LogiGear - Software Testing and Quality Assurance Software quality assurance (QA) testing articles by recognized industry thought leaders including Hung Nguyen, Hans Buwalda, and Michael Hackett. http://www.logigear.com/ Computers/Programming/Software Testing LogiGear Corporation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en-us Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:43:23 -0800 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:49:46 -0800 FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) http://www.feedforall.com 923050 http://www.feedburner.com Subscribe with My Yahoo! Subscribe with NewsGator Subscribe with My AOL Subscribe with Rojo Subscribe with Bloglines Subscribe with Netvibes Subscribe with Google Subscribe with Pageflakes http://www.logigear.com/rss/logigear_logo.gif LogiGear - Software Testing and Quality Assurance http://www.logigear.com/ LogiGear provides global solutions for software testing, focusing on test automation. Founded in 1994 by top thought leaders, LogiGear has provided unique testing solutions to hundreds of companies ranging from the Fortune 500 to early-stage startups. 144 36 What is the current state of software testing? Complete the survey and help us find out. by Michael Hackett

Talking about Testing is like the story of blind men describing an elephant. Each description depends on what part they touch. Software testing can be such a universally different job depending on so many things, what is common or normal is moot.

I don’t believe in a best practice. The motivation and goals of testing vary from project to project. For example, testing a web application for an commerce site is different than testing software needing FDA regulatory compliance is different than testing firmware for cars is different than testing corporate accounting software is different than testing a printer driver. To say there is one best practice for testing is ridiculous. But what are the common practices? What do most people do? How much regression testing is commonly automated?...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com:8080/blog/michael/what-is-the-current-state-of-software-testing-complete-the-survey-and-help-us-find-out/ http://www.logigear.com:8080/blog/michael/what-is-the-current-state-of-software-testing-complete-the-survey-and-help-us-find-out/ B0972E2C-1B2B-4097-BFB2-ECCFEA6CA233 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:49:46 -0800 LogiGear announces a Test/QA Survey- Final 2 weeks! by Michael Hackett

Do you think no one listens to testers? We do.

We know you have lots of thoughts, ideas and opinions about your work, and we want to hear them. We want to hear your opinions on: offfshoring, automation, politics of testing, success and failure stories, and more...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com:8080/blog/michael/logigear-announces-a-testqa-survey-final-2-weeks/ http://www.logigear.com:8080/blog/michael/logigear-announces-a-testqa-survey-final-2-weeks/ 40D04BE0-B744-4464-92B7-CECA566CD175 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:47:30 -0800 What about the V-Model? by Hans Buwalda

The V-Model for Software Development specifies 4 kinds of testing:
  • Unit Testing
  • Integration Testing
  • System Testing
  • Acceptance Testing


What I’m finding is that of those only the Unit Testing is clear to me. The other kinds maybe good phases in a project, but for test design it doesn’t help much. It is hard to say which tests should go in a system test, an integration test or an acceptance test...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com:8080/blog/hans/what-about-the-v-model/ http://www.logigear.com:8080/blog/hans/what-about-the-v-model/ 45F3A32B-A59B-41B1-BE24-9C4506DEF271 Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:43:08 -0800 Centralize? Decentralize? Concentralize! by Hans Buwalda

As I wrote in various articles, organization is one of the 3 key requisites for successful automated testing, the other two being test design and automation architecture.

A question coming up quite commonly in larger corporations and organizations is whether to centralize the test automation, either at division or corporate level, or whether to decentralize: distribute over the various groups and projects...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=342 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=342 13E36FB8-6B22-45D8-BEF1-A2AA750EC3F0 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:45:10 -0800 Microsoft the next General Motors? by William Coleman

I was reading an article a few months ago entitled, "Is Silicon Valley the next Detroit...", and I found it very interesting.

It was a little backwater Newsweek article (you can read it here) and probably didn't get much press. However sensational it was, it did reference one great industry titan that once dominated our culture, General Motors (among others as a testament to the size and scope of the Detroit Metro Area and the Auto Industry - much of this parallels Silicon Valley’s dominance in the Information Technology space)...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=311 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=311 01217A25-8585-4B85-A053-C293C032905E Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:48:57 -0800 Ho Chi Minh City Named as One of Six Top Cities For Software Testing Outsourcing Worldwide LogiGear Corporation ( http://www.logigear.com ), Vietnam ’s leading software testing company, today announced that Ho Chi Minh City , home of the company’s new Vietnam headquarters building, has been named by Tholons / Global Services as one of the Top 6 Established Global Outsourcing Cities for Software Testing for the second consecutive year.

"Vietnam continuously brings vital new sources of well-trained human talent to the global software testing market," said Hung Q. Nguyen, Chairman/CEO of LogiGear Vietnam . "Affordable, efficient labor for high volume production has established LogiGear Vietnam , and HCMC, as a hub of the industry."

Tholons / Global Services also ranked Vietnam ninth in the Top 10 Offshore Nations, Ho Chi Minh City as ranked fifth and Hanoi tenth in the Top 50 Emerging Global Outsourcing Cities, and Ho Chi Minh City as one of the Top Emerging Global Outsourcing Cities for Application Development & Management (ADM) and Animation/Game Development.

In spite of the global economic crisis, Vietnam ’s GDP grew by 6.2 percent.


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]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=78 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=78 4C382BF5-C779-4848-8260-347C0D680962 Tue, 1 Dec 2009 12:40:10 -0800 Have Fun Breaking Software! by Hung Nguyen

My cousin was flying out of Atlanta this morning, and expected to be in San Francisco this afternoon, in time for a family get-together dinner. Unfortunately, she, along with many other travelers around the country were stuck at the airports this morning and will have to adjust their plans due to delays caused by a computer bug. According to Associated Press (Nov. 19, 2009, Harry R. Weber, AP Airlines Writer), "The Federal Aviation Administration said the problem, which lasted about five hours, was fixed around 10 a.m., but it was unclear how long flights would be affected." So my cousin will miss the Sashimi dinner that I am preparing tonight.

In August 2008, another software bug caused hundreds of flight delays around the country. Also by Associated Press: "The FAA said at that time the source of the computer software malfunction was a ‘packet switch’ that ‘failed due to a database mismatch."...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=296 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=296 34C6A4C8-8150-4C7E-97F8-477E0E688B3B Tue, 1 Dec 2009 12:19:13 -0800 Scholarships Offered to Students of Software Testing and Development as Part of LogiGear Vietnam and HCMC University of Science Joint Program LogiGear Corporation ( http://www.logigear.com ), Vietnam 's leading software testing company, today announced the availability of three scholarships to students of the LogiGear Certified Test Professional (LCTP) program at the HCMC University of Science. Each scholarship will offer a 50% reduction in tuition costs to enrolled students who achieve the highest scores on the program's entrance exam. The next session of the LCTP program begins November 22, 2009.

“The LCTP program's primary goal is to increase workforce competencies in software testing and development by attracting college students and current developers and testers working for IT companies,” said Hung. Q. Nguyen, CEO and founder of LogiGear. “We are pleased to offer these scholarships as a reward for exceptional ability, and create opportunities for students who otherwise may not have access to the wide range of software testing principles and practices we have drawn from our world-wide projects and global working environment at LogiGear.”

The upcoming session which begins November 22, 2009 at the HCMC University of Science includes the following two courses, which are the first of many planned offerings. All courses are taught by LogiGear's software testing professionals. For more information, visit http://logigear.vn/en/training/logigear-training-certification-program.html

LCTP I: BASIC SOFTWARE TESTING SKILLS - An introduction to systematic black box software testing , this course develop s practical testing and test result reporting skills, improv ing effectiveness. Learn techniques and logic used day-to-day by successful companies.

LCTP II: NEW TEST ENGINEER SURVIVAL SKILLS – In this continuation of LCTP I, new test engineers will become familiar with the work environment for outsourced test teams, develop soft skills to practice software testing in the real world, and gain a basic understanding of test automation technology and its applications.


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]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=77 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=77 B52F856E-DD5A-4536-92FD-E7AB5DF93C58 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:48:26 -0800 Automation Adoption by William Coleman

One of the basic challenges with test automation is adoption. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cataloged licenses for a company and found out they already have many different automation software packages, none of which is being used. Traditionally I’ve been told that is because the tools don’t work and that the teams had a hard time implementing the automation.

Let’s take one thing off the table, there is NO tool problem. Most automation tools do the same thing, catalog objects, record and playback and advanced scripting abilities, so, please, if you trying to organize an automation project, don’t make it about a tool (I think I’m famous for saying this, since tools are only means to an end, they aren’t panaceas, in fact that’s the last thing they are)...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=291 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=291 A1378B62-E10E-481E-AB3B-BB8B079C6C5A Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:18:20 -0800 Sharing Lessons Learned, Making New Friends at QA&TEST 2009 Conference in Bilbao, Spain by Hung Nguyen

I just got back from the 8th International Conference on Software QA and Testing for Embedded Systems, Oct 21 – 23. This was my first time at this conference and I’d give it a high grade for the overall quality of the content and speakers, and in particular, for the people who organize this conference. They are first class. Thanks to my new friends at SQS S.A., Spain — Sander Hanenberg, Jesús M. de la Maza and Begoña Laibara -- for treating me well during the conference.

My keynote "Automation Coverage Less than 50%? Don’t Do It!" explored the common excuses for failing to achieve high-volume test automation output. It also pin-pointed underlying barriers to test automation...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=256 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=256 70C4782B-600C-4E46-BD5E-909F85BC9A48 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:19:02 -0700 IEEE Conference on Global Software Development by Michael Hackett

There was an IEEE conference in July, hosted at the University of Limerick. International Conference on Global Software Development/Engineering http://www.icgse.org/

I gave a tutorial on the current state of testing: Testing Teams in Globalized Software Development. There was an inquisitive group and we had a fun session. Globally, testing is not often valued as highly as it is in Silicon Valley. People were interested to see a different perspective on testing.

The conference was focused on offshoring development and not on testing. My focus was special topics in testing: various responsibilities in testing and quality, agile projects, offshoring test automation, offshore team skill building.

The most interesting thing about this conference for me was the presentation of research on various topics in offshore development...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=234 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=234 2A2D68C5-6D54-4485-8834-7EAA55C6CAE0 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:42:25 -0400 Impressions from Star West 2009 in Anaheim by Hans Buwalda

I had the privilege to visit and present at the 2009 Star West conference in the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.

The first very noticeable fact was the sheer size. The conference is up well more than 50% over Star East. This is good news. I feel the Star conferences are a core infrastructure for our developing industry, and I’m glad to see them flourish.

Also I had the impression that attendants were focused and knowledgeable. I noticed that both in personal discussions with various people, often as ad hoc as at a breakfast table, and in the questions and responses to presentations and forum discussions, including my own presentation. An explanation may be that budgets are limited in most organizations, and only those who have a clear interest and have good things to bring to the table themselves are sent to the conference...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=229 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=229 A07C2E8D-BC1D-418C-965A-FBFB3D77611A Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:09:40 -0400 "Automation Coverage Less Than 50%? Don’t Do It!" LogiGear President & CEO Hung Nguyen will advise Software Testing Professionals at QA&TEST 2009

Bilbao, Spain — October 21, 2009 — Hung Q. Nguyen, President & CEO of LogiGear Corporation ( http://www.logigear.com ) will address software testing professionals during the QA&TEST 2009 ( http://www.qatest.org ) : 8th International Conference on Software QA and Testing on Embedded Systems October 21-23, 2009 at the Conference Centre and Concert Hall in Bilbao, Spain.

Nguyen’s speech, titled "Automation Coverage Is Less Than 50%? Don’t Do It!" will explore common excuses for the inability to achieve high-volume test automation output, and pinpoint test automation barriers, particularly in testing embedded systems. He will describe proven automation strategies, tactics and technical solutions that will get exceptional return-on-expenses, while providing total transparency into the efficiency and value of test automation programs. The presentation is scheduled for October 23 at 9:00 A.M. CEST.

LogiGear Chairman/CEO Hung Nguyen is responsible for the company’s strategic direction and innovative approach to software testing, test automation, testing technology and education programs. He is author/coauthor of Testing Computer Software (Wiley, 2nd ed.), Testing Applications on the Web (Wiley, 1st and 2nd ed.) and Global Software Test Automation. Prior to LogiGear, he held leadership roles in software development, quality, and product and business management at Silicon Valley companies including Electronic Arts, Palm Computing, Spinnaker and PowerUp. Nguyen received a B.Sc. in Quality Assurance from Cogswell Polytechnical College , completed a Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Program, is an American Society for Quality Certified Quality Engineer, and a co-founder of the Association for Software Testing, a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and practice of software testing.

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=75 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=75 2C2525DF-CE67-4092-A947-6EF367E9579F Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:44:05 -0400 LogiGear® Named One of Silicon Valley’s Fastest Growing Companies
"LogiGear has been a Silicon Valley company for more than 15 years," said LogiGear Chairman and CEO Hung Q. Nguyen. "Although we are global in reach, we value our role in the local business community. Being recognized for our contributions to the economy and industry in Northern California is a great honor."

LogiGear is recognized worldwide as an innovative leader in high-volume test automation and skill-based testing. Clients recognize the value provided by LogiGear’s ability to provide test automation solutions on a diverse set of technology platforms and cost effective testing resources to improve software quality and reduce costs. Clients include Fortune 100 companies and startups from industries requiring testing and QA of enterprise systems, consumer and mobile electronics, websites and many other products.

LogiGear’s rapid growth is demonstrated by recent announcements:

* The company was named on the Inc. 500 | 5000 2009 list of fastest-growing companies in North America, and one of the top 100 companies in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro region.

* The recent opening of LogiGear Tower, its new Vietnam headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City—The software testing COE (Center of Excellence) enables LogiGear to provide clients with lower outsourcing costs, lower staff turnover, and best-of-breed expertise supported by modern infrastructure.

* A new educational partnership with Computer Science Centre of HCMC University of Science as the first of many planned engagements by LogiGear to work with universities worldwide, meeting demand for a skilled software testing workforce.

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=74 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=74 403905B9-9659-4963-BCEF-AF39D83464EF Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:38:12 -0400 My Attempt to Clarify My "Everything" Statement by William Coleman

I got some comments on my post "Test Everything all the Time" -- most notably people commenting that it’s impossible to test "everything". I can’t agree more. The intention of the post was to make the point that we need to be able to test "everything we can" all the time. That is, you should be constantly iterating your automation, and not "waiting to run" the automation. Also, the point was to talk about how test design can solve all of your problems, not the automation tool. The tool is just an means to an end.

Automation allows us the ability to test wide swaths of functionality that we would not be able to do manually. It’s virtually impossible for a manual test team to adhere to the adage "Test Everything All The Time" -- they can’t do it...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=221 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=221 03AF67F5-55DA-47D7-BF4B-F5BB6082DE22 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:47:11 -0400 Giving an Atomic Bomb to a Caveman... by William Coleman

The challenges with any automation effort is to know your capability. I’ve seen too many automation efforts begin and end with a tool decision. Generally these tools are very complex pieces of software that do many more things then we would ever use in our normal everyday testing. It even adds more misery to the situation when we give this new tool to people who are entirely incapable of using and scaling the "newly" selected savior to our automation effort.

When I teach, I call this moment .. "it’s like giving and atomic bomb to a caveman"...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=190 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=190 6237E11B-AF98-4A9F-B35B-5853B7E041C1 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:51:23 -0400 Four Software Testing Challenges We Must Repeatedly Overcome by Hung Nguyen

I recently came back from the Software Testing & Evaluation Summit in Washington, DC hosted by the National Defense Industrial Association. The objective of the workshop is to help recommend policy and guidance changes to the Defense enterprise, focusing on improving practice and productivity of software testing and evaluation (T&E) approaches in Defense acquisition.

So, what do I have to do with the Defense enterprise? One of the features of the workshop is to invite software testing experts from both commercial industry and academia to share state-of-the-practice strategies, processes and software testing methods...

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=155 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=155 57E43841-F6F3-4F65-9C93-6AE146D8D097 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:19:12 -0400 Offshoring Test Automation: Double Benefit or Double Backlash? LogiGear CTO Hans Buwalda will Speak to Software Testing Professionals at Starwest

San Mateo, CA -- October 8, 2009 -- LogiGear Corporation (http://www.logigear.com) chief technology officer Hans Buwalda will address software testing professionals at Starwest October 8, 2009 at 10:30 A.M. P.T at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA . His speech, "Offshoring Test Automation: Double Benefit or Double Backlash" will reveal how LogiGear’s Action Based Testing™ and expert offshore testing services in Vietnam can be combined not just for powerful returns, but to prevent crushing losses.

Buwalda is internationally recognized as an expert in test automation, test development, and testing technology management, and is author of the book Integrated Test Design and Automation (http://www.logigear.com/about_us/books/integrated_test_design_automation.asp). He leads LogiGear’s research and development of test automation solutions, and oversees the delivery of advanced test automation consulting and engineering services. The original architect of the keyword framework for software testing organizations, he assists clients in strategic implementation of Action Based Testing™ throughout their testing organizations, and he is lead developer of LogiGear’s TestArchitect&tade;, the keyword-based toolset for software test design, automation and management.

STARWEST 2009 Software Testing Analysis & Review Conference (http://www.sqe.com/starwest/) is running through October 09. The conference allows thought leaders and industry forerunners access to the most up-to-date information, tools, and technologies available in the industry today.

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=73 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=73 494C94BD-7DD0-4382-A22D-D589DA5C29CF Fri, 9 Oct 2009 09:02:36 -0400 Test Everything all the Time
Back from more training, I was up at a client in Bellevue and really enjoyed teaching a performance class to a world class testing organization. I found that the students were very receptive to many of the concepts and ideas that the class offers.

One of the items that we talked about was the nature of the service based app delivery model. As we have all seen over the last 5 years, the cloud is really changing the software development deployment abstraction. I think we will see most of our applications served through this new cloud model, but our development cycles will be 10x faster and more chaotic.

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=147 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=147 79FD0C9F-E6DE-40A3-8B1B-48B5584A4AA2 Wed, 7 Oct 2009 10:13:36 -0400 Continuous Iteration in Automation
I’ve been teaching a lot lately, was in India for one week, and I’m off to Seattle in two weeks to teach on performance topics. I thoroughly enjoy teaching, it allows me to stay sharp with current trends, and provides a nice break from the "implementation focus" that I generally have day to day.

One topic however that has been gnawing at me lately is the notion of "continuous iteration" in automation. With virtualization, my feeling is that you should be running the automation you create all the time. I’ve coined a new term lately, "Test Everything all the Time".

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=137 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=137 7062EFB7-DDEF-4ED0-86D9-C3280B26B952 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:46:01 -0400 LogiGear® Named One of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies by Inc. Magazine
"It’s an honor for LogiGear and shows our leadership in the software testing industry to be recognized by Inc. magazine," said LogiGear Chairman and CEO Hung Q. Nguyen. "As we’ve grown over the last 15 years, LogiGear has become a touchstone for research, training and excellence. We are proud of the contributions we have made to our clients’ success, the quality of software for businesses and consumers worldwide, and the industry as a whole."

LogiGear thought leaders have authored 5 books (one bestseller), developed 15 training courses, and delivered proven automation technology enabling up to 95+% automation testing coverage on 14 computer platforms utilizing our skilled engineers across the globe. Clients include Fortune 500 companies and startups from many industries requiring QA testing for enterprise systems, consumer electronics, websites and many other products.

LogiGear’s rapid growth is demonstrated by recent announcements:

* The recent opening of LogiGear Tower , the new Vietnam headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City . The software testing facility offers lower costs, lower staff turnover, and best-of-breed expertise supported by modern infrastructure, and over 600 people are expected to be employed there by the end of the year.

* A new educational partnership with Computer Science Centre of HCMC University of Science as the first of many planned engagements by LogiGear to work with universities worldwide, meeting demand for a skilled software testing workforce.

The Inc. 500 | 5000 Awards Ceremony will be held from September 23-25 in Washington , DC . Those interested in attending can register at http://www.inc500conference.com/.

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=72 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=72 E00647E7-B89C-4C49-86AF-DE10DB3EC585 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:35:55 -0400 Are Use Cases Harmful For Test Automation?
People who know me and my work probably know my emphasis on good test design for successful test automation. I have written about this in "Key Success Factors for Keyword Driven Testing". In the Action Based Testing (ABT) method that I have pioneered over the years it is an essential element for success. However, agreeing with me in workshops and actually applying the principles in projects turn out quite often to be two different things. Apart from my own possible limitations as a teacher, I see at least one more reason: the way the testing is involved in the development projects.

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=131 http://www.logigear.com/blog/?p=131 EF90E57D-F08E-4EDC-9D50-89DE2A117E71 Wed, 2 Sep 2009 13:23:13 -0400 Three Kinds of Measurement and Two Ways to Use Them
People often quote Lord Kelvin: "I often say that when you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced to the stage of science, whatever the matter may be."
But, few note the sentence that precedes the passage: "In physical science the first essential step in the direction of learning any subject is to find principles of numerical reckoning and practicable methods for measuring some quality connected with it."

The missing sentence prompts some questions: Are software development and testing sciences subject to the same kind of numerical measurement that we use in physics? If not, what kinds of measurements should we use? How could we think more usefully about measurement?

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0809.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0809.asp 0862E394-325F-4B77-82CC-3AE1A1C0253F Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:58:54 -0400 LogiGear Invests in Vietnam, Leveraging Economic Downturn San Mateo, CA -- August 6, 2009 -- Asia’s technology market is expanding rapidly as US and European companies seek affordable software testing solutions, and LogiGear Corporation, a leader in onshore/offshore software testing and development in the US and Vietnam, anticipates intensified growth going into 2010. LogiGear Vietnam is leveraging this opportunity to invest in human resources and infrastructure, and in so doing, the future of Vietnam .</p> <p>"Ho Chi Minh City uniquely offers the resilience and stability necessary for the development of global resources in software testing," said Hung Q. Nguyen, LogiGear Chairman/CEO. "Vietnam is fast becoming an attractive investment destination for the global IT industry." HCMC is ranked 4th in the 2008 list of Top 50 Software Testing Outsourcing Cities by Global Services-Tholons. The city was ranked 6th in 2007.</p> <p>Investing in human resources - LogiGear and HCMC University of Science have formed a partnership providing software testing training and certification. The training program is standardized, awarding the LogiGear Certified Test Professional designation (LCTP). The new educational partnership is the first of many planned engagement by LogiGear to work with many universities worldwide.</p> <p>Investing in infrastructure - In June 2009, LogiGear Vietnam ’s new headquarters facility opened its doors at 1A Phan Xich Long Street, Phu Nhuan District. LogiGear Tower the 30,000 square foot building consolidated LogiGear’s Vietnam operations, which were previously spread across three buildings in Ho Chi Minh City.</p> <p>Founded in 2005, LogiGear Vietnam was the first US-led software testing center in Vietnam . Clients include Fortune 500 companies and startups from many industries requiring QA of enterprise systems, consumer electronics, websites and many other products. The software testing facility offers lower costs, lower staff turnover, and best-of-breed expertise supported by modern infrastructure.</p> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=70 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=70 6904500E-9E57-496D-AD4E-AD531DB9D088 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:51:13 -0400 Issues About Metrics About Bugs
In my travels, I’ve worked with a number of companies that have attempted to assess the quality of their testing -- or worse, their testers -- using poorly considered metrics. Sometimes the measurement is based on a count of bugs that make their way into the released product (escaped bugs); sometimes the measurement includes another factor, like the number of bugs found before release. To many managers, this kind of measurement has intuitive appeal: If the purpose of testing is to find bugs, then assessing the quality of the testing effort starts with looking at the number of bugs that the testers found or didn’t find before the product was released. How could this appealing-sounding metric possibly go wrong?

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0709.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0709.asp B2311767-FB83-4F5B-B9B1-945E2EB02D30 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:34:37 -0400 HCMC Natural Science University and LogiGear® Vietnam Form Partnership Providing Software Testing Training and Certification

Enter to win a free iTouch, save on LogiGear University software testing course tuition, and share your opinions with LogiGear's online surveys for testers!>>>

]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=69 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=69 177CA3D2-2CB7-41C7-B192-08D9F8CF3F22 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:33:12 -0400 Understanding Metrics in Software Testing

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]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/understanding_metrics_in_software_testing.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/understanding_metrics_in_software_testing.asp E87BC8D8-B0BF-49A1-994A-DF5899E22D67 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:40:29 -0400 What is the Current State of Software Testing? Think no one listens to testers? We do.

At LogiGear, we often hear statements from testers like these:

  • "Testing is bug finding not requirements validation!" "Requirements docs? I wish I got some!"
  • "We don’t do automation, is this still as common?"
  • "I have no problems with my offshore team. I don’t know what the fuss is about," AND "This offshore team was forced on my team and it’s a complete mess."
  • "Do I need to get certified as a tester? What does certification get you?"

The challenge in understanding the current state of testing, then, is to bypass conventional wisdom or educated guesses, and rely instead on actual data.

In an effort to put our thumb on the pulse of the software testing industry, we have developed a series of surveys that are designed to get granular about the real experiences of testers and testing teams.

Enter to win a free iTouch, save on LogiGear University software testing course tuition, and share your opinions with LogiGear's online surveys for testers!>>>

The data we collect will be incorporated into white papers, articles and perhaps even a book - empowering testers who wish to have a positive influence on their profession globally.

]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0609.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0609.asp 8ABEFAA8-3FD8-44F3-865E-C49596C11E0F Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:40:41 -0400 How to Measure Testing Success
Enter to win a free iTouch and share your opinion with LogiGear's online survey!>>>

]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/how_to_measure_testing_success.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/how_to_measure_testing_success.asp E565B93C-FD36-4A31-8613-8609BD066569 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:06:17 -0400 New LogiGear Vietnam Facility in Ho Chi Minh City Opens
Enter to win a free iTouch and share your opinion with LogiGear's online survey!>>>

]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=68 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=68 7EC5144F-2515-47A8-8E65-9EF7EC902474 Wed, 27 May 2009 12:37:18 -0400 Four Fundamental Requirements of Successful Testing in the Cloud - Part III ]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0509.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0509.asp 3F892D6E-A016-42D9-A5CF-A584FA9F38FE Wed, 20 May 2009 12:27:22 -0400 Ho Chi Minh City Rising Star in Outsourcing: LogiGear Vietnam Showcased at Gartner Summit
Enter to win a free iTouch and share your opinion with LogiGear's online survey!>>>

]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=66 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=66 F2B70065-D201-4223-9C0A-C157B1C823DE Fri, 1 May 2009 20:17:02 -0400 LogiGear Workshop for Software Testing Professionals at STAREAST
Enter to win a free iTouch and share your opinion with LogiGear's online survey!>>>

]]> http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=67 http://www.logigear.com/about_us/news/press_release.asp?prId=67 FE160BD4-FDB7-49F0-9B90-AF9B2ECFABDD Fri, 1 May 2009 20:12:32 -0400 Common Misconceptions about Software Testing
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]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/common_misconceptions_about_software_testing.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/common_misconceptions_about_software_testing.asp CD292F17-5F2B-4F23-BB6D-DFD1C6740035 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:33:17 -0400 Four Fundamental Requirements of Successful Testing in the Cloud - Part II ]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0409.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0409.asp EBA6BA11-2E2C-42AC-9506-690AE2506F23 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:29:49 -0400 Capitalizing Testware as an Asset
Software testing is generally regarded as an activity, not a product: the test team tests the products of the development team. In that sense testing is seen in terms of costs and savings: The activity costs money; finding bugs early saves money.

Very few companies think of software tests as products, or in financial terms, company assets. Test teams are not seen as "producing" anything. This is unfortunate, since it underestimates, particularly in financial terms, the value of good "testware".

If an organization begins to consider its tests as assets, then it can significantly enhance the way that it approaches testing.
]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/capitalize_testware.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/capitalize_testware.asp ABC9764D-68EA-4411-A165-7B976595699F Fri, 3 Apr 2009 17:57:57 -0400 Four Fundamental Requirements of Successful Testing in the Cloud - Part I ]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0309.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0309.asp 973F144C-022E-479C-BC92-CB098E111BD0 Sat, 14 Mar 2009 07:33:32 -0400 10 Essentials for Effective Test Automation ]]> http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0209.asp http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/issue_0209.asp 34392269-ABAF-4FDB-BFAA-7533A4FA8629 Sat, 21 Feb 2009 23:23:30 -0500 Jungle Testing
As I write this article I am sitting at a table at StarEast, one of the major testing conferences. As you can expect from a testing conference, a lot of talk and discussion is about bugs and how to find them. What I have noticed in some of these discussions, however, is a lack of differentiation between the different types of bugs that I think is essential for testing success.

To set the stage I would like to distinguish between different categories of bugs (For a more extensive differentiation of bugs look at the very interesting presentation by Giri Vijayaraghavan and Cem Kaner "Bug taxonomies: Use them to generate better tests").
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/336177890/jungle-testing.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/jungle-testing.asp Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:03:14 -0700 http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/jungle-testing.asp The Importance of Volume in Automated Software Testing
All too often, software development organizations look at automating software testing as a means of executing existing test cases faster. Very frequently there is no strategic or methodological underpinning to such an effort. The approach is one of running test cases faster is better, which will help to deliver software faster.

Even in organizations that start to build a test automation effort on a good foundation of strategy, methodology, and supporting tools, taking such a narrow view of the test automation effort misses a huge dynamic.
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/319075687/importance-of-volume-in-automated-software-testing.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/importance-of-volume-in-automated-software-testing.asp Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:09:02 -0700 http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/importance-of-volume-in-automated-software-testing.asp New Case Study - Making the Leap to Vietnam with LogiGear How LeapFrog Successfully Outsources 80% of Its Software Testing

When LeapFrog embarked upon an ambitious strategy for new market leadership in the intensely competitive children's education consumer electronics industry, improved operational efficiency was critical to success. LogiGear helped LeapFrog change how they approached software testing to enable them to meet those demands. This case study will describe in detail how LogiGear helped LeapFrog introduce the highest volume of new platform and product introductions in the company’s history while reducing testing costs and allowing the LeapFrog QA team to work more reasonable hours confident in the knowledge that their testing needs were being met. Download...

Click here - Making the Leap to Vietnam with LogiGear - to download the case study (pdf format)...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/308244445/download_form.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing 97ADBAFA-7A41-4992-920D-9ACFEBF83C04 Mon, 9 Jun 2008 15:17:26 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/downloads/download_form.asp?fileid=2480 Hung Q. Nguyen Discusses Software Testing
The following is a transcript of a May 7, 2008 interview with Hung Q. Nguyen, founder and CEO of LogiGear Corporation and coauthor of the best selling textbook Testing Computer Software.

Interviewer: When it comes to software testing, what concerns or issues are you hearing from software developers?

Hung Q. Nguyen: The most pressing concern that I hear from companies that develop software is that they are not testing fast enough. With advancements in technology and development tools the rates for building software have become very fast. Development is outpacing software testing which is driving a huge demand for test automation. However, test automation, done incorrectly can be more of a hindrance.

Click here - Hung Q. Nguyen Discusses Software Testing - to continue...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/303093534/hung-nguyen-discusses-software-testing.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/hung-nguyen-discusses-software-testing.asp Mon, 2 Jun 2008 12:43:10 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/hung-nguyen-discusses-software-testing.asp Common Software Errors - Testing Errors Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 13 of 13.

TESTING ERRORS

This section deals with technical, procedural, and reporting errors made by testers and Testing Groups. Even though these aren't problems in the programs per se, you'll run into them when testing programs. Our focus is on suggestions for dealing with these problems, since they're under your control.

Click here - Common Software Errors - Testing Errors - to continue...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/299145845/common-software-errors-testing-errors.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common-software-errors-testing-errors.asp Tue, 27 May 2008 10:51:21 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common-software-errors-testing-errors.asp Common Software Errors - Source, Version, and ID Control Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 12 of 13.

SOURCE, VERSION, AND ID CONTROL

If you're supposed to have Version 2.43 of the program, but some of the pieces you have are from 2.42 and others are advance bits of 2.44, you have a mess. You must know what you have, you must be able to tell from the code what you have, and what you have must be what you're supposed to have. If not, report a bug.

Some people calls these Bureaucracy Bugs because they reflect failures of labeling and procedure rather than operational failures. Only bureaucrats would worry about such things, right? Wrong. Or maybe right, but so what? They must be worried about otherwise the products shipped to customers will not be what you think.

Click here - Common Software Errors - Source, Version, and ID Control - to continue...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/293485474/common-software-errors-source-version-id-control.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common-software-errors-source-version-id-control.asp Mon, 19 May 2008 09:09:19 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common-software-errors-source-version-id-control.asp Common Software Errors - Hardware Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 11 of 13.

HARDWARE

Programs send bad data to devices, ignore error codes coming back, try to use devices that aren't there, and so on. Even if the problem is truly due to a hardware failure, there is also a software error if the software doesn't recognize that the hardware is no longer working correctly.

Click here - Hardware - to continue...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/288744437/common_software_errors-hardware.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-hardware.asp Mon, 12 May 2008 11:01:01 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-hardware.asp Common Software Errors - Load Conditions Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 10 of 13.

LOAD CONDITIONS

Programs misbehave when overloaded. A program may fail when working under high volume (lots of work over a long period) or under stress (maximum amount of work all at once). It may fail when it runs out of memory, printers or other "resources." It may fail because it's required to do too much in too little time. All programs have limits. The issues are whether a program can meet its stated limits and how horribly it fails when those limits are exceeded.

Also, some programs create their own load problems, or, in multi-processing situations, make problems for others. They hog computer time or resources or create unnecessary extra work to such an extent that other processes (or themselves later) can't do their tasks.

Click here - Load Conditions - to continue...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/284081460/common_software_errors-load_conditions.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-load_conditions.asp Mon, 5 May 2008 13:21:17 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-load_conditions.asp Common Software Errors - Race Conditions Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 9 of 13.

RACE CONDITIONS

In the classic race, there are two possible events, call them EVENT_A and EVENT_B. Both events will happen. The issue is which comes first. EVENT_A almost always precedes EVENT_B. There are logical grounds for expecting EVENT_A to precede EVENT_B. However, under rare and restricted conditions, EVENT_B can "win the race," and occur just before EVENT_A. We have a race condition whenever EVENT_B precedes EVENT_A. We have a race condition bug if the program fails when this happens. Usually the program fails because the programmer didn't anticipate the possibility of EVENT_B preceding EVENT_A, so he didn't write any code to deal with it.

Few testers look for race conditions. If they find an "irreproducible" bug, few think about timing issues (races) when trying to reproduce it. Many people find timing issues hard to conceptualize or hard to understand. We provide more than our usual amount of detail in the examples below, hoping that this will make the overall concept easier to understand.

Click here - Race Conditions - to continue...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/279434680/common_software_errors-race_conditions.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-race_conditions.asp Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:43:38 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-race_conditions.asp Common Software Errors - Errors in Handling or Interpreting Data Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 8 of 13.

ERRORS IN HANDLING OR INTERPRETING DATA

Data are passed from one part of a program to another, and from one program to another. In the process, the data might be misinterpreted or corrupted.

Click here - Errors in Handling or Interpreting Data - to continue...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/274749577/common_software_errors-errors_in_handling_or_interpreting_data.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-errors_in_handling_or_interpreting_data.asp Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:35:55 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-errors_in_handling_or_interpreting_data.asp Common Software Errors - Control Flow Errors Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 7 of 13.

CONTROL FLOW ERRORS

The control flow of a program describes what it will do next, under what circumstances. A control flow error occurs when the program does the wrong thing next. Extreme control flow errors stop the program or cause it to run amok. Many simple errors lead to spectacular misbehavior.

Click here - Control Flow Errors - to continue...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/270133903/common_software_errors-control_flow_errors.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-control_flow_errors.asp Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:05:10 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-control_flow_errors.asp Common Software Errors - Initial and Later States Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 6 of 13.

Initial and Later States

Before you can use a function, the program may have to initialize it. Typical initialization steps include identifying the function's variables, defining their types, allocating memory for them, and setting them to default values (such as 0). The program may have to read a disk file that contains defaults and other configuration information. What happens when the file is not there? Initialization steps might be done when the program is loaded (data defaults can be loaded into memory along with the program), when it is started, when the function is first called, or each time the function is called.

Initialization needs and strategy vary widely across languages. For example:

  • In many languages, a function's local variables keep their values from one call to the next. If a variable is supposed to keep the same value, the function can set the variable's value once and leave it alone thereafter. The function usually has to reset other variables to their starting values.
  • In other languages, local variables are erased from memory on exit from the function. Whenever the program calls a function, it must redefine its variables, allocate memory for them, and assign starting values.
  • Some languages allow the programmer to specify whether a variable should stay in memory or be erased after each function call.
  • Some compilers provide initialization support. The programmer can specify a starting value for a variable; the compiler will make sure that this loads into memory with the program. If the programmer doesn't assign an initial value, the compiler sets it to 0. Other compilers, even for the same language, do not provide this support. The function must set each variable's value the first time it's called. To avoid resetting each variable every time it's called, the function must know whether it's been called before.

Initialization failures usually show up the first time the function is called or the second time, if it doesn't reinitialize variables correctly. Reinitialization failures may be path-dependent. If you reach a function in a "normal" way, it works fine. However, if you take an "abnormal" route, the program might branch into the function at some point after the initialization code. Programmers often treat backing up to modify data or redo calculations as abnormal.

Click here - Initial and Later States - to continue...
]]> http://www.logigear.com Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-initial_and_later_states.asp Mon, 7 Apr 2008 10:16:20 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-initial_and_later_states.asp Common Software Errors - Calculation Errors Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 5 of 13.

CALCULATION ERRORS

The program calculates a number and gets the wrong result. This can happen for one of three types of reasons:

  • Bad logic: There can be a typing error, like A-A instead of A+A. Or the programmer might break a complex expression into a set of simpler ones, but get the simplification wrong. Or he might use an incorrect formula, or one inapplicable to the data at hand. This third case is a design error. The code does what the programmer intendedóit's his conception of what the code should do that is wrong.
  • Bad arithmetic: There might be an error in the coding of a basic function, such as addition, multiplication, or exponentiation. The error might show up whenever the function is used (2 + 2 = -5) or it might be restricted to rare special cases. In either case, any program that uses the function can fail.
  • Imprecise calculation: If the program uses floating point arithmetic, it loses precision as it calculates, because of roundoff and truncation errors. After many intermediate errors, it may claim that 2 + 2 works out to -5 even though none of the steps in the program contains a logical error.

This area is huge and this section only begins to scratch its surface. For an introduction to the larger area, read Conte and deBoor (1980) and Knuth (1981). For a second source on topics in Conte and deBoor, try Carnahan, Luther & Wilkes (1969).
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/261298749/common_software_errors-calculation_errors.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-calculation_errors.asp Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:58:58 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-calculation_errors.asp Common Software Errors - Boundary-Related Errors Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 4 of 13.

BOUNDARY-RELATED ERRORS

A boundary describes a change-point for a program. The program is supposed to work one way for anything on one side of the boundary. It does something different for anything on the other side. The classic "things" on opposite sides of boundaries are data values. There are three standard boundary bugs:

  • Mishandling of the boundary case: If a program adds any two numbers that are less than 100, and rejects any greater than 100, what does it do when you enter exactly 100? What is it supposed to do?
  • Wrong boundary: The specification says the program should add any two numbers less than 100 but it rejects anything greater than 95.
  • Mishandling of cases outside the boundary: Values on one side of the boundary are impossible, unlikely, unacceptable, unwanted. No code was written for them. Does the program successfully reject values greater than 100 or does it crash when it gets one?

We treat the concept of boundaries more broadly. Boundaries describe a way of thinking about a program and its behavior around its limits. There are many types of limits: largest, oldest, latest, longest, most recent, first time, etc. The same types of bugs can happen with any of them so why not think of them in the same terms?
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/257211483/common_software_errors-boundary_related_errors.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-boundary_related_errors.asp Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:33:47 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-boundary_related_errors.asp Common Software Errors - Error Handling Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 3 of 13.

ERROR HANDLING

Errors in dealing with errors are among the most common bugs. Error handling errors include failure to anticipate the possibility of errors and protect against them, failure to notice error conditions, and failure to deal with detected errors in a reasonable way. Note that error messages were discussed above.
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/253043016/common_software_errors-error_handling.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-error_handling.asp Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:44:57 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-error_handling.asp Common Software Errors - User Interface Errors Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 2 of 13.

The user interface (UI) includes all aspects of the product that involve the user. The UI designer tries to strike a balance between
  • functionality
  • time to learn how to use the program
  • how well the user remembers how to use the program
  • speed of performance
  • rate of user errors
  • the user's satisfaction with the program

In seeking a good balance, the designer weighs the experience and needs of the people she expects to use the program against the capabilities of the equipment and available software technology. An error in the UI results in a suboptimal match between the user and the program.

Because tradeoffs are unavoidable in UI design, a good designer might deliberately make any of many of the "errors" listed below. Don't take this list as gospel. If you are at all unsure, listen to the designer's reasoning before condemning one of her choices. See Baecker & Buxton (1987), Helander (1991), Laurel (1990, 1991), Rubenstein & Hersh, (1984), Schneiderman (1987), and Smith and Mosier (1984) for excellent introductions to user interface design, including extended discussion of many of the issues raised in this Appendix.

Throughout this Appendix we write as if you were the user of the program. As a tester of it, you will certainly use it heavily. Realize that other people will also use the program and they will have different problems from you. Try to be empathetic.
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/249098191/common_software_errors-user_interface_errors.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-user_interface_errors.asp Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:46:50 -0400 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors-user_interface_errors.asp Common Software Errors Testing Computer Software, 2nd ed.

Copyright © 1988 by Cem Kaner
Copyright © 1993 by Cem Kaner, Jack Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen

This is part 1 of 13.

This Appendix describes over 400 bugs. The descriptions are short, including only what we considered the most interesting information. It's worthwhile reading this list, even though you may find it boring. On first reading it provides a frame of reference, details, and background about problems you should look for while testing. Its greater value is as an organized list of program problems for future reference. A good list, built up with time and experience, can be a powerful tool.
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/245071214/common_software_errors.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors.asp Mon, 3 Mar 2008 15:30:01 -0500 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/common_software_errors.asp The Potential and Risks of Keyword Based Testing By Hans Buwalda, CTO, LogiGear Corporation


Introduction

Keyword based testing is gaining ground. More and more organizations see this model, in which tests are not scripted but written as a series of keywords with arguments, as a valuable alternative to record and playback, or scripting of tests. A good theoretical basis for keywords can be found in the well known automation book Software Test Automation, by Dorothy Graham and Mark Fewster, and also in numerous articles and white papers on the LogiGear website. In this article I want to list some of the typical advantages and risks of keywords.

Other Articles by this Author
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/241085880/potential_and_risks_of_keyword_based_testing.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/potential_and_risks_of_keyword_based_testing.asp Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:35:25 -0500 http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/potential_and_risks_of_keyword_based_testing.asp Load/Performance Test Plan Template ]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/237190338/LoadPlanTemplate-1.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/LoadPlanTemplate-1.asp Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:16:23 -0500 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/LoadPlanTemplate-1.asp How to Measure Testing Success By Rob Pirozzi

Introduction

All to often, senior management judges software testing though the lens of potential cost savings. Test automation and outsourcing are simplistically looked at as simply methods to reduce the costs of software testing. But the sad truth is that simply automating or offshoring a poor software testing effort will simply yield an automated and offshore poor testing effort. And if the same simplistic approach was taken in the planning of automation and offshoring, the costs may not even be lower.

It is critically important for management to define "success" for their software testing efforts. While cost is one metric, it is not the sole metric. Other issues that should also be taken into account include:
  • Breadth of testing coverage
  • Test reusability
  • Value of the data reported by software testing
  • The quality of the software under test

Using these criteria, management should come up with a clear definition of success that is consistent with their testing strategy and testing methodology. Of course, if there is no strategy and methodology, then that must be developed first - but that is a topic for another article

This paper will discuss the importance of these other non-cost success criteria.
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/233345376/how_to_measure_testing_success.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/how_to_measure_testing_success.asp Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:32:43 -0500 http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/how_to_measure_testing_success.asp Is Test Automation the Same as Programming Tests? By Hans Buwalda

Introduction

A common issue that I come across in projects is the relationship between test automation and programming. In this article I want to highlight some of the differences that I feel exist between the two.

After many decades of often slow and hard fought over progress, software engineering is now a well established profession, with recognized methods and practices. Automated testing, however, is still a relatively new and often misunderstood phenomenon. Often software engineers get involved in software testing and try to apply their programming knowledge and experience. For many aspects of software testing this is a good thing, but over the years I have come to believe that automated testing poses its own distinct properties and challenges, and a practitioner should try to understand those and work with them.

This article will explore the differences between software engineering and designing automated tests.
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/228984822/is_test_automation_the_same_as_programming_tests.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/is_test_automation_the_same_as_programming_tests.asp Mon, 4 Feb 2008 11:21:27 -0500 http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/is_test_automation_the_same_as_programming_tests.asp Software Testing 3.0: Organization and Process Ramifications By Rob Pirozzi

Introduction

Many companies have come to realize that software testing is much more than a task that happens at the end of a software development cycle. They have come to understand that software testing is a strategic imperative and a discipline that can have a substantial impact on the success of an organization that develops software. Many of these companies are coming to embrace the ideas that are central to the latest phase in the evolution of software testing, Software Testing 3.0 (See the links below for more on Software Testing 3.0).

Implementing Software Testing 3.0 is a major undertaking, and as such, should not be embarked upon without adequate planning. While implementing Software Testing 3.0 will require substantial effort, the benefits in terms of software quality, cost and time savings, and mitigation of risk from in market failures are substantial.

Software Testing 3.0 has both organizational and process ramifications. These ramifications need to be fully understood to insure success implementing Software Testing 3.0. This paper will explore these organizational and process ramifications to help with an organization's planning efforts.
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/220589413/software_testing_3_org_and_process_ramifications.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/software_testing_3_org_and_process_ramifications.asp Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:27:47 -0500 http://www.logigear.com/newsletter/software_testing_3_org_and_process_ramifications.asp Software Testing 3.0: The Continuing Evolution of Software Testing ]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/212647836/ Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/downloads/#%23st30 Mon, 7 Jan 2008 10:45:58 -0500 http://www.logigear.com/downloads/#%23st30 Classic Article - DAST - Diagnostic Approach to Software Testing By Hung Q. Nguyen and Michael Hackett

QA City
Objectives

  • Introduce DAST, the Diagnostic Approach to Software Testing.
  • Share our experiences using this method.
  • Provide you with a process guideline.

Other classic articles...
]]> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LogiGearArticles/~3/201670369/dast-01.asp Computers/Programming/Software Testing http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/dast-01.asp Mon, 17 Dec 2007 09:29:16 -0500 http://www.logigear.com/resources/articles_lg/dast-01.asp