Productivity Tools list for Developer / DevOps / QA

Compiled list of Productivity Tools for Developer / DevOps / QA

• MTPutty
• Rapid Environment Editor
• Agent Ransack
• Heidisql
• SSMS Tools Pack
• Programmers Notepad
• TextPad
• Notepad++
• SOAP UI
• SSMS Tools Pack
• HeidiSQL
• Atlantis SQL Server
• Snip-it Utility
• Mtail

Happy Learning!!!

Weekend Reads - API Testing (Web Service Testing, Inspect Http request, Rest API Testing) - Free tools

Very good presentation on compiled list of free tools for API Testing. More Details - Free API debugging and testing tools you should know about

Tools List from the presentation and SO reads

• Rest-assured - Java DSL for easy testing of REST services
• Retrofit - A type-safe REST client for Android and Java
• RequestBin - Inspect HTTP Requests
• Hurl.it — Make HTTP Requests
• ngrok captures all traffic - Raw request/response bytes
• mitmproxy: a man-in-the-middle proxy - Intercept, modify, replay and save HTTP/S traffic
• Postman is a powerful HTTP client to help test web services easily and efficiently
• Mock your HTTP responses to test your REST API
• Chrome Rest Console - REST Console is an HTTP Request Visualizer 
• SO - Online testing a REST service
• Simple REST and HTTP API Client for .NET

While reading through the list again went back to check on SOAP, Rest Basics. API testing / Web Service testing we will be looking into only aspects Rest, SOAP based web services. Summary based on StackOverflow readings, posts. References - StackOverflow reference answers link. More details Pls check reference link. (Consolidated Answer and Detailed short summary listed below)

Rest	SOAP
REST is over HTTP. REST has no WSDL interface definition	SOAP can be over any transportprotocols such HTTP, FTP, STMP, JMS etc.
REST stands for Representational State Transfer. REST approach uses the standard GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE verbs	Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)  SOAP builds an XML protocol on top of HTTP  / TCP/IP.
REST is good for getting a blob of data that you don't have to work with	SOAP describes functions, and types of data. If you want to get an object, SOAP is way quicker and easier to implement
Typically uses normal HTTP methods instead of a big XML format describing everything	Has several protocols and technologies relating to it: WSDL, XSDs, SOAP, WS-Addressing
REST plays well with AJAX'y web pages. If you keep your requests simple, you can make service calls directly from your JavaScript, and that comes in very handy.	SOAP is useful from a tooling perspective because the WSDL is so easily consumed by tools. So, you can get Web Service clients generated for you in your favourite language.

More Reads

HTTP vs REST vs SOAP

REST and SOAP: When Should I Use Each (or Both)?

From AWS Blog - 80% REST / 20% SOAP usage pattern

Example - Learn REST: A Tutorial
Restful Load Testing

Happy Learning!!!

Reading Notes - Test Data Generator, Interesting Reads

Google reader used to be my favourite feed subscription list. After that was removed I tried feedspot, feedly. Both have not provided the same experience but still figuring out alternatives.

Today there were few interesting reads

Note #1 - mockaroo 

• Live web based Test data generator looks promising to generate test data
• Null percentage distribution, data type combinations, CSV, sql multiple data formats
• Real time datatype distribution for near match of test data
• Rest API exposure for Automated data generation

This tool would have consumed a lot of development time to develop intuitive, real world test data cases. Nice Work!!!

Ref - This post  was useful to reach out to mockaroo tool

More Testdata Generation Tools

TestSpicer - test data generation 
Good Test Data - Buy Test Data
Test Data Generation Tools

Note #2 - How to Configure Anti-Virus for SQL Servers 

Note #3 - Good Infographic on Devlandscape 2014 (Checkout big data, NOSQL and DevOps)

More Reads
Test Data Map Design Pattern
Test Data Loader Design Pattern
JSON Generator , which allows to generate JSON files from a template.
CSV Generator , which allows to generate CSV files.

Happy Reading!!!

Learning SQLMap

SQLMap - Automatic SQL injection and database takeover tool. The tool is easy to use and execute tests. This post SQLMAP TUTORIAL FOR WINDOW 7 provided test sites to run tests using SQLMap

Steps are 

1. Python already installed (On my Win7 had python already installed)

2. Execute the tests against the test site provided (DB tables, results will be listed)

3. Listing DB's

4. Listing Tables

Many thanks for darkassassinscybercrew for sharing the test sites.

More Read - GUI for SQLMAP is available in link
Automated Security Testing of web applications using OWASP Zed Attack Proxy

Database protection Techniques : a different prespective
Introduction To SQLmap And Firewall Bypassing
Website Hacking - SQL Injections - Sqlmap Introduction

Happy Learning!!!

QA Free tools - Bug Tracking / Password Management

Redmine - Bug / Issues Tracking

This post is about using redmine for bugs / issues tracking. I was introduced to this tool by my colleague Ambuj. It was pretty easy working with the tool. This tool was pretty useful in terms of logging bugs / issues / reports / bug updates / notifications.

Verdict - Try it, Very Useful.

Password management tool - Password Dragon. This will be a good option for DBAs / SysAdmins to store password safely.

More Free Tools
Top 15 Free Tools Which Make Tester’s Life Easier
Jagger is a free application suite for continuous performance testing

More Reads

• Installing Redmine on windows
• Comparison of web-based bug tracking tools
• What functionality does JIRA provide which is not available in Bugzilla?
• Top 10 Open Source Bug Tracking System
• Spoonium Online Selenium Grid

Happy Learning!!!

Free Tool - Managing System, Environment Variables using Rapid Environment Editor

While managing servers / different environments we keep upgrading environmental variables, custom paths. Rapid Environment Editor tool is very useful for managing this job. It highlights invalid paths to quickly fix them.

While setting up eclipse, this environment issues pop up, this editor was useful to fix issues.

Happy Learning!!!

mTail - Windows Real time Log Monitoring Tool, Log Searching - Free Tools

This post is for mTail - Log monitoring tool on windows. I have used it it is very good. The benefits are

• Monitor multiple Servers with multiple instances of this tool concurrently
• Simple and easy to use
• Start / Stop option to stop in case you have viewed error

Free tools for File Search / Exception Checking in logs

• Agent Ransack
• Textpad (Find in Files Feature)
• Notepad++

Happy Learning!!

Create Dummy Files to consume diskspace - fsutil command

This post is about creating dummy files to consume disk space and mimic scenarios with reduced disk space. On windows server 2008 fsutil command was useful to create files to consume disk space

Example Usage

C:\Users\Administrator>fsutil file createnew c:\dummydata5.bat 1240171806

File c:\dummydata5.bat is created

Happy Learning!!!

heidisql - SQL Interface to MSSQL and MYSQL

This quick post is based on tool shared by my colleague Ambuj. Heidisql - SQL Editor for MSSQL and MYSQL

Step 1 - Pretty simple and quick to install. Downloaded and Installed it from link

Step 2 - You can setup sessions and connect to MSSQL / MYSQL instances. I have used SSMS, Atlantis SQL Explorer. This single interface for both MYSQL and MSSQL is very useful.

Happy TSQL coding !!!

TSQL Formatting Tools

Back to blogging after a month long break. Things were quite busy @ work. This post is to focus on TSQL formatters. There are several code formatters that I had come across recently.

1. SQL Formatter for Notepad++ - Download and install Notepad++ plugin from link. Copying the DLL's and checking the Notepad++ Option listed below

Step 1. Copy the DLL's in plugin directory of Notepad++



Step 2. NotePad++ SQL Formatter Options

2. Online SQL Formatter - Link

3. PoorSQL - Online SQL Formatter - Link

4. SSMS Tools pack - SSMS Addons - Link

5. Instant SQL Formatter - Online version - Link

6. Atlantis Interactive SQL Server IDE - Very good IDE for MSSQL - Link

7. SQLInform - SQL Online formatter - Link

Other Free Useful Tools
1. Programmers Notepad - Link
2. TextPad - Link
3. Notepad++ - Link

Happy Learning!!!

QA Free Tool - Aptimize Latency Simulator

Simulating page load with slow internet connection is very crucial for ecommerce / banking sites. Today found useful tool to simulate slow user connection in internet explorer

• Aptimize Latency Simulator Tool can be downloaded from link
• Walkthru video is provided in link

After installing the tool you would see below snapshot for starting the tool

Flipkart Page Load in Normal Internet Connection

• Green Color - Latency (Time to Request Info & Start of Data Transfer)
• Blue Color - Data Transfer (Download Time)
• Cold Load - Viewing web page for first time
• Reload Warm  - Viewing already visited page

For Firefox browser as well there must be some add-on to simulate latency. For checking latency/data transfer you can use firebug for firefox browser

Happy Learning!!!

SQL Everywhere - SQL Server IDE - Nice Free IDE

SQL Everywhere is the Tool we will be learning in this post. This is Free IDE for SQL Server Development. Impressive list of Free SQL Tools from Atlantis Interactive. We have explored Schema Surf and Data Surf in earlier posts.

Below are list of features I am impressed based on my first look using SQL Everywhere

• Suggestions intelli-sense support
• Run queries in Test Mode, Automatic Rollback of Updates / Changes made
• Code Formatting
• Good Execution Plan Details to get started

Let's get started with the Tool

Step 1. Download tool from link

Step 2. Features snapshots are provided in link

Step 3. After Installing the Tool, Connect to DB. Select Server and DB details.

Step 4. After Connecting, You can view in Databases / Objects Tab

Step 5. After selecting browse options you would see below new window. When you hover over particular table you would see Tool Tip - Schema Details, Create Table statement, Index Details

Step 6. Another alternate option is selecting Object Browser

Step 7. Moving to Query Execution, Query Results, Execution plan details are returned when you provide query details. IDE provides intellisense support to select Table Name, Column Details etc. Execution Plan also provides cost details of operators involved in query

Step 8. Operators also provides details on Estimated cost as a Tool Tip when you hover over the query plan

Step 9. One feature I observed different from SSMS is, Query execution reports execution time plus network time as well. This looks cool

Step 10. Next Option we would check is Generate Insert Statements. Right click on object browser to select the option for Generate Inserts

Step 11. Generate Inserts has option to include / exclude Identity column values

Step 12. Next is Test Mode feature. All updates / Data / Schema changes would be rolled back automatically when you exit Test Mode. Nice feature. This relieves us from the burden to rollback changes made.

Step 13. Code Formatting, I have posted my code before and after formatting. Looks good with after formatting :)

Step 14. After Code Formatting, Modified Proc

I'm impressed with SQL Everywhere. I'm going to use this tool. I would be updating this post in coming weeks.

Happy Learning !!!

SQL Search 1.0

Next free tool we are going to learn today is SQL Search 1.0. This is pretty good to search for objects within database.
Lets get started with the tool.

Step 1. Download from link

Step 2. After Installation in SSMS you would see this as listed below

Step 3. Good Snapshots of usage provided in link

Step 4. Search Preference is impressive.

• Table Name
• Functions
• Procedures

We are using AdventureWorks Database. This database can be dowloaded from link.

Search Feature is also present in SSMS tool addin. We checked it in earlier post.

Advantage is here, You need not right click and search. As you type you will see results listed
CONS - This does not search for data in tables. SSMS tools does provide data search


Search within Stored Procedures also lists the stored procedure content in preview tab

Search within database objects is very good with this tool.


Great Tool. Both SSMS Tools and SQL Search Complement each other.

Happy Reading!!

SQL Reverse Engineer - Learn the Database System from Database Tables and Data

Today we will look at two powerful free tools which would help to understand the database based on data and schema. Data Surf and SQL dependency & live entity ER diagram tool are very interesting and impressive tools.

First tool for Discussion is Data Surf. Analyze the table based on Data.  This helps to understand data flow, relationships between tables.

Let's get started
Step 1. For this example lets download adventureworks database. Download adventureworks from link

Step 2. Download the tool from link

Step 3. Install AdventureWorks database. After installation you would see the new databases as in below snapshot

Step 4. Double click on Atlantis Data Surf link placed in desktop

Step 5. Select the Server and Database name to get started

Step 6. Select the Table in next step

Step 7. Select the rows from the table to view relationships / dependencies

Step 8. Based on the select row, You can view parent and child records. In SSMS, You would check with schema, foreign key dependencies. This is a very cool way to view relationships, foreign keys, visualize data flow

Great Tool. Nice Approach to understand Database Tables. Thanks to the creator of this tool for providing this as Free tool.


Next tool is SQL dependency & live entity ER diagram tool

You are going to work on larger database system. You need to understand tables and relationships. You would like to learn it interactively. Analyzing based on schema, viewing multiple levels of dependencies is possible with this tool. Both the tools help us visualize the entities in database.

Step 1. Download and Install the tool from link. We will reuse AdventureWorks Database for this example

Step 2. After Installing the tool, Provide Database and Server Details to get started

Step 3. Select the table to view schema details and dependencies. I like the Grid View Layout Approach

Step 4. To view two level relationships you can select the option as highlighted below.

I'm Impressed with this two tools. They would be of great help for learning any backend system.


Happy Learning and Reading!!

Simplify TSQL Development with SSMS Tools

Tool for the day - SSMS Tools Pack (Free tool :)). This tool has very good features that would simply TSQL Development. Thanks to brent for his post. I am trying free tools suggested in the article. I'm going to try below three features.

• Formatting TSQL Code
• Generating Insert Statements from Table
• Search Results and Search Database Tables

Step 1. Download SSMS tool pack from link

Step 2. Feature documentation is provided in link

Step 3. After installing the tool, When you open SSMS you would see SSMS tools tab listed. Please find snapshot below

Step 4 - First and foremost aspect that every developer should to take care is Coding standards. Code should be readable, maintainable. I would love this tool for formatting raw TSQL code. After writing the code right click and select Format SQL Option as provided below. One click your code is formatted. Sounds cool.

Step 5 - Next aspect is generating insert statement from Tables.  Pushing configuration data from one environment to another environment would be easier with this feature. Right click in database select SSMS tools->Generate Insert Statements.

Step 6 - Select the table to generate insert statements, Specify option to generate script in new window / sql file. Very cool feature.

Step 7 - Next feature is search for data within database and searching the query results. Below provided are example snapshots

Very useful features. Above all free tool :).

More Reads

Extend Functionality in SQL Server 2005 Management Studio with Add-ins
The Mega Guide to Free SQL Server Tools


Happy Learning & Reading!!!

SQLSentry PlanExplorer

Most of the times at work, I was focussed on getting things done. There are lot more tools / ideas which could have been leveraged if I had taken a step back to try out different tools/ideas. Time vs Task always compete with each other. Best alternative is to take time to learn outside work.

Today we will look at another free tool SQL Sentry. This tool provides richer GUI interface for interpreting SQL Query Plans.

Step 1. Download Tool from link

Step 2. Installed the Tool. Shortcut SQL Sentry Plan Explorer would be created in desktop

Step 3. Provided below query and clicked on Actual Plan. In the pop up window provide database settings to execute the query.

Step 4. Quick Observation here, Test Connection button is not provided. If provided this can be used to test connection is successful


Step 5. Click on Estimated Plan. Actual Rows columns are blank here.

Step 6. Click on Actual Plan. You can see estimated vs actual rows.

Step 7. Let us reuse one of the procedures in previous posts and compare cost/plan against SSMS and SQL Sentry Plan Analysis Tool. Reusing from post

Step 8. Executed below TSQL Code

DECLARE @ID INT, @Name VARCHAR(100), @City VARCHAR(100)
SET @ID = NULL
 SET @City = 'City 1'
 SET @Name = NULL
 IF @ID IS NOT NULL
     SELECT * FROM TestforCode WHERE (ID = @ID)
 ELSE
    IF @Name IS NOT NULL
    SELECT * FROM TestforCode WHERE (NAME = @Name)
 ELSE
    IF @City IS NOT NULL
    SELECT * FROM TestforCode WHERE (CITY = @City)

 SET @ID = NULL

 SET @City = 'City 1'
 SET @Name = NULL
 SELECT * FROM TestforCode WHERE (ID = @ID) OR
(NAME = @Name) OR (CITY = @City)

Step 9. Similar to SSMS when you hover over it would provide you Actual vs Estimated Rows and Stats. This is also provided in the tool

Provided below is SSMS snapshot

Step 10. Very useful feature is IO cost, IO%, CPU cost, CPU% every thing is listed in the output. By one click you would be able to see the results. This is very handy and great information to get started.

This is very good information to get started on where to focus first for optimization. This is a great tool!!!

More Reads -

Five Favorite Free SQL Server Downloads
SQL Sentry's Plan Explorer : a closer look
SQL Sentry Plan Explorer Documentation
SQL Bits - SQL Server 2008 Database Internals

Happy Reading!!!

Tools to evaluate for Web Testing

Time is limited, Delivering new products to customers plays a key role. Efficiency in terms of cost, time and effort is the key.

To finalize a test tool for functional/perf test automation below are few guidelines/considerations

• Pick Top 3 test tools in terms of Features provided, Cost, Cost of Training
• Review the tools using Trial versions/Demos
• Analyse effort required to learn the tools, develop the framework and manage the framework
• Evaluate cost for developing in-house tool vs Using Open Source Tools vs Licensing a Tool

Couple of Interesting tools to try out are

• Browsera - Automated browser compatability, layout, JS Errors detection
• Stella - Web Apps Functional Test Tool
• Google Layout Detection Tool
• Crossbrowser testing - For cross platform testing
• Browsermob - Website loadtesting and monitoring tools
• Page Latency Testing , Google Page Speed , web page test
• Multi-Mechanize - Google web performance and load testing framework
• browsershots - Test your web design in different browsers
• WebUI Test Studio - Silverlight, AJAX and MVC Automation
• Traffic Squeezer - Open-Source WAN/Network Optimization and Acceleration Solution
• Browserling - cross-browser testing platform
• Network Speed Simulation for Testing

 More Reads

• Automated Test Tools Evaluation Criteria
• Free Functional and Load Test Tools for Web Apps
• Website Speed Check Tools
• Free tools to measure website performance
• Complete setup guide for Ruby, Cucumber and Watir or Selenium webdriver on Windows

Happy Reading!!

Best Practices for Website Testing

For Testing a website below are guidelines I found useful from my learning's till date

1. Functionality Testing - Verify the features/functionality of the site
2. Acceptance Testing - This is event driven, User can interact the site in several different ways. It is very important to cover maximum user scenarios to ensure no defects at integration layer
3. Localization Testing - Check the website if it is available in several languages. Useful tip - Google Chrome suggests translation to english when you open Non-English Locale Sites. You can use this to read/understand by translating the content to English.
4. Layout Testing - Verify the look and feel of the UI. No overlapping sections in the page. Refer the Tool
Layout detection tool, Layout Detection Tool Intro Video
5. Cross Browser Testing - Verify the UI of the website in multiple browsers. Useful Read Top 10 Free Web Apps to Test Cross-Browser Compatibility
6. Cross Platform Testing - Testing across browsers in different platforms Windows/Linux/Mac. Good Read Useful Tools for Testing Cross Browser Compatibility
7. Broken Links - Verifying Links in the page are not broken - Useful Tools. Tool1, Tool2
8. Spell Check the contents of the page. Good Read Top 10 Free Online Spell Checkers
9. Verify the page load time across different browsers. Good Read Top 10 Tools to Test Website Speed
10. Security Testing - Verify Security of the website is not broken or can be compromised with special attacks. Check for XSS. Tools to check  both at code level/site level are available. 10+ Free Web Application Security Testing Tools
11. Slow Network Traffic - Check for the Page Load time, Look and Feel in Case of Slow Network Traffic. Useful Tool BrowserMob Proxy - Free Tool to simulate slow network traffic
12. Usability Testing - How much does it Actually meets End User Requirements. Is it user friendly. Usability Testing Guidelines
13. Web Test Automation - For Website Test Automation you can check Open Source Tools Selenium, Webdriver
14. More Reads - Guidelines and Checklist for Website Testing
15. Open Source Test Automation Framework Using Selenium. This underlying framework can be leveraged and developed to support automation for existing website - Tracking Selenium Commands Using C# and SQL Server 2008. Framework Code Available in Selenium Tracking
16. Very Good Ebook on Selenium for Web Test Automation. Link
17. 7 useful tools for web development testing
18. Selenium Online Training
19. Next thing to look is Automating Regression & Functional Test Cases. You can automate functional test cases based on priority. Based on production defects / changing features this can be updated
20. Capture production events of customer acitivty on the website. Top 10 worflows can serve as input to performance test scenarios. Based on distribution of it, performance test scenarios can be developed from it to simulate production work load.
21. Twenty essential firefox addons for testing
22. Traffic Squeezer - Open-Source WAN/Network Optimization and Acceleration Solution
23. Few tips for quality web page testing
24. Cross browser testing – The truth is in the numbers

Happy Reading!!

Learning about website performance optimization

Yep. Very Interesting topic. I am learning by attending sessions and from my peers on website perf optimization. Couple of basic ideas

Basics Learning
How HTML, CSS and JS Work

• HTML - Contains Text, body, paragraph
• CSS - Font, Color, Size is defined in CSS
• JS - Handling Events are defined in this file

Reference - How HTML, CSS and JS work together, CSS-Example
1. CDN (Content Delivery Network) - Delivering content based on Network Proximity. Duplicating data across multiple data centres. Downloads times would be reduced. More details CDN Link1, CDN Link2, CDN Link3
2. Image Spriting - Group Images together, Select Appropriate co-ordinates to display. One large image instead of several multiple small images. More Details Image Spriting1, CSS Sprites
3. Optimize the order of styles and scripts - I found this link extremenly good and self explanatory. Minimize round-trip times. "Browser delays rendering any content that follows a script tag until that script has been downloaded, parsed and executed".  By Adjusting the order download time can be minimized http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/docs/rtt.html#PutStylesBeforeScripts
4. Combine external JavaScript - Combine multiple files into optimal files. http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/docs/rtt.html#CombineExternalJS
5. Several other useful techniques Enable Compression, Optimize Images, Caching are provided..
6. A better way to load CSS

More Reading - http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/docs/rules_intro.html
Even Faster Web Sites Presentation 2 - High Performance Web Sites
Best Practices for Speeding Up Your Web Site
WebPageTest Demo
Waterfalls 101: How to understand your site’s performance via waterfall chart
Let's make the web faster
Page Test Tools: Which results should you trust?
Three kinds of page test visuals, and the best ways to use them
JavaScript Architecture
Unit Testing JavaScript with FireUnit
RequestReduce - Instantly make any ASP.NET website faster with almost no effort!

Tools
Top 10 Free Online Broken Link Checkers
Top 10 Tools to Test Website Speed
Top 10 Websites That Let You Check If Links Are Safe


Happy Reading!!!