Test data?
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Do you make test data fun? I'm currently working on a car reservation system. I've reserved cars to Mordor, Isengard, Hogwarts, Mos Eisley Cantina and Narnia. It's all fun and games until something accidentally lands on a production environment (like my Hot Spicy Steak, product code 666, delivered to Sanderville a few years ago). I know some people, especially customers, need test data to be "the real thing".
Best, Sander arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript SQL Server for C# Developers Succinctly Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
For test data, we use production data that we merge with test data. Primary key/Unique Ids in production start at DB default of 1, test DBs have been "juked" to insert new Ids starting at 1,000,000. This keeps refresh logic really simple. I had some alpha revision software that I did with a joint venture. If their interface ever returned an error code, I had programmed some hard stop/system level message boxes with messages like "Karem f%#$# up again: api [1-5]". Karem was the developer from the joint venture company. I return from the trip and barely have it integrated back into SCM (without changing the "fun" messages), when the president shows it to a customer after I told everyone, including him, that it was not ready for release yet. Thank goodness Karem was a good programmer! No messages appeared, but I am sure I would have been fired if they had. No more "fun" data after that close call...
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Jörgen Andersson wrote:
Or bacon ipsum[^] if I'm lazy.
I have these two links: blindtextgenerator.com[^] & 15 Funny Lorem Ipsum Generators to Shake Up Your Design Mockups[^] ;)
I've gotta use the pirate ipsum some day. :thumbsup:
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
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Do you make test data fun? I'm currently working on a car reservation system. I've reserved cars to Mordor, Isengard, Hogwarts, Mos Eisley Cantina and Narnia. It's all fun and games until something accidentally lands on a production environment (like my Hot Spicy Steak, product code 666, delivered to Sanderville a few years ago). I know some people, especially customers, need test data to be "the real thing".
Best, Sander arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript SQL Server for C# Developers Succinctly Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
Test data isn't the only area for making fun. One of my colleagues, like so many others, issued crazy error messages for "impossible" error situations that will never occurs. We believe. The day following a major release, on customer contacted us by email, asking for the meaning of this strange error message, "Balla henger på fjøsveggen". My colleague nervously answered that it indicated an internal error (which was certainly true), and the message carried essential information to the software developers. The customer was satisfied. The 'essential information' can roughly be translated to "The balls are nailed to the cowshed wall". Licensing terms are another field of fun, even in released products. However, if that internal tool I maintain, with approx 200 internal users, is to be relased to customers, the licensing terms will probably be rewritten - or replaced with the standard text on which it is based (and I guess some of you can identify). I update the text from time to time (and I would be happy to receive proposals for those sections that are not much modified from the template). Currently, it reads: ______________________________________________________________________________ has previously made versions of this software available in more or less buggy versions. If you received an earlier version of the software that contains bugs with whom you have made friends and would like to keep, you are hereby entitled not to install the new version, and ignore the conditions specified by this Tool License. Common Pubic License Version 1.0 THE ACCOMPANYING PROGRAM IS PROVIDED UNDER THE TERMS OF THIS COMMON PUBLIC LICENSE ("AGREEMENT"). ANY USE, REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION OF THE PROGRAM CONSTITUTES RECIPIENT'S ACCEPTANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. 1. DEFINITIONS "Contribution" means: a) in the case of the initial Contributor, the initial code and documentation distributed under this Agreement, and b) in the case of each subsequent Contributor: i) changes to the Program, and ii) additions to the Program; iii) subtractions from the Program; iv) multiplication of the Program; v) divisions of the Program; vi) demolition of the Program; where such changes and/or additions to the Program originate from and are distributed by that particular Contributor. A Contribution 'originates' from a Contributor if it was added to the Program by such Contributor itself or anyone acting on such Contributor's behalf, including his dog or other pet. Contributions do not include additions to
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Do you make test data fun? I'm currently working on a car reservation system. I've reserved cars to Mordor, Isengard, Hogwarts, Mos Eisley Cantina and Narnia. It's all fun and games until something accidentally lands on a production environment (like my Hot Spicy Steak, product code 666, delivered to Sanderville a few years ago). I know some people, especially customers, need test data to be "the real thing".
Best, Sander arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript SQL Server for C# Developers Succinctly Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
Way, way back, in 1992 I worked for Worldspan (now Travelport) on an accounting system used by travel agencies. We had printed test plan binders, 3 inch binders, where each step was it's own page. DOS screen shots. Anyway one of the values you were required to test with was an abbreviation of Whitesnake, I think it was whtsnk. There were several other hair metal bands as client/traveler names but we were REQUIRED to use the Whitesnake one. I finally asked why and was told that in previous versions of the software that client name caused the system to abort. Apparently it was some sort of internal command in the database software being used and they found it by accident because the QA person was a hair metal fan and she used all the band names as her client test data. Even though they no longer used that database software, I think it was an early version of rBase, Whitesnake lived on.
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Way, way back, in 1992 I worked for Worldspan (now Travelport) on an accounting system used by travel agencies. We had printed test plan binders, 3 inch binders, where each step was it's own page. DOS screen shots. Anyway one of the values you were required to test with was an abbreviation of Whitesnake, I think it was whtsnk. There were several other hair metal bands as client/traveler names but we were REQUIRED to use the Whitesnake one. I finally asked why and was told that in previous versions of the software that client name caused the system to abort. Apparently it was some sort of internal command in the database software being used and they found it by accident because the QA person was a hair metal fan and she used all the band names as her client test data. Even though they no longer used that database software, I think it was an early version of rBase, Whitesnake lived on.
You think WHITESNAKE was some bogus test data by the original database developer? :laugh:
Best, Sander arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript SQL Server for C# Developers Succinctly Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
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Do you make test data fun? I'm currently working on a car reservation system. I've reserved cars to Mordor, Isengard, Hogwarts, Mos Eisley Cantina and Narnia. It's all fun and games until something accidentally lands on a production environment (like my Hot Spicy Steak, product code 666, delivered to Sanderville a few years ago). I know some people, especially customers, need test data to be "the real thing".
Best, Sander arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript SQL Server for C# Developers Succinctly Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
We had an error message "Houston, we have a problem!" for something that should NEVER happen. Of course, it happened during a TEXAS install. LOL. The confusion that ensued was comical. I think we TOAST this error message and that event every time we get together. But more realistic test data has been my push, because the point is that errors should be obvious. Funniest thing that happened with bad test data. 1984, I wrote a program to keep track of books checked out of the school library. My teacher input "The Sex Life of an Aardvark" as the book. And then the output came: (Oopsie Lawson was the student name he used): Oopsie Lawson now has The Sex Life of an Aardvark until XX/XX/XX. OMG, the tears of laughter... Then Ms. Lawson walks in... You cannot imagine. Remember it was High School. We were stupid, and immature. And funny. LOL
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Do you make test data fun? I'm currently working on a car reservation system. I've reserved cars to Mordor, Isengard, Hogwarts, Mos Eisley Cantina and Narnia. It's all fun and games until something accidentally lands on a production environment (like my Hot Spicy Steak, product code 666, delivered to Sanderville a few years ago). I know some people, especially customers, need test data to be "the real thing".
Best, Sander arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript SQL Server for C# Developers Succinctly Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
Sander Rossel wrote:
It's all fun and games until something accidentally lands on a production environment
Or until a sales guy accidentally uses test data and not the demo data and loses the sale due to some slightly nsfw content (nothing really raunchy just in poor taste) appearing on the screens.
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I did this early in my career. But remember not to take it too far. When I used an image of Darth Vader for the CEO and he saw it, we had to revert back to boring test data... The whole IT department got reprimanded once it was found.
Hogan
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Must have been too close to reality for his comfort.
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP.
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At least I make sure my test data isn't offensive :laugh:
Best, Sander arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript SQL Server for C# Developers Succinctly Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
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That's hilarious. If I was the CEO I'd have a good chuckle and go about my business (literally). Shame he didn't have a sense of humor :|
C-level execs (sociopaths) never do.
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Do you make test data fun? I'm currently working on a car reservation system. I've reserved cars to Mordor, Isengard, Hogwarts, Mos Eisley Cantina and Narnia. It's all fun and games until something accidentally lands on a production environment (like my Hot Spicy Steak, product code 666, delivered to Sanderville a few years ago). I know some people, especially customers, need test data to be "the real thing".
Best, Sander arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript SQL Server for C# Developers Succinctly Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly
I collect, or invent silly names that I might use in test data. Sometimes I base the name from a dead musician or sometimes someone I've known. Others are just silly names. Names like "Amy Wino", or "Hurt Cobain" remind me of the ZX Spectrum game "Rock Star Ate My Hamster". "Gribble" was a boss I've worked for, and "Baboonboy" is an actual name in the world. "Lolly Pop", "Ham Salad" or "Porkie Sausage" are just silly. Let's face it, testing is a chore for us developers; anything to get through those days ;)
