Book description
The advent of agile methodologies and test-driven development has brought software testing to the forefront of application development. Yet in today’s harried rush-to-market development environment, organizations must find a delicate balance between product release and product quality.
In Critical Testing Processes, the author distills knowledge gained from 20 years of testing experience into twelve critical processes. These include highly visible processes by which peers and management judge competence, and mission-critical processes in which performance affects the company’s profits and reputation.
After each process is introduced, the author demonstrates its
use through an engaging case study. Instead of cumbersome
regulations, this book provides checklists—lightweight,
flexible tools for implementing process-oriented testing, gathering
metrics, and making incremental process changes. By demonstrating
critical processes in various organizational, operational, and
technological contexts, this book shows readers how to:
Handle recurrent tests efficiently and consistently
Develop a cohesive, cooperative team that sidesteps redundancies
Build a reputation for reliability through the effective communication of test results
Define the focus of tests for maximum customer satisfaction and organizational success
Because testing is a collaborative process with the participation of staff throughout the organization, the author discusses interpersonal and cultural issues in depth. This book also devotes ample coverage to the often-overlooked areas of planning and perfecting tests. Whatever your role in testing—from test engineering to managing hundreds of test engineers—Critical Testing Processes will offer valuable insights into what you do, why it’s important, and how you can perform better.
0201748681B04222003
Table of contents
- Copyright
- Advanced Praise for Critical Testing Processes
- Foreword
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Introduction
-
I. Plan
- 1. Start with the Big Picture: Put the Test Role in the Broader Context
- 2. Focus the Effort: Analyze Quality Risks
- 3. Gaze into the Crystal Ball: Estimate the Work Ahead
- 4. It's Not What It Costs, It's What It Saves: Budget and Return on Investment
- 5. From Estimate to Baseline: Obtain Commitment to Realistic, Actionable, Truthful Estimates
- 6. Gain and Communicate Insights: Plan the Test Effort
-
7. From Suggestion to Commitment: Assemble Stakeholder Support for Good Test Plans
- Jamal Makes His Pitch
-
Recognize a Good Test Planning Process
- Establish Clear Criteria for Phases
- Establish Consensus, Common Expectations, and Commitment
- Complete at a Reasonable Time
- Promote Reasonable Flexibility and Creativity
- Produce Appropriate Documentation
- Provide Opportunities to Catch Errors
- Exploit Synergies with the Project, Development, Build, and Integration Plans
- Handle Challenges
- Implement Improvements
-
II. Prepare
-
8. Bring on the Great Testers: The How and the Who of Hiring
- A Team Building Process
- Variations on the Team Building Process
- The Sumatra Test Team Grows
- Identifying and Managing the Critical Test Team Skills
- Regarding Test Technicians
- Test Team Staffing Variations: Temporary Assignment, Rotation, Farm Team, and Backwater
- Education, Training, Certification, and the Professionalization of Testing
- Attitude Matters Too
- Beyond the Obvious Interview Questions
- From Adding People to Growing Skills
- 9. Grow Excellent Test Teams: Skills, Attitudes, and Career Paths
- 10. Archimedes' Bathtub: Design and Implement Test Systems
- 11. Fill the Bathtub: Test System Coverage and Quality
-
8. Bring on the Great Testers: The How and the Who of Hiring
-
III. Perform
- 12. An Essential Handoff: Manage Test Releases
- 13. Assess Quality: Execute Test Cases
-
IV. Perfect
- 14. Where Quality Falls Short: Report Bugs
- 15. Illuminate the Fourth Element: Report the Test Results
- 16. Leverage Opportunities to Learn: Manage Change and Its Effects on Testing
- 17. Return to the Big Picture: Perfect the Testing Process
- Glossary
- Bibliography
Product information
- Title: Critical Testing Processes: Plan, Prepare, Perform, Perfect
- Author(s):
- Release date: July 2003
- Publisher(s): Addison-Wesley Professional
- ISBN: 0201748681
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