You'll need a laptop with JavaScript and Flash.
Exercise 1: Visualise This part 1 – data
Exercise 2: Visualise This part 2 – data
Graphing tools
DataGraph – Mac only, my preference. Paid, currently £63
raw web tool by densitydesign (backup server).
Google sheets – and how to integrate Sheets with Google Charts
Mike Bostock illustrates bias with this visualisation of a shuffle algorithm. I'm using a slight mod to smooth the noise and reduce the size: Will it Shuffle – a 30-item list shuffled 100,000 times.
My check – and my deeper probe – of a colour-checking algorithm
Bret Victor illustrates a steering algorithm in Ladder of Abstraction – explore the depth of information represented.
Exercise 3: Copy / Paste – use Excel | Google Sheets. Here's the first 50,000 via javascript.
Exercise 4.1: Test Frequency
Exercise 4.2: Refine tests of Frequency
Data Generation tools
Web-based Generate Data by Ben Keen. Here's an unrestricted version on my server.
FINRA Open Source DataGenerator
Databene Benerator
Radamsa fuzzing tool
Exercise 5: CSV to cURL – log in to this instance of GetOnTracks with eurostar2015 / eurostar2015 and set up your own userID. Here is the API documentation. Examples use cURL – but you might try other appraoches.
Here are four implementations of an algorithm. What seems wrong – and why? Machine Q.
Getting bulk data into an API
Command-line cURL is pretty universal, but hard to use well.
Command-line HTTPie is more forgiving
Postman runs as a chrome app - you'll need JetPacks ($10) to get bulk data moving.
Paw is only on OS X – it's prettier but pricier.
Data manipulation tools
Web-based DataWrangler – open source, restricted, no longer maintained, but great.
Web-based Excel to JSON / XML tool Mr Data Converter
OpenRefine, used to be Google Refine, needs to be downloaded to run as a local web app.
Command-line CSV tools
Try terminal access on your laptop to see if you have these – or (for today only) browse to Shellinabox on my server to try curl, awk and csvkit. UserID/password spare.eurostar2015 / spare. Be nice.
Command-line python tool to manipulate CSV csvkit (install, read hints) includes csvstat, csvcut, csvlook, csvgrep, csvsort.
awk is available on most X-nix systems. hints on dealling with CSV files, and here's a general tute.
Exercise 6.1: Test Responder
Exercise 6.2: Refine tests of Responder
Optional: Date calculation in Sheets
Iteractive visualisation as a testing tool
You're still trudging between tools. New IDEs (LightTable, Xcode's playgrounds for Swift) give coders a degree of interaction with their code using bulk input and visual outputs. Does your organisation build complex, proprietary algorithms into its code? How do you test them?
Bret Victor's Explorable Explanations essay contains this simulation. Explore the points where it become unstable.Explorable Explanations – circuit example.
Here's a "predator-prey" simulation, with problems. How do you recognise a problem? How many measurements are being made?
PDF of Test oracles associated with dynamical systems models
PDF of Harry Robinson's High Volume Automated Testing for Software Components
A collection of exploratble explanations: explorableexplanations.com
I'll add to this...
James Lyndsay, Workroom Productions
@workroomprds, +447904158752
I'm a test strategist with years of broad experience and an interest in adaptive approaches. If you want advice, or if you want me to work with you, I'd be delighted to have a chat. Get in touch.