The 1980's produced important advances in well-test analysis. The large number of new and sometimes competitive methods, however, also produced confusion. The main objective of this paper is to consider the current state of practical well-test analysis methods. The storage log-log type curve was initially presented as a method to analyze short-time data. This was later found to be impossible. But the diagnostic value of log-log curves was far more important than short-time analysis. Later, the derivative was added to the type curve, leading to the conclusions that Horner curves were no longer necessary and that short-time analysis was now possible. Another major development was computer-aided interpretation. The computer was necessary to differentiate data and helped to prepare the large number of graphs required for modern interpretation. An important breakthrough resulted with the development of nonlinear regression for specific models and the ability to consider rate variation. Results of an interpretation could be used to simulate test data, and then simulated and field data could be compared.