the fundamentals of testing
TRANSCRIPT
1© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
The Importance of Software Testing
Testing Solutions Group Limited6th Floor, Walbrook House
23-29 Walbrook,London EC4N 8BT
email: [email protected]://www.testing-solutions.com
2© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
A Necessary Evil
All project managers know that they must do some testing
The basic questions are;How much?What sort?By whom?When and by when?
All difficult questions.
3© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Why do we test?
Provide confidence in the system Identify areas of weakness Establish the degree of quality Establish the extent that the requirements have
been met, i.e. what the users asked for is what they got not what someone else though they wanted
To provide an understanding of the overall system To prove it is both usable and operable To provide sufficient information to allow an
objective decision on applicability to deploy
4© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Another view – cynical?
To use up spare budgetTo provide a good excuse why the project is
lateTo provide jobs for people who can’t codeTo make the developers look goodTo provide the project manager with some
contingency in the plan and can be cut if if push come to shove!
5© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
First up – How much?
How good does the product need to be?How do we measure it?How do we make a decision?
Are there any legal or compliance issues?What industry are you in?
What will it cost?Time and resource [human and machine]
Are we capable?We know what we need to do but can we do it?
6© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
How do we decide?
What matters to our users?What does the system do?RiskRequirementsMoney
Test Techniques - CoverageStatic Dynamic
7© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Secondly – What sort?
Unit InterfaceFunctionalityPerformanceUsabilitySecurityAvailabilityOperability
………plus about another
20 ‘abilities’
8© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Do we need tools to help?
Automated test tools are often seen as a silver bullet
Some tests cannot be successfully executed or analysed without them
80% of test tools end up as shelfware through: Abandonment Neglect Banishment
9© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Thirdly – By whom?
Users: those who will ultimately use the system
Customers: those who define the system – are they the same as the users?
TestersAnalystsDevelopers
10© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Are we capable of testing?
Is an experienced tester better than an experienced user at finding faults?
How can testers help themselves and users?Working with the users to understand their
systemsProviding testing skills transferAttending testing industry conferencesAttaining industry recognised software testing
qualifications
11© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
More information
Non-Functional test technique definitions and other standards: www.testingstandards.co.uk
STQE Magazine: www.stqemagazine.com BCS ISEB Software Testing Certification
Foundation Practitioner http://www1.bcs.org.uk/
Special Interest Group in Software Testing – SIGiST: http://www1.bcs.org.uk/
EuroSTAR: www.testingconferences.com ICSTest: www.icstest.com
12© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Lastly – When?
Once the code is complete?As soon as the architecture is defined?Once the system delivery is complete?During development?Once the business requirements have been
defined?As soon as the project is given the go-
ahead?
13© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Test then Code
Then test some more……………………
14© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Project deadline driven by:LegislationArbitrary dateFinancial yearCalendar dateSeasonalMarketing windowSafety CriticalityMoney
By when?
15© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
Summary
Testing is an integral part of the system development function, not an afterthought: Testing starts with the requirements not the code Testing is a static and dynamic activity Prevention is better than cure The sooner you find the fault the cheaper it is to fix Create re-usable ‘testware’ Process first then tools Not everyone can test well, use professional testers Planned testing in a controlled environment provides
objective metrics
To gain a Return on Investment you must first Invest
16© Testing Solutions Group Limited 2003
The Importance of Software Testing
Testing Solutions Group Limited6th Floor, Walbrook House
23-29 Walbrook,London EC4N 8BT
email: [email protected]://www.testing-solutions.com