This document discusses software testing and provides guidance on best practices. It defines software testing as empirically investigating a product to provide stakeholders with quality information. The key aspects of testing discussed are modeling the system, making observations, asking useful questions, using logical reasoning, and taking a process of discovery approach. Testing is distinguished from checking and the importance of test design, exploratory testing, and testability over large automated test suites is emphasized. Credits are given to influential thinkers in the field.

1. SOFTWARE
TESTING
ANNE-MARIE CHARRETT
SKYPE: CHARRETTS
TWITTER: @CHARRETT
© Testing Times 2013

2. WHAT IS SOFTWARE
TESTING?
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3. TESTING LEGACY
Documents/Code
Test Strategy
Test Spec
Test Execution
Test Report
Requires a
Activities
tester to be able to:
Strategy
• Often has formalised methodology based on IEEE829
AnalysisTest Scripts upfront against Requirements
Reporting
Testing
Design
• Design
Configuration
Modelling
• Requires Experienced Test Analyst Configuration
Vs Tester
Modelling
Operation
Operation
• Indicate Expected Result upfront
Decision Making
Observation
Observation
• Complete when 100% Test Executed
Evaluation
Evaluation
Communication
copyright ©TestingTimes 2013
© Testing Times 2013

4. SOFTWARE TESTING IS
QUESTIONING A
PRODUCT IN ORDER TO
EVALUATE IT
James Bach
© Testing Times 2013

5. WHY DO WE DEVELOP SOFTWARE?
Software is about
solving problems
for people
Testing is about
asking the
question:
“Is that problem
solved”?
Cem Kaner (BBST)
© Testing Times 2013

6. WHAT IS SOFTWARE TESTING?
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7. SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Define a question
Gather information and resources (observe)
Form an explanatory hypothesis
Test the hypothesis by performing an experiment and collecting
data in a reproducible manner
Analyze the data
Interpret the data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting
point for new hypothesis
Publish results
Retest (frequently done by other scientists)
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8. BIG TRAK
Two teams
Each Team has at least one reporter
Each Team has observers
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9. WHAT DOES X2 DO?
x2 is also known as the repeat key
x2 requires a numeric parameter (n).
x2 can only be used once in a program
x2 has no effect on instructions following
its location in the program
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10. WHAT DOES X2 DO?
One repeat of the last n steps
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11. EXPLORING SCIENCE
• Tests can be easy to construct and easily observable,
but don’t offer much information.
• Skill in
• Knowing where to look (experimental design)
• Understand what is seen (hypothesis formation)
• Interaction between these two is required for
successful scientific discovery
• Think of hypothesis upfront results in faster discovery
• Hypothesis formation is critical to finding the x2 button
• Confirmation Bias: “Tendency for people to seek
evidence to verify their hypothesis rather than refute
them”

12. SCIENCE & TESTING
• Testing is more about acquiring information than pass/
fail
• Testing like experiments requires good test design
• Confirmation Bias leads us to check rather than test
• Testing requires we ask useful questions,
• Testing requires we challenge assumptions
• Testing is about thinking critically
© Testing Times 2013

13. “SOFTWARE TESTING IS AN
EMPIRICAL TECHNICAL
INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED
TO PROVIDE STAKEHOLDERS
WITH INFORMATION ABOUT
THE QUALITY OF THE
PRODUCT OR SERVICE
UNDER TEST”
Cem Kaner
© Testing Times 2013

14. SOFTWARE TESTING
• Modelling
• Observation
• Asking Useful
Questions
• Logical
Reasoning
• Process of
Discovery
© Testing Times 2013

15. CONCLUSION
Distinguish between checking & testing
Offer thoughtful test design in ANY testing
Automated Checking good for confirmation
Exploratory Testing allows us to investigate the
product
Don't plan all your tests upfront, you need to be able
to react to the information you find
Focus on Testability rather than large automated
regression suites
• Testability in creating test data
• Helping to recognise problems
© Testing Times 2013

16. CREDITS
Heavily influenced by the following people and
their work
• Cem Kaner and the BBST courses
• James Bach & Michael Bolton - Rapid Software
Testing
• Gerald Weinberg - Problem Solving Leadership
© Testing Times 2013

17. THANKS!
Exploring Science - David Klahr
Scientific Method & Testing - James Bach
James Bach – http://satisfice.com
Michael Bolton: - http://developsense.com
Cem Kaner: http://kaner.com
Email: amcharrett@testingtimes.com.au
© Testing Times 2013