‘Shift Left Testing’ Clarified

Shift Left Testing is good, but implement Automated E2E (UI) testing and Continuous Testing first.

This article is one of the “IT Terminology Clarified” series.

“Shift-Left Testing” has become a hot term in the software industry since 2019. For example, SmartBear even released a product named “TestLeft” (BTW, this product is a mistake, see the explanation below).

According to Wikipedia, Shift-left testing is an approach to software testing and system testing in which testing is performed earlier in the lifecycle (i.e. moved left on the project timeline). It is the first half of the maxim “Test early and often.”

If my understanding of Shift-Left testing is correct, I have been practising it since 2008. Therefore, I would like to share my understanding of Shift-Left testing here.

Table of Contents:
· The concept of Shift-left Testing is not new
· The benefits of Shift-left Testing?
· What kind of testing do we do in Shift-Left Testing?
  ∘ Shift-Left Testing must be E2E Functional Testing
  ∘ Shift-Left Testing must be Test Automation
· Who is conducting Shift-Left Testing?
· How left exactly is in ‘Shift-Left Testing’?
· How to succeed in Shift-left Testing?
  ∘ Prerequisite: Test Automation and…