Customer Reviews

How We Test Software at Microsoft

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Spoiler Alert: Software is tested at Microsoft with mind-numbing bureaucracy and buzzwords.

I understand this is a "how we do testing a Microsoft" book, but I at least expected a few real code samples, unit tests, test automation scripts, or test plan samples. Instead, code samples were obviously simple functions thrown together by the author, and in-depth testing samples are nowhere to be found.

Instead, this book mostly comes off as an HR manual. MS's testing career path is documented in agonizing detail, and the author tries too hard to suck up to his bosses. Seriously, he actually tells the reader to search for Steve Balmer speeches on Live.com to become inspired.

Once they actually start talking about testing, it is incredibly vague and buzzword laden. There are a few good pieces of advice here, but nothing you won't find in a far better book.

The key question of how software is tested at MS is never really answered. For example:

1. Linux maintainers use Coverity on the Linux Kernel. Does MS use such tools on their Kernel?
2. What sort of scripting languages are used for automation testing of Office or Windows or any other MS product?
3. What sort of Unit Testing software do MS developers use? CppUnit? NUnit? The Unit testing feature in VS2008? What do some of these unit tests look like?
4. What does the typical test plan at MS look like?
5. What sort of white-box testing do developers perform? There are a few vague references to unit testing, but what about performance and coverage testing? What specific tools do they use? What do their result reports look like?

After reading this book, I'm hard pressed to answer any of these.

I would strongly advise people new to testing to avoid this book; otherwise they will be discouraged. Testing can actually be fun and interesting--this book is not.

P.S., I notice the high reviews of this book are from Microsoft employees. Conflict of interest, anyone?

Great insight into software testing, with a nice balance of stories, process, and test techniques. I now work at Microsoft as an SDET, after many years testing and developing at other software companies, but was still was eagerly awaiting this book.

I'm fascinated by how testers learn their craft, how testing balances the pragmatic and theoretical, and how testers grow in their career. This book covered all that, as well as providing an insight into testing at Microsoft.

For software testers, or anyone interested in software development, this book joins other books I'd recommend, including A Practitioner's Guide to Software Test Design, Testing Computer Software, How to Break Software, and (for security) Hunting Security Bugs.

I have been a software tester, SDET, for over ten years, and while I stay current with the industry via books and websites, I learned a long time ago that software testing books rarely reflect the real world of software testing. It is a fact that testing comes in later in a software release cycle, and more often then not, well after the decision making. We start out at the wrong end of the problem, so to speak, and end up telling people too late, about issues that should have been addressed much earlier in the release cycle. I get tried of the standard solution to this problem that is presented in most test books and websites, which is `prove the approach doesn't work'. That is inevitability met with the response of upper management, 'keep the quality, but cut the test effort'. (Shoot the messenger)

This book isn't going to waste your time with superficial solutions, or perfect world scenarios, this book is written from the trenches. I spent the first day reading it, nodding my head, and at times yelling "yes, that's it EXACTLY". The writers are drawing from experience, they understand testing software, and more importantly, they understand how to position a tester, and a test team, for success. This book goes far beyond Kaner's "Testing Computer Software", and is a must for any software tester who is passionate about shipping quality products.

There are lot of books that talks about how to test and what to test but do you want to know how testing is done at one of the biggest software company in the world then this is the book. The authors talk about what kind of skill set they look for when they hire tester and how they are trained. He then goes about talking about different testing methods and its purpose while using real world examples and stats on which methods are good and how they can be used in conjunction to provide more coverage.

I expected more technical details on testing but in terms of an overview book on software testing I think it is one of the better books.

I was disappointed by this book. The bottom line is that this book has nothing in it which isn't covered better by other software testing books. And the information which is specific to Microsoft is not useful to anyone who is not a Microsoft employee. As another reviewer correctly pointed out, this book does not contain detailed information about specific software testing techniques. That's OK. The book does give all the pertinent acronyms and buzzwords, but paradoxically goes into too much detail, which obscures the important principles. In short, if you want a book which explains software testing techniques used at Microsoft, this is not the book for you. If you want a book which explains testing principles, you are better off with Kaner's "Testing Computer Software" or Patton's "Software Testing". This book might be useful for senior level software testing managers at Microsoft who are looking for a light story-based approach. I suspect there is a good reason why this book was published by Microsoft Press rather than by an impartial publishing company.

Pros: Generally well written and maybe an enjoyable read for experienced Microsoft managers.

Cons: Not technique based as the title might suggest, and not nearly as good as existing books for software testing principles.

This book was good but it obviously focuses on technologies that are specific to Microsoft. In my case I thought it was a great book since most of the things I work on are Microsoft so no major loss there. I do recommend it for those that work with .NET technologies and are wanting to look into testing and all the tools and practices that Microsoft has made available.

This book is one of my favorities on Software Testing. I would recommend this book to every one who wants get a fresh perspective on software testing/SQA. My best pick from the book is the chapter on "A practical approach to Test Case design", Authors have tremendously succeeded in explaining the principles with great real life examples in a very lucid style. Personally, it helped to improvize the test planning efforts at my work place and also to explain & emphasize the need for desigining "practical" test scenarios to my students. Chapter on "Test Automation" provides very good insights on how to take best advantage of automation tools. Book is neatly organized and will be a great reading for beginners and for experienced QA professionals as well.

This book is one of the best books i've ever read. it has lot of good information, not only related to Microsoft way of testing, but also general concepts and guidelines.

I would recommend this book not only for testers, but anyone involved somehow on development process.

For managers, would help them to realize their own mistakes and compromises towards a decent final product and for developers, their own piece of guilty on the Q&A process.

It is not a "Microsoft book" sharing only "appraisals" to Microsoft itself, but good on identifying several parts of the Q&A process.

A good start if you want to stop creating "software on demand", like a fast foode counter order.

As I'm responsible for software testing in another great company, I always like to look how other comparable companies do their job in testing.
As soon as I got to know about this book I ordered and I just can say:
Exceeds expectations.
Why?
It is a structured way starting with some background information about organization of Development and Test, engineering lifecycle, testing methods and techniques, etc.
All is explained in detail, easy to understand and you can smell the experience on every page.
So I decided after having had a frist quick read to do a second more thoroughly and to note down, what we can learn or need to change.
So, why not 5 stars?
Because you guys did not mention anything about metrics and its influence on our work and the results.