The Art of Software Testing, Second Edition

Preface

In 1979, Glenford Myers published a book that turned out to be a classic. Myers's original The Art of Software Testing stood the test of time, 25 years on the publisher's list of available books. This fact alone is a testament to the solid, basic, and valuable nature of his work.

During that same time, the current authors of the updated version of this book published collectively more than 120 books, most of them on computer software topics. Some of these books sold very well, going through multiple versions. (Corey Sandler's Fix Your Own PC is in its seventh edition as this book is written, and Tom Badgett's books on Microsoft PowerPoint and other Office titles went through four or more editions, for example.) Nevertheless, none of the current authors' books remained current more than a few years.

What is the difference? These newer books cover more transient topics: operating systems, applications software, security, communications technology, and hardware configurations. Rapid changes in computer hardware and software technology during the 1980s and 1990s necessitated frequent changes and updates to these topics.

During that period dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of books also were published about software testing. They, too, took a more transient approach to the topic.

Myers's The Art of Software Testing, on the other hand, gave the industry a long-lasting, foundational guide to one of the most important computer topics: How do you ensure that all of the software you ...