July 19, 2019

My free course "Introduction to Capybara" is now online!

I remember being so impressed when I first heard about Test Automation University, the latest project by Angie Jones. A free online university, sponsored by Applitools, where subject matter experts in the software testing field created tutorials? Yes, please! Finding up-to-date information on automated testing can be an exercise in frustration.

Imagine my surprise when a few weeks after TAU was launched, Angie Jones got in touch with me back in February: Did I want to create a course for Test Automation University?

I decided my topic would be on Capybara, the Selenium WebDriver wrapper I used to put together the UI Automation framework at work last year. It took a lot of time, effort, and sleepless nights, but after a month of effort, I was able to beat the deadline.

I hope you like it!

Introduction to Capybara
 https://youtu.be/hZjsvTYJIL8
Thank you so much, Angie, for giving me this opportunity! 

I cannot believe all the effort Angie Jones puts into reaching out to the software testing community. She is always on the go, giving lectures, running webinars, and speaking at conferences. 

Angie has been a guest speaker at my Ministry of Testing - Boston Meetup twice:
... I can't wait to see what Angie has in store for the Meetup this fall!



Happy Testing!

-T.J. Maher
Sr. QA Engineer, Software Engineer in Test
Meetup Organizer, Ministry of Testing - Boston

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July 11, 2019

New to coding? Learn Java through Angie Jones' TestAutomationU

Are you a software tester who is new to coding? Don't know where to start?

Angie Jones has released a new Java Programming course on her Test Automation University.

https://youtu.be/Fo2U0o64oVI


The Java course uses the OpenJDK General Availability release of Java 11.

The OpenJDK, the Open Java Development Kit is a free and open-source implementation of the Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE). (Get the OpenJDK FAQ).

Since I am using Windows, how I installed it:
  • Download from JDK.Java.Net/Archive/ Java version 11.0.2 LTS version.
  • Extract the Zip File to C:\Program Files\Java, creating a jdk-11 folder. 
  • Set the PATH and JAVA_HOME according to this StackOverflow answer
  • Downloaded and Installed IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition, setting it up with Java 11.0.2. 
I am loving the course! Angie sprinkled her fun and her energy throughout the course.

Here are a few tips taking the course:

  • Expand the course to cover the left side of your monitor, with your IDE covering the right hand side of your monitor. 
  • When Angie goes over code, type what she types, and execute when she executes.
  • Do the outside exercises Angie recommends. 
Passively watching Angie type code will not allow you to learn. Only through you practicing the material will allow things to sink in. 

Happy Testing!

-T.J. Maher
Sr. QA Engineer, Software Engineer in Test
Meetup Organizer, Ministry of Testing - Boston

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