Test Methods and Technology
Section 3.1. This section describes how testing can be viewed from five different perspectives.
- PDF / 1,004,465 Bytes
- 53 Pages / 439.37 x 666.142 pts Page_size
- 92 Downloads / 251 Views
Test Methods and Technology
3.1 Different Views of Testing Testing can be approached from four distinct angles: analytic, quality-driven, routine, and context-driven. The different testing approaches have a common goal: to try to make right things the right way. High quality software should be the visible result of sound specifications, good processes, discipline, skills, teamwork and commitment to the project. The comparison below shows the difference between the four testing methods: 1.
Analytic testing − − −
2.
Quality testing − − − − −
3.
Primarily used in academia and industry Requires precise and detailed specifications Testers verify the software’s conformity compared to specifications Primarily used in Fortune 500 companies and large organizations Requires discipline Testers validate the development processes Testers rule the software development Good testing processes are required
Routine testing − − − − − − −
Primarily used in IT and government agencies The waterfall model is the method of choice (V-Model) Assembly line working Standards are mandatory (best practices/verification) Clear boundaries between testing and other processes Testing is managed and cost effective Testing measures the progress and validates the product
P. Henry, The Testing Network, © Springer 2008
55
56
4.
3 Test Methods and Technology
Context-driven testing − − − − −
Primarily used in commercial and market-driven software People set the context Testing provides on-line feedback to stakeholders and management Requires skilled testers Testing is an interdisciplinary task
In practice, a fifth approach to testing is used complementary to the other methods: exploratory testing. It can help to discover unusual behaviors, functional limitations or unattended bugs in central software components (e. g., central business logic, or CBL). 5.
Exploratory testing − − − −
Effectiveness of test strategies is determined by field experiences Test planning changes with the test results Release planning can be directly impacted by the test results Focus on skill over practice
Table 3.1 summarizes the different views of testing. Testing techniques are classified into two categories: constructive methods and analytic methods. Constructive methods aim at detecting errors by running the software; analytic methods aim at detecting flaws by constructing programs. Consequently, the constructive methods are referred to as dynamic and the analytic methods are referred to as static. Table 3.1 Four different views of testing ANALYTIC
QA
ROUTINE
CONTEXTDRIVEN
where used Academic/Industry
Fortune 500/Large Organizations
IT Government
Commercial Market-driven SW
characteristics • Precise + detailed • Discipline specifications • Testers validate • Testers verify development conformity processes SW ↔ specs • Testers rule development • Good process required
• V-Model (waterfall) • Assembly line • Standards: – Best practices – Certification • Clear boundaries between testing and other processes • Testing is managed: – predictable – repeata
Data Loading...
