3 Software QA Glossary

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Software QA/TestingGlossary and Technical FAQs

Q1. What is verification?A: Verification ensures the product is designed to deliver all functionality to the customer; it typically involvesreviews and meetings to evaluate documents, plans, code, requirements and specifications; this can be done withchecklists, issues lists, walkthroughs and inspection meetings. You CAN learn to do verification, with little or nooutside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q2. What is validation?A: Validation ensures that functionality, as defined in requirements, is the intended behavior of the product;validation typically involves actual testing and takes place after verifications are completed.Q3. What is a walkthrough?A: A walkthrough is an informal meeting for evaluation or informational purposes. A walkthrough is also a process atan abstract level. It's the process of inspecting software code by following paths through the code (as determined byinput conditions and choices made along the way). The purpose of code walkthroughs is to ensure the code fits thepurpose. Walkthroughs also offer opportunities to assess an individual's or team's competency.Q4. What is an inspection?A: An inspection is a formal meeting, more formalized than a walkthrough and typically consists of 3-10 peopleincluding a moderator, reader (the author of whatever is being reviewed) and a recorder (to make notes in thedocument). The subject of the inspection is typically a document, such as a requirements document or a test plan.The purpose of an inspection is to find problems and see what is missing, not to fix anything. The result of themeeting should be documented in a written report. Attendees should prepare for this type of meeting by reading

through the document, before the meeting starts; most problems are found during this preparation. Preparation forinspections is difficult, but is one of the most cost-effective methods of ensuring quality, since bug prevention ismore cost effective than bug detection.Q5. What is quality?A: Quality software is software that is reasonably bug-free, delivered on time and within budget, meetsrequirements and expectations and is maintainable. However, quality is a subjective term. Quality depends on whothe customer is and their overall influence in the scheme of things. Customers of a software development projectinclude end-users, customer acceptance test engineers, testers, customer contract officers, customer management,the development organization's management, test engineers, testers, salespeople, software engineers,stockholders and accountants. Each type of customer will have his or her own slant on quality. The accountingdepartment might define quality in terms of profits, while an end-user might define quality as user friendly and bugfree.Q6. What is good code?

A: A good code is code that works, is free of bugs and is readable and maintainable. Organizations usually havecoding standards all developers should adhere to, but every programmer and software engineer has different ideasabout what is best and what are too many or too few rules. We need to keep in mind that excessive use of rules canstifle both productivity and creativity. Peer reviews and code analysis tools can be used to check for problems andenforce standards.Q7. What is good design?A: Design could mean to many things, but often refers to functional design or internal design. Good functionaldesign is indicated by software functionality can be traced back to customer and end-user requirements. Goodinternal design is indicated by software code whose overall structure is clear, understandable, easily modifiable andmaintainable; is robust with sufficient error handling and status logging capability; and works correctly whenimplemented.Q8. What is software life cycle?A: Software life cycle begins when a software product is first conceived and ends when it is no longer in use. It

includes phases like initial concept, requirements analysis, functional design, internal design, documentationplanning, test planning, coding, document preparation, integration, testing, maintenance, updates, re-testing andphase-out.Q9. Why are there so many software bugs?

A: Generally speaking, there are bugs in software because of unclear requirements, software complexity,programming errors, changes in requirements, errors made in bug tracking, time pressure, poorly documented codeand/or bugs in tools used in software development.

There are unclear software requirements because there is miscommunication as to what the software

should or shouldn't do.

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Software complexity. All of the followings contribute to the exponential growth in software and system

complexity: Windows interfaces, client-server and distributed applications, data communications, enormousrelational databases and the sheer size of applications.

Programming errors occur because programmers and software engineers, like everyone else, can make

mistakes.

As to changing requirements, in some fast-changing business environments, continuously modified

requirements are a fact of life. Sometimes customers do not understand the effects of changes, orunderstand them but request them anyway. And the changes require redesign of the software, reschedulingof resources and some of the work already completed have to be redone or discarded and hardwarerequirements can be effected, too.

Bug tracking can result in errors because the complexity of keeping track of changes can result in errors,

too.

Time pressures can cause problems, because scheduling of software projects is not easy and it often

requires a lot of guesswork and when deadlines loom and the crunch comes, mistakes will be made.

Code documentation is tough to maintain and it is also tough to modify code that is poorly documented. The

result is bugs. Sometimes there is no incentive for programmers and software engineers to document theircode and write clearly documented, understandable code. Sometimes developers get kudos for quicklyturning out code, or programmers and software engineers feel they cannot have job security if everyone canunderstand the code they write, or they believe if the code was hard to write, it should be hard to read.

Software development tools , including visual tools, class libraries, compilers, scripting tools, can introduce

their own bugs. Other times the tools are poorly documented, which can create additional bugs.

Q10. How do you introduce a new software QA process?A: It depends on the size of the organization and the risks involved. For large organizations with high-risk projects, aserious management buy-in is required and a formalized QA process is necessary. For medium size organizationswith lower risk projects, management and organizational buy-in and a slower, step-by-step process is required.Generally speaking, QA processes should be balanced with productivity, in order to keep any bureaucracy fromgetting out of hand. For smaller groups or projects, an ad-hoc process is more appropriate. A lot depends on teamleads and managers, feedback to developers and good communication is essential among customers, managers,

developers, test engineers and testers. Regardless the size of the company, the greatest value for effort is inmanaging requirement processes, where the goal is requirements that are clear, complete andtestable.Q11. Give me five common problems that occur during software development.

A: Poorly written requirements, unrealistic schedules, inadequate testing, adding new features after development isunderway and poor communication.

1. Requirements are poorly written when requirements are unclear, incomplete, too general, or not testable;therefore there will be problems.

2. The schedule is unrealistic if too much work is crammed in too little time.

3. Software testing is inadequate if none knows whether or not the software is any good until customerscomplain or the system crashes.

4. It's extremely common that new features are added after development is underway.

5. Miscommunication either means the developers don't know what is needed, or customers have unrealisticexpectations and therefore problems are guaranteed.

Q12. Do automated testing tools make testing easier?

A: Yes and no. For larger projects, or ongoing long-term projects, they can be valuable. But for small projects, thetime needed to learn and implement them is usually not worthwhile. A common type of automated tool is therecord/playback type. For example, a test engineer clicks through all combinations of menu choices, dialog box

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choices, buttons, etc. in a GUI and has an automated testing tool record and log the results. The recording istypically in the form of text, based on a scripting language that the testing tool can interpret. If a change is made(e.g. new buttons are added, or some underlying code in the application is changed), the application is then re-tested by just playing back the recorded actions and compared to the logged results in order to check effects of thechange. One problem with such tools is that if there are continual changes to the product being tested, therecordings have to be changed so often that it becomes a very time-consuming task to continuously update thescripts. Another problem with such tools is the interpretation of the results (screens, data, logs, etc.) that can be atime-consuming task. You CAN learn to use automated testing tools, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free

information. Click on a link!Q13. Give me five solutions to problems that occur during software development.

A: Solid requirements, realistic schedules, adequate testing, firm requirements and good communication.

1. Ensure the requirements are solid, clear, complete, detailed, cohesive, attainable and testable. All playersshould agree to requirements. Use prototypes to help nail down requirements.

2. Have schedules that are realistic. Allow adequate time for planning, design, testing, bug fixing, re-testing,changes and documentation. Personnel should be able to complete the project without burning out.

3. Do testing that is adequate. Start testing early on, re-test after fixes or changes, and plan for sufficient timefor both testing and bug fixing.

4. Avoid new features. Stick to initial requirements as much as possible. Be prepared to defend design againstchanges and additions, once development has begun and be prepared to explain consequences. Ifchanges are necessary, ensure they're adequately reflected in related schedule changes. Use prototypesearly on so customers' expectations are clarified and customers can see what to expect; this will minimizechanges later on.

5. Communicate. Require walkthroughs and inspections when appropriate; make extensive use of e-mail,networked bug-tracking tools, tools of change management. Ensure documentation is available and up-to-date. Use documentation that is electronic, not paper. Promote teamwork and cooperation.

Q14. What makes a good test engineer?

A: Rob Davis is a good test engineer because he

Has a "test to break" attitude,

Takes the point of view of the customer,

Has a strong desire for quality,

Has an attention to detail, He's also

Tactful and diplomatic and

Has good a communication skill, both oral and written. And he

Has previous software development experience, too.

Good test engineers have a "test to break" attitude. We, good test engineers, take the point of view of the customer,

have a strong desire for quality and an attention to detail. Tact and diplomacy are useful in maintaining acooperative relationship with developers and an ability to communicate with both technical and non-technicalpeople. Previous software development experience is also helpful as it provides a deeper understanding of thesoftware development process, gives the test engineer an appreciation for the developers' point of view andreduces the learning curve in automated test tool programming.Q15. What makes a good QA engineer?A: The same qualities a good test engineer has are useful for a QA engineer. Additionally, Rob Davis understandsthe entire software development process and how it fits into the business approach and the goals of theorganization. Rob Davis' communication skills and the ability to understand various sides of issues are important.Good QA engineers understand the entire software development process and how it fits into the business approachand the goals of the organization. Communication skills and the ability to understand various sides of issues are

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important.Q16. What makes a good resume?A: On the subject of resumes, there seems to be an unending discussion of whether you should or shouldn't have aone-page resume. The followings are some of the comments I have personally heard: "Well, Joe Blow (carsalesman) said I should have a one-page resume." "Well, I read a book and it said you should have a one pageresume." "I can't really go into what I really did because if I did, it'd take more than one page on my resume." "Gosh,I wish I could put my job at IBM on my resume but if I did it'd make my resume more than one page, and I was toldto never make the resume more than one page long." "I'm confused, should my resume be more than one page? I

feel like it should, but I don't want to break the rules." Or, here's another comment, "People just don't read resumesthat are longer than one page." I have heard some more, but we can start with these. So what's the answer? Thereis no scientific answer about whether a one-page resume is right or wrong. It all depends on who you are and howmuch experience you have. The first thing to look at here is the purpose of a resume. The purpose of a resume is toget you an interview. If the resume is getting you interviews, then it is considered to be a good resume. If theresume isn't getting you interviews, then you should change it. The biggest mistake you can make on your resumeis to make it hard to read. Why? Because, for one, scanners don't like odd resumes. Small fonts can make yourresume harder to read. Some candidates use a 7-point font so they can get the resume onto one page. Big mistake.Two, resume readers do not like eye strain either. If the resume is mechanically challenging, they just throw it asidefor one that is easier on the eyes. Three, there are lots of resumes out there these days, and that is also part of theproblem. Four, in light of the current scanning scenario, more than one page is not a deterrent because many willscan your resume into their database. Once the resume is in there and searchable, you have accomplished one ofthe goals of resume distribution. Five, resume readers don't like to guess and most won't call you to clarify what ison your resume. Generally speaking, your resume should tell your story. If you're a college graduate looking for your

first job, a one-page resume is just fine. If you have a longer story, the resume needs to be longer. Please put yourexperience on the resume so resume readers can tell when and for whom you did what. Short resumes -- for peoplelong on experience -- are not appropriate. The real audience for these short resumes is people with short attentionspans and low IQ. I assure you that when your resume gets into the right hands, it will be read thoroughly.Q17. What makes a good QA/Test Manager?A: QA/Test Managers are familiar with the software development process; able to maintain enthusiasm of their teamand promote a positive atmosphere; able to promote teamwork to increase productivity; able to promote cooperationbetween Software and Test/QA Engineers, have the people skills needed to promote improvements in QAprocesses, have the ability to withstand pressures and say *no* to other managers when quality is insufficient or QAprocesses are not being adhered to; able to communicate with technical and non-technical people; as well as ableto run meetings and keep them focused.Q18. What is the role of documentation in QA?A: Documentation plays a critical role in QA. QA practices should be documented, so that they are repeatable.

Specifications, designs, business rules, inspection reports, configurations, code changes, test plans, test cases, bugreports, user manuals should all be documented. Ideally, there should be a system for easily finding and obtainingof documents and determining what document will have a particular piece of information. Use documentationchange management, if possible.Q19. What about requirements?A: Requirement specifications are important and one of the most reliable methods of insuring problems in acomplex software project is to have poorly documented requirement specifications. Requirements are the detailsdescribing an application's externally perceived functionality and properties. Requirements should be clear,complete, reasonably detailed, cohesive, attainable and testable. A non-testable requirement would be, for example,"user-friendly", which is too subjective. A testable requirement would be something such as, "the product shall allowthe user to enter their previously-assigned password to access the application". Care should be taken to involve allof a project's significant customers in the requirements process. Customers could be in-house or external and couldinclude end-users, customer acceptance test engineers, testers, customer contract officers, customer management,

future software maintenance engineers, salespeople and anyone who could later derail the project. If his/herexpectations aren't met, they should be included as a customer, if possible. In some organizations, requirementsmay end up in high-level project plans, functional specification documents, design documents, or other documentsat various levels of detail. No matter what they are called, some type of documentation with detailed requirementswill be needed by test engineers in order to properly plan and execute tests. Without such documentation there willbe no clear-cut way to determine if a software application is performing correctly. You CAN learn to capturerequirements, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q20. What is a test plan?A: A software project test plan is a document that describes the objectives, scope, approach and focus of a softwaretesting effort. The process of preparing a test plan is a useful way to think through the efforts needed to validate theacceptability of a software product. The completed document will help people outside the test group understand the

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why and how of product validation. It should be thorough enough to be useful, but not so thorough that noneoutside the test group will be able to read it.Q21. What is a test case?A: A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event and its expected result, in order to determine ifa feature of an application is working correctly. A test case should contain particulars such as a...

Test case identifier;

Test case name;

Objective;

Test conditions/setup;

Input data requirements/steps, and

Expected results.

Please note, the process of developing test cases can help find problems in the requirements or design of anapplication, since it requires you to completely think through the operation of the application. For this reason, it isuseful to prepare test cases early in the development cycle, if possible.Q22. What should be done after a bug is found?A: When a bug is found, it needs to be communicated and assigned to developers that can fix it. After the problem

is resolved, fixes should be re-tested. Additionally, determinations should be made regarding requirements,software, hardware, safety impact, etc., for regression testing to check the fixes didn't create other problemselsewhere. If a problem-tracking system is in place, it should encapsulate these determinations. A variety ofcommercial, problem-tracking/management software tools are available. These tools, with the detailed input ofsoftware test engineers, will give the team complete information so developers can understand the bug, get an ideaof its severity, reproduce it and fix it.

Q23. What is configuration management?A: Configuration management (CM) covers the tools and processes used to control, coordinate and track code,requirements, documentation, problems, change requests, designs, tools, compilers, libraries, patches, changesmade to them and who makes the changes. Rob Davis has had experience with a full range of CM tools andconcepts. Rob Davis can easily adapt to your software tool and process needs.

Q24. What if the software is so buggy it can't be tested at all?A: In this situation the best bet is to have test engineers go through the process of reporting whatever bugs orproblems initially show up, with the focus being on critical bugs. Since this type of problem can severely affectschedules and indicates deeper problems in the software development process, such as insufficient unit testing,insufficient integration testing, poor design, improper build or release procedures, managers should be notified andprovided with some documentation as evidence of the problem.Q25. How do you know when to stop testing?

A: This can be difficult to determine. Many modern software applications are so complex and run in such aninterdependent environment, that complete testing can never be done. Common factors in deciding when to stopare...

Deadlines, e.g. release deadlines, testing deadlines;

Test cases completed with certain percentage passed;

Test budget has been depleted;

Coverage of code, functionality, or requirements reaches a specified point;

Bug rate falls below a certain level; or

Beta or alpha testing period ends.

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Q26. What if there isn't enough time for thorough testing?A: Since it's rarely possible to test every possible aspect of an application, every possible combination of events,every dependency, or everything that could go wrong, risk analysis is appropriate to most software developmentprojects. Use risk analysis to determine where testing should be focused. This requires judgment skills, commonsense and experience. The checklist should include answers to the following questions:

Which functionality is most important to the project's intended purpose?

Which functionality is most visible to the user?

Which functionality has the largest safety impact?

Which functionality has the largest financial impact on users?

Which aspects of the application are most important to the customer?

Which aspects of the application can be tested early in the development cycle?

Which parts of the code are most complex and thus most subject to errors?

Which parts of the application were developed in rush or panic mode?

Which aspects of similar/related previous projects caused problems?

Which aspects of similar/related previous projects had large maintenance expenses?

Which parts of the requirements and design are unclear or poorly thought out?

What do the developers think are the highest-risk aspects of the application?

What kinds of problems would cause the worst publicity?

What kinds of problems would cause the most customer service complaints?

What kinds of tests could easily cover multiple functionalities?

Which tests will have the best high-risk-coverage to time-required ratio?

Q27. What if the project isn't big enough to justify extensive testing?A: Consider the impact of project errors, not the size of the project. However, if extensive testing is still not justified,risk analysis is again needed and the considerations listed under "What if there isn't enough time for thoroughtesting?" do apply. The test engineer then should do "ad hoc" testing, or write up a limited test plan based on therisk analysis.

Q28. What can be done if requirements are changing continuously?

A: Work with management early on to understand how requirements might change, so that alternate test plans andstrategies can be worked out in advance. It is helpful if the application's initial design allows for some adaptability, sothat later changes do not require redoing the application from scratch. Additionally, try to...

Ensure the code is well commented and well documented; this makes changes easier for the developers.

Use rapid prototyping whenever possible; this will help customers feel sure of their requirements and

minimize changes.

In the project's initial schedule, allow for some extra time to commensurate with probable changes.

Move new requirements to a 'Phase 2' version of an application and use the original requirements for the

'Phase 1' version.

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Negotiate to allow only easily implemented new requirements into the project; move more difficult, new

requirements into future versions of the application.

Ensure customers and management understand scheduling impacts, inherent risks and costs of significant

requirements changes. Then let management or the customers decide if the changes are warranted; afterall, that's their job.

Balance the effort put into setting up automated testing with the expected effort required to redo them to

deal with changes.

Design some flexibility into automated test scripts;

Focus initial automated testing on application aspects that are most likely to remain unchanged;

Devote appropriate effort to risk analysis of changes, in order to minimize regression-testing needs;

Design some flexibility into test cases; this is not easily done; the best bet is to minimize the detail in the

test cases, or set up only higher-level generic-type test plans;

Focus less on detailed test plans and test cases and more on ad-hoc testing with an understanding of the

added risk this entails.

Q29. What if the application has functionality that wasn't in the requirements?A: It may take serious effort to determine if an application has significant unexpected or hidden functionality, which itwould indicate deeper problems in the software development process. If the functionality isn't necessary to thepurpose of the application, it should be removed, as it may have unknown impacts or dependencies that were nottaken into account by the designer or the customer.If not removed, design information will be needed to determine added testing needs or regression testing needs.Management should be made aware of any significant added risks as a result of the unexpected functionality. If thefunctionality only affects areas, such as minor improvements in the user interface, it may not be a significant risk.Q30. How can software QA processes be implemented without stifling productivity?A: Implement QA processes slowly over time. Use consensus to reach agreement on processes and adjust andexperiment as an organization grows and matures. Productivity will be improved instead of stifled. Problemprevention will lessen the need for problem detection. Panics and burnout will decrease and there will be improvedfocus and less wasted effort. At the same time, attempts should be made to keep processes simple and efficient,

minimize paperwork, promote computer-based processes and automated tracking and reporting, minimize timerequired in meetings and promote training as part of the QA process. However, no one, especially talented technicaltypes, like bureaucracy and in the short run things may slow down a bit. A typical scenario would be that more daysof planning and development will be needed, but less time will be required for late-night bug fixing and calming ofirate customers.Q31. What if organization is growing so fast that fixed QA processes are impossible?A: This is a common problem in the software industry, especially in new technology areas. There is no easy solutionin this situation, other than...

Hire good people (i.e. hire Rob Davis)

Ruthlessly prioritize quality issues and maintain focus on the customer;

Everyone in the organization should be clear on what quality means to the customer.

Q32. How is testing affected by object-oriented designs?A: A well-engineered object-oriented design can make it easier to trace from code to internal design to functionaldesign to requirements. While there will be little affect on black box testing (where an understanding of the internaldesign of the application is unnecessary), white-box testing can be oriented to the application's objects. If theapplication was well designed this can simplify test design.Q33. Why do you recommended that we test during the design phase?

A: Because testing during the design phase can prevent defects later on. We recommend verifying three things...

1. Verify the design is good, efficient, compact, testable and maintainable.

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2. Verify the design meets the requirements and is complete (specifies all relationships between modules,how to pass data, what happens in exceptional circumstances, starting state of each module and how toguarantee the state of each module).

3. Verify the design incorporates enough memory, I/O devices and quick enough runtime for the final product.

Q34. What is software quality assurance?

A: Software Quality Assurance, when Rob Davis does it, is oriented to *prevention*. It involves the entire software

development process. Prevention is monitoring and improving the process, making sure any agreed-upon standardsand procedures are followed and ensuring problems are found and dealt with. Software Testing, when performed byRob Davis, is also oriented to *detection*. Testing involves the operation of a system or application under controlledconditions and evaluating the results. Organizations vary considerably in how they assign responsibility for QA andtesting. Sometimes they're the combined responsibility of one group or individual. Also common are project teams,which include a mix of test engineers, testers and developers who work closely together, with overall QA processesmonitored by project managers. It depends on what best fits your organization's size and business structure. RobDavis can provide QA and/or Software QA. This document details some aspects of how he can provide softwaretesting/QA service. For more information, [email protected]. What is quality assurance?A: Quality Assurance ensures all parties concerned with the project adhere to the process and procedures,standards and templates and test readiness reviews.Rob Davis' QA service depends on the customers and projects. A lot will depend on team leads or managers,

feedback to developers and communications among customers, managers, developers' test engineers and testers.Q36. Process and procedures - why follow them?A: Detailed and well-written processes and procedures ensure the correct steps are being executed to facilitate asuccessful completion of a task. They also ensure a process is repeatable. Once Rob Davis has learned andreviewed customer's business processes and procedures, he will follow them. He will also recommendimprovements and/or additions.Q37. Standards and templates - what is supposed to be in a document?A: All documents should be written to a certain standard and template. Standards and templates maintain documentuniformity. It also helps in learning where information is located, making it easier for a user to find what they want.Lastly, with standards and templates, information will not be accidentally omitted from a document. Once Rob Davishas learned and reviewed your standards and templates, he will use them. He will also recommend improvementsand/or additions.Q38. What are the different levels of testing?A: Rob Davis has expertise in testing at all testing levels listed below. At each test level, he documents the results.

Each level of testing is either considered black or white box testing.Q39. What is black box testing?A: Black box testing is functional testing, not based on any knowledge of internal software design or code. Blackbox testing are based on requirements and functionality.Q40. What is white box testing?

A: White box testing is based on knowledge of the internal logic of an application's code. Tests are based oncoverage of code statements, branches, paths and conditions.

Q41. What is unit testing?A: Unit testing is the first level of dynamic testing and is first the responsibility of developers and then that of the testengineers. Unit testing is performed after the expected test results are met or differences are

explainable/acceptable.Q42. What is parallel/audit testing?A: Parallel/audit testing is testing where the user reconciles the output of the new system to the output of the currentsystem to verify the new system performs the operations correctly.Q43. What is functional testing?A: Functional testing is black-box type of testing geared to functional requirements of an application. Test engineers*should* perform functional testing.Q44. What is usability testing?A: Usability testing is testing for 'user-friendliness'. Clearly this is subjective and depends on the targeted end-useror customer. User interviews, surveys, video recording of user sessions and other techniques can be used.Programmers and developers are usually not appropriate as usability testers.

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Q45. What is incremental integration testing?A: Incremental integration testing is continuous testing of an application as new functionality is recommended. Thismay require that various aspects of an application's functionality are independent enough to work separately, beforeall parts of the program are completed, or that test drivers are developed as needed. This type of testing may beperformed by programmers, software engineers, or test engineers.Q46. What is integration testing?A: Upon completion of unit testing, integration testing begins. Integration testing is black box testing. The purpose ofintegration testing is to ensure distinct components of the application still work in accordance to customer

requirements. Test cases are developed with the express purpose of exercising the interfaces between thecomponents. This activity is carried out by the test team.Integration testing is considered complete, when actual results and expected results are either in line or differencesare explainable/acceptable based on client input.Q47. What is system testing?A: System testing is black box testing, performed by the Test Team, and at the start of the system testing thecomplete system is configured in a controlled environment. The purpose of system testing is to validate anapplication's accuracy and completeness in performing the functions as designed. System testing simulates real lifescenarios that occur in a "simulated real life" test environment and test all functions of the system that are requiredin real life. System testing is deemed complete when actual results and expected results are either in line ordifferences are explainable or acceptable, based on client input.Upon completion of integration testing, system testing is started. Before system testing, all unit and integration testresults are reviewed by Software QA to ensure all problems have been resolved. For a higher level of testing it isimportant to understand unresolved problems that originate at unit and integration test levels. You CAN learn

system testing, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q48. What is end-to-end testing?A: Similar to system testing, the *macro* end of the test scale is testing a complete application in a situation thatmimics real world use, such as interacting with a database, using network communication, or interacting with otherhardware, application, or system.Q49. What is regression testing?A: The objective of regression testing is to ensure the software remains intact. A baseline set of data and scripts ismaintained and executed to verify changes introduced during the release have not "undone" any previous code.Expected results from the baseline are compared to results of the software under test. All discrepancies arehighlighted and accounted for, before testing proceeds to the next level.Q50. What is sanity testing?A: Sanity testing is performed whenever cursory testing is sufficient to prove the application is functioning accordingto specifications. This level of testing is a subset of regression testing. It normally includes a set of core tests of

basic GUI functionality to demonstrate connectivity to the database, application servers, printers, etc.Q51. What is performance testing?A: Although performance testing is described as a part of system testing, it can be regarded as a distinct level oftesting. Performance testing verifies loads, volumes and response times, as defined by requirements.Q52. What is load testing?A: Load testing is testing an application under heavy loads, such as the testing of a web site under a range of loadsto determine at what point the system response time will degrade or fail.Q53. What is installation testing?

A: Installation testing is testing full, partial, upgrade, or install/uninstall processes. The installation test for a releaseis conducted with the objective of demonstrating production readiness. This test includes the inventory ofconfiguration items, performed by the application's System Administration, the evaluation of data readiness, anddynamic tests focused on basic system functionality. When necessary, a sanity test is performed, following

installation testing.Q54. What is security/penetration testing?A: Security/penetration testing is testing how well the system is protected against unauthorized internal or externalaccess, or willful damage. This type of testing usually requires sophisticated testing techniques.Q55. What is recovery/error testing?A: Recovery/error testing is testing how well a system recovers from crashes, hardware failures, or othercatastrophic problems.Q56. What is compatibility testing?A: Compatibility testing is testing how well software performs in a particular hardware, software, operating system,or network environment.Q57. What is comparison testing?

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A: Comparison testing is testing that compares software weaknesses and strengths to those of competitors'products.Q58. What is acceptance testing?A: Acceptance testing is black box testing that gives the client/customer/project manager the opportunity to verifythe system functionality and usability prior to the system being released to production. The acceptance test is theresponsibility of the client/customer or project manager, however, it is conducted with the full support of the projectteam. The test team also works with the client/customer/project manager to develop the acceptance criteria.Q59. What is alpha testing?

A: Alpha testing is testing of an application when development is nearing completion. Minor design changes can stillbe made as a result of alpha testing. Alpha testing is typically performed by a group that is independent of thedesign team, but still within the company, e.g. in-house software test engineers, or software QA engineers.Q60. What is beta testing?A: Beta testing is testing an application when development and testing are essentially completed and final bugs andproblems need to be found before the final release. Beta testing is typically performed by end-users or others, notprogrammers, software engineers, or test engineers.Q61. What testing roles are standard on most testing projects?A: Depending on the organization, the following roles are more or less standard on most testing projects: Testers,Test Engineers, Test/QA Team Lead, Test/QA Manager, System Administrator, Database Administrator, TechnicalAnalyst, Test Build Manager and Test Configuration Manager. Depending on the project, one person may wear morethan one hat. For instance, Test Engineers may also wear the hat of Technical Analyst, Test Build Manager and TestConfiguration Manager. You CAN get a job in testing. Click on a link!Q62. What is a Test/QA Team Lead?

A: The Test/QA Team Lead coordinates the testing activity, communicates testing status to management andmanages the test team.Q63. What is a Test Engineer?

A: Test Engineers are engineers who specialize in testing. We, test engineers, create test cases, procedures,scripts and generate data. We execute test procedures and scripts, analyze standards of measurements, evaluateresults of system/integration/regression testing. We also...

Speed up the work of the development staff;

Reduce your organization's risk of legal liability;

Give you the evidence that your software is correct and operates properly;

Improve problem tracking and reporting;

Maximize the value of your software;

Maximize the value of the devices that use it;

Assure the successful launch of your product by discovering bugs and design flaws, before users get

discouraged, before shareholders loose their cool and before employees get bogged down;

Help the work of your development staff, so the development team can devote its time to build up your

product;

Promote continual improvement;

Provide documentation required by FDA, FAA, other regulatory agencies and your customers;

Save money by discovering defects 'early' in the design process, before failures occur in production, or in

the field;

Save the reputation of your company by discovering bugs and design flaws; before bugs and design flaws

damage the reputation of your company.

Q64. What is a Test Build Manager?A: Test Build Managers deliver current software versions to the test environment, install the application's software

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and apply software patches, to both the application and the operating system, set-up, maintain and back up testenvironment hardware. Depending on the project, one person may wear more than one hat. For instance, a TestEngineer may also wear the hat of a Test Build Manager.Q65. What is a System Administrator?A: Test Build Managers, System Administrators, Database Administrators deliver current software versions to thetest environment, install the application's software and apply software patches, to both the application and theoperating system, set-up, maintain and back up test environment hardware. Depending on the project, one personmay wear more than one hat. For instance, a Test Engineer may also wear the hat of a System Administrator.

Q66. What is a Database Administrator?A: Test Build Managers, System Administrators and Database Administrators deliver current software versions tothe test environment, install the application's software and apply software patches, to both the application and theoperating system, set-up, maintain and back up test environment hardware. Depending on the project, one personmay wear more than one hat. For instance, a Test Engineer may also wear the hat of a Database Administrator.Q67. What is a Technical Analyst?A: Technical Analysts perform test assessments and validate system/functional test requirements. Depending onthe project, one person may wear more than one hat. For instance, Test Engineers may also wear the hat of aTechnical Analyst.Q68. What is a Test Configuration Manager?A: Test Configuration Managers maintain test environments, scripts, software and test data. Depending on theproject, one person may wear more than one hat. For instance, Test Engineers may also wear the hat of a TestConfiguration Manager.Q69. What is a test schedule?

A: The test schedule is a schedule that identifies all tasks required for a successful testing effort, a schedule of alltest activities and resource requirements.Q70. What is software testing methodology?A: One software testing methodology is the use a three step process of...

1. Creating a test strategy;

2. Creating a test plan/design; and

3. Executing tests.

This methodology can be used and molded to your organization's needs. Rob Davis believes that using thismethodology is important in the development and in ongoing maintenance of his customers' applications.Q71. What is the general testing process?

A: The general testing process is the creation of a test strategy (which sometimes includes the creation of testcases), creation of a test plan/design (which usually includes test cases and test procedures) and the execution oftests.Q72. How do you create a test strategy?A: The test strategy is a formal description of how a software product will be tested. A test strategy is developed forall levels of testing, as required. The test team analyzes the requirements, writes the test strategy and reviews theplan with the project team. The test plan may include test cases, conditions, the test environment, a list of relatedtasks, pass/fail criteria and risk assessment.

Inputs for this process:

A description of the required hardware and software components, including test tools. This information

comes from the test environment, including test tool data.

A description of roles and responsibilities of the resources required for the test and schedule constraints.This information comes from man-hours and schedules.

Testing methodology. This is based on known standards.

Functional and technical requirements of the application. This information comes from requirements,

change request, technical and functional design documents.

Requirements that the system can not provide, e.g. system limitations.

Outputs for this process:

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An approved and signed off test strategy document, test plan, including test cases.

Testing issues requiring resolution. Usually this requires additional negotiation at the project management

level.

Q73. How do you create a test plan/design?A: Test scenarios and/or cases are prepared by reviewing functional requirements of the release and preparinglogical groups of functions that can be further broken into test procedures. Test procedures define test conditions,data to be used for testing and expected results, including database updates, file outputs, report results. Generally

speaking...

Test cases and scenarios are designed to represent both typical and unusual situations that may occur in

the application.

Test engineers define unit test requirements and unit test cases. Test engineers also execute unit test

cases.

It is the test team that, with assistance of developers and clients, develops test cases and scenarios for

integration and system testing.

Test scenarios are executed through the use of test procedures or scripts.

Test procedures or scripts define a series of steps necessary to perform one or more test scenarios.

Test procedures or scripts include the specific data that will be used for testing the process or transaction.

Test procedures or scripts may cover multiple test scenarios.

Test scripts are mapped back to the requirements and traceability matrices are used to ensure each test is

within scope.

Test data is captured and base lined, prior to testing. This data serves as the foundation for unit and systemtesting and used to exercise system functionality in a controlled environment.

Some output data is also base-lined for future comparison. Base-lined data is used to support future

application maintenance via regression testing.

A pretest meeting is held to assess the readiness of the application and the environment and data to be

tested. A test readiness document is created to indicate the status of the entrance criteria of the release.


Approved Test Strategy Document.

Test tools, or automated test tools, if applicable.

Previously developed scripts, if applicable.

Test documentation problems uncovered as a result of testing.

A good understanding of software complexity and module path coverage, derived from general and detailed

design documents, e.g. software design document, source code and software complexity data.


Approved documents of test scenarios, test cases, test conditions and test data.

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Reports of software design issues, given to software developers for correction.

Q74. How do you execute tests?A: Execution of tests is completed by following the test documents in a methodical manner. As each test procedureis performed, an entry is recorded in a test execution log to note the execution of the procedure and whether or notthe test procedure uncovered any defects. Checkpoint meetings are held throughout the execution phase.Checkpoint meetings are held daily, if required, to address and discuss testing issues, status and activities.

The output from the execution of test procedures is known as test results. Test results are evaluated by test

engineers to determine whether the expected results have been obtained. All discrepancies/anomalies arelogged and discussed with the software team lead, hardware test lead, programmers, software engineersand documented for further investigation and resolution. Every company has a different process for loggingand reporting bugs/defects uncovered during testing.

A pass/fail criteria is used to determine the severity of a problem, and results are recorded in a test

summary report. The severity of a problem, found during system testing, is defined in accordance to thecustomer's risk assessment and recorded in their selected tracking tool.

Proposed fixes are delivered to the testing environment, based on the severity of the problem. Fixes are

regression tested and flawless fixes are migrated to a new baseline. Following completion of the test,members of the test team prepare a summary report. The summary report is reviewed by the ProjectManager, Software QA Manager and/or Test Team Lead.

After a particular level of testing has been certified, it is the responsibility of the Configuration Manager to

coordinate the migration of the release software components to the next test level, as documented in theConfiguration Management Plan. The software is only migrated to the production environment after theProject Manager's formal acceptance.

The test team reviews test document problems identified during testing, and update documents where

appropriate.


Approved test documents, e.g. Test Plan, Test Cases, Test Procedures.

Test tools, including automated test tools, if applicable.

Developed scripts.

Changes to the design, i.e. Change Request Documents.

Test data.

Availability of the test team and project team.

General and Detailed Design Documents, i.e. Requirements Document, Software Design Document.

A software that has been migrated to the test environment, i.e. unit tested code, via the Configuration/Build

Manager.

Test Readiness Document.

Document Updates.


Log and summary of the test results. Usually this is part of the Test Report. This needs to be approved and

signed-off with revised testing deliverables.

Changes to the code, also known as test fixes.

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Test document problems uncovered as a result of testing. Examples are Requirements document and

Design Document problems.

Reports on software design issues, given to software developers for correction. Examples are bug reports

on code issues.

Formal record of test incidents, usually part of problem tracking.

Base-lined package, also known as tested source and object code, ready for migration to the next level.Q75. What testing approaches can you tell me about?A: Each of the followings represents a different testing approach:

Black box testing,

White box testing,

Unit testing,

Incremental testing,

Integration testing,

Functional testing,

System testing,

End-to-end testing,

Sanity testing,

Regression testing,

Acceptance testing,

Load testing,

Performance testing,

Usability testing,

Install/uninstall testing,

Recovery testing,

Security testing,

Compatibility testing,

Exploratory testing, ad-hoc testing,

User acceptance testing,

Comparison testing,

Alpha testing,

Beta testing, and

Mutation testing.

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Q76. What is stress testing?A: Stress testing is testing that investigates the behavior of software (and hardware) under extraordinary operatingconditions. For example, when a web server is stress tested, testing aims to find out how many users can be on-line, at the same time, without crashing the server. Stress testing tests the stability of a given system or entity. Ittests something beyond its normal operational capacity, in order to observe any negative results. For example, aweb server is stress tested, using scripts, bots, and various denial of service tools.Q77. What is load testing?A: Load testing simulates the expected usage of a software program, by simulating multiple users that access the

program's services concurrently. Load testing is most useful and most relevant for multi-user systems, client/servermodels, including web servers. For example, the load placed on the system is increased above normal usagepatterns, in order to test the system's response at peak loads. You CAN learn load testing, with little or no outsidehelp. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q79. What is the difference between performance testing and load testing?

A: Load testing is a blanket term that is used in many different ways across the professional software testingcommunity. The term, load testing, is often used synonymously with stress testing, performance testing, reliabilitytesting, and volume testing. Load testing generally stops short of stress testing. During stress testing, the load is sogreat that errors are the expected results, though there is gray area in between stress testing and load testing. YouCAN learn testing, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q80. What is the difference between reliability testing and load testing?A: Load testing is a blanket term that is used in many different ways across the professional software testingcommunity. The term, load testing, is often used synonymously with stress testing, performance testing, reliability

testing, and volume testing. Load testing generally stops short of stress testing. During stress testing, the load is sogreat that errors are the expected results, though there is gray area in between stress testing and load testing.Q81. What is the difference between volume testing and load testing?A: Load testing is a blanket term that is used in many different ways across the professional software testingcommunity. The term, load testing, is often used synonymously with stress testing, performance testing, reliabilitytesting, and volume testing. Load testing generally stops short of stress testing. During stress testing, the load is sogreat that errors are the expected results, though there is gray area in between stress testing and load testing.Q82. What is incremental testing?A: Incremental testing is partial testing of an incomplete product. The goal of incremental testing is to provide anearly feedback to software developers.Q83. What is software testing?A: Software testing is a process that identifies the correctness, completenes, and quality of software. Actually,testing cannot establish the correctness of software. It can find defects, but cannot prove there are no defects. You

CAN learn software testing, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q84. What is automated testing?A: Automated testing is a formally specified and controlled method of formal testing approach.Q85. What is alpha testing?A: Alpha testing is final testing before the software is released to the general public. First, (and this is called the firstphase of alpha testing), the software is tested by in-house developers. They use either debugger software, orhardware-assisted debuggers. The goal is to catch bugs quickly. Then, (and this is called second stage of alphatesting), the software is handed over to us, the software QA staff, for additional testing in an environment that issimilar to the intended use.Q86. What is beta testing?A: Following alpha testing, "beta versions" of the software are released to a group of people, and limited public testsare performed, so that further testing can ensure the product has few bugs. Other times, beta versions are madeavailable to the general public, in order to receive as much feedback as possible. The goal is to benefit the

maximum number of future users.Q87. What is the difference between alpha and beta testing?A: Alpha testing is performed by in-house developers and software QA personnel. Beta testing is performed by thepublic, a few select prospective customers, or the general public.Q88. What is clear box testing?A: Clear box testing is the same as white box testing. It is a testing approach that examines the application'sprogram structure, and derives test cases from the application's program logic. You CAN learn clear box testing,with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q89. What is boundary value analysis?A: Boundary value analysis is a technique for test data selection. A test engineer chooses values that lie along dataextremes. Boundary values include maximum, minimum, just inside boundaries, just outside boundaries, typical

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values, and error values. The expectation is that, if a systems works correctly for these extreme or special values,then it will work correctly for all values in between. An effective way to test code, is to exercise it at its naturalboundaries.Q90. What is ad hoc testing?A: Ad hoc testing is a testing approach; it is the least formal testing approach.Q91. What is gamma testing?A: Gamma testing is testing of software that has all the required features, but it did not go through all the in-housequality checks. Cynics tend to refer to software releases as "gamma testing".

Q92. What is glass box testing?A: Glass box testing is the same as white box testing. It is a testing approach that examines the application'sprogram structure, and derives test cases from the application's program logic.Q93. What is open box testing?A: Open box testing is same as white box testing. It is a testing approach that examines the application's programstructure, and derives test cases from the application's program logic.Q94. What is black box testing?

A: Black box testing a type of testing that considers only externally visible behavior. Black box testing considersneither the code itself, nor the "inner workings" of the software. You CAN learn to do black box testing, with little orno outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q95. What is functional testing?

A: Functional testing is same as black box testing. Black box testing a type of testing that considers only externally

visible behavior. Black box testing considers neither the code itself, nor the "inner workings" of the software.Q96. What is closed box testing?A: Closed box testing is same as black box testing. Black box testing a type of testing that considers only externallyvisible behavior. Black box testing considers neither the code itself, nor the "inner workings" of the software.Q97. What is bottom-up testing?A: Bottom-up testing is a technique for integration testing. A test engineer creates and uses test drivers forcomponents that have not yet been developed, because, with bottom-up testing, low-level components are testedfirst. The objective of bottom-up testing is to call low-level components first, for testingpurposes.Q98. What is software quality?A: The quality of the software does vary widely from system to system. Some common quality attributes arestability, usability, reliability, portability, and maintainability. See quality standard ISO 9126 for more information onthis subject.

Q99. How do test case templates look like?A: Software test cases are in a document that describes inputs, actions, or events, and their expected results, inorder to determine if all features of an application are working correctly. Test case templates contain all particulars ofevery test case. Often these templates are in the form of a table. One example of this table is a 6-column table,where column 1 is the "Test Case ID Number", column 2 is the "Test Case Name", column 3 is the "Test Objective",column 4 is the "Test Conditions/Setup", column 5 is the "Input Data Requirements/Steps", and column 6 is the"Expected Results". All documents should be written to a certain standard and template. Standards and templatesmaintain document uniformity. They also help in learning where information is located, making it easier for users tofind what they want. Lastly, with standards and templates, information will not be accidentally omitted from adocument. You CAN learn to create test case templates, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information.Click on a link!Q100. What is a software fault?A: Software faults are hidden programming errors. Software faults are errors in the correctness of the semantics of

computer programs.Q101. What is software failure?A: Software failure occurs when the software does not do what the user expects to see.Q102. What is the difference between a software fault and a software failure?A: Software failure occurs when the software does not do what the user expects to see. A software fault, on theother hand, is a hidden programming error. A software fault becomes a software failure only when the exactcomputation conditions are met, and the faulty portion of the code is executed on the CPU. This can occur duringnormal usage. Or, when the software is ported to a different hardware platform. Or, when the software is ported to adifferent complier. Or, when the software gets extended.Q103. What is a test engineer?A: Test engineers are engineers who specialize in testing. We, test engineers, create test cases, procedures, scripts

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and generate data. We execute test procedures and scripts, analyze standards of measurements, evaluateresults of system/integration/regression testing.Q104. What is the role of test engineers?A: Test engineers speed up the work of the development staff, and reduce the risk of your company's legal liability.We, test engineers, also give the company the evidence that the software is correct and operates properly. We alsoimprove problem tracking and reporting, maximize the value of the software, and the value of the devices that use it.We also assure the successful launch of the product by discovering bugs and design flaws, before...

users get discouraged, before shareholders loose their cool and before employees get bogged down. We, testengineers help the work of software development staff, so the development team can devote its time to build up theproduct. We, test engineers also promote continual improvement. They provide documentation required by FDA,FAA, other regulatory agencies, and your customers. We, test engineers save your company money by discoveringdefects EARLY in the design process, before failures occur in production, or in the field. We save the reputation ofyour company by discovering bugs and design flaws, before bugs and design flaws damage the reputation of yourcompany.Q105. What is a QA engineer?A: QA engineers are test engineers, but QA engineers do more than just testing. Good QA engineers understandthe entire software development process and how it fits into the business approach and the goals of theorganization. Communication skills and the ability to understand various sides of issues are important. We, QAengineers, are successful if people listen to us, if people use our tests, if people think that we're useful, and if we'rehappy doing our work. I would love to see QA departments staffed with experienced software developers who coachdevelopment teams to write better code. But I've never seen it. Instead of coaching, we, QA engineers, tend to be

process people.Q106. What metrics are used for bug tracking?

A: Metrics that can be used for bug tracking include: total number of bugs, total number of bugs that have beenfixed, number of new bugs per week, and number of fixes per week. Metrics for bug tracking can be used todetermine when to stop testing, e.g. when bug rate falls below a certain level. You CAN learn to use defect trackingsoftware, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!

Q107. What is role of the QA engineer?A: The QA Engineer's function is to use the system much like real users would, find all the bugs, find ways toreplicate the bugs, submit bug reports to the developers, and to provide feedback to the developers, i.e. tell them if

they've achieved the desired level of quality.Q108. What are the responsibilities of a QA engineer?A: Let's say, an engineer is hired for a small software company's QA role, and there is no QA team. Should he takeresponsibility to set up a QA infrastructure/process, testing and quality of the entire product? No, because taking thisresponsibility is a classic trap that QA people get caught in. Why? Because we QA engineers cannot assure quality.And because QA departments cannot create quality. What we CAN do is to detect lack of quality, and prevent low-quality products from going out the door. What is the solution? We need to drop the QA label, and tell thedevelopers, they are responsible for the quality of their own work. The problem is, sometimes, as soon as thedevelopers learn that there is a test department, they will slack off on their testing. We need to offer to help withquality assessment only.Q109. What metrics can be used in software development?A: Metrics refer to statistical process control. The idea of statistical process control is a great one, but it has only alimited use in software development. On the negative side, statistical process control works only with processes that

are sufficiently well defined AND unvaried, so that they can be analyzed in terms of statistics. The problem is, mostsoftware development projects are NOT sufficiently well defined and NOT sufficiently unvaried. On the positive side,one CAN use statistics. Statistics are excellent tools that project managers can use. Statistics can be used, forexample, to determine when to stop testing, i.e. test cases completed with certain percentage passed, or when bugrate falls below a certain level. But, if these are project management tools, why should we label them qualityassurance tools?Q110. How do you perform integration testing?A: First, unit testing has to be completed. Upon completion of unit testing, integration testing begins. Integrationtesting is black box testing. The purpose of integration testing is to ensure distinct components of the application stillwork in accordance to customer requirements. Test cases are developed with the express purpose of exercising theinterfaces between the components. This activity is carried out by the test team. Integration testing is considered

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complete, when actual results and expected results are either in line or differences are explainable/acceptablebased on client input. You CAN learn to perform integration testing, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get freeinformation. Click on a link!Q111. What is integration testing?A: Integration testing is black box testing. The purpose of integration testing is to ensure distinct components of theapplication still work in accordance to customer requirements. Test cases are developed with the express purposeof exercising the interfaces between the components. This activity is carried out by the test team. Integration testingis considered complete, when actual results and expected results are either in line or differences are

explainable/acceptable based on client input.Q112. What metrics are used for test report generation?A: Metrics refer to statistical process control. The idea of statistical process control is a great one, but it has only alimited use in software development.On the negative side, statistical process control works only with processes that are sufficiently well defined ANDunvaried, so that they can be analyzed in terms of statistics. The problem is, most software development projectsare NOT sufficiently well defined and NOT sufficiently unvaried.On the positive side, one CAN use statistics. Statistics are excellent tools that project managers can use. Statisticscan be used, for example, to determine when to stop testing, i.e. test cases completed with certain percentagepassed, or when bug rate falls below a certain level. But, if these are project management tools, why should welabel them quality assurance tools?

The followings describe some of the metrics in quality assurance:McCabe Metrics

Cyclomatic Complexity Metric (v(G)). Cyclomatic Complexity is a measure of the complexity of a module's

decision structure. It's the number of linearly independent paths and therefore, the minimum number ofpaths that should be tested.

Actual Complexity Metric (AC). Actual Complexity is the number of independent paths traversed during

testing.

Module Design Complexity Metric (iv(G)). Module Design Complexity is the complexity of the design-

reduced module, and reflects the complexity of the module's calling patterns to its immediate subordinatemodules. This metric differentiates between modules that seriously complicate the design of a program theyare part of, and modules that simply contain complex computational logic. It is the basis upon which

program design and integration complexities (S0 and S1) are calculated.

Essential Complexity Metric (ev(G)). Essential Complexity is a measure of the degree to which a module

contains unstructured constructs. This metric measures the degree of structuredness and the quality of thecode. This metric is used to predict the required maintenance effort and to help in the modularizationprocess.

Pathological Complexity Metric (pv(G)). Pathological Complexity Metric is a measure of the degree to which

a module contains extremely unstructured constructs.

Design Complexity Metric (S0). Design Complexity Metric measures the amount of interaction between

modules in a system.

Integration Complexity Metric (S1). Integration Complexity Metric measures the amount of integration

testing necessary to guard against errors.

Object Integration Complexity Metric (OS1). Object Integration Complexity Metric quantifies the number of

tests necessary to fully integrate an object or class into an OO system.

Global Data Complexity Metric (gdv(G)). Global Data Complexity Metric quantifies the cyclomatic

complexity of a module's structure as it relates to global/parameter data. It can be no less than one and nomore than the cyclomatic complexity of the original flowgraph.

McCabe Data-Related Software Metrics

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Data Complexity Metric (DV). Data Complexity Metric quantifies the complexity of a module's structure as

it relates to data-related variables. It is the number of independent paths through data logic, and therefore, ameasure of the testing effort with respect to data-related variables.

Tested Data Complexity Metric (TDV). Tested Data Complexity Metric quantifies the complexity of a

module's structure as it relates to data-related variables. It is the number of independent paths through datalogic that have been tested.

Data Reference Metric (DR). Data Reference Metric measures references to data-related variablesindependently of control flow. It is the total number of times that data-related variables are used in amodule.

Tested Data Reference Metric (TDR). Tested Data Reference Metric is the total number of tested references

to data-related variables.

Maintenance Severity Metric (maint_severity). Maintenance Severity Metric measures how difficult it is to

maintain a module.

Data Reference Severity Metric (DR_severity). Data Reference Severity Metric measures the level of data

intensity within a module. It is an indicator of high levels of data related code; therefore, a module is dataintense if it contains a large number of data-related variables.

Data Complexity Severity Metric (DV_severity). Data Complexity Severity Metric measures the level of data

density within a module. It is an indicator of high levels of data logic in test paths, therefore, a module isdata dense if it contains data-related variables in a large proportion of its structures.

Global Data Severity Metric (gdv_severity). Global Data Severity Metric measures the potential impact of

testing data-related basis paths across modules. It is based on global data test paths.

McCabe Object-Oriented Software Metrics; Encapsulation

Percent Public Data (PCTPUB). PCTPUB is the percentage of public and proteced data within a class.

Access to Public Data (PUBDATA) PUBDATA indicates the number of accesses to public and protected

data.

McCabe Object-Oriented Software Metrics; Polymorphism Percent of Unoverloaded Calls (PCTCALL). PCTCALL is the number of non-overloaded calls in a system.

Number of Roots (ROOTCNT). ROOTCNT is the total number of class hierarchy roots within a program.

Fan-in (FANIN). FANIN is the number of classes from which a class is derived.

McCabe Object-Oriented Software Metrics; Quality

Maximum v(G) (MAXV). MAXV is the maximum cyclomatic complexity value for any single method within a

class.

Maximum ev(G) (MAXEV). MAXEV is the maximum essential complexity value for any single method within

a class.

Hierarchy Quality(QUAL). QUAL counts the number of classes within a system that are dependent upon

their descendants.

Other Object-Oriented Software Metrics

Depth (DEPTH). Depth indicates at what level a class is located within its class hierarchy.

Lack of Cohesion of Methods (LOCM). LOCM is a measure of how the methods of a class interact with the

data in a class.

Number of Children (NOC). NOC is the number of classes that are derived directly from a specified class.

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Response For a Class (RFC). RFC is a count of methods implemented within a class plus the number of

methods accessible to an object of this class type due to inheritance.

Weighted Methods Per Class (WMC). WMC is a count of methods implemented within a class.

Halstead Software Metrics

Program Length. Program length is the total number of operator occurences and the total number of

operand occurences.

Program Volume. Program volume is the minimum number of bits required for coding the program.

Program Level and Program Difficulty. Program level and program difficulty is a measure of how easily a

program is comprehended.

Intelligent Content. Intelligent content shows the complexity of a given algorithm independent of the

language used to express the algorithm.

Programming Effort. Programming effort is the estimated mental effort required to develop a program.

Error Estimate. Error estimate calculates the number of errors in a program.

Programming Time. Programming time is the estimated amount of time to implement an algorithm.

Line Count Software Metrics

Lines of Code

Lines of Comment

Lines of Mixed Code and Comments

Lines Left Blank

Q113. How do test plan templates look like?A: The test plan document template helps to generate test plan documents that describe the objectives, scope,approach and focus of a software testing effort. Test document templates are often in the form of documents that

are divided into sections and subsections. One example of this template is a 4-section document, where section 1 isthe description of the "Test Objective", section 2 is the the description of "Scope of Testing", section 3 is the thedescription of the "Test Approach", and section 4 is the "Focus of the Testing Effort". All documents should be writtento a certain standard and template. Standards and templates maintain document uniformity. They also help inlearning where information is located, making it easier for a user to find what they want. With standards andtemplates, information will not be accidentally omitted from a document. Once Rob Davis has learned and reviewedyour standards and templates, he will use them. He will also recommend improvements and/or additions. A softwareproject test plan is a document that describes the objectives, scope, approach and focus of a software testing effort.The process of preparing a test plan is a useful way to think through the efforts needed to validate the acceptabilityof a software product. The completed document will help people outside the test group understand the why and howof product validation. You CAN learn to generate test plan templates, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get freeinformation. Click on a link!

Q114. What is a "bug life cycle"?A: Bug life cycles are similar to software development life cycles. At any time during the software development lifecycle errors can be made during the gathering of requirements, requirements analysis, functional design, internaldesign, documentation planning, document preparation, coding, unit testing, test planning, integration, testing,maintenance, updates, re-testing and phase-out. Bug life cycle begins when a programmer, software developer, orarchitect makes a mistake, creates an unintentional software defect, i.e. a bug, and ends when the bug is fixed, andthe bug is no longer in existence. What should be done after a bug is found? When a bug is found, it needs to becommunicated and assigned to developers that can fix it. After the problem is resolved, fixes should be re-tested.Additionally, determinations should be made regarding requirements, software, hardware, safety impact, etc., forregression testing to check the fixes didn't create other problems elsewhere. If a problem-tracking system is in

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place, it should encapsulate these determinations. A variety of commercial, problem-tracking/managementsoftware tools are available. These tools, with the detailed input of software test engineers, will give the teamcomplete information so developers can understand the bug, get an idea of its severity, reproduce it and fix it.Q115. When do you choose automated testing?A: For larger projects, or ongoing long-term projects, automated testing can be valuable. But for small projects, thetime needed to learn and implement the automated testing tools is usually not worthwhile. Automated testing toolssometimes do not make testing easier. One problem with automated testing tools is that if there are continualchanges to the product being tested, the recordings have to be changed so often, that it becomes a very time-

consuming task to continuously update the scripts. Another problem with such tools is the interpretation of theresults (screens, data, logs, etc.) that can be a time-consuming task. You CAN learn to use automated tools, withlittle or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q116. What is the ratio of developers and testers?A: This ratio is not a fixed one, but depends on what phase of the software development life cycle the project is in.When a product is first conceived, organized, and developed, this ratio tends to be 10:1, 5:1, or 3:1, i.e. heavily infavor of developers. In sharp contrast, when the product is near the end of the software development life cycle, thisratio tends to be 1:1, or even 1:2, in favor of testers.Q117. What is your role in your current organization?A: I'm a Software QA Engineer. I use the system much like real users would. I find all the bugs, find ways toreplicate the bugs, submit bug reports to developers, and provides feedback to the developers, i.e. tell them ifthey've achieved the desired level of quality.Q118. Should I take a course in manual testing?A: Learning how to perform manual testing is an important part of one's education. I see no reason why one should

skip an important part of an academic program.Q119. How can I learn to use WinRunner, without any outside help?A: I suggest you read all you can, and that includes reading product description pamphlets, manuals, books,information on the Internet, and whatever information you can lay your hands on. Then the next step is getting somehands-on experience on how to use WinRunner. If there is a will, there is a way! You CAN do it, if you put your mindto it! You CAN learn to use WinRunner, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!Q120. To learn to use WinRunner, should I sign up for a course at a nearby educational institution?A: The cheapest, or free, education is sometimes provided on the job, by an employer, while one is getting paid todo a job that requires the use of WinRunner and many other software testing tools. In lieu of a job, it is often a goodidea to sign up for courses at nearby educational institutions. Classroom education, especially non-degree coursesin local, community colleges, tends to be cheap.Q121. I don't have a lot of money. How can I become a good tester with little or no cost to me?A: The cheapest, or free, education is sometimes provided on the job, by an employer, while one is getting paid to

do a job that requires the use of WinRunner and many other software testing tools.Q122. What software tools are in demand these days?A: The software tools currently in demand include LabView, LoadRunner, Rational Tools, and Winrunner -- andespecially the Loadrunner and Rational Toolset -- but there are many others, depending on the end client, and theirneeds, and preferences.Q123. Which of these tools should I learn?A: I suggest you learn the most popular software tools (i.e. LabView, LoadRunner, Rational Tools, Winrunner, etc.)-- and you want to pay special attention to LoadRunner and the Rational Toolset.Q124. What are some of the software configuration management tools?

A: Software configuration management tools include Rational ClearCase, DOORS, PVCS, CVS; and there aremany others. Rational ClearCase is a popular software tool, made by Rational Software, for revision control ofsource code. DOORS, or "Dynamic Object Oriented Requirements System", is a requirements version control

software tool. CVS, or "Concurrent Version System", is a popular, open source version control system to keep trackof changes in documents associated with software projects. CVS enables several, often distant, developers to worktogether on the same source code. PVCS is a document version control tool, a competitor of SCCS. SCCS is anoriginal UNIX program, based on "diff". Diff is a UNIX command that compares contents of two files. You CAN learnto use SCM tools, with little or no outside help. Get CAN get free information. Click on a link!

Q125. What is software configuration management?A: Software Configuration management (SCM) is the control, and the recording of, changes that are made to thesoftware and documentation throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC). SCM covers the tools andprocesses used to control, coordinate and track code, requirements, documentation, problems, change requests,

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designs, tools, compilers, libraries, patches, and changes made to them, and to keep track of who makes thechanges. Rob Davis has experience with a full range of CM tools and concepts, and can easily adapt to anorganization's software tool and process needs.Q126. What other roles are in testing?A: Depending on the organization, the following roles are more or less standard on most testing projects: Testers,Test Engineers, Test/QA Team Leads, Test/QA Managers, System Administrators, Database Administrators,Technical Analysts, Test Build Managers, and Test Configuration Managers. Depending on the project, one personcan and often wear more than one hat. For instance, we Test Engineers often wear the hat of Technical Analyst,

Test Build Manager and Test Configuration Manager as well.Q127. Which of these roles are the best and most popular?

A: As a yardstick of popularity, if we count the number of applicants and resumes, Tester roles tend to be the mostpopular. Less popular roles are roles of System Administrators, Test/QA Team Leads, and Test/QA Managers. The"best" job is the job that makes YOU happy. The best job is the one that works for YOU, using the skills, resources,and talents YOU have. To find the best job, you need to experiment, and "play" different roles. Persistence,combined with experimentation, will lead to success.Q128. What's the difference between priority and severity?A: "Priority" is associated with scheduling, and "severity" is associated with standards. "Piority" means something isafforded or deserves prior attention; a precedence established by order of importance (or urgency). "Severity" is thestate or quality of being severe; severe implies adherence to rigorous standards or high principles and oftensuggests harshness; severe is marked by or requires strict adherence to rigorous standards or high principles, e.g.a severe code of behavior. The words priority and severity do come up in bug tracking. A variety of commercial,

problem-tracking/management software tools are available. These tools, with the detailed input of software testengineers, give the team complete information so developers can understand the bug, get an idea of its 'severity',reproduce it and fix it. The fixes are based on project 'priorities' and 'severity' of bugs. The 'severity' of a problem isdefined in accordance to the customer's risk assessment and recorded in their selected tracking tool. A buggysoftware can 'severely' affect schedules, which, in turn can lead to a reassessment and renegotiation of 'priorities'.Q129. What's the difference between efficient and effective?A: "Efficient" means having a high ratio of output to input; working or producing with a minimum of waste. Forexample, "An efficient engine saves gas". "Effective", on the other hand, means producing, or capable of producing,an intended result, or having a striking effect. For example, "For rapid long-distance transportation, the jet engine ismore effective than a witch's broomstick".Q130. What is the difference between verification and validation?A: Verification takes place before validation, and not vice versa. Verification evaluates documents, plans, code,requirements, and specifications. Validation, on the other hand, evaluates the product itself. The inputs of

verification are checklists, issues lists, walkthroughs and inspection meetings, reviews and meetings. The input ofvalidation, on the other hand, is the actual testing of an actual product. The output of verification is a nearly perfectset of documents, plans, specifications, and requirements document. The output of validation, on th

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