Forward Compatibility
Design your software and automated tests that can cope well with future changes.
In 1998, I participated in the WWW7 conference and had the opportunity to hear Sir Tim Berners-Lee (inventor of WWW and Director of W3C) deliver the keynote speech: “Forward Compatibility.” While the specifics of the speech elude my memory, the underlying concept remains vivid. In this article, I aim to delve into Forward Compatibility, drawing insights from my over two decades of software development and testing experience.
Table of Contents:
· Case Study
∘ 1. CSV version
∘ 2. XML version
∘ Change 1: Author with middle name
∘ Change 3: Author with nickname
∘ How do typical API consumers deal with the changes?
∘ Forward Compatibility for this case study
· Forward Compatibility in Test Automation
We all know “Backward Compatibility”, and “Forward Compatibility” is undoubtedly a level up. To help you understand, I will use a maybe-not-strictly-correct metaphor. PlayStation 5 console can play PS4 games; this is called “Backward Compatibility”. If the PlayStation4 console somehow can still play PS5 games, at least to a…
