts will be deactivated and access to the platform will be revoked. If you are looking for alternatives to TestProject, we've created a handy list of automated testing tools to make this decision easier.

Time to Switch Your Chrome Browser Library in Rapise

December 19, 2022

As we explained in our announcement for Rapise 7.3, Google is in the process of phasing out its older plugin system (called Manifest V2) in favor of a new plugin architecture (Manifest V3). This new architecture has higher security, but means that automated testing tools (like Rapise) will not be able to record or play tests using such plugins. This, together with some other breaking changes in Chrome, mean now is the time you need to switch browser libraries in Chrome.

Quality Assurance vs. Testing

December 13, 2022

One of the biggest misnomers in software projects is that quality and quality assurance is the same thing as testing, which is a big misconception. Quality encompasses a much larger responsibility, including the quality of an organization’s processes, people, training, systems and culture.

Using SpiraPlan for Risk-Based Testing

November 9, 2022

Risk-Based Testing (RBT) is a software testing type that is based on the probability of risk. It involves assessing the risk based on software complexity, the criticality of business, frequency of use, possible areas with defects, and areas of the system that have changed the most. Risk-based testing prioritizes the testing of features and functions of the software application which have the most likely exposure to risks and therefore most likely to have defects. In this article, we discuss some of the ways SpiraPlan can assist you with your Risk Based Testing.

Recap: Testing Talks in Melbourne, Australia and Sydney / Melbourne Brekkies

October 28, 2022

#TeamInflectra just returned from a week-long trip to Australia to catch up with our team mates based in the country, meet our customers, partners and local technologists in organized networking breakfasts, and take part in the biggest software testing event in Australia since 2019 - Testing Talks 2022 / The Reunion. We also found out lots of interesting trends about software testing and quality in Australia.

AG Grid Support in Rapise 7.4

October 27, 2022

One of the major new features in Rapise 7.4 is the support for the popular AG Grid. Born out of frustration with existing solutions, the AG Grid evolved from a side project to becoming the leading JavaScript datagrid on the market. It supports all the major JavaScript frameworks, including React, Angular, Vue and Plain JavaScript. Due to its complexity, the grid is often painful to test with hard-written Selenium automation code, but  the new support for AG Grid makes it simple to test using Rapise. Learn More!

Rapise 7.4 Spotlight: 64-Bit Support and Cross-Application Recording

October 26, 2022

We just recently released the latest version of our Rapise test automation solution, Rapise 7.4. This version has two main, marquee new features - support for HTML web components and the popular AG Grid. In addition, this new version has three other very important test automation enhancements: support for 64-bit desktop applications (both Java and .NET), streamlined cross-application recording, and support for the testing of embedded UI apps.

Web Components Support in Rapise 7.4

October 25, 2022

As you may remember, we recently introduced support for Shadow DOM in Rapise 7.3. Now with the release of Rapise 7.4 we take the Shadow DOM support to the next level and also enable support for another technology from the Web Components suite: HTML Templates; to be more specific - for SLOT element. Let’s deep dive into the details of Web Components as well as the new SLOT element, and how Rapise supports them for automated web testing.

Software Testing Automation Frameworks & More

September 26, 2022

You probably understand the importance of test automation, but it's also important to know what tests should be automated. Learn about all this & more!

API Testing: Benefits, Types, Approaches, & More

August 25, 2022

A crucial part of software development, the quality of your API testing can have a huge impact on the final product, as well as the timeline and budget. APIs help pieces of software communicate and share data, meaning that testing them to ensure quality and reliability is paramount. To understand all of the benefits that come from this testing, we’ll go through some of the most significant factors before detailing the different types of testing that might match your situation. Lastly, we’ll cover how to approach the testing process and the common types of API technologies that you might come across or use.

Spotlight on Rapise 7.3: Shadow DOM Support

July 7, 2022

We are excited to be releasing the new 7.3 version of Rapise this week. One of its new key features is the ability to record and playback tests against the Shadow DOM. What is the Shadow DOM you ask, and why would you want to test it? Read on to find out!

Inflectra Supports ISTC 2022 Testing Competition

July 5, 2022

Inflectra is once again excited to support this year’s Israeli Software Testing Cup! Sponsors every year since 2017, we’re happy to continue to support the Israeli testing community through this competition. Inflectra is making its award-winning test management solution - SpiraTest available to the teams, judges, and organizers to run the competition.

InflectraCON 2022 - Major Take Aways

June 27, 2022

InflectraCon 2022 - Inflectra’s Global Agile, DevOps & Testing conference took place this year on May 5-6th in Washington, DC, the home of Inflectra headquarters. This year’s event featured Spira training, four great keynotes, two full, substantive conference tracks with speakers from around the world, and a Partner Summit. 

Thanks to everyone who attended InflectraCon 2022! In this article, we'd like to recap some of the major themes and key takeaways that we all learned from the event.

Spotlight on Rapise 7.3: New Selenium Based Recording for Chrome and Edge Browsers

June 23, 2022

In December of 2020, the Google Chrome browser team made a major announcement - the release of Google Chrome Manifest 3. This new version of Chrome is designed to radically improve the security and safety of web browsing. Specifically:

With the introduction of Manifest V3, we will disallow remotely hosted code. This mechanism is used as an attack vector by bad actors to circumvent Google’s malware detection tools and poses a significant risk to user privacy and security.

However this new manifest version has an unfortunate side effect for the software testing industry, it will prevent the Chrome extensions used by many popular test automation tools such as Rapise, Ranorex, TestComplete, UFT and others from working. Luckily in the case, of Rapise, we have new web browser recording solution ready for you to use in Rapise 7.3. This will be released six months before Google formally switches over to Manifest V3.

Recap: JFTL in Paris, France

June 17, 2022

On June 14th, 2022, #teamInflectra had the opportunity to attend JFTL, la Journée Française des Tests Logiciels, for the second time ever. This year marked the 14th anniversary of the conference, and it brought more than 1,200 participants and 40 sponsors together to participate in 16 talks, 4 conference tracks (Tendances et Métiers, Automatisation, Méthodologies, et Techniques), 9 tutorials, and a large expo hall for sponsors and attendees to mingle. For #teamInflectra, this conference presented us the chance to emphasize our presence in the French market and to make long-lasting connections with experts and professionals in the testing industry. Here’s a recap of our experience at JFTL. 

Recap: EuroSTAR in Copenhagen, Denmark

June 15, 2022

After two years of missing the legendary EuroSTAR software testing conference (we did take part in the virtual events, but it's not the same), #TeamInflectra was privileged to be able to travel to Copenhagen, Denmark for the 30th Anniversary EuroSTAR event. At EuroSTAR, we were able to join over 1,000 software testers for 4 incredible days of learning, testing and community connections. It was a great opportunity for our team to connect with the world's leading software testing experts, listen to inspiring keynotes, interactive tutorials, buzzing track talks and in exchange give attendees a very special Inflectra welcome. Here's the recap of our time at the conference.

Recap: STAREAST in Orlando, Florida

April 29, 2022

After several years of virtual-only events, #TeamInflectra was grateful for the opportunity to attend STAREAST in-person in Orlando, Florida. This year, STAREAST celebrated its 30th year of being a leader in testing and quality innovation, and we were excited to be a part of the magic as a Gold Sponsor. Full of keynotes, tutorials, and sessions covering a wide range of topics, STAREAST brings together like-minded industry peers and thought-leaders to learn, share, and explore all things QA, Agile, and Testing. Here's the recap of our time at the conference. 

Reviewing the 10 Best API Testing Tools for 2022

March 17, 2022

API testing is a type of software testing that analyzes an application program interface (API) to ensure it meets expectations in terms of functionality, reliability, performance, and security. Since APIs play a major role in our digital lives, API testing ensures that the application is running in an efficient and seamless manner for the end user.

Recap: Agile Testing Days 2021 in Potsdam, Germany

November 24, 2021

Like everyone around the world, we have all been missing face to face contact with our community, and luckily the organizers at Agile Testing Days were able to pull off a safe, fun and exciting event in November 2021, and #TeamInflectra was fortunate enough to be able to attend the 2021 event in-person in glorious Potsdam, Germany.

Your Web App <> #TestBowl 2021 - Inflectra's Software Testing Challenge

September 4, 2021

Are you working on a beta version of an app, software, or website that is ready for testing? Are you looking to avoid turning your customers into testers? We hear you, and we have a fun solution for you - bring your app/software or website to #TestBowl Christmas 2021 Edition!

As part of the Inflectra-run software testing competition - #TestBowl Xmas Edition on December 9, 2021, we offer to crowd-test your web app or software for free! 

Apply before December 1, 2021!

#TestBowl 2.0 - It's A Wrap, Folks

June 28, 2021

On June 24, Inflectra hosted its second virtual software testing competition in 2021 - #TestBow 2.0. If you missed this fun event, here is a very quick recap!

Webinar Recap: Mobile Testing in a Device Cloud with Rapise

May 25, 2021

On May 18th, Inflectra hosted a webinar on Mobile Testing in a Device Cloud with Rapise. Denis Markovtsev, Inflectra's senior automaton architect covered the following topics in the live webinar:

1. How to connect to a device cloud

2. How to record/execute Mobile tests with Rapise

3. How to orchestrate execution on different devices with SpiraTest

If you missed the webinar, we have a full recap below 👇

Recap: Behavior-Driven Testing with Rapise and Cucumber JS

April 21, 2021

On April 20th, Inflectra hosted a webinar on Behavior-Driven Testing with Rapise and Cucumber JS. Alexey Grinevich covered the following topics in the webinar:

1. How to create behavior-driven tests that are maintainable and readable 

2. How to record behavior-driven tests

3. How to use Rapise Visual Language (RVL) and Cucumber JS in behavior-driven testing.

If you missed the webinar, we have a full recap below 👇

The DevOps Dance - Continuous Testing: Shift Left & Shift Right, Get it Right!

March 30, 2021

One of the criticisms of the term DevOps is that on the surface, it doesn’t contain a reference to testing or quality. Continuous Testing is the answer to this criticism, outlining how testing in a DevOps toolchain happens in fact continuously from the Plan stage all the way through to Release and Monitoring. In our new whitepaper, we explain the principles of Continuous Testing and delve into the ideas of Shift-Left and Shift-Right testing that are key parts of the approach.

Inflectra's SpiraTest Is A Tool of Choice To Run Israeli Testing Competition 2021

March 25, 2021

Inflectra is excited to support the Israeli Software Testing Cup (ISTC)- the ultimate challenge for QA testing professionals - for the fifth year in a row!

Sponsors in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, we’re happy to continue to support the Israeli testing community through this competition. Inflectra is once again making its award-winning test management solution - SpiraTest available to the organizers, judges, and teams for this year’s competition.

#TestBowl 2021: Inflectra's Virtual Software Testing Competition

February 19, 2021

On February 11, 2021, Inflectra held its first virtual software testing competition - #TestBowl 2021! The event was a huge success, and everyone had a ton of fun! 

How did Inflectra manage to pull off a truly entertaining virtual event and what lessons were learned?

Find the answers inside.

APIs Are Loose In The Wild: EuroSTAR 2020 Q & A

December 8, 2020

During the recent EuroSTAR 2020 Virtual Conference, Adam Sandman, Director of Technology at Inflectra presented a session on Testing APIs in the Wild. During this talk, there were many questions from the attendees, but unfortunately during the session, there was only time to answer a few of them. In this blog, Adam covers some of the remaining questions.

How To Leverage #TestBowl 2021 To Crowd-Test Your App

November 16, 2020

If you have a new app, software, or website that is ready for testing, we have a free and fun way to help you out. As part of the Inflectra-run software testing competition - #TestBowl, we are offering to crowd-test your software for free! 

All you need to do is apply before February 1, 2021!

Join Adam Sandman at EuroSTAR 2020 for API Testing Talk

November 9, 2020

I am delighted to be part of EuroSTAR 2020. I can’t wait to get involved, learn and connect with all the testers that are joining from across the globe. 

Join me for my talk ‘APIs are Loose - How Do We Test Them?’, Says Adam Sandman, Technical Director at Inflectra.

Transform Software Testing and Quality with NeoLoad and Inflectra | InflectraCon 2020 IRL

October 31, 2020

Today, we present an InflectraCon 2020 IRL talk by our Sponsor - Neotys called Transform Software Testing and Quality with NeoLoad and Inflectra. The session takes a deep dive into how to automate your performance test and start testing earlier, reminding the viewers of the value of the integration between NeoLoad, SpiraTeam, and Rapise.

Enjoy the presentation below!

Spira for Non-Software Applications: Covid-19 Mask Testing | InflectraCon 2020 IRL

October 30, 2020

Our annual user conference - InflectraCon 2020: Agile Software Testing & DevOps Conference is in the rearview mirror. Today, we are proud to present the Inflectra In Real Life (IRL) talk by our partner sponsor - NVP Software Solutions, called Spira for Non-Software Applications: Covid-19 Mask Testing.

The session focuses on how Spira supports the testing of Covid-19 masks under varying conditions and the transit application.

Enjoy the recording below!

IQM Studio - Enhanced Model-based Testing Add-On for Spira and Rapise | InflectraCon 2020 IRL

October 22, 2020

We have recently hosted Inflectra's annual user conference - InflectraCon. In 2020, we have dedicated InflectraCon to Agile Software Testing and DevOps theme and held it virtually. InflectraCon 2020 combined multiple tracks, of which, one - called Inflectra in Real Life or IRL in short - showcased the various uses of the Inflectra platforms (SpiraTest, SpiraTeam, SpiraPlan, Rapise, Kronodesk, etc.). 

Below, we will present an InflectraCon 2020 IRL talk by our US-based Partner - Critical Logic. The session demonstrates how IQM Studio generates tests and scripts and how to integrate it with SpiraTest for test management and with Rapise for script execution.

Why You Shouldn't Miss InflectraCon 2020 Virtual

September 8, 2020

On September 29 - October 2, 2020, Team Inflectra is throwing the biggest event of the year - its annual, global user conference -  InflectraCon™!

In 2020 InflectraCon is delivered virtually, with all talks available on demand for 24 hours on each of 4 conference days!

In 2020, InflectraCon's focus is on agile software testing and DevOps using the Inflectra platforms: SpiraTest, SpiraTeam, SpiraPlan, and Rapise. Designed to meet the training and self-improvement needs of Inflectra's users, the conference proudly offers over 75 hours of learning through a wide variety of opportunities:

• 4 days of virtual learning with over 80 on-demand sessions accessible by all from midnight to midnight each conference day
• 8 Keynotes by renowned international speakers
• 4 Workshop blocks with over 30 sessions on QA, Program Management, Automation & Administration with Inflectra Platform
• 3 Advanced Topic blocks with over 20 sessions we the Inflectra experts dive deep into each platform to help you leverage their various capabilities
• 22 thought-leadership talks across four thematic streams
• a dozen Inflectra Case Studies and "How-To" Talks
• 3 half-day certification & accreditation courses from ICAgile and ASTQB
• networking, and more!

Tickets start at an unbelievable $79.99!

Get your ticket today!

Tipsy Testing - Inflectra Virtual Happy Hour

August 27, 2020

When the global pandemic induced lockdowns world-wide and trapped Team Inflectra indoors in mid-March 2020, we started to think about how we could limit the disruption it caused to our team, but also our fans everywhere. With everyone working remotely, we soon realized we craved others' company and wanted to stay in touch. We found that the best way to stay connected to our partners, customers, fans, and friends was through weekly virtual happy hours. We called these casual get-togethers Tipsy Testing - to emphasize their loose focus on software testing, agile management, DevOps, software engineering, and project management. Tipsy Testing is unscripted and is completely listener-driven, as we try to answer as many listener-supplied questions as we can cover in an hour-long segment. 

Importantly, Tipsy Testing is about supporting each other, making new friends, sharing productivity tips and tricks, learning from one another, and discovering fancy, often local breweries and delicious artisanal cocktails along the way. 

Here is where Tipsy Testing stands today:

Spotlight on Spira 6.5.2 - Manual Testing Customization Enhancements

July 8, 2020

Over the past few years, we have collected many enhancement requests for the test case execution page, to make it easier to show and hide certain options, make specific data required, and allow the settings to be configured differently for different products. Well we are happy to add these long awaited features to our upcoming v6.5.2 release.

Webinar Recap: NERC-CIP: Top Testing & Compliance Challenges & How To Address Them

June 4, 2020

On June 2, 2020, Inflectra's Adam Sandman and NVP Software Solutions' Neil Price-Jones hosted a joint webinar on NERC-CIP: Top Testing & Compliance Challenges & How To Address Them. 

The webinar covers the following:

• Key challenges in testing and developing software for the energy industry
• Key NERC-CIP requirements for operating North America's bulk electric system
• Best Practices in addressing NERC-CIP compliance
• Technology and tools: How SpiraPlan can transform your testing, verification, and compliance of NERC-CIP. 

If you missed the webinar, you can watch the recording here 👇.

TeleTesting Part Two - One Month Later

May 7, 2020

It was only about six weeks ago that we wrote our first article on TeleTesting, our suggestions for dealing with the sudden move to teleworking and distributed agile teams, and how to ensure that high-quality, well tested software is still released. It seems like an age since that article was released, with changes in lifestyles and working patterns that will probably persist for most of this year. In this article we check in to see how it has been going.

Webinar Recap: How To Test MS Dynamics 365 for Sales Through The UI

May 4, 2020

On April 29th, 2020, our automation champion - Denis Markovtsev, Ph.D took us on a journey exploring the testing of MS Dynamics 365 for Sales Through the UI.  The webinar focusing on the following how-to's: 

• Start testing Dynamics 365 for Sales with Rapise
• Launch Dynamics 365 for Sales from an automated test
• Automate navigation within Dynamics 365 for Sales
• Record a test case and make it a part of the framework for regular execution.

If you missed the webinar, here 👇 are some of the highlights!

Inflectra To Speak at TestingMind Virtual Events - Spring 2020

April 16, 2020

This spring, Inflectra has the good fortune to collaborate with TestingMind and to bring you three amazing talks on a range of topics- all under the rubric of Emerging Test Automation and Digital Influence in QA. The event is virtual and is taking place on April 24- 28th.

Webinar Recap: How To Accelerate Software Testing, Validation & Compliance Of Your Medical Trials

March 30, 2020

On March 25 2020, Inflectra's Adam Sandman headlined a live webinar called: How To Accelerate Software Testing, Validation & Compliance Of Your Medical Trials. The webinar focuses on compliance with HIPAA and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and discusses how SpiraPlan makes that compliance front and center of your software development and testing initiatives. 

If you missed the webinar, please enjoy this recap, complete with a video recording.

Webinar Agenda:

The webinar covered the following areas: 

• The urgency around Software Validation & Testing
• Best practices in Software Validation & Testing
• SpiraPlan Compliance Features: Electronic Signatures, End-to-End Traceability, Audit Trails.

Test Automation Training While You Are Teleworking

March 27, 2020

As we discussed in our blog on Teletesting (testing while teleworking), working from home has its challenges, with difficulties in setting work/home boundaries, avoiding distractions and knowing when to take a break. However teleworking and being at home during a quarantine or lockdown is a perfect time to brush up on your skills and get some training. So, building on our new Rapise Quick Start implementation packages, we are pleased to offer some free training while you are sequestered.

TeleTesting - 10 Tips for DevOps and Software Testing while Teleworking

March 19, 2020

During the last couple of weeks, the world has been turned upside down with the onslaught of the COVID-19 Coronavirus. As part of our response plan, we have moved Inflectra to 100% telework to reduce the chance of community transmission. A lot of newspapers and blogs have great tips about how to work remotely and stay sane and be effective. However, we have found there are some specific tips that make things easier for software development teams working remotely - TeleTesting if you wish!

Testing MS Dynamics Through The UI Like A Pro - A Webinar Series

March 4, 2020

On March 4th, 2020 Inflectra launched the 4th installment in its famous test automation webinar series series called: Testing MS Dynamics Through The UI Like A Pro. This step 4 webinar series builds on the earlier test automation series’: Test Automation, Demystified and Planet Test Automation: First Steps while also working in parallel with the current UI Automation 101 series.

Testing MS Dynamics Through The UI Like A Pro series aims to help you launch the testing of your MS Dynamics product. We will look at the following how-to's: bootstrap a testing framework and perform essential test automation tasks and organize your teamwork and create tests that are easy to enhance and maintain.

Details are inside!

Webinar Recap: Data-Driven Testing | Test Automation Webinars

December 19, 2019

On December 18, 2019 Inflectra and Denis Markovtsev hosted a live webinar, called:Data-Driven Testing. This is the 5th and last webinar in the Tier 2 Certificate series called: Planet Test Automation: First Steps. 

If you missed the webinar, we are happy to share this recap👇 with you!

Webinar Recap: Automating REST/SOAP API Testing (Part 4)

December 6, 2019

On December 4, 2019 Inflectra hosted a live webinar, called: Automating REST/SOAP API Testing. This is the 4th webinar in the Tier 2 Certificate series called: Planet Test Automation: First Steps. 

If you missed the webinar, we are happy to share this recap👇 with you!

Webinar Recap: Automating MOBILE UI Testing

November 25, 2019

On November 20, 2019 Inflectra hosted the 3rd live webinar: Automating Mobile UI Testing from the Tier 2 Certification series called: Planet Test Automation: First Steps

If you missed the webinar, we are happy to share this recap👇 with you!

Recap: Agile Testing Days 2019 - Potsdam, Germany

November 18, 2019

Have you ever wondered why some conferences have more dedicated following than others? We did too, prior to our visit to Agile Testing Days 2019 in Potsdam, Germany!

Now we know and we are happy to let you in on this open secret.

Webinar Recap: Automating Desktop UI Testing (Part 2)

November 5, 2019

On October 30, 2019 Inflectra hosted the 2nd live webinar: Automating Desktop UI Testing from the Tier 2 Certification series called: Planet Test Automation: First Steps

If you missed the webinar, we are happy to share this recap👇 with you!

Seamless Migration from Micro Focus UFT to Rapise (Part 2)

November 4, 2019

Many organizations are looking to update their software testing processes and tools, with an industry-wide move away from some of the older, monolithic legacy suites from vendors such as Micro Focus (formerly HP, and Mercury Interactive before that) to more modern tools. This second article in the blog series, provides a deeper insight into the new UFT migration and conversion framework that has been developed by Inflectra to help our customers more easily migrate from UFT to Rapise.

Seamless Migration from Micro Focus UFT to Rapise (Part 1)

October 31, 2019

Many organizations are looking to update their software testing processes and tools, with an industry-wide move away from some of the older, monolithic legacy suites from vendors such as Micro Focus (formerly HP, and Mercury Interactive before that) to more modern tools. At Inflectra, we have partnered with Neotys to provide an integrated suite comprising: SpiraTeam, Rapise and NeoLoad that lets companies have test management, functional testing, and load testing all in one. Migrating from ALM/QualityCenter to SpiraTeam is easy using our free migration tool, and migration from LoadRunner to NeoLoad was possible using a conversion utility, however automatically converting from UFT / QTP to Rapise was not so easy.... until today!

Webinar Recap: Automating Web UI Testing

October 18, 2019

On October 16, 2019 Inflectra hosted the 1st live webinar: Automating Web UI Testing from the Tier 2 Certification series called: Planet Test Automation: First Steps

If you missed the webinar, here is a recap👇 ~ enjoy!

Webinar Series: Planet Test Automation: First Steps

October 3, 2019

On October 16, 2019 Inflectra will launch a follow-on test automation webinar series called: Planet Test Automation: First Steps. This step 2 webinar series builds on the earlier test automation series - Test Automation, Demystified and aims to strengthen participants' grasp of the major test automation activities. 

Details are inside!

Inflectra Creates Harmony in the Software Development Universe

September 27, 2019

The tempo of software development is always increasing. With the adoption of agile methodologies, the move to continuous integration and deployment, and the use of DevOps platforms, it seems that everything needs to be done faster. In this maelstrom of activity, we at Inflectra want to help customers avoid the chaos of missed deadlines, and unfulfilled requirements... and bring harmony. Learn how and why!

Spotlight on Rapise 6.2 - Selenium and Appium Auto Reconnect

September 3, 2019

The latest version of Rapise, our powerful and easy to use test automation tool comes with some key usability enhancements that make testing mobile native applications and mobile web applications even easier. It lets you start recording tests from the point they last failed without having to start from the beginning, a huge time saver.

Spotlight on Rapise 6.2 - Machine Learning & Self-healing Web Testing

August 29, 2019

We're very excited about the next version of our Rapise test automation system. The new version leverages research done by the Inflectra artificial intelligence and machine learning unit to introduce self-healing web testing and self-healing web locators to take the flakiness and manual effort associated with automating web testing.

Webinar #Recap: Codeless Test Automation

July 11, 2019

On July 10, 2019 Inflectra hosted the 5th live webinar: Codeless Test Automation, from the series called: Test Automation, Demystified.

If you missed the webinar, here is a recap of the most important take-aways:

Recap: Inflectra Goes to Agile Testing Days USA 2019

June 28, 2019

We have just wrapped up an exhilarating but fun two days in Chicago, sponsoring and attending the second Agile Testing Days USA testing festival. Hosted by our friends at TechWell and Trendig, the event featured inspiring speakers, awesome attendees, excellent exhibitors, and of course the fabulous roaring 20s costume party. Find out what happened...

New Chrome Extension For Exploratory Testing in Development

May 24, 2019

SpiraTest has a powerful dedicated exploratory testing mode, inside the application. This has been hugely popular with our testers and our customers. It allows testers to create and edit their test case on the fly, based on how their exploratory session proceeds. We are working on a compliment to this feature, with a chrome extension for exploratory testing.

Webinar #Recap: From Manual to Automated Software Testing

May 17, 2019

On May 15, Inflectra hosted a webinar: From Manual to Automated Software Testing, as part of webinar series called: Test Automation, Demystified. The goal of series is to build the participants’ basic understanding, and a skill set to start using test automation in their work.

If you missed the webinar, we understand - and are happy to share with you the most important take-aways.

Recap: #TAS19 - Test Automation and Digital QA Summit in Washington, DC

April 15, 2019

We were recently asked to attend and speak at the 2019 Test Automation and Digital QA Summit event organized by leading consulting firm TestingMind. The goal of the summit was to provide a forum where Quality Assurance Leadership, Management, and Strategy could converge. The Summit showcased the trends, innovations and challenges in the emerging world of Software and Automation Testing.

Recap: #UKSTAR and Swiss Testing Day 2019 - Inflectra Meets QA & DevOps Professionals in Europe

March 29, 2019

Team Inflectra were pleased to sponsor the 2019 UK STAR conference in London and annual Swiss Testing Day / DevOps Fusion earlier this month. We met a lot of inspirational speakers, visited some of our key customers in the UK and Switzerland and learned a lot about the business needs and opportunities for customers adopting Agile and DevOps practices across northern Europe in general. We have included some of the highlights in this blog.

Spotlight on Rapise 6.0: UI Redesign, Dynamics Unified Client and SAP Fiori

February 26, 2019

Our automation group is wrapping up the final testing and documentation for our next major release of Rapise, our powerful and easy to use codeless test automation tool. With the new 6.0 version getting ready for release in the next couple of weeks, we thought it would be useful to highlight some of the major changes and new features you can expect with the new version.

Inflectra Supports Country-Level Software Testing Cups

January 30, 2019

Software testing enthusiast everywhere will be happy to learn about Inflectra's new initiative to sponsor country-level software testing competitions all over the globe. 

Free Crowd-Testing of Apps - #TestBowl by Inflectra

January 24, 2019

Do you have a new app, software or website that is ready for real-life testing by professional testers?

We have a FREE and FUN way to help you out!

As part of the Inflectra-run software testing competition - #TestBowl, we are offering to crowd-test your software for free!

All you need to do is apply before March 15th!

10 Features Every Codeless Test Automation Tool Should Offer

December 3, 2018

There's a resurgence of codeless test automation tools in the market, and members of the testing community are understandably skeptical of the promises of hassle-free, easy to maintain testing. This article describes the benefits that codeless test automation tools provide over having your programmers write automation code by hand, and outlines how Rapise meets the test laid down by experts in the industry of the ten key features that such a tool needs to have to be useful.

Webinar Recap: Security Testing in Dynamics AX 2012 with Rapise

November 30, 2018

On November 29, 2018 we hosted a webinar on automating the testing of yet another aspect of Dynamics AX - its security permissions. 

If you were unable to attend, here is the webinar recording. 

Agile Testing Days, PTA, Effimag and Inflectra European Summit - a Retrospective

November 27, 2018

The past two weeks have been a bit of a blur for #teamInflectra, we had the great fortune to attend four events back to back - Effimag's anniversary event in Switzerland, Agile Testing Days in Potsdam, Germany, PTA's winter seminar in Stuttgart, and our Inflectra User Conference in Mannheim. During that time we learned a lot, met great people, and also got to see how testers and quality assurance professionals in Europe see the world.

Recap: #STPcon 2018 - Inflectra Meets Testers & QA Professionals in Washington, DC

October 30, 2018

Team Inflectra were pleased to sponsor the 2018 Fall Software Testing Professionals Conference (STPcon) in Arlington, VA last week. We met a lot of inspirational speakers and had a chance to demonstrate the latest version of our award-winning SpiraTest - test management software, and Rapise - our test automation platform to the attendees. We also got to give away lots of cool Inflectra swag and prizes for winners of the STPcon raffle.

Software Testing Bowl 2018 - Highlights & Lessons Learned

October 29, 2018

Inflectra's inaugural Software Testing Bowl is now in the past and we are taking a moment to share the highlights and reflect on the lessons learned from the event.

Recording of MS Dynamics NAV & Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with Rapise

October 11, 2018

Rapise is the most powerful and complete software testing tool on the market for testing the Microsoft Dynamics family of applications. In addition, many of our customers are using Rapise to perform Robotic Process Automation (RPA) of Dynamics applications to automate common business processes and tasks. We recently had a webinar that demonstrated the best practices and tips and tricks for testing and/or automating Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Don't worry if you missed the webinar, we have a recording available.

Recap: #AUSTesting Days - Inflectra Meets Testers & QA Professionals in Melbourne, Australia

October 9, 2018

We, at Inflectra, long figured out that geography is not a hindrance when you have an #awesome event to attend!

So, we sponsored and showcased Inflectra's award-winning software platforms at the Australian Testing Days Expo in Melbourne on October 8, 2018. Represented by Inflectra's local partner, Peter Brackstone, we were able to get the Spira and Rapise family of software tools and Inflectra's name, in general, in front of the testing network in Melbourne, Victoria. Attendees were excited to find out how SpiraTest, SpiraTeam and Rapise can transform testing and QA for them. 

Recap: #OATSolutions - Inflectra Meets the Agile Community in Brazil

October 1, 2018

We were pleased to support and attend the annual OAT Solutions customer summit in São Paulo, Brazil last week. It have us an opportunity to connect with all of the team working at OAT, as well as meet customers and potential users that are interested in SpiraTest, SpiraTeam, and Rapise from Inflectra. We also got time to see the amazing city that is São Paulo, and sample some of the local delights.

Lessons Learned from Using Rapise to Develop/Test Rapise

September 10, 2018

If you remember our blog post - The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes - then you'll remember that we lamented that it's often hard to practice what you preach when it comes to yourself, because you are so busy delivering first for customers! Well, as a prequel to that, we realized that it was worth mentioning how ended up using Rapise to debug issues in Rapise itself!

How to Wreck Your UI Test Automation Project - A Cheat Sheet

September 4, 2018

A while back we wrote about how to make a UI test automation project a nightmare, well in the second part of this blog series, we explore some ways you can wreck and derail an automation project. Hopefully, you will do the opposite and become a test automation hero!

Recap: #AUSTesting Days - Inflectra Meets the Testing Community of Australia

August 24, 2018

We, at Inflectra, long figured out that geography is not a hindrance when you have an #awesome event to attend!

So, we sponsored and showcased Inflectra's award-winning software platforms at the Australian Testing Days Expo in Sydney on August 24, 2018. Represented by Inflectra's local partner, Peter Brackstone, we were able to get the Spira family of software tools and Inflectra's name, in general, in front of the testing network in Australia. Attendees were educated about what SpiraTest, SpiraTeam and Rapise can do to un-complicate their professional lives. 

The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes

August 22, 2018

One of the most famous expressions is that the people who are in the business of a providing a particular service are so focused on delivering for their customers, that they don't practice what they preach for themselves. For example, the cobbler who repairs shoes, has no time to fix those of his family. However that analogy is unfortunately often the same when you look at software...

Pytest Extension Now Available for SpiraTest

August 14, 2018

The use of big data and cloud computing solutions in the enterprise world has helped skyrocket Python in popularity. It is one of the most popular languages used in data science, second only to R. It’s also being used for machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems and various modern technologies. So we decided it was a good time to create a Python Pytest extension for Spira.

Join Us at STARCANADA | Oct 14

August 14, 2018

The STARCANADA (https://well.tc/wbb2) full conference program is now available online!

Explore what the premier conference for software testing professionals has in store. Start making plans to join the fun from October 14–19 in Toronto at the Hyatt Regency Toronto.

**Exclusive Offer** inside!

Introducing the Web UI Test Automation Playground

August 7, 2018

We have all seen slick demos of automated testing tools and frameworks. They show how you can quickly automate a nice, well constructed login page. The test records easily, the playback is seamless and it all looks so easy and painless. Then you purchase the tool and when it makes first contact with a real application, it looks as seamless as a Rube Goldberg machine!

What are examples of automated testing?

July 31, 2018

Someone on Quora asked the expansive question - "What are examples of automated testing?". When I read this question, it made me think - that is such as vast question, since it can encompass so many different types of testing (hardware, software, network, security, performance, compatibility), all of which can be done automatically or manually depending on the situation. However I thought it might be useful to describe some different examples...

Webinar Recording: The Role of Exploratory Testing

July 30, 2018

We recently hosted another free webinar - this time on The Role of Exploratory Testing.

This webinar was first presented at DevGeekWeek 2018 by Inflectra's Technical Director - Adam Sandman.

Don't worry if you missed the webinar, we have a recording available.

Recording: Selenium Page Object vs Object Repository - Inflectra Webinar

July 23, 2018

We recently had a webinar that demonstrated the similarities and differences between Selenium Page Object vs Rapise Object Repository. Don't worry if you missed the webinar, we have a recording available.

This webinar was first presented at DevGeekWeek 2018 by Inflectra's senior software engineer - Alexey Grinevich.

Using REST & UI Testing To Test An Ajax Web Application - Webinar Recording

July 20, 2018

We are please to share with you the recording of our recent webinar on Using REST & UI Testing To Test An Ajax Web Application. 

The webinar is based on a talk by Adam Sandman, first presented at STPCon Spring 2018. 

JUnit 5 Extension Now Available

July 17, 2018

JUnit 5 is the next generation of JUnit. The goal was to create an up-to-date foundation for developer-side testing on the JVM. This included focusing on Java 8 and above, as well as enabling many different styles of testing. JUnit 5 is the result of these efforts, and at Inflectra we already have JUnit 5 available for integration with SpiraTest, SpiraTeam, or SpiraPlan.

Webinar Recap: Addressing The Challenges Of Web UI Test Automation Using Rapise

July 16, 2018

Thank you for joining our July 5th webinar on Addressing The Challenges Of Web UI Test Automation Using Rapise. The webinar recording and slides are offered below for those who had to miss it. 

Agile Testing Days USA, DevWeek, and Software Testing Cup - a Retrospective

July 2, 2018

The past two weeks have been a bit of a blur for #teamInflectra, we had the great fortune to attend two conferences back to back - DevGeekWeek/QAGeekWeek in Israel, and the first ever Agile Testing Days USA in Boston, MA. During that time we learned a lot, met great people, and also got to help out with the Software Testing World Cup (STWC).

Becoming Agile In Software Testing: The Government Edition - Webinar Recording

June 15, 2018

Thank you for joining our June 12th webinar on Becoming Agile In Software Testing: The US Government Edition. The webinar recording and slides are offered below for those who had to miss it. 

Webinar Recording: Testing MS Dynamics 365 Business Central with Rapise

June 11, 2018

We are please to share with you the recording of our recent webinar on automating testing of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central with Rapise. 

Recording of Software Development & Testing Challenges in Financial Services

May 30, 2018

Thanks to those who attended our recent webinar discussing the challenges and opportunities testing and developing software and systems in the financial services and banking industries. We have published a recording of the webinar and Q&A.

The 2nd Social Testing Competition - Inflectra & AspireLabs

May 21, 2018

We did it again!

We hosted another #awesome Social Testing^TM Competition!  

We would like to start by thanking the dedicated group of software testers who braved the pouring rain and heavy traffic to get to Tyson’s Corner, VA. We hope that being greeted by smiling WeWork community managers, friendliness of #teamInflectra, delicious Vietnamese food and fun software testing competition made it all worthwhile!

Recording of Software Testing, Validation & Compliance in Healthcare Webinar

May 17, 2018

Thanks to those who attended our recent webinar discussing the challenges and opportunities testing and validating software and systems in the life sciences and healthcare industries. We have published a recording of the webinar and Q&A.

9 Easy Steps to Start Automating Software Testing

May 1, 2018

Testers Don't Panic @ STPcon2018 Testing Conference in Newport Beach, CA

April 16, 2018

Team Inflectra were pleased to sponsor the 2018 Spring Software Testing Professionals Conference (STPcon) in Newport Beach, CA last week. We met a lot of inspirational speakers and had a chance to demonstrate the latest version of our award-winning SpiraTest - a software test management system to the attendees. We also got to give away lots of cool Inflectra swag and prizes for winners of the STPcon raffle.

Notes from Inflectra's Hackathon - Social Testing Competition

March 15, 2018

On March 14, 2018 Inflectra hosted its inaugural software testing event (hackathon) called Social Testing Competition at WeWork Manhattan Laundry in Washington, DC.  

The event drew enthusiasm from the local software tester community with around 25 guest-testers. The group used a simplified version of Inflectra’s award-wining test management software -  SpiraTest  and tested a mobile app called Sickweather. The group was tasked with logging “technical bugs” and “usability issues” as two separate categories of incidents. (Technical bugs were worth 2 points and identified (reproducible) errors in the functioning of the application, whereas usability issues were worth 1 point and noted strange or confusing app behaviors.)

After about two hours of testing the app, the group collectively logged close to 250 issues into Spiratest’s centralized databank. (The unified test report will be delivered to the app owner for review and follow up).

By the end of the night, three winners were selected based on the points scored for the issues uncovered in the app.

We would like to take a moment here to recognize all women technologists who showed up, tested hard and walked away with prizes! Pleased to have you participate.

Recording of Testing & Compliance Challenges Webinar for Healthcare in the Cloud

March 12, 2018

In this presentation we discuss some of the unique testing and compliance requirements for IT projects in healthcare and the life sciences. We discuss the move to the cloud, the opportunities and challenges it will bring, and how the Inflectra platform can help. We then have a practical demonstration of our two products - SpiraTeam and Rapise - that can help you achieve compliance faster and more affordably than ever before.

Recording of Testing the Migration from AngularJS to ReactJS with Rapise

March 6, 2018

We recently hosted a webinar demonstrating how our Rapise automated testing system simplifies the testing of a modern web application that is being migrated from one JavaScript framework to another, in this case from AngularJS to ReactJS.

Recording of Testing Salesforce Lightning with Rapise Webinar

February 14, 2018

Rapise is the most powerful and easy to use software testing tool on the market for testing Salesforce.com. We have many customers and partners using Rapise to streamline their testing of Salesforce.com, cutting down the time to test every new patch, update, or customization. We recently had a webinar that demonstrated the best practices and tips and tricks for testing Salesforce's new Lightning Edition. Don't worry if you missed the webinar, we have a recording available.

Inflectra - a Proud Co-Sponsor of Agile Testing Days USA 2018

February 12, 2018

Great news!

Europe’s fun and wildly popular agile testing festival is coming to North America this June 25–29 as Agile Testing Days USA (https://well.tc/wejy). The conference will be a festival of learning and sharing for the community. The agile-focused learning experience will provide an interactive way to get deep insights and the latest developments in testing and agile excellence as well as many opportunities to network with fellow passionate agile software professionals. We hope you will be able to join the inaugural event in Boston!

**Exclusive Offer** save up to an additional $200 off the Agile Testing Days USA Super Early Lobster pricing when you register with code ATD18V4 by April 27. That’s a combined savings up to $600 off!

Explore the program: https://well.tc/wejy

Face-to-Face with Inflectra - Find Us Where Software Testing Happens

January 31, 2018

Over the years, we at Inflectra, developed a taste for all the fun that takes place at software testing and agile software development events. We have also become active members of national and international tester communities. We love to share our knowledge as software engineers and learn from your experience as testers, developers and managers. 

So, the new year brings new opportunities for Inflectra to get up close and personal with software testing peeps out there. 

Apart from continuing with our now-traditional weekly webinars (a good way to meet new people), we have made plans to meet software testing superheros and agile gurus during the following events in the first half of 2018:

1. Social Testing - Washington, DC
2. STPCon - Newport Beach, CA
3. ISTC & DevGeekWeek - Israel
4. Agile Testing Days USA - Boston, MA

So if you are planning on attending one of these events, stop by to say hi!

Recording of Testing Dynamics NAV with Rapise Webinar

January 25, 2018

Rapise is the most powerful and easy to use software testing tool on the market for testing Microsoft Dynamics NAV. We have many customers and partners using Rapise to streamline their testing of Dynamics products, cutting down the time to test every new patch, update, or customization. We recently had a webinar that demonstrated the best practices and tips and tricks for testing Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Don't worry if you missed the webinar, we have a recording available.

How to Make UI Test Automation a Nightmare - A Developer's Guide

December 19, 2017

We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.
― Richard Feynman

There are many ways in which you can make the lives of test automation teams harder. If you are a developer or system architect and one of testers is the kind of guy you dislike, this article is for you. Enlightened by the sacred knowledge contained in this short article you will learn how to make UI of any application nearly untestable.

Alternatively, if you are a kinder soul and respect others' hard work, you may consider topics presented herewith as anti-patterns.

So, let's go.

Recording of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM / 365 for Sales Webinar

December 19, 2017

Rapise is the most powerful and easy to use software testing tool on the market for testing Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales. We have many customers and partners using Rapise to streamline their testing of Dynamics products, cutting down the time to test every new patch, update, or customization. We recently had a webinar that demonstrated the best practices and tips and tricks for testing Dynamics CRM and Dynamics 365. Don't worry if you missed the webinar, we have a recording available.

Supporting Agile Software Testing in DC - D-CAST

December 5, 2017

We had the pleasure of sponsoring the local D-CAST meetup this month, celebrating the end of 2017 and all things agile and software testing related. Inflectra is a proud sponsor of the group and is looking forward to helping support more events in the Washington, DC area in 2018. During the meetup, Peter Kim discussed his new cool Slackbot called Mr. Jenkins.

Recording of Testing Salesforce.com with Rapise Webinar

December 1, 2017

Rapise is the most powerful and easy to use software testing tool on the market for testing Salesforce.com. We have many customers and partners using Rapise to streamline their testing of Salesforce.com, cutting down the time to test every new patch, update, or customization. We recently had a webinar that demonstrated the best practices and tips and tricks for testing Salesforce.com. Don't worry if you missed the webinar, we have a recording available.

Recording of Testing Dynamics AX 2012 with Rapise Webinar

November 28, 2017

Rapise is the most powerful and easy to use software testing tool on the market for testing Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012. We have many customers and partners using Rapise to streamline their testing of Dynamics AX, cutting down the time to test every new patch, update, or customization. We recently had a webinar that demonstrated the best practices and tips and tricks for testing Dynamics AX. Don't worry if you missed the webinar, we have a recording available.

Spotlight on SpiraTeam v5.3 - What's New?

October 18, 2017

We are excited with the new release of SpiraTeam v5.3 (also including SpiraTest and SpiraPlan in case you were asking!). In this article we are going to highlight some of the enhancements in the latest version. The full list of enhancements, bug fixes and new features can be found in the release notes.

Testers Assemble @ STPcon2017 Testing Conference in Washington, DC

October 2, 2017

Team Inflectra were pleased to sponsor the 2017 Fall Software Testing Professionals Conference (STPcon) in Washington, DC last week. We met a lot of inspirational speakers and had a chance to demonstrate the new exploratory testing features of SpiraTest to the attendees. We also got to give away lots of cool Inflectra swag and prizes for winners of the STPcon raffle.

Spotlight on Rapise 5.3: Testing Dynamics NAV Applications

September 5, 2017

As you may know, one of the core strengths of Rapise is its support for testing Microsoft Dynamics applications. Rapise offers the best automated testing solution on the market for Microsoft Dynamics AX, CRM and 365. However that is not sufficient for us, after several customer requests, we are pleased to announce that the next version of Rapise due for release in a couple of weeks will also include built-in out of the box support for MS Dynamics NAV as well.

Running UnitJS Tests with Mocha and SpiraTest

September 1, 2017

We announced today that we have just released a new plugin for SpiraTest - a custom reporter for the popular Mocha JavaScript test execution framework. We thought it would be helpful to provide more information around using the new plugin as well as some background on why we decided to develop it in the first place.

You Did Not Know It Was Called Black Box Testing

August 9, 2017

Have you ever wondered about what it is called when you test a system by interacting with it solely through external interfaces, without looking inside?

Wonder no more – it is called Black Box Testing!  

So, when do you use black box testing? What are some of the approaches in the black box testing? Which elements of software's design may help you make black box testing more effective?

The Top 3 Tools In Automated UI Testing for Dynamics AX

August 7, 2017

Ever wonder which automated UI testing software to use for Dynamics AX ?

We have a review that compares the three top tools on the market: Visual Studio Coded UI, Rapise and AXeptance. Read how each of them fair when tested against the following five criteria:

1. functionality
2. ease of use & maintenance
3. date-driven testing
4. reliability
5. speed

Rapise 5.2 Now Available

August 1, 2017

We have big news - Rapise 5.2 is Now Released! Our automation development team has been working to add the remaining features needed for full scriptless test automation using Rapise Visual Language (RVL) and now it is here!

Spotlight on SpiraTest 5.3 - Data Driven Testing with Test Configurations

July 31, 2017

We are busy bees this summer, and one of the most exciting new features of SpiraTest (and SpiraTeam, of course) is a better support for data-driven testing with the new test configurations functionality. We are adding support for test configurations that will let you create a data-set of possible testing configurations (e.g. 5 browsers, 4 operating systems, 10 logins = 200 possible combinations) and run your test sets through the different combinations with ease. This will be available for both manual and automated testing.

Spotlight on Rapise 5.2: Data Driven Testing

July 17, 2017

We are busy bees this summer, and one of the most exciting new features of Rapise is the fact that we're adding support for data-driven testing using the new Rapise Visual Language (RVL) with the introduction of Maps and Loops to the new scriptless language.

Why You Should Join Our Technology and Innovation Meet-up Group

July 14, 2017

If you are a software company, like us, building and releasing software is pretty much up there with coffee, chocolate, and Game of Thrones. But our digital fortress could no longer contain our desire to make new friends in our own neighborhood of Silver Spring, MD. And while there is no shortage of #awesome Meet-Up groups and Eventbrite get-togethers in DC/MD/VA area, we are using our resources to make software testing fun and accessible for everyone who is interested locally. 

We are weaving a web of community connections through our regular coder internship program, our webinar series, and through our meetup group - Technology and Innovation Meet-up Group in Silver Spring, MA.

Spotlight on SpiraTest 5.3 - Exploratory Testing Coming Soon

July 10, 2017

We are busy bees this summer, and one of the most exciting new features of SpiraTest (and SpiraTeam of course) is the fact that we're adding support in SpiraTest for exploratory/session-based testing. This article outlines how this new functionality will work and explains what will be possible in SpiraTest, and what additional features will be in SpiraTeam (hint integration with Task Management!)

What's Coming Up This Summer at Inflectra

July 4, 2017

Our development teams are going to be avoiding the sweltering summer heat here in Washington, DC by staying inside and cooking up some amazing new features for our products. In this blog, I thought it would be good to highlight some of the key new features coming to our product families this summer.

Meeting the Software Testing Community in Israel During QAGeekWeek, DevGeekWeek and the ISTC

June 25, 2017

During the past week, Team Inflectra had the amazing opportunity to visit Israel for the inaugural Israeli Software Testing Cup (ISTC). The ISTC was organized by one of our customers Anna Lucovsky (Mentor Graphics) and Inflectra was proud to sponsor the ISTC and DevGeekWeek 2017 (a week long celebration of software development and testing). In addition, we were fortunate enough to meet a lot of our long-term customers and people interested in improving the software development and testing during an evening meetup organized by Inflectra.

#TechTuesday: Resilient UI Test Automation for Web Applications

June 20, 2017

Web applications are a perfect example of a rapidly moving target for UI test automation tools. Agile and DevOps drive small changes and frequent releases. This leads to certain challenges in QA field. How to create tests that survive after small UI changes? How to create tests that produce same results if ran 10 times in a row on an unmodified application? How to create tests that check exactly those features they were designed to check?

Answers to these questions are not entirely simple. Test automation is still an art.

In this blog we try to figure out what every test automation engineer can do to find the right answers. First I'll give a few examples that illustrate common challenges in Web UI test automation.

#TechTuesday: Automated Testing of Complex Web UI Components: Behind The Scenes

June 14, 2017

Take any tool for UI test automation and you will notice that they always lack support for some of the UI controls. And I am not talking about trivial ones like buttons and edit boxes, but the one that are custom controls, which are unique and created for specific needs. It can be some sophisticated grid or menu or a fancy tree. A number of such controls in this rapidly evolving world is growing exponentially. So, every UI test automation engineer is challenged by emerging UI frameworks in every project. This is especially true for Web applications.

As a provider of a UI test automation tool - Rapise - we constantly do our best to arm engineers with the most advanced technologies to help them deal with new UI controls.

This article by Danis Markovtsev will showcase a real-life example of this. 

All This Talk of Real-life TestOps Environment...

June 12, 2017

We’ve mentioned before that Inflectra is sponsoring DevGeekWeek2017 in Israel later this month. One of the perks of being a sponsor is an ability to engage with the conference attendees through seminars and talks. It is then only natural that we decided to also contribute our experience, technical knowledge and testing wisdom to this conference.

So, we are sending #TeamInflectra’s crème de la crème - Adam Sandman, Inflectra’s Technical Director, to talk about A Real-life TestOps Environment during a seminar called: Real Testing Scenario Strategy lead by Anna Lucovsky on June 21, 2017.

Code & Data: from Assembler to RVL

June 7, 2017

In this short blog post, our test automation guru - Denis Markovtsev explains the ideas and principles behind the design of Inflectra's new Rapise Visual Language (RVL) introduced in Rapise 5.1. RVL is a spreadsheet-based approach to UI test automation implemented in Rapise to help domain specialists and test analysts, who are not programmers, participate in test automation projects.

The Top 5 Software Testing Pitfalls

June 2, 2017

You're testing the latest release of your software. Time is tight as always. Your mission is to find serious bugs, so they can be reported and fixed before the product goes out to customers.

From Russia with Rapise - SQADAYS 21

May 30, 2017

Team Inflectra was excited last week to present at the SQADAYS 21 testing conference in Moscow. Leading practitioners in Software Quality Assurance attended the XXI International Conference of Software Quality Assurance in Moscow, on May 26-27, 2017  to share knowledge on test automation, quality assurance and all things software testing. Our colleagues Denis Markovtsev and Alexey Grinevich attended the event, with Denis speaking on the topic of best practices for testing an application that is constantly being upgraded.

Rapise v5.1 - Enhanced REST Web Service Testing

May 22, 2017

We're very excited about the next version of Rapise coming out later this week. It has many enhancements and improvements for testing the web, mobile and desktop applications which we'll be discussing in future blog articles. It also has some nifty new features to make the testing of REST web services even better.

Rapise v5.1 - Scriptless Automated Testing

April 18, 2017

We're very excited about the next version of Rapise coming out later this month. It has many enhancements and improvements for testing the web, mobile and desktop applications which we'll be discussing, but the biggest new feature is the ability to create scriptless tests, using a familiar Excel-based grid framework for composing automated tests. Unlike some other tools (cough cough HP UFT) this is natively part of Rapise, not some add-on.

Going the Extra Mile with SpiraTest v5.2

March 15, 2017

Over the years, we have received countless requests to introduce a feature allowing users to "hand-off" a test run that is already in progress from one tester to another. This lets person A do some testing and then dynamically hand it over to person B who can finish off the test run. In the current version (5.1) you have to start a new test execution. Well now.... despite us telling customers that this feature would probably not be included in Spiratest v5.2, we have some good news and some better news:

Spotlight on Rapise 5.0: Microsoft Dynamics

January 17, 2017

As you may have read, we've just released the latest major update to Rapise, our unified platform for testers. Rapise 5.0 brings many benefits for testing web applications (Edge support), desktop applications (faster testing of WPF and UWP apps), API testing (SOAP support and REST enhancements), and load testing (integration with NeoLoad).

However the biggest piece of news was that we now have added support for Microsoft Dynamics, the powerful ERP and CRM system from Microsoft. We support the current Dynamics AX and CRM platforms as well as the future Azure-based Dynamics 365 service. This article discusses what this means for you and why it is such big news!

Unlock The Secrets of SpiraTeam v5.1!

December 12, 2016

Spira v5.1 is now out! This blog gives you some insight into the release and discusses our accelerated release strategy going forward.

Best Practices in API Testing

October 20, 2016

The move to cloud computing has highlighted the importance of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). With the rise in cloud applications and interconnect platforms, API testing is a necessity. However what makes a good API? What happens when you change the application but need to support existing users of the API?

Big Changes Coming to Microsoft Dynamics

October 14, 2016

I have had the pleasure this week of attending the Microsoft Dynamics 2016 Summit in sunny Tampa, Florida. We have several customers of ours beta testing the new functionality in Rapise 5.0 that makes testing Dynamics AX and CRM rapid and easy. Microsoft has some big changes planned for Dynamics and we're looking forward to helping you test your systems as you make the transition.

Why is GUI Testing Important?

October 11, 2016

In an ideal world, the presentation layer would be very simple and with sufficient unit tests and other code-level tests (e.g. API testing if there are external application program interfaces (APIs)) you would have complete code coverage by just testing the business and data layers. Unfortunately, reality is never quite that simple and you often will need to test the Graphic User Interface (GUI) to cover all of the functionality and have complete test coverage.

Session Based Testing with SpiraTest (Part 2)

August 22, 2016

In the first article in this two-part series we discussed some of the reasons why it might not be desirable to spent the time to write formal test cases. Now this might seem like heresy for a company that sells a test management system to even say this! However to recap from last time, there are some good reasons:

1. We have experienced testers who know the application and don't need to follow detailed test scripts
2. We have inherited a large system with no formal test cases and we need to understand where the risks lie
3. We want to spend more time testing the system and less time documenting it.

Please read last week's post if you want to get more backrgound on these!

Now in this week's article we're going to describing the Session-based Testing approach we took when testing SpiraTeam 5.0.

Session-Based Testing with SpiraTest (Part 1)

August 12, 2016

Sometimes we get the question from prospective or actual customers - how do I use SpiraTest when I don't have time to create test cases? How do I best use my experienced testers who don't want to be treated like automatons? This is a great question and one that we struggled with internally!

Rapise 5.0 Preview - Testing MS Dynamics AX Applications

July 20, 2016

Rapise is a great general purpose automated testing tool that has support for mobile, web and desktop applications. However based on customer feedback, there are certain common applications that customers need to test and therefore we are adding specific support for these known applications in the coming releases. In this post we discuss MS Dynamics AX.

Using Rapise to Easily Select Items in an HTML Grid

April 7, 2016

During our conversations with customers we have found that a common need when using Rapise to test web applications is to be able to easily and quickly match a specific item in a grid/table of results without worrying about the order or position of the item. This article provides a neat new feature added in Rapise 4.0 to make this common task easier.

What to Do When Your Testers Are Addicted to Word and Excel?

March 25, 2016

Many of our customers have spent much of their testing career managing tests in Word or Excel. These tools are flexible, ubiquitous, and easy to use. But they are also fiddly, inefficient, and hard to manage over time. SpiraTest addresses these downsides, bringing a host of other pluses too. For people looking to combine the best of both (SpiraTest and more traditional tools), WorX (from Autom8) may well be what you are looking for.

Why Should I Use Rapise Instead of Selenium?

March 7, 2016

When companies evaluate test automation tools for web testing they are often facing a similar question: What's the advantage of using Rapise instead of Selenium? Though the larger question is: Why should you pay for a commercial tool instead of using a free one?

Why and How Should I Use Test Automation?

February 26, 2016

The average test plan for a commercial grade application will have between 2,000 and 10,000 test cases. Your test team of five must manually execute and document results for between 400 and 2,000 test cases. And the scheduled release date of your product is fast approaching. No worries; clone your team and work around the clock. Or perhaps there’s a better way... Read More

Anatomy of an Automated Test Case

February 4, 2016

When test cases are written well, the automation follows simply from the steps. Writing a good test case isn’t difficult, it’s just tedious, boring and sometimes downright painful. But when it’s done right, the results are worth it.

Testing or Rubberstamping that is the Question!

January 5, 2016

Have you ever been in this situation - the project manager arrives red-faced into the room, looking nervously at the calendar, "why is the testing taking so long? The development is done and we need to go live next week? You have had a good week to test the system, aren't you done yet"

Are You Testing in the Right Direction?

October 29, 2015

Spies Like Us - Or How to Use Rapise's Spy Tool for Web Testing

July 9, 2015

One of the features of Rapise, is an integrated Web Spy, also known as a DOM Browser. It's similar to the tools already in the web browsers such as IE, Firefox and Chrome (e.g. Firebug), but unlike using those tools it has lots of nifty features for making web testing easier and also integrates directly into Rapise testing IDE so that you can code against any of the elements visible in the Spy. This article describes how to use the Spy.

The Meaning of ‘Done’

June 19, 2015

“Is it done?” A question with possibly dangerous answers, at least where cooking is concerned. With software development an incorrect “Yes” could mean customers get low quality, buggy software Read More

Mobile Testing of Android Applications using Rapise 3.0

June 16, 2015

Do you need to test native mobile applications? Are you looking to test on both physical and simulated devices? Are you tired of manually coding automation scripts and looking for an easier way. This webinar explains how Rapise can simplify the testing of your mobile applications using an Android application and tablet as an example.

Rapise - Data Driven Testing using the Spreadsheet object

June 9, 2015

Many times, when testing, a tester will want the ability to run through many variations of the process recorded. This can be accomplished manually by running the test, then editing the test to use different data. The process of editing, rerunning, lather, rinse, repeat, gets very old after the first time. Plus this process is not very efficient with time and it can introduce issues through the slip of a finger. Enter Data-Driven Testing with the Spreadsheet Object Read More

Test-Driven Development (TDD) is Not Dead

June 4, 2015

There has recently been an outbreak of criticism of TDD, to the point where some have claimed that TDD is dead! Is this a real reflection of trends in testing practice, or noise intended to draw attention? Read this article to find out! Read More

Manual & Exploratory Testing with Rapise 3.0

May 18, 2015

Are you looking to improve your software testing? Are you tired of writing test cases 'the old fashioned way'. This article summarizes some of the key points from our recent Webinar on Manual & Exploratory Testing. Read More

Testing Tool Interview: SpiraTest (QA TestingTools.Com)

May 12, 2015

Finding the best test management solution for your needs can be a tough task for organizations at times. With a variety of tools heading neck-to-neck in the market, a Quality and Test Management software to support your quality assurance, application security, and performance validation can lead to a lot of confusion. Read More

User Story Testability

March 5, 2015

The language used to define user stories in Agile projects tends to be less prescriptive than that in traditional projects. This means that many developers and testers assume that this means that they are often less testable, when in fact the reverse is true. This article explains why. Read More

To Report or Not Report - That is the Question?

October 22, 2014

There is an underlying question we all need to think about. That is how many person-hours go into creating reports? In a typical organization it can range as high as 70%(documentation and reporting) of the available person-hours. Whether this is a good use of time is debatable. Analyzing report output and statistics can easily let you know whether your actual testing efforts are delivering good results, or what you are missing. Is the time spent compiling the reports and data really where your hours should go. Read More

Agile Myths - Part 4

October 15, 2014

Today we look at whether test-driven development (TDD) a good technique for specifying how a user story should operate, and whether it means that user story is fully tested (hint: these do not have the same answer!) Read More

Command Line - Taking command for the power tester

September 30, 2014

It seems funny, but sometimes the most powerful trick in your bag can be some of your oldest knowledge. If you ever want to show your true power and put a newbie in their place just type in CMD and start dancing through shell commands. These little nuggets always work and are not reliant on the interface to perform their duties. Done correctly they can provide information that is three or four layers deep in Windows. Read More

The Politics of Testing

September 12, 2014

by Art Trevethan

Stakeholders have to keep the clients happy...
Developers have to keep the stakeholders happy...
Managers have to keep the bean counters and stakeholders happy...
And QA has to serve them all.!

I Believe in Test Automation, Do You?

August 29, 2014

If you grew up in the 1990s you will remember the science fiction program 'The X-Files' where agent Mulder had to convince a skeptical agent Scully that aliens did exist. Well unlike aliens, test automation is not something you have to believe in or not believe in, automation exists and it works.
Read More

Agile Myths - Part 1

August 19, 2014

The enthusiasm these days for Agile development is rightly deserved, but with so much being written and said about Agile development, there should be room for healthy debate. While Agile development has proven to be a huge step forward and the right approach for many projects, it is important to continue to ask questions in order that we don’t start to endorse the bad along with the good. We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but we can’t keep the bathwater just to avoid the risk of doing so. An occasional examination of principles being promoted and used within the industry helps to maintain Agile methods as the best alternative to traditional development practices for many projects.

In this series of blog postings we shall discuss some of the characteristics of various Agile methodologies and ask whether the ideas are valid or whether they are in fact, industry myths.

DevOps make way for TestOps…

February 18, 2014

In Waterfall we build specifications, in XP, Scrum and Agile we develop user stories. Either way there is always a process of defining what could be called requirements for an application and its functionality.  What we would like to suggest is to not only define requirements for the development of this application, but to develop requirements for testing and store its artifacts as a part of the whole ALM methodology. Read More

Testing in Agile Projects: Familiarity Breeds Consent

February 6, 2014

The testing function in Agile projects should not be confused with the Quality Assurance function. If we are not careful, the Agile philosophy will conflate the two, with potentially disastrous results. Read More

How to Choose What to do to Automate Your Test Plan

January 31, 2014

Boil the ocean

eat the elephant

climb the mountain

and now - Automate the tests for the application!!