Tuesday, October 17, 2006

WHAT IS A GOLDEN BUG ?

Golden bug is nothing but the chasm between our perception and reality.

Monday, September 18, 2006

What is the difference between QA Tester & QA Analyst?

What is the difference between QA Tester & QA Analyst?
A QA Tester deals with the functionality testing basing on the FRS, whereas QA Analyst is the person who is responsible to prepare the Functionality Requirement specification.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES

QUALITY ASSURANCE ACTIVITIES

The term "software quality" is used extensively in the world of applications development.
Software quality is an elusive term that has different meanings to different people.
For the purposes of this document, a high-quality application is one that:
• carries out the purpose intended by the user.
• is delivered on time and within budget.
• has no errors.
• can be maintained and modified to meet changing conditions at a minimal cost.

CMMI

Capability Maturity Model Intergration 2000

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Functionality Testing


Functional testing is validating an application or web site, conforms to its specifications and correctly performs all its required functions.

This entails a series of tests which perform a feature by feature validation of behavior, using a wide range of normal and erroneous input data. This can involve testing of the product's user interface, database management, security, installation, networking, etc.

Java Test Tools

CMTJava - Complexity measurement tool from Verifysoft GmbH. Includes McCabe cyclomatic complexity, lines-of-code metrics, Halstead metrics, maintainability index.

Javacov - A J2SE/J2EE Coverage testing tool from Alvicom; specializes in testing to MC/DC (Modified Condition/Decision Coverage) depth. Capabilities include: Eclipse plugin; report generation into HTML and XML; Apache Ant integration and support for test automation.

Jameleon - Open source automated testing harness for acceptance-level and integration testing, written in Java. Separates applications into features and allows those features to be tied together independently, in XML, creating self-documenting automated test cases. These test-cases can then be data-driven and executed against different environments. Easily extensible via plug-ins; includes support for web applications and database testing.

Agitator - Automated java unit testing tool from Agitar Software. Creates instances of classes being exercised, calling each method with selected, dynamically created sets of input data, and analyzing results. Stores all information in XML files; works with Eclipse and a variety of IDEs

PMD - Open source tool scans Java code for potential bugs, dead code, duplicate code, etc. - works with a variety of configurable and modifiable rulesets. Integrates with a wide variety of IDE's.

JLint - Open source static analysis tool will check Java code and find bugs, inconsistencies and synchronization problems by doing data flow analysis and building the lock graph.

Lint4j - A static Java source and byte code analyzer that detects locking and threading issues, performance and scalability problems, and checks complex contracts such as Java serialization by performing type, data flow, and lock graph analysis. Eclipse, Ant and Maven plugins available.

FindBugs - Open source static analysis tool to inspect Java bytecode for occurrences of bug patterns, such as difficult language features, misunderstood API methods, misunderstood invariants when code is modified during maintenance, garden variety mistakes such as typos, use of the wrong boolean, etc. Can report false warnings, generally less than 50%.

CheckStyle - Open source tool for checking code layout issues, class design problems, duplicate code, or bug patterns.

Java Development Tools - Java coverage, metrics, profiler, and clone detection tools from Semantic Designs.

AppPerfect Test Studio - Suite of testing, tuning, and monitoring products for java development from AppPerfect Corp. Includes: Unit Tester, Code Analyzer, Java/J2EE Profiler and other modules.

QEngine - Platform independent Test Automation tool from AdventNet for Java Application Functionality, Java API, SOAP, Regression, and Java Application Performance testing, as well as Web Functionality and Web Performance testing. Developed using Java for portability and multiple platform support (Windows, Linux, and Solaris).

GJTester - Java unit, regression, and contract (black box) test tool from TreborSoft. Enables test case and test script development without programming. Test private and protected functions, and server application's modules, without implementing test clients, regression testing for JAVA VM upgrades. Useful for testing CORBA, RMI, and other server technologies as well. GUI interface emphasizing ease of use.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Test Matric


A Metric is a quantitative measure of the degree to which a system, component or process possesses a given attribute. Software metrics are measures that are used to quantify the software, software development resources and software development process. A metric is defined to be the name of a mathematical function used to measure some attribute of a product or process. The actual numerical value produced by a metric is a measure. For example, cyclomatic complexity is a metric; when applied to program code, the number yielded by the formula is the cyclomatic complexity measure.


Two general classes of metrics include the following:

  • Management metrics , which assist in the management of the software development process.
  • Quality metrics , which are predictors or indicators of the product qualities.

Metrics related to software error detection ("Testing") in the broad sense, grouped into the following categories:

General metrics that may be captured and analysed throughout the product life cycle

Software Requirements metrics , which may give early warning of quality problems in requirements specifications

Software Design metrics , which may be used to assess the status of software designs;

Code metrics reveal properties of the program source code;

Test metrics can be used to control the testing process, to assess its effectiveness, and to set improvement targets;

Software Installation metrics, which are applicable during the installation process;

Software Operation and Maintenance metrics , including those used in providing software product support.

Software Testing

Testing Mines

Software testing is any activity aimed at evaluating an attribute or capability of a program or system and determining that it meets its required results. Although crucial to software quality and widely deployed by programmers and testers, software testing still remains an art, due to limited understanding of the principles of software.

The difficulty in software testing stems from the complexity of software: we can not completely test a program with moderate complexity. Testing is more than just debugging. The purpose of testing can be quality assurance, verification and validation, or reliability estimation.

Testing Mines

Testing Mines

Q:- what is difference between test plan and usecase.

A:- Test plan : It contains introduction to the client company,scope,overview of the application, test strategy,schedule, roles and responsibilities, deliverables and milestones.

Use Case : It is nothing but user action and system response. It contains the flows typical flow, alternate flow and exceptional flow. Apart from these it also has a pre condition and post condition.

Testing Mines

Testing Mines

Q:- what is the difference between test techniques and test methodology?

A:- Tesing techniques constitute of :Equivalent class Partitioning, Boundary Value Analysis, Error Guessing for Black Box.

Statement Coverage,Condition Coverage for White Box testing.

Test Methodology : It is the way we are going to appraoch a project. It is nothing but method we are following in out project.

Monday, May 29, 2006

What is Spiral Model.


The spiral model is similar to the incremental model, with more emphases placed on risk analysis. The spiral model has four phases: Planning, Risk Analysis, Engineering and Evaluation. A software project repeatedly passes through these phases in iterations (called Spirals in this model). The baseline spiral, starting in the planning phase, requirements are gathered and risk is assessed. Each subsequent spirals builds on the baseline spiral.

Requirements are gathered during the planning phase. In the risk analysis phase, a process is undertaken to identify risk and alternate solutions. A prototype is produced at the end of the risk analysis phase.

Software is produced in the engineering phase, along with testing at the end of the phase. The evaluation phase allows the customer to evaluate the output of the project to date before the project continues to the next spiral.

In the spiral model, the angular component represents progress, and the radius of the spiral represents cost.

Spiral Life Cycle ModelSpiralModel

Advantages

  • High amount of risk analysis
  • Good for large and mission-critical projects.
  • Software is produced early in the software life cycle.

Disadvantages

  • Can be a costly model to use.
  • Risk analysis requires highly specific expertise.
  • Project’s success is highly dependent on the risk analysis phase.
  • Doesn’t work well for smaller projects.

What is Incremental Model.

The incremental model is an intuitive approach to the waterfall model. Multiple development cycles take place here, making the life cycle a “multi-waterfall” cycle. Cycles are divided up into smaller, more easily managed iterations. Each iteration passes through the requirements, design, implementation and testing phases.

A working version of software is produced during the first iteration, so you have working software early on during the software life cycle. Subsequent iterations build on the initial software produced during the first iteration.

Incremental Life Cycle ModelSpiralModel

Advantages

  • Generates working software quickly and early during the software life cycle.
  • More flexible – less costly to change scope and requirements.
  • Easier to test and debug during a smaller iteration.
  • Easier to manage risk because risky pieces are identified and handled during its iteration.
  • Each iteration is an easily managed milestone.

Disadvantages

  • Each phase of an iteration is rigid and do not overlap each other.
  • Problems may arise pertaining to system architecture because not all requirements are gathered up front for the entire software life cycle.

What is V-Model.

The V-Shaped life cycle is a sequential path of execution of processes. Each phase must be completed before the next phase begins. Testing is emphasized in this model more so than the waterfall model though. The testing procedures are developed early in the life cycle before any coding is done, during each of the phases preceding implementation.

Requirements begin the life cycle model just like the waterfall model. Before development is started, a system test plan is created. The test plan focuses on meeting the functionality specified in the requirements gathering.

The high-level design phase focuses on system architecture and design. An integration test plan is created in this phase as well in order to test the pieces of the software systems ability to work together.

The low-level design phase is where the actual software components are designed, and unit tests are created in this phase as well.

The implementation phase is, again, where all coding takes place. Once coding is complete, the path of execution continues up the right side of the V where the test plans developed earlier are now put to use.

V-Shaped Life Cycle ModelVShapedModel

Advantages

  • Simple and easy to use.
  • Each phase has specific deliverables.
  • Higher chance of success over the waterfall model due to the development of test plans early on during the life cycle.
  • Works well for small projects where requirements are easily understood.

Disadvantages

  • Very rigid, like the waterfall model.
  • Little flexibility and adjusting scope is difficult and expensive.
  • Software is developed during the implementation phase, so no early prototypes of the software are produced.
  • Model doesn’t provide a clear path for problems found during testing phases.

Waterfall Model (SDLC):


This is the most common and classic of life cycle models, also referred to as a linear-sequential life cycle model. It is very simple to understand and use. In a waterfall model, each phase must be completed in its entirety before the next phase can begin. At the end of each phase, a review takes place to determine if the project is on the right path and whether or not to continue or discard the project. Unlike what I mentioned in the general model, phases do not overlap in a waterfall model.

Waterfall Life Cycle Model

Advantages
  • Simple and easy to use.
  • Easy to manage due to the rigidity of the model – each phase has specific deliverables and a review process.
  • Phases are processed and completed one at a time.
  • Works well for smaller projects where requirements are very well understood.
Disadvantages
  • Adjusting scope during the life cycle can kill a project
  • No working software is produced until late during the life cycle.
  • High amounts of risk and uncertainty.
  • Poor model for complex and object-oriented projects.
  • Poor model for long and ongoing projects.
  • Poor model where requirements are at a moderate to high risk of changing.

General Life Cycle Model

Software life cycle models describe phases of the software cycle and the order in which those phases are executed. There are tons of models, and many companies adopt their own, but all have very similar patterns. The general, basic model is shown below:

General Life Cycle ModelGeneralModel

Each phase produces deliverables required by the next phase in the life cycle. Requirements are translated into design. Code is produced during implementation that is driven by the design. Testing verifies the deliverable of the implementation phase against requirements.

Requirements

Business requirements are gathered in this phase. This phase is the main focus of the project managers and stake holders. Meetings with managers, stake holders and users are held in order to determine the requirements. Who is going to use the system? How will they use the system? What data should be input into the system? What data should be output by the system? These are general questions that get answered during a requirements gathering phase. This produces a nice big list of functionality that the system should provide, which describes functions the system should perform, business logic that processes data, what data is stored and used by the system, and how the user interface should work. The overall result is the system as a whole and how it performs, not how it is actually going to do it.

Design

The software system design is produced from the results of the requirements phase. Architects have the ball in their court during this phase and this is the phase in which their focus lies. This is where the details on how the system will work is produced. Architecture, including hardware and software, communication, software design (UML is produced here) are all part of the deliverables of a design phase.

Implementation

Code is produced from the deliverables of the design phase during implementation, and this is the longest phase of the software development life cycle. For a developer, this is the main focus of the life cycle because this is where the code is produced. Implementation my overlap with both the design and testing phases. Many tools exists (CASE tools) to actually automate the production of code using information gathered and produced during the design phase.

Testing

During testing, the implementation is tested against the requirements to make sure that the product is actually solving the needs addressed and gathered during the requirements phase. Unit tests and system/acceptance tests are done during this phase. Unit tests act on a specific component of the system, while system tests act on the system as a whole.

So in a nutshell, that is a very basic overview of the general software development life cycle model. Now lets delve into some of the traditional and widely used variations.

Testing Mines

Testing Mines

Q:- Difference between Beta Testing and UAT Testing.

A:- Short for user acceptance testing, typically the final phase in a software development process in which the software is given to the intended audience to be tested for functionality. UAT is either done by making the software available for a free trial, typically over the Internet, or by using an in-house testing panel comprised of users who would be using the product in real-world applications. UAT is done in order to get feedback from users to make any final adjustments to the programming before releasing the product to the general public.

UAT also is called beta testing, end-user testing or application testing.

why most of the companys go for manual testing rather than automation testing ,when automation testing useful.


Manual testing is Cost Effective and Perfect.Gui Testing Cant be done using automation. there is an absence of creativity and innovative thinking in automation testing. Automation can be used for the regression testing of the manually
tested application and performance testing
.