Practical Software Testing: A Process-Oriented Approach (Springer Professional Computing)

Item response theory has become an essential component in the toolkit of every researcher in the behavioral sciences. It provides a powerful means to study individual responses to a variety of stimuli, and the methodology has been extended and developed to cover many different models of interaction. This volume presents a wide-ranging handbook to item response theory - and its applications to educational and psychological testing. It will serve as both an introduction to the subject and also as a comprehensive reference volume for practitioners and researchers. It is organized into six major sections: the nominal categories model, models for response time or multiple attempts on items, models for multiple abilities or cognitive components, nonparametric models, models for nonmonotone items, and models with special assumptions. Each chapter in the book has been written by an expert of that particular topic, and the chapters have been carefully edited to ensure that a uniform style of notation and presentation is used throughout. As a result, all researchers whose work uses item response theory will find this an indispensable companion to their work and it will be the subject's reference volume for many years to come \* Introduction to testing as an engineering activity \* Testing fundamentals \* Defects, hypotheses, and tests \* Strategies and methods for test case design I \* Strategies and methods for test case design II \* Levels of testing \* Test goals, policies, plans and documentation \* The test organization \* Controlling, monitoring, evaluating and the testing process \* Reviews as a testing activity \* A measurement program to support product and process quality \* Evaluating software quality-a quantitative approach \* Defect analysis and prevention \* The testers' workbench \* Process control and optimization \* The testing maturity model and test process assessment Practical Software Testing......Page 1 CONTENTS......Page 6 Preface......Page 16 1.0 The Evolving Profession of Software Engineering......Page 24 1.1 The Role of Process in Software Quality......Page 27 1.2 Testing as a Process......Page 29 1.3 Overview of the Testing Maturity Model (TMM)......Page 31 1.3.1 TMM Levels......Page 33 Exercises......Page 39 References......Page 40 2.1 Basic Definitions......Page 42 2.2 Software Testing Principles......Page 49 2.3 The Tester's Role in a Software Development Organization......Page 57 Exercises......Page 59 References......Page 60 3.0 Origins of Defects......Page 62 3.1 Defect Classes, the Defect Repository, and Test Design......Page 66 3.1.1 Requirements and Specification Defects......Page 67 3.1.2 Design Defects......Page 69 3.1.3 Coding Defects......Page 71 3.2 Defect Examples: The Coin Problem......Page 74 3.3 Developer/Tester Support for Developing a Defect Repository......Page 80 Exercises......Page 81 References......Page 82 4.0 Introduction to Testing Design Strategies......Page 84 4.1 The Smart Tester......Page 85 4.2 Test Case Design Strategies......Page 86 4.4 Random Testing......Page 89 4.5 Equivalence Class Partitioning......Page 90 4.6 Boundary Value Analysis......Page 95 4.7 An Example of the Application of Equivalence Class Partitioning and Boundary Value Analysis......Page 96 4.8 Other Black Box Test Design Approaches......Page 99 4.8.1 Cause-and-Effect Graphing......Page 101 4.8.2 State Transition Testing......Page 105 4.8.3 Error Guessing......Page 108 4.9 Black Box Testing and Commercial Off-the-Shelf Components (COTS)......Page 109 4.10 Black Box Methods and TMM Level 2 Maturity Goals......Page 111 List of Key Terms......Page 114 Exercises......Page 115 References......Page 118 5.0 Using the White Box Approach to Test Design......Page 120 5.1 Test Adequacy Criteria......Page 121 5.2 Coverage and Control Flow Graphs......Page 124 5.3 Covering Code Logic......Page 126 5.4 Paths: Their Role in White Box–Based Test Design......Page 131 5.5.1 Data Flow and White Box Test Design......Page 134 5.5.2 Loop Testing......Page 138 5.5.3 Mutation Testing......Page 139 5.6 Evaluating Test Adequacy Criteria......Page 141 5.7 White Box Testing Methods and the TMM......Page 147 Exercises......Page 150 References......Page 153 6.0 The Need for Levels of Testing......Page 156 6.0.1 Levels of Testing and Software Development Paradigms......Page 158 6.1 Unit Test: Functions, Procedures, Classes, and Methods as Units......Page 160 6.2 Unit Test: The Need for Preparation......Page 161 6.3 Unit Test Planning......Page 162 6.4 Designing the Unit Tests......Page 164 6.5 The Class as a Testable Unit: Special Considerations......Page 165 6.6 The Test Harness......Page 171 6.7 Running the Unit Tests and Recording Results......Page 173 6.8 Integration Test: Goals......Page 175 6.9 Integration Strategies for Procedures and Functions......Page 176 6.10 Integration Strategies for Classes......Page 181 6.11 Designing Integration Tests......Page 182 6.12 Integration Test Planning......Page 185 6.13 System Test: The Different Types......Page 186 6.13.1 Functional Testing......Page 189 6.13.2 Performance Testing......Page 190 6.13.3 Stress Testing......Page 192 6.13.4 Configuration Testing......Page 194 6.13.5 Security Testing......Page 195 6.13.6 Recovery Testing......Page 198 6.15 Alpha, Beta, and Acceptance Tests......Page 199 6.16 Summary Statement on Testing Levels......Page 201 6.17 The Special Role of Use Cases......Page 202 6.18 Levels of Testing and the TMM......Page 204 Exercises......Page 207 References......Page 209 7.0 Introductory Concepts......Page 212 7.1 Testing and Debugging Goals and Policies......Page 214 7.2 Test Planning......Page 220 7.3 Test Plan Components......Page 223 7.4 Test Plan Attachments......Page 239 7.4.1 Test Design Specifications......Page 240 7.4.2 Test Case Specifications......Page 241 7.4.3 Test Procedure Specifications......Page 243 7.6 Reporting Test Results......Page 244 7.7 The Role of the Three Critical Groups in Test Planning and Policy Development......Page 249 7.8 Process and the Engineering Disciplines: The Role of the Individual as a Process Facilitator......Page 253 Exercises......Page 254 References......Page 255 8.0 Introducing the Test Specialist......Page 258 8.1 Skills Needed by a Test Specialist......Page 260 8.2 Building a Testing Group......Page 263 8.3 The Structure of the Testing Group......Page 265 8.4 The Technical Training Program......Page 270 8.5 Career Paths for Testers: An Industry Example......Page 273 8.6 Tester Certification......Page 275 8.7 Integrating Testing Activities in the Software Life Cycle......Page 276 8.8 The Test Organization, Technical Training Program, and Test Integration: Support from the Three Critical Views......Page 280 Exercises......Page 284 References......Page 285 9.0 Defining Terms......Page 286 9.1 Measurements and Milestones for Controlling and Monitoring......Page 289 9.1.1 Measurements for Monitoring Testing Status......Page 294 9.1.2 Measurements for Monitoring Tester Productivity......Page 298 9.1.3 Measurements for Monitoring Testing Costs......Page 299 9.1.4 Measurements for Monitoring Errors, Faults and Failures......Page 300 9.1.5 Monitoring Test Effectiveness......Page 302 9.2 Status Meetings, Reports, and Control Issues......Page 306 9.3 Criteria for Test Completion......Page 312 9.4 Software Configuration Management......Page 315 9.5 Controlling and Monitoring: Three Critical Views......Page 319 Exercises......Page 323 References......Page 325 10.0 Expanding the Testing Activity Umbrella......Page 326 10.1 Types of Reviews......Page 330 10.1.1 Inspections as a Type of Technical Review......Page 331 10.1.2 Walkthroughs as a Type of Technical Review......Page 333 10.2 Developing a Review Program......Page 334 10.3 The Need for Review Policies......Page 336 10.4 Components of Review Plans......Page 337 10.4.2 Preconditions and Items to be Reviewed......Page 338 10.4.3 Roles, Participants, Team Size, and Time Requirements......Page 340 10.4.5 Review Training......Page 343 10.4.6 Review Checklists......Page 347 10.5 Reporting Review Results......Page 356 10.7 Review Metrics......Page 360 10.9 The Self-Check or Personal Review......Page 363 10.10 Reviews and the TMM Critical Views......Page 366 Exercises......Page 368 References......Page 370 11.0 The Need for a Formal Test Measurement Program......Page 372 11.1 Some Measurement-Related Definitions......Page 376 11.2 Initiating a Measurement Program......Page 377 11.3 Software Quality Evaluation......Page 387 11.4 Measurement and TMM Levels......Page 395 11.4.1 Measurements for TMM Level 1......Page 396 11.4.2 Measurements for TMM Level 2......Page 398 11.4.3 Measurements for TMM Level 3......Page 400 11.4.4 Measurements for TMM Level 4......Page 404 11.4.5 Measurements for TMM Level 5......Page 406 11.5 A Test Measurement Program, Software Quality Valuations and the Three Critical Views......Page 409 Exercises......Page 412 References......Page 414 12.0 Review of Quality Concepts......Page 416 12.1 Quality Costs......Page 418 12.2 What Is Quality Control?......Page 420 12.3 The Role of Operational Profiles and Usage Models in Quality Control......Page 422 12.4 Support for Quality Control: Statistical Testing......Page 430 12.5 Software Reliability......Page 433 12.5.1 Measurements for Software Reliability......Page 436 12.6 Reliability, Quality Control, and Stop-Test Decisions......Page 437 12.6.1 Applying Reliability Models......Page 440 12.7 Confidence Levels and Quality Control......Page 445 12.8 Usability Testing and Quality Control......Page 447 12.9 An Approach to Usability Testing......Page 448 12.9.1 Exploratory Usability Testing......Page 449 12.9.3 Validation Usability Testing......Page 450 12.9.5 Usability Testing: Resource Requirements......Page 452 12.9.6 Usability Tests and Measurements......Page 453 12.10 Software Quality Control and the Three Critical Views......Page 456 Exercises......Page 459 References......Page 460 13.0 Processes and Defects......Page 462 13.1 History of Defect Analysis and Prevention......Page 464 13.2 Necessary Support for a Defect Prevention Program......Page 467 13.3 Techniques for Defect Analysis......Page 470 13.4 Defect Causal Analysis......Page 473 13.5 The Action Team: Making Process Changes......Page 477 13.6 Monitoring Actions and Process Changes......Page 480 13.7 Benefits of a Defect Prevention Program......Page 482 13.8 Defect Prevention and the Three Critical Views......Page 483 Exercises......Page 485 References......Page 486 14.0 Goals for the Testers' Workbench......Page 488 14.1 Evaluating Testing Tools for the Workbench......Page 490 14.2 Tool Categories......Page 493 14.2.2 Tools for TMM Level 1......Page 495 14.2.3 TMM Level 2: Maturity Goals for Phase Definition......Page 497 14.2.4 Tools for Phase Definition......Page 498 14.2.5 TMM Level 3: Maturity Goals for Integration......Page 501 14.2.6 Tools for Integration......Page 503 14.2.7 TMM Level 4: Maturity Goals for Management and Measurement......Page 510 14.2.8 Tools for Management and Measurement......Page 512 14.2.9 TMM Level 5: Maturity Goals for Optimization/Defect Prevention/Quality Control......Page 515 14.2.10 Tools for Optimization/Defect Prevention/Quality Control......Page 517 14.3 The Testers' Workbench and the Three Critical Views......Page 521 Exercises......Page 523 References......Page 524 15.0 TMM Maturity Goals: Support for a Quality Testing Process......Page 526 15.1 Process Engineering and Quality Control......Page 527 15.2 Fundamentals of Quantitative Process Control......Page 532 15.3 Activities for Quantitative Test Process Control......Page 535 15.4 Examples of the Application of Statistical Process Control......Page 539 15.5 Test Process Optimization: The Role of a Process Improvemen Group......Page 541 15.6 Technology Transfer......Page 546 15.7 Process Reuse......Page 549 15.7.1 Templates for Reusable Processes......Page 552 15.7.2 Procedures for Process Reuse......Page 554 15.8 Activities, Tasks and Responsibilities for Test Proces Control and Optimization......Page 556 Exercises......Page 558 References......Page 559 16.0 The Need for a Testing Maturity Model......Page 560 16.1 Approach to Model Development......Page 561 16.2 Process Improvement Model Representation......Page 566 16.3 The TMM Structure: The Testing Maturity Levels......Page 568 16.4 The TMM Assessment Model: Design Approach......Page 571 16.5.1 Assessment Team Selection and Training......Page 572 16.5.2 The Assessment Procedure......Page 574 16.5.3 The TMM Assessment Questionnaire......Page 579 16.6 The TMM Ranking Procedure......Page 581 16.7 Forms and Tools for Assessment Support......Page 585 16.8 Relationship of the TMM to Other Process Improvement Models......Page 586 16.9.1 TMM Application I: Evaluating the Usability of the TMM Questionnaire......Page 592 16.9.2 TMM Application II: Identifying Test Problem Areas and Risks......Page 595 16.9.3 TMM Application III: Software Test Consulting......Page 596 16.9.4 TMM Application IV: Role of Human Factors in Process Assessment......Page 599 16.9.5 Lessons Learned from the TMM Studies......Page 604 References......Page 606 APPENDIX I : TEST-RELATED REFERENCES......Page 610 APPENDIX I I : SAMPLE TEST PLAN......Page 634 Part 1: The TMM Questionnaire......Page 656 Section 1. Instructions for the Respondent......Page 657 Section 2. Respondent Identification and Background......Page 658 Section 3. Organizational Background......Page 660 Section 4. The TMM Questions......Page 662 Section 5. Testing Tool Questions......Page 682 Section 6. Testing Trends Questions......Page 685 Section 8. Glossary of TMM-Related Terms......Page 686 Part 2: TMM Activities, Tasks and Responsibilities......Page 693 Index......Page 724 Based on the needs of the educational community, and the software professional, this book takes a unique approach to teaching software testing. It introduces testing concepts that are managerial, technical, and process oriented, using the Testing Maturity Model (TMM) as a guiding framework. The TMM levels and goals support a structured presentation of fundamental and advanced test-related concepts to the reader. In this context, the interrelationships between theoretical, technical, and managerial concepts become more apparent. In addition, relationships between the testing process, maturity goals, and such key players as managers, testers and client groups are introduced. Topics and features: - Process/engineering-oriented text - Promotes the growth and value of software testing as a profession - Introduces both technical and managerial aspects of testing in a clear and precise style - Uses the TMM framework to introduce testing concepts in a systemmatic, evolutionary way to faciliate understanding - Describes the role of testing tools and measurements, and how to integrate them into the testing process Graduate students and industry professionals will benefit from the book, which is designed for a graduate course in software testing, software quality assurance, or software validation and verification Moreover, the number of universities with graduate courses that cover this material will grow, given the evoluation in software development as an engineering discipline and the creation of degree programs in software engineering.

software Testing Is Rapidly Evolving As A Critical Sub-discipline Of Software Engineering. The Industry Needs Professionals Educated In The Modern Methods And Tools Of Software Testing And Quality Assurance.

based On The Needs Of Software Professionals, Practical Software Testing Takes A Unique Approach To Teaching Readers How To Effectively Plan For Testing, Design Test Cases, Test At Multiple Levels, Organize A Testing Team, And Optimize Use Of Testing Tools. It Introduces Testing Concepts That Are Managerial-, Technical-, And Process-oriented, Using The Testing Maturity Model (tmm) As A Framework.

features:

*includes A Sample Test Plan, Comprehensive Exercises, And Definitions For Software Testing And Quality

*introduces Both Technical And Managerial Aspects Of Testing In A Clear And Precise Style, For Integrated Learning

*balanced Perspective And Comprehensive View Of All Testing Aspects

*uses The Tmm Framework To Introduce Testing In A Systematic, Evolutionary Way, And Describes Industrial Tmm Applications

*covers Testing Topics With Either Procedurally Based Or Object-oriented Programming Code

with Its Accessible, Practical, And Well-focused Framework, This New Resource Provides An Integrated Presentation Of Software-testing Processes And Practices. Professionals And Practitioners In Software Testing, Software Quality Assurance, Or Software Validation And Verification Will Benefit Greatly From Using This Essential Resource.

This book details program analyses and transformations that extract the flow of data in computer memory systems. It emphasizes a framework for the optimization of code for imperative programs and greater computer systems efficiency. In addition, it shows that correctness of program transformations is guaranteed by the conservation of data flow.Professionals and researchers in software engineering, computer engineering, program design analysis, and compiler design will benefit from its presentation of data-flow methods and memory optimization of compilers.