A Few Thoughts of Oracles & Heuristics & Mnemonics - MoT Bloggers Club November 2021

Test oracles and heuristics can be considered as "meta" aspects in software testing, often we can be in a position where we are using them without being aware of the "official" definitions. In short, an oracle is a way of deciding whether our test has passed or failed - most commonly express by using terms such AR/ER, Actual Result, and Expected Result. 

Heuristics can be viewed as a rule of a thumb, a guiding principle, the "official" description goes like this: 

"A heuristic, or heuristic technique, is any approach to problem-solving or self-discovery that employs a practical method that is not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, or rational, but is nevertheless sufficient for reaching an immediate, short-term goal or approximation."

Heuristics can be applied to various testing activities, but are especially useful in exploratory testing, as they are broad and generic enough to be applicable in a variety of different situations. 

And lastly, Mnemonics - which are basically a way of memorizing things easier: 

"A mnemonic is an instructional strategy designed to help students improve their memory of important information. This technique connects new learning to prior knowledge through the use of visual and/or acoustic cues. The basic types of mnemonic strategies rely on the use of key words, rhyming words, or acronyms."

Below are a few really good ones.

Click the image for full size

All of these can help in making us a better software tester and make things easier for us - aside from that, terms like these make seem really smart! Thanks for stopping by!