Measures of Dispersion and Variability: Range, QD, AD and SD
fundamentals of testing
1. Program Studi S1 Sistem Informasi
Fakultas Sains dan Teknologi
Universitas Islam Negeri Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau
2. Software system context
Some of the problems we encounter when using software are quite trivial, but others can be
costly and damaging - with loss of money, time or business reputation - and even may
result in injury or death. For example, suppose a user interface has typographical defects.
Does this matter? It may be trivial, but it could have a significant effect, depending on the
website and the defect:
۞If my personal family-
tree website has my
maternal grandmother's
maiden name spelt
wrong, my mother gets
annoyed and I have to
put up with some family
teasing, but I can fix it
easily and only the
family see it (probably).
If the company
website has some
spelling mistakes in
the text, potential
customers may be
put off the company
as it looks
unprofessional.
If a software program miscalculates pesticide application
quantities, the effect could be very significant: suppose a
decimal point is wrongly placed so that the application rate is
10 times too large. The farmer or gardener uses more
pesticide than needed, which raises his costs, has
environmental impacts on wildlife and water supplies and has
health and safety impact for the farmer, gardener, family and
workforce, livestock and pets. There may also be consequent
loss of trust in and business for the company and possible
legal costs and fines for causing the environmental and health
problems.
3. Cause of software defects
If someone makes an error or mistake in using the software, this
may lead directly to a problem - the software is used incorrectly and so
does not behave as we expected. However, people also design and
build the software and they can make mistakes during the design and
build. These mistakes mean that there are flaws in the software itself.
These are called defects or sometimes bugs or faults. Remember, the
software is not just the code; check the definition of soft- ware again to
remind yourself.
When the software code has been built, it is executed and then
any defects may cause the system to fail to do what it should do (or do
something it shouldn't), causing a failure. Not all defects result in
failures; some stay dormant in the code and we may never notice them.
5. Testing and Quality
Testing helps us to measure the quality of
software in terms of the number of defects
found, the tests run, and the system covered
by the tests. We can do this for both the
functional attributes of the software (for
example, printing a report correctly) and for
the non-functional software requirements and
characteristics (for example, printing a report
quickly enough).
6. Testing and Quality
Viewpoint Software Tomatoes
Quality is measured by looking at the attributes of
the product.
We will measure the attributes of the software, e.g.
its reliability in terms of mean time between failures
(MBTF), and release when they reach a specified
level e.g. MTBF of 12 hours.
The tomatoes are the right size and shape for packing
for the supermarket. The tomatoes have a good taste
and color.
Quality is fitness for use. Quality can have
subjective aspects and not just quantitative
aspects.
We will ask the users whether they can carry out
their tasks; if they are satisfied that they can we will
release the software.
The tomatoes are right for our recipe.
Quality is based on good manufacturing
processes, and meeting defined requirements. It is
measured by testing, inspection, and analysis of
faults and failures.
We will use a recognized software development
process. We will only release the software if there are
fewer than five outstanding high-priority defects
once the planned tests are complete.
The tomatoes are organically farmed. The tomatoes
have no blemishes and no pest damage.
Expectation of value for money, affordability, and
a value-based trade-off between time, effort and
cost aspects. We can afford to buy this software
and we expect a return on investment.
We have time-boxed the testing to two weeks to stay
in the project budget.
The tomatoes have a good shelf life. The tomatoes
are cheap or good value for money.
Transcendent feelings - this is about the feelings of
an individual or group of individuals towards a
product or a supplier.
We like this software! It is fun and it's the latest
thing! So what if it has a few problems? We want to
use it anyway...
We really enjoy working with this software team. So,
there were a few problems – they sorted them out
really quickly – we trust them.
We get our tomatoes from a small local farm and we
get on so well with the growers.
Viewpoints of expectations and quality
7. Defining Software Testing
Process – Testing is a process rather than a single activity – there are a series of
activities involved.
All life cycle activities – in the life cycle we find bugs, the more expensive they are to
fix. If we can find and fix requirements defects at the requirements stage, that must
make commercial sense. We'll build the right software, correctly and at a lower cost
overall. So, the thought process of designing tests early in the life cycle can help to
prevent defects from being introduced into code.
Both static and dynamic – This testing includes reviewing of documents (including
source code) and static analysis. This is a useful and cost effective way of testing.
First Part
8. Defining Software Testing
Planning – Activities take place before and after test execution. We need to
manage the testing
Preparation – We need to choose what testing we'll do, by selecting test con
ditions and designing test cases.
Evaluation – As well as executing the tests, we must check the results and
evaluate the software under test and the completion criteria, which help us
decide whether we have finished testing and whether the software product has
passed the tests.
Software products and related work products – We don't just test code. We test the
requirements and design specifications, and we test related documents such as operation,
user and training material. Static and dynamic testing are both needed to cover the range of
products we need to test.
9. Defining Software Testing
Second Part
Determine that (software products) satisfy specified requirements – Some of the testing
we do is focused on checking products against the specification for the product
Demonstrate that (software products) are fit for purpose – This is slightly different to
the point above; after all the specified requirements might be wrong or incomplete. 'Fit
for purpose' looks at whether the software does enough to help the users to carry out
their tasks
Detect defects – We most often think of software testing as a means of detecting
faults or defects that in operational use will cause failures. Finding the defects helps
us understand the risks associated with putting the software into operational use,
and fixing the defects improves the quality of the prod ucts. However, identifying
defects has another benefit.
10. Testing Principle
Principle 1: Testing shows presence of defects Testing can show that defects are
present, but cannot prove that there are
no defects. Testing reduces the
probability of undiscovered defects
remaining in the software but, even if no
defects are found, it is not a proof of
correctness.
Principle 2: Exhaustive testing is impossible Testing everything (all combinations of
inputs and preconditions) is not feasible
except for trivial cases. Instead of
exhaustive testing, we use risks and
priorities to focus testing efforts.
Principle 3: Early testing Testing activities should start as early as
possible in the software or system
development life cycle and should be
focused on defined objectives.
Principle 4: Defect clustering A small number of modules contain
most of the defects discovered during
pre-release testing or show the most
operational failures.
11. Principle 5: Pesticide paradox If the same tests are repeated
over and over again, eventually
the same set of test cases will no
longer find any new bugs. To
overcome this 'pesticide paradox',
the test cases need to be
regularly reviewed and revised,
and new and different tests need
to be written to exercise different
parts of the software or system to
potentially find more defects.
Principle 6: Testing is context dependent Testing is done differently in
different contexts. For example,
safety-critical software is tested
differently from an e-commerce
site.
Principle 7: Absence-of-errors fallacy Finding and fixing defects does
not help if the system built is
unusable and does not fulfill the
users' needs and expectations.
Testing Principle
12. Fundamental Test Process
Planning and
Control
Analysis and
Design
Implementation
and Execution
Evaluating Exit
Criteria and
Reporting
Test Closure
Activities
Editor's Notes
NOTE:
To change the image on this slide, select the picture and delete it. Then click the Pictures icon in the placeholder to insert your own image.