Much attention has been given to the topic of lightweight development processes-especially eXtreme Programming (XP). Robert Martin explains the concept and significance of a paradigm that believes acceptance tests should be defined by customers, and requires developers to write the unit tests before they write the code. He then separates the difficulties from the benefits inherent in this relatively new discipline. By cutting through the controversy, he's able to address the essential issues such as environmental possibilities and the need for XP. But most importantly, he addresses the question: What is the relevance of software testing and testing professionals within XP?

The adoption of a universal automated testing methodology (UAT) can seem a complex and costly prospect at first glance. However, this session describes the many benefits that come with adopting such a tactic, including repeatability, reduced execution time, and relevant documentation. It seeks to prove that though definition and development takes time, in the long run it will deliver a positive return. The presenters walk participants through a "stepped solution" to universal automated testing.

User acceptance testing is sometimes regarded as the red-headed stepchild of testing. Most of us tend to focus on functional and performance testing, and in doing so forget who it is we're actually developing the application for. Kevin Au makes the case that a formal process for user acceptance testing should be instituted on almost every project. Because no matter how well developed a product is, if the user doesn't like it, it'll soon be shelfware.

The majority of Web development projects incorporate a start-up scenario that slowly evolves a small group of test engineering roles made up of people with little or no QA experience. However, once management sees that their start-up site demands professionalism to meet user and investor expectations, they begin a desperate search to assemble a competent QA department. Patricia Humphrey presents methods to rapidly launch a productive and effective QA department without adding burdensome processes that slow deployment of products and applications.