Our courses are intensive, modular and hands-on, with each module made up of lectures and practical exercises. We limit each course to ten participants, to ensure plenty of interaction with each person. We hold courses here in Gothenburg, or by arrangement at customers’ own premises–in which case we can mix-and-match modules to tailor the content to your needs.

 

QuickCheck for Erlang Users (2.5 days)

This course spans two-and-a-half days, during which participants will use all the important features of QuickCheck, building up to a realistic example of testing a banking server. The course ends at lunch-time on the third day, leaving participants with time to travel home in the afternoon. Since QuickCheck builds on Erlang, we take advantage of participants’ prior knowledge to introduce QuickCheck more quickly. Needless to say, participants should be familiar with Erlang, and use it frequently.

  • Day 1
    • Properties and generators
      Introduces the basic elements of a QuickCheck specification: test data generators, and the properties that use them. Shows how to run tests, and collect statistics on the results. QuickCheck’s rich API for constructing generators is described.
    • Symbolic Test Cases
      In many cases QuickCheck test cases are symbolic: this module teaches how to construct and use symbolic test cases–and how to know when to do so.
    • Positive and Negative Testing
      Testing usually starts with positive cases; this module teaches participants to build negative QuickCheck testing on top of positive testing, reusing the work already done. Covers QuickCheck’s fault injection API.
  • Day 2

    • Testing Stateful Systems
      Introduces QuickCheck’s state machine formalism, which allows operations to be specified in terms of state transitions, and pre- and post-conditions, then finds minimal sequences that violate the spec. Takes the Erlang process registry as an example.

    • Minimizing counterexamples
      The usefulness of a failing test case is inversely propertional to its size and complexity. This module discusses methods to find as small failing test cases as possible, and teaches how to configure QuickCheck’s simplification strategy to best effect.
  • Day 3

    • Protocol Testing
      QuickCheck is often used to test protocols. This module discusses protocol testing using QuickCheck state machines, and includes an extended example of testing a bank server.

       

QuickCheck for C Users (4 days)

This course spans four days, during which participants will learn how to build software models in Erlang, QuickCheck’s modelling language, how to write QuickCheck specifications for various kinds of system in an effective way, and how to connect QuickCheck to a C API under test.

  • Day 1
    • Modelling Software in Erlang I
      QuickCheck uses Erlang to model the system-under-test in a declarative way. This module introduces the most important Erlang features, and shows how to use them for modelling.
    • Properties and generators
      Introduces the basic elements that QuickCheck adds to Erlang: test data generators, and the properties that use them. Shows how to run tests, and collect statistics on the results. QuickCheck’s rich API for constructing generators is described.
  • Day 2
    • Modelling Software in Erlang II
      Teaches some of the more advanced features of Erlang, and their applications to modelling systems under test.
    • Symbolic Test Cases
      In many cases QuickCheck test cases are symbolic: this module teaches how to construct and use symbolic test cases–and how to know when to do so.
    • Positive and Negative Testing
      Testing usually starts with positive cases; this module teaches participants to build negative QuickCheck testing on top of positive testing, reusing the work already done. Covers QuickCheck’s fault injection API.
  • Day 3
    • Testing Stateful Systems
      Introduces QuickCheck’s state machine formalism, which allows operations to be specified in terms of state transitions, and pre- and post-conditions, then finds minimal sequences that violate the spec. Takes the Erlang process registry as an example.
    • Minimizing counterexamples
      The usefulness of a failing test case is inversely propertional to its size and complexity. This module discusses methods to find as small failing test cases as possible, and teaches how to configure QuickCheck’s simplification strategy to best effect.
  • Day 4
    • Protocol Testing
      QuickCheck is often used to test protocols. This module discusses protocol testing using QuickCheck state machines, and includes an extended example of testing a bank server.
    • Testing C with QuickCheck
      Testing APIs in other languages than Erlang requires connecting them to QuickCheck. This module teaches simple ways of making the connection between QuickCheck and C.

We do continually improve our courses, so the content of your course may vary a little from the above.

QuickCheck introductory seminar (half day)

The basics of QuickCheck will be introduced in this course.

 

QuickCheck advanced (1 day)

This course is designed for max 6 designers. In this one day course, designers learn more about the advanced features of QuickCheck in order to be able to design their own QuickCheck libraries (for a specific test domain). Good QuickCheck knowledge is a prerequisite.