Mladen Prajdic over at SQLTeam.com has created a UI to compliment SQL Server 2005's TableDiff.exe.

Download it here.

I haven't talked about HTTPWatch since version 4.1 but last week I had a chance to work with the  5.0 version and I have to say once again: I LOVE IT.  These guys keep me hooked with the simplicity, new features, and ease use with their application. What I'm loving the most in 5.0 is the quick visual of traffic activity (blocked, DNS Lookup, connect, send, wait, receive, TTFB, & network):

The second thing that caught my testing eye was the grouping by page feature which allowed me to expand/collapse by pages:

HTTPWatch 5.0 continues to impress. It's still by far my preferred tool for viewing HTTP traffic while testing Web applications. You just can't beat the usability, quick availability from within the Internet Explorer window. And to boot, it has an interface for use with Web application automation! Give it a try for free here.

Scott Hanselman has posted about testing a Silverlight application using the Web application testing tool Selenium. Check it out here. Congratulations on your recent move to Microsoft Scott!

A while back I posted a few thoughts and discoveries on automating a Silverlight application. Since then, there has been a bit of head way in that area with WebAii and TestDriven.net.

Michael Kelly pointed out to me that WebAii allows testing from within the browser while TestDriven allows testing at the class level.

Have you tested a SilverlIght application? If you have, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Have you used WebAii or TestDriven.net? Post to the comments please!

Two Web Service experts, Ted Neward and Adrian Trenaman, battle out the pros and cons of Contract First and Code-First here. Ted and Adrian touch on the good and bad points of each. If you're testing Web Services then this is an enlightening 5 minute read.

In the past I was part of a team that tried to implement Contract-First with a large and complex .NET Web Service and it failed us miserably. It turned out to be a manual administration nightmare...That's my experience.

I've been saving up all my change for about 6 years, and now I'm going to spend it all in one lump sum. 

It wasn't long ago that decided to move out of my comfort zone by deciding to move the wife and kids to Gilbert Arizona to be closer to wife's side of the family. Today marks the first official day of that change, today is my last day at Corillian which recently became a part of CheckFree. I'm sad to be leaving such a great group of people, but really excited to do something different. Different as in living in a new state after living in the NW all my life, different as in living in our 1st brand new house, and different as in going to work for GoDaddy.com!

Stay tuned for a brand new testing and QA adventure...in the thriving desert.

Over the course of the last few months Rosie Sherry and I have had a few conversations where we exchanged thoughts and ideas on testing and QA. I have to say that she is quite the go getter, is plum full of great ideas, and is hell bent on finding ways to bring together us tester and QA folk. Her latest idea, an online Software Testing Club provides us testing types with a social network that has forums, videos, news, test links, and photos.

Rosie has shared a few ideas with me lately, and what I like the most about them is the fact they are small and consumable. Yes, StickyMinds.com is a similar forum, but it's sooo huge it's hard to use and hard to consume. StickyMinds is BIG. (side rant here: I asked to submit an article recently and was asked to fill out this huge, multiple page form to be considered. It would've taken me nearly as long to complete the form as to write the article. Suck. Forget about it. BIG = Red Tape).

Small vs. Big...

I think an analogy for my attraction to the smaller forum is:

A person can attend a church that has a HUGE congregation. It's hard for that person to feel like they are a part of that huge group because there are so many people and its hard to get the attention they may need or desire. How do large churches solve this problem? By encouraging people to join or form a small prayer group.

Don't go unheard or get lost in the noise of a large group. Join a club. Give Rosie Sherry's Software Testing Club a try. When the club gets too big for your liking, start your own!

Ernie Booth has written a plug-in for Reflector  that allows you to do reflection on a SilverLight Web application. This will be a helpful test tool for those who don't have access to the source code. Go checkout and download the plug-in Reflector Silverlight Browser for your test or development needs.