Introducing Software Testing (ACM Press) [Paperback]

Louise Tamres (Author)

Book Description

Series: ACM Press | Publication Date: May 9, 2002

Introducing Software Testing introduces practical ideas for a software tester to jump-start the testing effort. Strategies presented tackle the common obstacles of testing in order to meet time critical deadlines. The examples included walk the tester through the concepts presented, including how to design tests for products that have insufficient requirements. Documentation is essential to the success of testing software and recording accurate results. Risk analysis is covered to help the tester identify the most relevant tests to address the most important features.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Software Development/Testing

 

Introducing

Software Testing

Louise Tamres

 

Testing plays a vital role in the development of quality software. However, many organizations have ill-defined testing processes, so many testers have to work with little guidance and have to learn their craft the hard way. This book is designed to help the inexperienced tester to make intelligent choices and maximize the effectiveness of tests, even when faced with incomplete or contradictory requirements.

Introducing Software Testing

will enable you to

• Learn a step-by-step approach to testing, focusing on core functionality
• Identify missing information and perform useful testing when working with deficient requirements
• Explore various documentation formats and shortcuts for recording test cases
• Develop strategies for designing tests at both system and unit levels
• Apply testing techniques to object-oriented and web-based applications.

By applying risk analysis and other prioritization schemes, software developers and testers can select the most relevant tests. The ideas and examples provided help to transform product information into test cases and progress towards a more rigorous testing environment.

About the Author:

Louise Tamres is a Software Quality Specialist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan who has been performing testing since 1983, including work for the US Department of Defense and General Motors. She holds the Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE) qualification, is on the committee for the International Conference on Testing Computer Software and has trained and mentored many fledgling testers.

Visit us on the world wide web at

www.it-minds.com

www.aw.com/cseng

ADDISON-WESLEY

A Pearson Education book

About the Author

Louise Tamres is a US-based consultant with 16 years testing experience, including work for the US department of defence and General Motors. She holds the Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE) qualification, is on the committee for the International Conference on Testing Computer Software and has trained and mentored many fledgling testers.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional (May 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201719746
• ISBN-13: 978-0201719741
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #639,823 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Practical Book on Testing Based on Solid Techniques, September 6, 2002

By 

Randy Rice "Software Testing Consultant & Tra... (Oklahoma City, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introducing Software Testing (ACM Press) (Paperback)

Introducing Software Testing is a good treatment of many techniques that have been successfully used by testers over the years. This book has a good philosophy behind it that says requirements and processes are important in testing. However, the book presents the information in a way that people in organizations that may not have firmly defined requirements or processes can still easily apply the techniques described in the book.

There was a lot for me to like about this book. First, there is a wide coverage of test and test-related topics. There are many topics in software testing - just go to a testing conference to see some of the possibilities. Tamres does a good job in covering the major topics in a way that leaves the reader with an understanding of what's needed for software testing. Second, the book is appropriate for testers at all levels. Although the title is "Introducing Software Testing," I would not dismiss it too quickly as being a book just for beginners. I have been a full-time tester and trainer in testing for 14 years and still learned valuable things from this book. Third, there is adequate detail. I never left any topic asking "why?" or "how?". The level of detail is a good balance between readability and having enough detail to explain the topics. For every topic, there are multiple examples of how to apply the techniques described in the book. These examples show realistic ways the techniques would be applied in an actual project. Finally, the book is based on proven and practical techniques. The techniques shown in the book are the same ones that testers have been using for many years, but having them in one book is a great thing. The techniques are easy to understand and apply. I'm all for creative and new techniques for testing, but for foundational approaches that have been proven to work and to scale for large projects, I like to keep firmly grounded in good practices.

I can highly recommend this book to anyone in testing, whether you are the poor soul that has been assigned to test your company's latest project and know nothing about testing, or if you are a test manager looking for a resource to build your team's skills. This book covers the major topics in testing in a way that promotes process-driven and requirements-based project structures, but the techniques can be used in any project environment. This is a must-have book for your technical bookshelf.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raises the bar for SW testing books, May 17, 2002

By 

Mike Tarrani "www.tarrani.com" (Deltona, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introducing Software Testing (ACM Press) (Paperback)

Teaches good habits to new testers, and offers much to experienced test professionals. I cannot imagine a better introductory book for software testers because this much needed text bypasses the theory that similar books inundate you with and goes straight to the essence of what testers spend most of their time doing: writing test plans and developing test cases. In fact, the first chapter (Tackling the Testing Maze) is the roadmap for the rest of the book, as well as the test process itself. The approach is modern in that it's aligned to iterative development life cycles, which is based on eight stages:
1. Exploration
2. Baseline test
3. Trend analysis
4. Inventory
5. Inventory combinations
6. Boundaries
7. Data
8. Stress the environment
What I like about this book is the no-nonsense approach to developing a test outline from which the test plan(s) and test cases will be derived, and the way that this documentation is aligned to the real world. For example, due diligence in the form of meticulous attention to sign-offs and authorities to proceed is emphasized. This alone is a common failure point in many test organizations. I also like the way that the realities of the project are highlighted, especially the interactions with the development team and the integration of project considerations into the process - in particular, the schedule constraints that all testers must juggle while meeting quality goals.

Other areas that make this a realistic look at testing include the chapters on object-oriented and web testing, and the inclusion of security testing - especially the latter which has been neglected in many advanced books and is an important, but overlooked, aspect of the full test suite.

Because this is an introductory text the author uses case studies and copious examples to illustrate and reinforce concepts and activities. But most important, the focus is on activities that reflect what testers do and theory only when required. This makes the book interesting and will give to anyone who follows the approach solid skills that will increase their worth to their team as well as dramatically increase their professional knowledge and skills.

For new testers this is probably the most important book you can buy. If you're a test manager you'll find this book to be an ideal training tool, and if combined with Systematic Software Testing by Rick D. Craig and Stefan P. Jaskiel will give you a complete reference library. The approach in the Craig and Jaskiel book is completely consistent with the approach in this one, making both books all the more valuable.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Practical text focusing on test design, April 26, 2003

By 

William McMichael (Audubon, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introducing Software Testing (ACM Press) (Paperback)

This text focuses on test planning and test design. It is loaded with examples and is very practical. Well written and organized with a very useful appendix of test design templates.