Systematic Software Testing

645 Pages·2015·3.83 MB·English

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Systematic Software Testing
by Rick D. Craig
and Stefan P.
ISBN:1580535089
Jaskiel
Artech House © 2002 (536 pages)
Focusing on the prevention and
early discovery of defects, the
testing process described in this
text parallels the software
development lifecycle, and the
authors outline a flexible process
for improving software testing
capabilities.
Table of Contents
Systematic Software Testing
Foreword
Preface
An Overview of the Testing
Chapter 1 -
Process
Chapter 2 - Risk Analysis
Chapter 3 - Master Test Planning
Chapter 4 - Detailed Test Planning
Chapter 5 - Analysis and Design
Chapter 6 - Test Implementation
Chapter 7 - Test Execution
Chapter 8 - The Test Organization
Chapter 9 - The Software Tester
Chapter 10 - The Test Manager
Chapter 11 - Improving the Testing Process
Chapter 12 - Some Final Thoughts…
Appendix A - Glossary of Terms
Appendix B - Testing Survey
Appendix C - IEEE Templates
Appendix D - Sample Master Test Plan
Appendix E - Simplified Unit Test Plan
Appendix F - Process Diagrams
Appendix G- Bibliography
Index
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Case Studies
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Back Cover
There’s no quicker way to realize return on investment than to prevent or discover
defects early in the software development lifecycle. Written by leading experts, this
book delivers a flexible, risk-based process that improves your software testing
capabilities and helps you do just that. Whether your organization already has a
well-defined testing process, or it’s faltering with almost no process, Systematic
Software Testing provides unique insights into better ways to test your software.
Learn to use a preventive method of testing that parallels the software development
lifecycle, and subsequently how to create and use test plans, design, and metrics.
Detailed instructions help you decide what to test, how to prioritize, and when
testing is complete. You’ll even learn to conduct risk analysis and measure test
effectiveness to maximize the efficiency of your testing efforts.
And because organizational structure, the right people, and management are
primary keys to better software testing, Systematic Software Testing helps you
shape your organization to better respond to the dynamics of software testing.
Learn how testing fits into the bigger software development picture
Get a cradle-to-grave perspective on testing that parallels the software
development lifecycle
Gain an understanding of what constitutes good testing practices and
processes
Learn the principles of leadership and how to apply them to managing testing
teams
Develop a tailor-made testing process that fits your organization’s unique
structure based on the authors’ 25 years of experience
About the Authors
Rick D. Craig, an experienced test manager and consultant at Software Quality
Engineering, has spoken at testing conferences every year since 1985. Rick has
helped hundreds of companies throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the
Americas improve their testing practices. Rick is the former American editor of
Software Quality Management magazine, an active member of Mensa of America,
and a colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He is a technical editor
for StickyMinds.com, a community Web site for software testing and quality
engineering managers and professionals.
Stefan P. Jaskiel is an information manager experienced in the development of
technical documentation. He has developed a wide variety of reference manuals,
online help systems and multimedia CD-ROMs for hardware and software
applications in client/server, Web, and PC environments. Stefan has led the design
and development of systems/processes for managing and disseminating technical
information and he is also coauthor of the recently published book, The Web
Testing Handbook.
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Systematic Software Testing
Rick D. Craig
Stefan P. Jaskiel
Artech House Publishers
Boston • London
685 Canton Street
Norwood, MA 02062
[phone]
46 Gillingham Street
London SW1V 1AH
[phone]
Copyright © 2002 STQE Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise
without written permission from the publisher.
International Standard Book Number: 1-58053-508-9
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing: May 2002
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have
been appropriately capitalized. Artech House Publishers and STQE Publishing cannot attest
to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as
affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
Warning and Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and accurate as possible, but
no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an "as is" basis. The
authors and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity
with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book.
Reviewers & Contributors
Heidi Amundson
Rob Baarda
Bev Berry
Rex Black
Steve Boycan
Renee E. Broadbent
Lee Copeland
George Flynn
Cheryl Happe
Tim Koomen
Claire Lohr
Clare Matthews
Amanda McCrary
Anne Meilof
Wayne Middleton
Wilton Morley
Eric Patel
Dale Perry
Martin Pol
Cristina Raszewski
Bill Scoffield
Steven Splaine
Marjolein Steyerberg
Laurie F. White
Pamela Young
Cover Designer
Jamie Borders
Indexer
Bill Graham
Dedications from the Authors
From Rick,
To my daughter Crissy, my mother Phyllis, my sisters Pam and Beth, and my brothers Ed
and Mark for always being there when I needed you.
To the mentors in my life: my father Richard Craig, Jim Gleason, and Mark Caldarello. I
learned more from you than any book I could ever read.
From Stefan,
To my parents, Maria and Walter, for teaching me how to choose the best road to follow
among life's many choices.
To my sisters Halina and Anita, and my brothers George and Frank, for always "listening"
and helping me find my way.
Acknowledgments
Software Testing is a dynamic interdisciplinary subject that spans the entire breadth of
software engineering. We believe that no one person or even group of people could possibly
write a comprehensive text on such a broad subject. Indeed, even in this broad, but
admittedly incomplete text, we had to rely heavily on our colleagues, students, clients, and
the authors of other books, articles, and Web sites for support.
We would like to thank our colleagues (especially Rex Black, Lee Copeland, Claire Lohr,
and Dale Perry - who also teach various SQE courses) who contributed to the work by
providing insight, reviewing various stages of the book, and providing content on subjects
where our own knowledge was inadequate. We offer a special thanks to the authors of our
principal references:
The Systematic Test and Evaluation Process (STEP): An Introduction and
Summary Guide
by Dr. Bill Hetzel
The Systematic Software Testing (SST) Course
by Dr. David Gelperin
The Test Management Course
by Steven Splaine and Rick Craig
Additionally, we would like to acknowledge that many of our reviewers supported us not only
with their insightful reviews, but also, in some cases, by also allowing us to use their words
and ideas. Finally, we would like to acknowledge our family, friends, clients, and colleagues
who really didn't see us very often during the development of this book.
- Rick and Stefan
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Foreword
When I wrote Managing the Testing Process, that book joined a fairly slender collection of
books on testing. Happily, over the last few years, the collection of published resources for
test professionals has grown steadily. As I work on the second edition of Managing the
Testing Process, and my new book, Critical Testing Processes, I now find I have lots of
material I can recommend to my readers for further ideas. Systematic Software Testing will
show up in lots of footnotes in my current and future books. Attendees of my test
management course often ask me to recommend books on various testing topics. I plan on
including Systematic Software Testing in the short list of books that I preface with the
remark, "If you only have time to read one book on testing, pick one of these."
While the number of books on testing has grown considerably over the last few years, this is
not a "me too" testing book. Systematic Software Testing offers a complete roadmap for
test professionals looking to institute or improve the way they test software. The title says
that the book will outline a systematic method, and it does. I expect that many test
professionals - myself included - will find this book occupies a frequently-accessed part of
their professional library. I'm sure a dog-eared and annotated copy of this book will
accompany me on a number of my consulting forays.
I first learned that Rick Craig and Stefan Jaskiel were working on this book about six
months ago, and I was excited to hear it. Along with Rick and some of his other colleagues
at Software Quality Engineering, I teach the Systematic Software Testing course, and I had
long thought that the excellent course materials needed a full-length book to delve deeper
into the details. This book fills that need perfectly. When Rick and Stefan asked me to write
this foreword, I was excited and happy to have been asked. Back when Rick recommended
me as a teacher of the Systematic Software Testing course, he said, "Rex is smart - he
thinks like me!" (I think he might have been joking a little bit.) I was glad that Rick's opinion
of me hadn't changed, and that he'd been able to convince Stefan of my talents, too.
But I was also a little apprehensive. I have a huge pile of books in my office that I know I
should read. I mean, I'm sure there are good ideas that I need to absorb in them, but for
some reason I just can't get to the point where the books move out of that huge pile and into
my hands for a long enough period of time to learn from them. Some books have made it
out of that pile for a short period, only to return to it with a lonely bookmark stuck near the
front cover when something else comes up. I was somewhat concerned that perhaps this
might somehow be such a book, one that I had to force myself to read. Those concerns
were unfounded. I simply flew through this book in four days. Good ideas - lots of them, one
after another - are presented and fully explained, but never belabored. The topics are
brought to life throughout with anecdotes and case studies. (While some look down their
noses at "anecdotal evidence," I found the stories rang true for me. As the saying goes,
"The plural of anecdote is data.") Rick and Stefan's senses of humor leaven the material; I
even found myself laughing out loud a time or two.
Just because I was smiling doesn't mean I wasn't learning, though. Rick and Stefan led me
on a soup-to-nuts tour of the issues that confront the tester and test manager. Heard good