SOFTWARE TESTING

Definition
Software testing can be stated as the process of validating and verifying that a software program/application/product: meets the requirements that guided its design and development works as expected can be implemented with the same characteristics satisfies the needs of stakeholders

Components of Software Development Process

Plan (P) : Devise a plan. Define your objective and determine the strategy and supporting methods required to achieve that objective. Do (D): Execute the plan. Create the conditions and perform the necessary training to execute the plan. Check (C): Check the results. Check to determine whether work is progressing according to the plan and whether the expected results are being obtained. Act (A): Take the necessary action. If your checkup reveals that the work is not being performed according to the plan or that results are not what you anticipated, devise measures to take appropriate actions.

PDCA Cycle
Testing involves only the check component of the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle. The software development team is responsible for the three remaining components.

Who is Associated with Testing?

Software customer. The party or department that contracts for the software to be developed. Software user. The individual or group that will use the software once it is placed into production. Software developer. The individual or group that receives the requirements from the software user or assists in writing them, designing, building, and maintaining the software, as needed. Development tester. The individual or group that performs the test function within the software development group.

Who is Associated with Testing?

IT management. The individual or group with responsibility for fulfilling the information technology mission. Senior management. The CEO of the organization and other senior executives who are responsible for fulfilling the organization mission. Auditor. The individual or group responsible for evaluating the effectiveness, efficiency, and adequacy of controls in the information technology area. Project manager. The individual responsible for managing the building, maintaining, and/or implementing of software.

ROLE OF SOFTWARE TESTING

The Multiple Roles of Testing

Testing is an activity associated with any process that produces a product. The role of testing changes as the type of process used to build the product changes. There is a continuum of build processes that can be divided into three categories Manufacturing Job shop Professional Process

Manufacturing
It is a process that produces many similar products The products tend to be well defined Testing is normally a binary activity that validates the presence or absence of product attributes

Job Shop
It is a process that builds products The building process would most commonly be associated with creating software Testers cannot be assured that the requirements are what the customer/user really needs Testing of job shop products normally involves verifying that the requirements are correct, and then validating that the end product meets the true needs of the customer/user

Job Shop
Testing in a job shop environment is a value-added activity The check activity is used in conjunction with the do activity to assure that a high-quality product is produced The role of the user also changes in a job shop environment The user becomes a part of the product, in that the skill sets of the user and the instructions provided by the user impact the effectiveness and efficiency of the software system

Professional Process
With this process, the products crested are unique and may not resemble any other product Using a professional product, the customer is generally the one who validates whether the product is satisfactory Testing occurs by using peers to asses the reasonableness of the product