Pragmatic Software Testing: Becoming an Effective and Efficient Test Professional

Introduction

What Kind of Book Is This?

This is a book about software and system testing. This is an ambitious book. In it I cover the strategies, techniques, and concepts that effective and efficient test professionals need to do their job. That covers a lot of ground, and so does this book.

This book is about practical concepts. This book is hands-on. If you work your way through the whole book, you’ll do many realistic exercises to apply these concepts immediately. You’ll be able to compare your solutions with mine.

Appropriately enough, this book is tested. I have used these concepts in my career as a test professional, which began in 1987, four years after I started my software career in a Fortran and C programming job. Since 1997, literally thousands of software and systems professionals around the world have taken the training courses that provide the base material for this book. We have discussed the concepts and worked through the exercises.

What Topics Will I Cover?

In Part I, I discuss the goals, strategies, and tactics of effective and efficient testing. Even experienced testers will find something new here, and I encourage people who are new to testing to work through these chapters completely.

In Part II, I lay the foundation of my technique for risk-based testing. You’ll learn how to analyze, prioritize, and document risks to the quality of the system, using both informal and formal techniques. Unless you are already an experienced risk-analysis professional, I recommend ...