Manual Testing

The waterfall model is a sequential software development process, in which progress is seen as
flowing steadily downwards (like a waterfall l) through the phases of Conception, Initiation,
Analysis, Design (validation), Construction, Testing and maintenance.
The unmodified "waterfall model". Progress flows from the top to the bottom, like a waterfall.
It should be readily apparent that the waterfall development model has its origins in the
manufacturing and construction industries; highly structured physical environments in which after-
the-fact changes are prohibitively costly, if not impossible. Since no formal software development
methodologies existed at the time, this hardware-oriented model was simply adapted for software
development. Ironically, the use of the waterfall model for software development essentially
ignores the 'soft' in 'software'.
The first formal description of the waterfall model is often cited to be an article published in 1970
by Winston W. Royce (1929-1995), although Royce did not use the term "waterfall" in this article.
Ironically, Royce was presenting this model as an example of a flawed, non-working model
(Royce 1970). This is in fact the way the term has generally been used in writing about software
development-as a way to criticize a commonly used software practice.
Waterfall Model Diagram
Waterfall Model Diagram - Explained
Let us now take a look at the different phases of the waterfall model diagram. One important
aspect that is worth mentioning before we start off with the waterfall model life cycle is that the
waterfall model is designed such that, until the preceding phase is complete, you cannot move
over to the next phase of development.
Requirement
Unless you know what you want to design, you cannot proceed with the project. Not only big
projects, but even a small code of adding two integer numbers also needs to be written with the
output in mind. Here, in this stage, the requirements which the software is going to satisfy is
specified. All requirements are presented to the team of programmers. If this phase is completed
successfully, it ensures a smooth working of the remaining waterfall model phases, as the
programmer is not burdened to make changes at later stages because of changing requirements.
Analysis
As per the requirements, the software and hardware for the proper completion of the project is
analyzed in this phase. Right from the point of which computer language should be used for the
designing of the software, to the database system that can be used for the smooth functioning of
the software is decided at this stage.
Design
The algorithm or flowchart of the program or the software code to be written in the next stage is
created now. It is a very important stage, which relies on the previous two stages for its proper
implementation and the proper execution of the same ensures a smooth working of the next
stage. If during the design phase it can be made out that there are some more requirements for
designing the code, it is added up to the list in the analysis phase and the design phase is carried
out according to the new set of resources.
Coding
Based on the algorithm or flowchart designed, the actual coding of the software is carried out.
This is the stage where the entire idea of the software of program to be designed is materialized.
A proper execution of the previous stages ensures a smooth implementation of this stage.
Testing
With the coding complete, the testing department now comes into scene. It checks out if there are
any flaws in the designed software and if the software has been designed as per the
specifications. A proper execution of this stage ensures that the client for which the software has
been designed, will be satisfied with the work. If there are any flaws, the problem is reverted back
to the design phase. In the design phase, the changes are implemented and then its succeeding
stages, coding and testing are again carried out. Read more on software testing.
Acceptance
This is the last stage of the software development, using the waterfall model. A proper execution
of all the preceding stages ensures a software as per the requirements and most importantly, it
ensures a satisfied client. However, at this stage you may need to provide the client with some
support regarding the software you have developed. If the client demands some further
enhancements to be made to the existing software, then the process again needs to be started,
right from the first phase, i.e., requirements.
Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers
The following are some of the interview questions for manual testing. This will give you a fair idea
of what these questions are like.
• What is the accessibility testing?

• What is Ad Hoc Testing?
• What is the Alpha Testing?
• What is Beta Testing?
• What is Component Testing?
• What is Compatibility Testing?
• What is Data Driven Testing?
• What is Concurrency Testing?
• What is Conformance Testing?
• What is Context Driven Testing?
• What is Conversion Testing?
• What is Depth Testing?
• What is Dynamic Testing?
• What is End-to-End testing?
• What is Endurance Testing?
• What is Installation Testing?
• What is Gorilla Testing?
• What is Exhaustive Testing?
• What is Localization Testing?
• What is Loop Testing?
• What is Mutation Testing?
• What is Positive Testing?
• What is Monkey Testing?
• What is Negative Testing?
• What is Path Testing?
• What is Ramp Testing?
• What is Performance Testing?
• What is Recovery Testing?
• What is the Regression testing?
• What is the Re-testing testing?
• What is Stress Testing?
• What is Sanity Testing?
• What is Smoke Testing?
• What’s the Volume Testing?
• What’s the Usability testing?
• What is Scalability Testing?
• What is Soak Testing?
• What’s the User Acceptance testing?
These were some of the manual testing interview questions for freshers, let us now move on to
other forms of manual testing questions.
Software Testing Interview Questions for Freshers
Here are some software testing interview questions that will help you get into the more intricate
and complex formats of this form of manual testing.
• Can you explain the V model in manual testing?

• What is the water fall model in manual testing?
• What is the structure of bug life cycle?
• What is the difference between bug, error and defect?
• How does one add objects into the Object Repository?
• What are the different modes of recording?
• What does 'testing' mean?
• What is the purpose of carrying out manual testing for a background process that does
not have a user interface and how do you go about it?
• Explain with an example what test case and bug report are.
• How does one go about reviewing a test case and what are the types that are available?
• What is AUT?
• What is compatibility testing?
• What is alpha testing and beta testing?
• What is the V model?
• What is debugging?
• What is the difference between debugging and testing? Explain in detail.
• What is the fish model?
• What is port testing?
• Explain in detail the difference between smoke and sanity testing.
• What is the difference between usability testing and GUI?
• Why does one require object spy in QTP?
• What is the test case life cycle?
• Why does one save .vsb in library files in qtp winrunner?
• When do we do update mode in qtp?
• What is virtual memory?
• What is visual source safe?
• What is the difference between test scenarios and test strategy?
• What is the difference between properties and methods in qtp?
Software testing is an integral part of the software development life cycle (SDLC). Effectively and
efficiently testing a piece of code is equally important, if not more, than writing it. So what is
software testing? Well, for those of you who are new to software testing and quality assurance,
here's the answer to this question.
Software testing is nothing but subjecting a piece of code to both, controlled as well as
uncontrolled operating conditions, in an attempt to observe the output and examine whether it is
in accordance with certain pre-specified conditions. Different sets of test cases and testing
strategies are prepared, all of which aim at achieving one common goal - removing all the bugs
and errors from the code and making the software error-free and capable enough of providing
accurate and optimum outputs. There are different types of software testing techniques and
methodologies. A software testing methodology is different from a software testing technique. We
will have a look at a few software testing methodologies in the later part of this article.
Software Testing Methods

There are different types of testing methods or techniques as part of the software testing process.
I have enlisted a few of them below.
• White box testing

• Black box testing
• Gray box testing
• Unit testing
• Integration testing
• Regression testing
• Usability testing
• Performance testing
• Scalability testing
• Software stress testing
• Recovery testing
• Security testing
• Conformance testing
• Smoke testing
• Compatibility testing
• System testing
• Alpha testing
• Beta testing
The above software testing methods can be implemented in two ways - manually or by
automation. Manual software testing is done by human software testers who manually i.e.
physically check, test and report errors or bugs in the product or piece of code. In case of
automated software testing, the same process is performed by a computer by means of an
automated testing software such as WinRunner, LoadRunner, Test Director, etc.
Software Testing Methodologies

These are some commonly used software testing methodologies:
• Waterfall model
• V model
• Spiral model
• RUP
• Agile model
• RAD
Let us have a look at each one of these methodologies one by one.
Waterfall Model
The waterfall model adopts a 'top down' approach regardless of whether it is being used for
software development or testing. The basic steps involved in this software testing methodology
are:
1. Requirement analysis
2. Test case design
3. Test case implementation
4. Testing, debugging and validating the code or product
5. Deployment and maintenance
In this methodology, you move on to the next step only after you have completed the present
step. There is no scope for jumping backward or forward or performing two steps simultaneously.
Also, this model follows a non-iterative approach. The main benefit of this methodology is its
simplistic, systematic and orthodox approach. However, it has many shortcomings since bugs
and errors in the code are not discovered until and unless the testing stage is reached. This can
often lead to wastage of time, money and valuable resources.
V Model
The V model gets its name from the fact that the graphical representation of the different test
process activities involved in this methodology resembles the letter 'V'. The basic steps involved
in this methodology are more or less the same as those in the waterfall model. However, this
model follows both a 'top-down' as well as a 'bottom-up' approach (you can visualize them
forming the letter 'V'). The benefit of this methodology is that in this case, both the development
and testing activities go hand-in-hand. For example, as the development team goes about its
requirement analysis activities, the testing team simultaneously begins with its acceptance testing
activities. By following this approach, time delays are minimized and optimum utilization of
resources is assured.
Spiral Model
As the name implies, the spiral model follows an approach in which there are a number of cycles
(or spirals) of all the sequential steps of the waterfall model. Once the initial cycle is completed, a
thorough analysis and review of the achieved product or output is performed. If it is not as per the
specified requirements or expected standards, a second cycle follows, and so on. This
methodology follows an iterative approach and is generally suited for very large projects having
complex and constantly changing requirements.
Rational Unified Process (RUP)

The RUP methodology is also similar to the spiral model in the sense that the entire testing
procedure is broken up into multiple cycles or processes. Each cycle consists of four phases
namely; inception, elaboration, construction and transition. At the end of each cycle, the product
or the output is reviewed and a further cycle (made up of the same four phases) follows if
necessary. Today, you will find certain organizations and companies adopting a slightly modified
version of the RUP, which goes by the name of Enterprise Unified Process (EUP).
Agile Model
This methodology follows neither a purely sequential approach nor does it follow a purely iterative
approach. It is a selective mix of both of these approaches in addition to quite a few new
developmental methods. Fast and incremental development is one of the key principles of this
methodology. The focus is on obtaining quick, practical and visible outputs and results, rather
than merely following theoretical processes. Continuous customer interaction and participation is
an integral part of the entire development process.
Rapid Application Development (RAD)

The name says it all. In this case, the methodology adopts a rapid development approach by
using the principle of component-based construction. After understanding the various
requirements, a rapid prototype is prepared and is then compared with the expected set of output
conditions and standards. Necessary changes and modifications are made after joint discussions
with the customer or the development team (in the context of software testing). Though this
approach does have its share of advantages, it can be unsuitable if the project is large, complex
and happens to be of an extremely dynamic nature, wherein the requirements are constantly
changing. Here are some more advantages of rapid application development.
This was a short overview of some commonly used software testing methodologies. With the
applications of information technology growing with every passing day, the importance of proper
software testing has grown multifold.
In order to overcome the cons of "The Waterfall Model", it was necessary to develop a new
Software Development Model, which could help in ensuring the success of software project. One
such model was developed which incorporated the common methodologies followed in "The
Waterfall Model", but it also eliminated almost every possible/known risk factors from it. This
model is referred as "The Spiral Model" or "Boehm’s Model".
There are four phases in the "Spiral Model" which are: Planning, Evaluation, Risk Analysis and
Engineering. These four phases are iteratively followed one after other in order to eliminate all the
problems, which were faced in "The Waterfall Model". Iterating the phases helps in understating
the problems associated with a phase and dealing with those problems when the same phase is
repeated next time, planning and developing strategies to be followed while iterating through the
phases. The phases in "Spiral Model" are:
Plan: In this phase, the objectives, alternatives and constraints of the project are determined and
are documented. The objectives and other specifications are fixed in order to decide which
strategies/approaches to follow during the project life cycle.
Risk Analysis: This phase is the most important part of "Spiral Model". In this phase all possible
(and available) alternatives, which can help in developing a cost effective project are analyzed
and strategies are decided to use them. This phase has been added specially in order to identify
and resolve all the possible risks in the project development. If risks indicate any kind of
uncertainty in requirements, prototyping may be used to proceed with the available data and find
out possible solution in order to deal with the potential changes in the requirements.
Engineering: In this phase, the actual development of the project is carried out. The output of
this phase is passed through all the phases iteratively in order to obtain improvements in the
same.
Customer Evaluation: In this phase, developed product is passed on to the customer in order to
receive customer’s comments and suggestions which can help in identifying and resolving
potential problems/errors in the software developed. This phase is very much similar to TESTING
phase.
The process progresses in spiral sense to indicate iterative path followed, progressively more
complete software is built as we go on iterating through all four phases. The first iteration in this
model is considered to be most important, as in the first iteration almost all possible risk factors,
constraints, requirements are identified and in the next iterations all known strategies are used to
bring up a complete software system. The radical dimensions indicate evolution of the product
towards a complete system.
However, as every system has its own pros and cons, "The Spiral Model" does have its pros and
cons too. As this model is developed to overcome the disadvantages of the "Waterfall Model", to
follow "Spiral Model", highly skilled people in the area of planning, risk analysis and mitigation,
development, customer relation etc. are required. This along with the fact that the process needs
to be iterated more than once demands more time and is somehow expensive task.
What is Software Testing?

Software Testing is a process of verifying and validating whether the program is performing
correctly with no bugs. It is the process of analyzing or operating software for the purpose of
finding bugs. It also helps to identify the defects / flaws / errors that may appear in the application
code, which needs to be fixed. Testing not only means fixing the bug in the code, but also to
check whether the program is behaving according to the given specifications and testing
strategies. There are various types of software testing strategies such as white box testing
strategy, black box testing strategy, grey box software testing strategy, etc.
Need of Software Testing Types

Types of Software Testing, depends upon different types of defects. For example:
• Functional testing is done to detect functional defects in a system.

• Performance Testing is performed to detect defects when the system does not perform
according to the specifications
• Usability Testing to detect usability defects in the system.
• Security Testing is done to detect bugs/defects in the security of the system.
The list goes on as we move on towards different layers of testing.
Types of Software Testing

Various software testing methodologies guide you through the consecutive software testing types.
Those who are new to this subject, here is some information on software testing - how to go
about for beginners. To determine the true functionality of the application being tested, test cases
are designed to help the developers. Test cases provide you with the guidelines for going through
the process of testing the software. Software testing includes two basic types of software testing,
viz. Manual Scripted Testing and Automated Testing.
• Manual Scripted Testing: This is considered to be one of the oldest type of software
testing methods, in which test cases are designed and reviewed by the team, before
executing it.
• Automated Testing: This software testing type applies automation in the testing, which
can be applied to various parts of a software process such as test case management,
executing test cases, defect management, reporting of the bugs/defects. The bug life
cycle helps the tester in deciding how to log a bug and also guides the developer to
decide on the priority of the bug depending upon the severity of logging it. Software bug
testing or software testing to log a bug, explains the contents of a bug that is to be fixed.
This can be done with the help of various bug tracking tools such as Bugzilla and defect
tracking management tools like the Test Director.
Other Software Testing Types

Software testing life cycle is the process that explains the flow of the tests that are to be carried
on each step of software testing of the product. The V- Model i.e Verification and Validation
Model is a perfect model which is used in the improvement of the software project. This model
contains software development life cycle on one side and software testing life cycle on the other
hand side. Checklists for software tester sets a baseline that guides him to carry on the day-to-
day activities.
Black Box Testing

It explains the process of giving the input to the system and checking the output, without
considering how the system generates the output. It is also called as Behavioral Testing.
Functional Testing: In this type of testing, the software is tested for the functional requirements.
This checks whether the application is behaving according to the specification.
Performance Testing: This type of testing checks whether the system is performing properly,
according to the user's requirements. Performance testing depends upon the Load and Stress
Testing, that is internally or externally applied to the system.
1. Load Testing : In this type of performance testing, the system is raised beyond the limits
in order to check the performance of the system when higher loads are applied.
2. Stress Testing : In this type of performance testing, the system is tested beyond the
normal expectations or operational capacity
Usability Testing: This type of testing is also called as 'Testing for User Friendliness'. This
testing checks the ease of use of an application. Read more on introduction to usability testing.
Regression Testing: Regression testing is one of the most important types of testing, in which it
checks whether a small change in any component of the application does not affect the
unchanged components. Testing is done by re-executing the previous versions of the application.
Smoke Testing: Smoke testing is used to check the testability of the application. It is also called
'Build Verification Testing or Link Testing'. That means, it checks whether the application is ready
for further major testing and working, without dealing with the finer details.
Sanity Testing: Sanity testing checks for the behavior of the system. This type of software
testing is also called as Narrow Regression Testing.
Parallel Testing: Parallel testing is done by comparing results from two different systems like old
vs new or manual vs automated.
Recovery Testing: Recovery testing is very necessary to check how fast the system is able to
recover against any hardware failure, catastrophic problems or any type of system crash.
Installation Testing: This type of software testing identifies the ways in which installation
procedure leads to incorrect results.
Compatibility Testing: Compatibility Testing determines if an application under supported

configurations perform as expected, with various combinations of hardware and software
packages. Read more on compatibility testing.
Configuration Testing: This testing is done to test for compatibility issues. It determines minimal
and optimal configuration of hardware and software, and determines the effect of adding or
modifying resources such as memory, disk drives and CPU.
Compliance Testing: This type of testing checks whether the system was developed in
accordance with standards, procedures and guidelines.
Error-Handling Testing: This software testing type determines the ability of the system to
properly process erroneous transactions.
Manual-Support Testing: This type of software testing is an interface between people and
application system.
Inter-Systems Testing: This type of software testing method is an interface between two or more
application systems.
Exploratory Testing: Exploratory Testing is a type of software testing, which is similar to ad-hoc
testing, and is performed to explore the software features. Read more on exploratory testing.
Volume Testing: This testing is done, when huge amount of data is processed through the
application.
Scenario Testing: This type of software testing provides a more realistic and meaningful
combination of functions, rather than artificial combinations that are obtained through domain or
combinatorial test design.
User Interface Testing: This type of testing is performed to check, how user-friendly the
application is. The user should be able to use the application, without any assistance by the
system personnel.
System Testing: System testing is the testing conducted on a complete, integrated system, to
evaluate the system's compliance with the specified requirements. This type of software testing
validates that the system meets its functional and non-functional requirements and is also
intended to test beyond the bounds defined in the software/hardware requirement specifications.
User Acceptance Testing: Acceptence Testing is performed to verify that the product is
acceptable to the customer and it's fulfilling the specified requirements of that customer. This
testing includes Alpha and Beta testing.
1. Alpha Testing: Alpha testing is performed at the developer's site by the customer in a
closed environment. This testing is done after system testing.
2. Beta Testing: This type of software testing is done at the customer's site by the customer
in the open environment. The presence of the developer, while performing these tests, is
not mandatory. This is considered to be the last step in the software development life
cycle as the product is almost ready.
White Box Testing

It is the process of giving the input to the system and checking, how the system processes the
input, to generate the output. It is mandatory for a tester to have the knowledge of the source
code.
Unit Testing: This type of testing is done at the developer's site to check whether a particular
piece/unit of code is working fine. Unit testing deals with testing the unit as a whole.
Static and Dynamic Analysis: In static analysis, it is required to go through the code in order to
find out any possible defect in the code. Whereas, in dynamic analysis the code is executed and
analyzed for the output.
Statement Coverage: This type of testing assures that the code is executed in such a way that
every statement of the application is executed at least once.
Decision Coverage: This type of testing helps in making decision by executing the application, at
least once to judge whether it results in true or false.
Condition Coverage: In this type of software testing, each and every condition is executed by
making it true and false, in each of the ways at least once.
Path Coverage: Each and every path within the code is executed at least once to get a full path
coverage, which is one of the important parts of the white box testing.
Integration Testing: Integration testing is performed when various modules are integrated with
each other to form a sub-system or a system. This mostly focuses in the design and construction
of the software architecture. Integration testing is further classified into Bottom-Up Integration and
Top-Down Integration testing.
1. Bottom-Up Integration Testing: In this type of integration testing, the lowest level
components are tested first and then alleviate the testing of higher level components
using 'Drivers'.
2. Top-Down Integration Testing: This is totally opposite to bottom-up approach, as it tests
the top level modules are tested and the branch of the module are tested step by step
using 'Stubs' until the related module comes to an end.
Security Testing: Testing that confirms, how well a system protects itself against unauthorized
internal or external, or willful damage of code, means security testing of the system. Security
testing assures that the program is accessed by the authorized personnel only. Read more on
brief introduction to security testing.
Mutation Testing: In this type of software testing, the application is tested for the code that was
modified after fixing a particular bug/defect.
Software testing methodologies and different software testing strategies help to get through this
software testing process. These various software testing methods show you the outputs, using
the above mentioned software testing types, and helps you check if the software satisfies the
requirement of the customer. Software testing is indeed a vast subject and one can make a
successful carrier in this field. You could go through some software testing interview questions, to
prepare yourself for some software testing tutorials.
A perfect software product is built when every step is taken with full consideration that ‘A right
product is developed in a right manner’. ‘Software Verification & Validation’ is one such model,
which helps the system designers and test engineers to confirm that a right product is build right
way throughout the development process and improve the quality of the software product.
‘Verification & Validation Model’ makes it sure that, certain rules are followed at the time of
development of a software product and also makes it sure that the product that is developed
fulfills the required specifications. This reduces the risk associated with any software project up to
certain level by helping in detection and correction of errors and mistakes, which are unknowingly
done during the development process.
What is Verification?
The standard definition of Verification goes like this: "Are we building the product RIGHT?" i.e.
Verification is a process that makes it sure that the software product is developed the right way.
The software should confirm to its predefined specifications, as the product development goes
through different stages, an analysis is done to ensure that all required specifications are met.
Methods and techniques used in the Verification and Validation shall be designed carefully, the
planning of which starts right from the beginning of the development process. The Verification
part of ‘Verification and Validation Model’ comes before Validation, which incorporates Software
inspections, reviews, audits, walkthroughs, buddy checks etc. in each phase of verification (every
phase of Verification is a phase of the Testing Life Cycle)
During the Verification, the work product (the ready part of the Software being developed and
various documentations) is reviewed/examined personally by one ore more persons in order to
find and point out the defects in it. This process helps in prevention of potential bugs, which may
cause in failure of the project.
Few terms involved in Verification:
Inspection:
Inspection involves a team of about 3-6 people, led by a leader, which formally reviews the
documents and work product during various phases of the product development life cycle. The
work product and related documents are presented in front of the inspection team, the member of
which carry different interpretations of the presentation. The bugs that are detected during the
inspection are communicated to the next level in order to take care of them.
Walkthroughs:
Walkthrough can be considered same as inspection without formal preparation (of any
presentation or documentations). During the walkthrough meeting, the presenter/author
introduces the material to all the participants in order to make them familiar with it. Even when the
walkthroughs can help in finding potential bugs, they are used for knowledge sharing or
communication purpose.
Buddy Checks:
This is the simplest type of review activity used to find out bugs in a work product during the
verification. In buddy check, one person goes through the documents prepared by another person
in order to find out if that person has made mistake(s) i.e. to find out bugs which the author
couldn’t find previously.
The activities involved in Verification process are: Requirement Specification verification,

Functional design verification, internal/system design verification and code verification (these
phases can also subdivided further). Each activity makes it sure that the product is developed
right way and every requirement, every specification, design code etc. is verified!
What is Validation?
Validation is a process of finding out if the product being built is right?
i.e. whatever the software product is being developed, it should do what the user expects it to do.
The software product should functionally do what it is supposed to, it should satisfy all the
functional requirements set by the user. Validation is done during or at the end of the
development process in order to determine whether the product satisfies specified requirements.
Validation and Verification processes go hand in hand, but visibly Validation process starts after
Verification process ends (after coding of the product ends). Each Verification activity (such as
Requirement Specification Verification, Functional design Verification etc.) has its corresponding
Validation activity (such as Functional Validation/Testing, Code Validation/Testing,
System/Integration Validation etc.).
All types of testing methods are basically carried out during the Validation process. Test plan, test
suits and test cases are developed, which are used during the various phases of Validation
process. The phases involved in Validation process are: Code Validation/Testing, Integration
Validation/Integration Testing, Functional Validation/Functional Testing, and System/User
Acceptance Testing/Validation.
Terms used in Validation process:

Code Validation/Testing:
Developers as well as testers do the code validation. Unit Code Validation or Unit Testing is a
type of testing, which the developers conduct in order to find out any bug in the code unit/module
developed by them. Code testing other than Unit Testing can be done by testers or developers.
Integration Validation/Testing:
Integration testing is carried out in order to find out if different (two or more) units/modules co-
ordinate properly. This test helps in finding out if there is any defect in the interface between
different modules.
Functional Validation/Testing:
This type of testing is carried out in order to find if the system meets the functional requirements.
In this type of testing, the system is validated for its functional behavior. Functional testing does
not deal with internal coding of the project, in stead, it checks if the system behaves as per the
expectations.
User Acceptance Testing or System Validation:

In this type of testing, the developed product is handed over to the user/paid testers in order to
test it in real time scenario. The product is validated to find out if it works according to the system
specifications and satisfies all the user requirements. As the user/paid testers use the software, it
may happen that bugs that are yet undiscovered, come up, which are communicated to the
developers to be fixed. This helps in improvement of the final product.
What is Software Development Life Cycle?

The Software Development Life Cycle is a step-by-step process involved in the development of a
software product. It is also denoted as Software Development process in certain parts of the
world. The whole process is generally classified into a set of steps and a specific operation will be
carried out in each of the steps.
Classification
The basic classification of the whole process is as follows
• Planning
• Analysis
• Design
• Development
• Implementation
• Testing
• Deployment
• Maintenance
Each of the steps of the process has its own importance and plays a significant part in the
product development. The description of each of the steps can give a better understanding.
Planning
This is the first and foremost stage in the development and one of the most important stages. The
basic motive is to plan the total project and to estimate the merits and demerits of the project. The
Planning phase includes the definition of the intended system, development of the project plan,
and Parallel management of the plan throughout the proceedings of the development.
A good and matured plan can create a very good initiative and can positively affect the complete
project.
Analysis
The main aim of the analysis phase is to perform statistics and requirements gathering. Based on
the analysis of the project and due to the influence of the results of the planning phase, the
requirements for the project are decided and gathered.
Once the requirements for the project are gathered, they are prioritized and made ready for
further use. The decisions taken in the analysis phase are out and out due to the requirements
analysis. Proceedings after the current phase are defined.
Design
Once the analysis is over, the design phase begins. The aim is to create the architecture of the
total system. This is one of the important stages of the process and serves to be a benchmark
stage since the errors performed until this stage and during this stage can be cleared here.
Most of the developers have the habit of developing a prototype of the entire software and
represent the software as a miniature model. The flaws, both technical and design, can be found
and removed and the entire process can be redesigned.
Development and Implementation

The development and implementation phase is the most important phase since it is the phase
where the main part of the project is done. The basic works include the design of the basic
technical architecture and the maintenance of the database records and programs related to the
development process.
One of the main scenarios is the implementation of the prototype model into a full-fledged
working environment, which is the final product or software.
Testing
The testing phase is one of the final stages of the development process and this is the phase
where the final adjustments are made before presenting the completely developed software to the
end-user.
In general, the testers encounter the problem of removing the logical errors and bugs. The test
conditions which are decided in the analysis phase are applied to the system and if the output
obtained is equal to the intended output, it means that the software is ready to be provided to the
user.
Maintenance
The toughest job is encountered in the maintenance phase which normally accounts for the
highest amount of money. The maintenance team is decided such that they monitor on the
change in organization of the software and report to the developers, in case a need arises.
The information desk is also provided with in this phase. This serves to maintain the relationship
between the user and the creator.
What is a Test Case?
A test case is a set of conditions or variables and inputs that are developed for a particular goal or
objective to be achieved on a certain application to judge its capabilities or features.
It might take more than one test case to determine the true functionality of the application being
tested. Every requirement or objective to be achieved needs at least one test case. Some
software development methodologies like Rational Unified Process (RUP) recommend creating at
least two test cases for each requirement or objective; one for performing testing through positive
perspective and the other through negative perspective.
Test Case Structure
A formal written test case comprises of three parts -
1. Information
Information consists of general information about the test case. Information incorporates
Identifier, test case creator, test case version, name of the test case, purpose or brief
description and test case dependencies.
2. Activity
Activity consists of the actual test case activities. Activity contains information about the
test case environment, activities to be done at test case initialization, activities to be done
after test case is performed, step by step actions to be done while testing and the input
data that is to be supplied for testing.
3. Results
Results are outcomes of a performed test case. Results data consist of information about
expected results and the actual results.
Designing Test Cases
Test cases should be designed and written by someone who understands the function or
technology being tested. A test case should include the following information -
• Purpose of the test

• Software requirements and Hardware requirements (if any)
• Specific setup or configuration requirements
• Description on how to perform the test(s)
• Expected results or success criteria for the test
Designing test cases can be time consuming in a testing schedule, but they are worth giving time
because they can really avoid unnecessary retesting or debugging or at least lower it.
Organizations can take the test cases approach in their own context and according to their own
perspectives. Some follow a general step way approach while others may opt for a more detailed
and complex approach. It is very important for you to decide between the two extremes and judge
on what would work the best for you. Designing proper test cases is very vital for your software
testing plans as a lot of bugs, ambiguities, inconsistencies and slip ups can be recovered in time
as also it helps in saving your time on continuous debugging and re-testing test cases.
Industry experts usually conclude the definition of software testing as:
Software Testing = Software Verification + Software Validation
Going by this equation, let us try to see the answers to some of the prime questions aimed to
elaborate the concept a bit deeper.
What software Testing is?

Testing is very important but an expensive activity. It is more than just running a program with the
intention of finding faults. Every project is a new project with different parameters. No single
yardstick may be applicable in all circumstances. This is a unique and critical area with altogether
different problems. Since principles of software are not fully understood, software testing is
essentially an art which describes the adequacy of the software quality. More complex is our
software, more difficult becomes its testing. The prime objective of software testing is ascertaining
its reliability by way of structured verification / validation activities & this can be termed as quality
assurance as well.
We can use software testing as a generalized metric for quality. Depending upon the project time
frame, financial constraints & quality expectations, software testing activities can be planned.
What is the Testing Process?

Software testing is an important phase of Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). We execute
the program with given inputs and note down the observed outputs. These are then compared
with the expected outputs. If there is a match between observed and expected outputs then the
program is said to be as per user's specifications, else there is something wrong somewhere in
the program. It is seen that in complex and large software projects 40% to 70% of development
time is spent on testing. It is partly intuitive but largely systematic.
Distinct Levels of Testing: Following five primary levels of testing have been defined
1) Debugging: It is defined as the successful correction of a failure.
2) Demonstrating: The process of showing that major features work with typical input.
3) Verifying: The process of finding as many faults in the application under test (AUT) as possible.
4) Validating: The process of finding as many faults in requirements, design and AUT.
5) Preventing: To avoid errors in development of requirements, design and implementation by

self-checking techniques, including "test before design".
Various industry experts have provided different definitions of testing that are described as under
Definition - 1: (As per IEEE 83a) "Testing is defined as the process of exercising or evaluating a
system or system component by manual or automated means to verify that it satisfies specified
requirements".
Definition - 2: (As per Myers) "Software testing is defined as the process of executing any
program or a system with an intent of finding errors in it."
Definition - 3: (As per Hetzel) "Software testing involves an activity aimed at evaluating a
capability or an attribute of any program or a system and determining that it meets the required
results"
Remember that Testing is not a process which:
a) Demonstrates that errors or defects are absent.
b) Demonstrates that the program is functioning correctly according to the intent.
c) Establishes adequate confidence in the program that it will do what it is expected to do.
Thus all these statements are ambiguous, reason being – bound with the blocks of such
guidelines, we develop a natural tendency to operate our system in a conventional/normal way so
that it functions well. Unintentionally our natural instinct of feeding correct or normal testing data
compels us due to which the system does not fail. Moreover it is very difficult to certify that the
system has become free of defects at any particular stage – the reason being it is virtually
impossible to find out all the defects in any system with 100% accuracy.
Hence in nutshell, it can be said that - "Testing is an activity aimed at identifying errors."
Testing can be either of the following:
a) Positive Testing: means an application is operated, as it should have been. Check if it

functions normally. It involves use of legally correct or proper test data, which includes testing at
boundary condition data values to confirm if the test fails or not. Actual test results are compared
with the results expected by us. Here we see if the results are in order or not & whether the
application behaves correctly or not?
b) Negative Testing: means an application is to be operated & tested under abnormal conditions
to see if the system crashes or fails or not. It involves use of illegal or incorrect test data with an
aim to cause the system misbehavior Intentionally so that we are able to detect the defects. In
short, here we see that whether our system performs the way it should not. Or whether it fails to
behave in a manner the way it is expected to?"
c) Positive aspect of Negative Testing: The prime objective of testing effort is to unearth the
errors or defects well before the actual user discovers them. Sometimes this may be a cause of
embarrassment for the testers or even the code-developers. A key attribute of a good tester is
that he is able to make a system fail successfully. A good tester’s attitude must be destructive &
must have a mentality to always hunt for negative aspects in any system. A tester attitude of a
tester is exactly in contrast with that of a developer or an author, who is always expected to be
positive & constructive.
Keywords: Software Testing, Software Verification & Validation, QuickTest Professional, Positive
Testing, Negative Testing, V&V
What is a Bug Life Cycle?

The duration or time span between the first time bug is found (‘New’) and closed successfully
(status: ‘Closed’), rejected, postponed or deferred is called as ‘Bug/Error Life Cycle’.
(Right from the first time any bug is detected till the point when the bug is fixed and closed, it is
assigned various statuses which are New, Open, Postpone, Pending Retest, Retest, Pending
Reject, Reject, Deferred, and Closed. For more information about various statuses used for a bug
during a bug life cycle, you can refer to article ‘Software Testing – Bug & Statuses Used During A
Bug Life Cycle’)
There are seven different life cycles that a bug can passes through:
< I > Cycle I:

1) A tester finds a bug and reports it to Test Lead.
2) The Test lead verifies if the bug is valid or not.
3) Test lead finds that the bug is not valid and the bug is ‘Rejected’.
< II > Cycle II:

3) The bug is verified and reported to development team with status as ‘New’.
4) The development leader and team verify if it is a valid bug. The bug is invalid and is marked
with a status of ‘Pending Reject’ before passing it back to the testing team.
5) After getting a satisfactory reply from the development side, the test leader marks the bug as
‘Rejected’.
< III > Cycle III:

4) The development leader and team verify if it is a valid bug. The bug is valid and the
development leader assigns a developer to it marking the status as ‘Assigned’.
5) The developer solves the problem and marks the bug as ‘Fixed’ and passes it back to the
Development leader.
6) The development leader changes the status of the bug to ‘Pending Retest’ and passes on to
the testing team for retest.
7) The test leader changes the status of the bug to ‘Retest’ and passes it to a tester for retest.
8) The tester retests the bug and it is working fine, so the tester closes the bug and marks it as
‘Closed’.
< IV > Cycle IV:

4) The development leader and team verify if it is a valid bug. The bug is valid and the
development leader assigns a developer to it marking the status as ‘Assigned’.
5) The developer solves the problem and marks the bug as ‘Fixed’ and passes it back to the
Development leader.
6) The development leader changes the status of the bug to ‘Pending Retest’ and passes on to
the testing team for retest.
7) The test leader changes the status of the bug to ‘Retest’ and passes it to a tester for retest.
8) The tester retests the bug and the same problem persists, so the tester after confirmation from
test leader reopens the bug and marks it with ‘Reopen’ status. And the bug is passed back to the
development team for fixing.
< V > Cycle V:

4) The developer tries to verify if the bug is valid but fails in replicate the same scenario as was at
the time of testing, but fails in that and asks for help from testing team.
5) The tester also fails to re-generate the scenario in which the bug was found. And developer
rejects the bug marking it ‘Rejected’.
< VI > Cycle VI:

1) After confirmation that the data is unavailable or certain functionality is unavailable, the solution
and retest of the bug is postponed for indefinite time and it is marked as ‘Postponed’.
< VII > Cycle VII:

1) If the bug does not stand importance and can be/needed to be postponed, then it is given a
status as ‘Deferred’.
This way, any bug that is found ends up with a status of Closed, Rejected, Deferred or
Postponed.
Introduction to Software Testing Life Cycle
Every organization has to undertakes testing of each of its products. However, the way it is
conducted differs from one organization to another. This refers to the life cycle of the testing
process. It is advisable to carry out the testing process from the initial phases, with regard to the
Software Development Life Cycle or SDLC to avoid any complications.
Software Testing Life Cycle Phases
Software testing has its own life cycle that meets every stage of the SDLC. The software testing
life cycle diagram can help one visualize the various software testing life cycle phases. They are
1. Requirement Stage
2. Test Planning
3. Test Analysis
4. Test Design
5. Test Verification and Construction
6. Test Execution
7. Result Analysis
8. Bug Tracking
9. Reporting and Rework
10. Final Testing and Implementation
11. Post Implementation
Requirement Stage
This is the initial stage of the life cycle process in which the developers take part in analyzing the
requirements for designing a product. Testers can also involve themselves as they can think from
the users' point of view which the developers may not. Thus a panel of developers, testers and
users can be formed. Formal meetings of the panel can be held in order to document the
requirements discussed which can be further used as software requirements specifications or
SRS.
Test Planning
Test planning is predetermining a plan well in advance to reduce further risks. Without a good
plan, no work can lead to success be it software-related or routine work. A test plan document
plays an important role in achieving a process-oriented approach. Once the requirements of the
project are confirmed, a test plan is documented. The test plan structure is as follows:
1. Introduction: This describes the objective of the test plan.

2. Test Items The items that are referred to prepare this document will be listed here such
as SRS, project plan.
3. Features to be tested: This describes the coverage area of the test plan, ie. the list of
features that are to be tested that are based on the implicit and explicit requirements from
the customer.
4. Features not to be tested: The incorporated or comprised features that can be skipped
from the testing phase are listed here. Features that are out of scope of testing, like
incomplete modules or those on low severity eg. GUI features that don't hamper the
further process can be included in the list.
5. Approach: This is the test strategy that should be appropriate to the level of the plan. It
should be in acceptance with the higher and lower levels of the plan.
6. Item pass/fail criteria: Related to the show stopper issue. The criterion which is used has
to explain which test item has passed or failed.
7. Suspension criteria and resumption requirements: The suspension criterion specifies the
criterion that is to be used to suspend all or a portion of the testing activities, whereas
resumption criterion specifies when testing can resume with the suspended portion.
8. Test deliverable: This includes a list of documents, reports, charts that are required to be
presented to the stakeholders on a regular basis during testing and when testing is
completed.
9. Testing tasks: This stage is needed to avoid confusion whether the defects should be
reported for future function. This also helps users and testers to avoid incomplete
functions and prevent waste of resources.
10. Environmental needs: The special requirements of that test plan depending on the
environment in which that application has to be designed are listed here.
11. Responsibilities: This phase assigns responsibilities to the person who can be held
responsible in case of a risk.
12. Staffing and training needs: Training on the application/system and training on the testing
tools to be used needs to be given to the staff members who are responsible for the
application.
13. Risks and contingencies:This emphasizes on the probable risks and various events that
can occur and what can be done in such situation.
14. Approval: This decides who can approve the process as complete and allow the project
to proceed to the next level that depends on the level of the plan.
Test Analysis
Once the test plan documentation is done, the next stage is to analyze what types of software
testing should be carried out at the various stages of SDLC.
Test Design
Test design is done based on the requirements of the project documented in the SRS. This phase
decides whether manual or automated testing is to be done. In automation testing, different paths
for testing are to be identified first and writing of scripts has to be done if required. There
originates a need for an end to end checklist that covers all the features of the project.
Test Verification and Construction

In this phase test plans, the test design and automated script tests are completed. Stress and
performance testing plans are also completed at this stage. When the development team is done
with a unit of code, the testing team is required to help them in testing that unit and reporting of
the bug if found. Integration testing and bug reporting is done in this phase of the software testing
life cycle.
Test Execution
Planning and execution of various test cases is done in this phase. Once the unit testing is
completed, the functionality of the tests is done in this phase. At first, top level testing is done to
find out top level failures and bugs are reported immediately to the development team to get the
required workaround. Test reports have to be documented properly and the bugs have to be
reported to the development team.
Result Analysis
Once the bug is fixed by the development team, i.e after the successful execution of the test
case, the testing team has to retest it to compare the expected values with the actual values, and
declare the result as pass/fail.
Bug Tracking
This is one of the important stages as the Defect Profile Document (DPD) has to be updated for
letting the developers know about the defect. Defect Profile Document contains the following
1. Defect Id: Unique identification of the Defect.

2. Test Case Id: Test case identification for that defect.
3. Description: Detailed description of the bug.
4. Summary: This field contains some keyword information about the bug, which can help in
minimizing the number of records to be searched.
5. Defect Submitted By: Name of the tester who detected/reported the bug.
6. Date of Submission: Date at which the bug was detected and reported.
7. Build No.: Number of test runs required.
8. Version No.: The version information of the software application in which the bug was
detected and fixed.
9. Assigned To: Name of the developer who is supposed to fix the bug.
10. Severity: Degree of severity of the defect.
11. Priority: Priority of fixing the bug.
12. Status: This field displays current status of the bug.
The contents of a bug well explain all the above mentioned things.
Reporting and Rework

Testing is an iterative process. The bug once reported and as the development team fixes the
bug, it has to undergo the testing process again to assure that the bug found is resolved.
Regression testing has to be done. Once the Quality Analyst assures that the product is ready,
the software is released for production. Before release, the software has to undergo one more
round of top level testing. Thus testing is an ongoing process.
Final Testing and Implementation

This phase focuses on the remaining levels of testing, such as acceptance, load, stress,
performance and recovery testing. The application needs to be verified under specified conditions
with respect to the SRS. Various documents are updated and different matrices for testing are
completed at this stage of the software testing life cycle.
Post Implementation
Once the tests are evaluated, the recording of errors that occurred during various levels of the
software testing life cycle, is done. Creating plans for improvement and enhancement is an
ongoing process. This helps to prevent similar problems from occuring in the future projects. In
short, planning for improvement of the testing process for future applications is done in this
phase.
Manual Testing Interview Questions Set-
What's a 'test plan'? (OSAF)

A software project test plan is a document that describes the objectives, scope, approach,
and focus of a software testing effort. The process of preparing a test plan is a useful way
to think through the efforts needed to validate the acceptability of a software product. The
completed document will help people outside the test group understand the 'why' and
'how' of product validation. It should be thorough enough to be useful but not so thorough
that no one outside the test group will read it. The following are some of the items that
might be included in a test plan, depending on the particular project:
Title
Identification of software including version/release numbers
Revision history of document including authors, dates, approvals
Table of Contents
Purpose of document, intended audience
Objective of testing effort
Software product overview
Relevant related document list, such as requirements, design documents, other test plans,
etc.
Relevant standards or legal requirements
Traceability requirements
Relevant naming conventions and identifier conventions
Overall software project organization and personnel/contact-info/responsibilties
Test organization and personnel/contact-info/responsibilities
Assumptions and dependencies
Project risk analysis
Testing priorities and focus
Scope and limitations of testing
Test outline - a decomposition of the test approach by test type, feature, functionality,
process, system, module, etc. as applicable
Outline of data input equivalence classes, boundary value analysis, error classes
Test environment - hardware, operating systems, other required software, data
configurations, interfaces to other systems
Test environment validity analysis - differences between the test and production systems
and their impact on test validity.
Test environment setup and configuration issues
Software migration processes
Software CM processes
Test data setup requirements
Database setup requirements
Outline of system-logging/error-logging/other capabilities, and tools such as screen
capture software, that will be used to help describe and report bugs
Discussion of any specialized software or hardware tools that will be used by testers to
help track the cause or source of bugs
Test automation - justification and overview
Test tools to be used, including versions, patches, etc.
Test script/test code maintenance processes and version control
Problem tracking and resolution - tools and processes
Project test metrics to be used
Reporting requirements and testing deliverables
Software entrance and exit criteria
Initial sanity testing period and criteria
Test suspension and restart criteria
Personnel allocation
Personnel pre-training needs
Test site/location
Outside test organizations to be utilized and their purpose, responsibilties, deliverables,
contact persons, and coordination issues
Relevant proprietary, classified, security, and licensing issues.
Open issues
Appendix - glossary, acronyms, etc.
What makes a good test engineer?

A good test engineer has a 'test to break' attitude, an ability to take the point of view of
the customer, a strong desire for quality, and an attention to detail. Tact and diplomacy
are useful in maintaining a cooperative relationship with developers, and an ability to
communicate with both technical (developers) and non-technical (customers,
management) people is useful. Previous software development experience can be helpful
as it provides a deeper understanding of the software development process, gives the
tester an appreciation for the developers' point of view, and reduce the learning curve in
automated test tool programming. Judgment skills are needed to assess high-risk areas of
an application on which to focus testing efforts when time is limited.
What makes a good Software QA engineer?

The same qualities a good tester has are useful for a QA engineer. Additionally, they
must be able to understand the entire software development process and how it can fit
into the business approach and goals of the organization. Communication skills and the
ability to understand various sides of issues are important. In organizations in the early
stages of implementing QA processes, patience and diplomacy are especially needed. An
ability to find problems as well as to see 'what's missing' is important for inspections and
reviews.
What makes a good QA or Test manager?

A good QA, test, or QA/Test(combined) manager should:
be familiar with the software development process
be able to maintain enthusiasm of their team and promote a positive atmosphere, despite
what is a somewhat 'negative' process (e.g., looking for or preventing problems)
be able to promote teamwork to increase productivity
be able to promote cooperation between software, test, and QA engineers
have the diplomatic skills needed to promote improvements in QA processes
have the ability to withstand pressures and say 'no' to other managers when quality is
insufficient or QA processes are not being adhered to
have people judgement skills for hiring and keeping skilled personnel
be able to communicate with technical and non-technical people, engineers, managers,
and customers.
be able to run meetings and keep them focused
What's the role of documentation in QA?

Critical. (Note that documentation can be electronic, not necessarily paper.) QA practices
should be documented such that they are repeatable. Specifications, designs, business
rules, inspection reports, configurations, code changes, test plans, test cases, bug reports,
user manuals, etc. should all be documented. There should ideally be a system for easily
finding and obtaining documents and determining what documentation will have a
particular piece of information. Change management for documentation should be used if
possible.
What's the big deal about 'requirements'?
ne of the most reliable methods of insuring problems, or failure, in a complex software

project is to have poorly documented requirements specifications. Requirements are the
details describing an application's externally-perceived functionality and properties.
Requirements should be clear, complete, reasonably detailed, cohesive, attainable, and
testable. A non-testable requirement would be, for example, 'user-friendly' (too
subjective). A testable requirement would be something like 'the user must enter their
previously-assigned password to access the application'. Determining and organizing
requirements details in a useful and efficient way can be a difficult effort; different
methods are available depending on the particular project. Many books are available that
describe various approaches to this task. (See the Bookstore section's 'Software
Requirements Engineering' category for books on Software Requirements.)
Care should be taken to involve ALL of a project's significant 'customers' in the
requirements process. 'Customers' could be in-house personnel or out, and could include
end-users, customer acceptance testers, customer contract officers, customer
management, future software maintenance engineers, salespeople, etc. Anyone who could
later derail the project if their expectations aren't met should be included if possible.
Organizations vary considerably in their handling of requirements specifications. Ideally,
the requirements are spelled out in a document with statements such as 'The product
shall.....'. 'Design' specifications should not be confused with 'requirements'; design
specifications should be traceable back to the requirements.
In some organizations requirements may end up in high level project plans, functional
specification documents, in design documents, or in other documents at various levels of
detail. No matter what they are called, some type of documentation with detailed
requirements will be needed by testers in order to properly plan and execute tests.
Without such documentation, there will be no clear-cut way to determine if a software
application is performing correctly.
'Agile' methods such as XP use methods requiring close interaction and cooperation
between programmers and customers/end-users to iteratively develop requirements. The
programmer uses 'Test first' development to first create automated unit testing code,
which essentially embodies the requirements.
What's a 'test case'?
A test case is a document that describes an input, action, or event and an expected
response, to determine if a feature of an application is working correctly. A test case
should contain particulars such as test case identifier, test case name, objective, test
conditions/setup, input data requirements, steps, and expected results.
Note that the process of developing test cases can help find problems in the requirements
or design of an application, since it requires completely thinking through the operation of
the application. For this reason, it's useful to prepare test cases early in the development
cycle if possible.
What should be done after a bug is found?

The bug needs to be communicated and assigned to developers that can fix it. After the
problem is resolved, fixes should be re-tested, and determinations made regarding
requirements for regression testing to check that fixes didn't create problems elsewhere. If
a problem-tracking system is in place, it should encapsulate these processes. A variety of
commercial problem-tracking/management software tools are available (see the 'Tools'
section for web resources with listings of such tools). The following are items to consider
in the tracking process:
Complete information such that developers can understand the bug, get an idea of it's
severity, and reproduce it if necessary.
Bug identifier (number, ID, etc.)
Current bug status (e.g., 'Released for Retest', 'New', etc.)
The application name or identifier and version
The function, module, feature, object, screen, etc. where the bug occurred
Environment specifics, system, platform, relevant hardware specifics
Test case name/number/identifier
One-line bug description
Full bug description
Description of steps needed to reproduce the bug if not covered by a test case or if the
developer doesn't have easy access to the test case/test script/test tool
Names and/or descriptions of file/data/messages/etc. used in test
File excerpts/error messages/log file excerpts/screen shots/test tool logs that would be
helpful in finding the cause of the problem
Severity estimate (a 5-level range such as 1-5 or 'critical'-to-'low' is common)
Was the bug reproducible?
Tester name
Test date
Bug reporting date
Name of developer/group/organization the problem is assigned to
Description of problem cause
Description of fix
Code section/file/module/class/method that was fixed
Date of fix
Application version that contains the fix
Tester responsible for retest
Retest date
Retest results
Regression testing requirements
Tester responsible for regression tests
Regression testing results
A reporting or tracking process should enable notification of appropriate personnel at
various stages. For instance, testers need to know when retesting is needed, developers
need to know when bugs are found and how to get the needed information, and
reporting/summary capabilities are needed for managers.
What is 'configuration management'?

Configuration management covers the processes used to control, coordinate, and track:
code, requirements, documentation, problems, change requests, designs,
tools/compilers/libraries/patches, changes made to them, and who makes the changes.
(See the 'Tools' section for web resources with listings of configuration management
tools. Also see the Bookstore section's 'Configuration Management' category for useful
books with more information.)
What if the software is so buggy it can't really be tested at all?

The best bet in this situation is for the testers to go through the process of reporting
whatever bugs or blocking-type problems initially show up, with the focus being on
critical bugs. Since this type of problem can severely affect schedules, and indicates
deeper problems in the software development process (such as insufficient unit testing or
insufficient integration testing, poor design, improper build or release procedures, etc.)
managers should be notified, and provided with some documentation as evidence of the
problem.
What steps are needed to develop and run software tests?

The following are some of the steps to consider:
Obtain requirements, functional design, and internal design specifications and other
necessary documents
Obtain budget and schedule requirements
Determine project-related personnel and their responsibilities, reporting requirements,
required standards and processes (such as release processes, change processes, etc.)
Identify application's higher-risk aspects, set priorities, and determine scope and
limitations of tests
Determine test approaches and methods - unit, integration, functional, system, load,
usability tests, etc.
Determine test environment requirements (hardware, software, communications, etc.)
Determine testware requirements (record/playback tools, coverage analyzers, test
tracking, problem/bug tracking, etc.)
Determine test input data requirements
Identify tasks, those responsible for tasks, and labor requirements
Set schedule estimates, timelines, milestones
Determine input equivalence classes, boundary value analyses, error classes
Prepare test plan document and have needed reviews/approvals
Write test cases
Have needed reviews/inspections/approvals of test cases
Prepare test environment and testware, obtain needed user manuals/reference
documents/configuration guides/installation guides, set up test tracking processes, set up
logging and archiving processes, set up or obtain test input data
Obtain and install software releases
Perform tests
Evaluate and report results
Track problems/bugs and fixes
Retest as needed
Maintain and update test plans, test cases, test environment, and testware through life
cycle
What is 'Software Quality Assurance'?

Software QA involves the entire software development PROCESS - monitoring and
improving the process, making sure that any agreed-upon standards and procedures are
followed, and ensuring that problems are found and dealt with. It is oriented to
'prevention'. (See the Bookstore section's 'Software QA' category for a list of useful
books on Software Quality Assurance.)
What is 'Software Testing'?

Testing involves operation of a system or application under controlled conditions and
evaluating the results (eg, 'if the user is in interface A of the application while using
hardware B, and does C, then D should happen'). The controlled conditions should
include both normal and abnormal conditions. Testing should intentionally attempt to
make things go wrong to determine if things happen when they shouldn't or things don't
happen when they should. It is oriented to 'detection'. (See the Bookstore section's
'Software Testing' category for a list of useful books on Software Testing.)
? Organizations vary considerably in how they assign responsibility for QA and testing.
Sometimes they're the combined responsibility of one group or individual. Also common
are project teams that include a mix of testers and developers who work closely together,
with overall QA processes monitored by project managers. It will depend on what best
fits an organization's size and business structure.
What are some recent major computer system failures caused by software bugs?
? A major U.S. retailer was reportedly hit with a large government fine in October of
2003 due to web site errors that enabled customers to view one anothers' online orders.
? News stories in the fall of 2003 stated that a manufacturing company recalled all their
transportation products in order to fix a software problem causing instability in certain
circumstances. The company found and reported the bug itself and initiated the recall
procedure in which a software upgrade fixed the problems.
? In August of 2003 a U.S. court ruled that a lawsuit against a large online brokerage
company could proceed; the lawsuit reportedly involved claims that the company was not
fixing system problems that sometimes resulted in failed stock trades, based on the
experiences of 4 plaintiffs during an 8-month period. A previous lower court's ruling that
"...six miscues out of more than 400 trades does not indicate negligence." was
invalidated.
? In April of 2003 it was announced that the largest student loan company in the U.S.
made a software error in calculating the monthly payments on 800,000 loans. Although
borrowers were to be notified of an increase in their required payments, the company will
still reportedly lose $8 million in interest. The error was uncovered when borrowers
began reporting inconsistencies in their bills.
? News reports in February of 2003 revealed that the U.S. Treasury Department mailed
50,000 Social Security checks without any beneficiary names. A spokesperson indicated
that the missing names were due to an error in a software change. Replacement checks
were subsequently mailed out with the problem corrected, and recipients were then able
to cash their Social Security checks.
? In March of 2002 it was reported that software bugs in Britain's national tax system
resulted in more than 100,000 erroneous tax overcharges. The problem was partly
attibuted to the difficulty of testing the integration of multiple systems.
? A newspaper columnist reported in July 2001 that a serious flaw was found in off-the-
shelf software that had long been used in systems for tracking certain U.S. nuclear
materials. The same software had been recently donated to another country to be used in
tracking their own nuclear materials, and it was not until scientists in that country
discovered the problem, and shared the information, that U.S. officials became aware of
the problems.
? According to newspaper stories in mid-2001, a major systems development contractor
was fired and sued over problems with a large retirement plan management system.
According to the reports, the client claimed that system deliveries were late, the software
had excessive defects, and it caused other systems to crash.
? In January of 2001 newspapers reported that a major European railroad was hit by the
aftereffects of the Y2K bug. The company found that many of their newer trains would
not run due to their inability to recognize the date '31/12/2000'; the trains were started by
altering the control system's date settings.
? News reports in September of 2000 told of a software vendor settling a lawsuit with a
large mortgage lender; the vendor had reportedly delivered an online mortgage
processing system that did not meet specifications, was delivered late, and didn't work.
? In early 2000, major problems were reported with a new computer system in a large
suburban U.S. public school district with 100,000+ students; problems included 10,000
erroneous report cards and students left stranded by failed class registration systems; the
district's CIO was fired. The school district decided to reinstate it's original 25-year old
system for at least a year until the bugs were worked out of the new system by the
software vendors.
? In October of 1999 the $125 million NASA Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft was
believed to be lost in space due to a simple data conversion error. It was determined that
spacecraft software used certain data in English units that should have been in metric
units. Among other tasks, the orbiter was to serve as a communications relay for the Mars
Polar Lander mission, which failed for unknown reasons in December 1999. Several
investigating panels were convened to determine the process failures that allowed the
error to go undetected.
? Bugs in software supporting a large commercial high-speed data network affected
70,000 business customers over a period of 8 days in August of 1999. Among those
affected was the electronic trading system of the largest U.S. futures exchange, which
was shut down for most of a week as a result of the outages.
? In April of 1999 a software bug caused the failure of a $1.2 billion U.S. military
satellite launch, the costliest unmanned accident in the history of Cape Canaveral
launches. The failure was the latest in a string of launch failures, triggering a complete
military and industry review of U.S. space launch programs, including software
integration and testing processes. Congressional oversight hearings were requested.
? A small town in Illinois in the U.S. received an unusually large monthly electric bill of
$7 million in March of 1999. This was about 700 times larger than its normal bill. It
turned out to be due to bugs in new software that had been purchased by the local power
company to deal with Y2K software issues.
? In early 1999 a major computer game company recalled all copies of a popular new
product due to software problems. The company made a public apology for releasing a
product before it was ready.
How can it be known when to stop testing?

This can be difficult to determine. Many modern software applications are so complex,
and run in such an interdependent environment, that complete testing can never be done.
Common factors in deciding when to stop are:
? Deadlines (release deadlines, testing deadlines, etc.)
? Test cases completed with certain percentage passed
? Test budget depleted
? Coverage of code/functionality/requirements reaches a specified point
? Bug rate falls below a certain level
? Beta or alpha testing period ends
What if there isn't enough time for thorough testing?

Use risk analysis to determine where testing should be focused.
Since it's rarely possible to test every possible aspect of an application, every possible
combination of events, every dependency, or everything that could go wrong, risk
analysis is appropriate to most software development projects. This requires judgement
skills, common sense, and experience. (If warranted, formal methods are also available.)
Considerations can include:
? Which functionality is most important to the project's intended purpose?
? Which functionality is most visible to the user?
? Which functionality has the largest safety impact?
? Which functionality has the largest financial impact on users?
? Which aspects of the application are most important to the customer?
? Which aspects of the application can be tested early in the development cycle?
? Which parts of the code are most complex, and thus most subject to errors?
? Which parts of the application were developed in rush or panic mode?
? Which aspects of similar/related previous projects caused problems?
? Which aspects of similar/related previous projects had large maintenance expenses?
? Which parts of the requirements and design are unclear or poorly thought out?
? What do the developers think are the highest-risk aspects of the application?
? What kinds of problems would cause the worst publicity?
? What kinds of problems would cause the most customer service complaints?
? What kinds of tests could easily cover multiple functionalities?
? Which tests will have the best high-risk-coverage to time-required ratio?
What if the project isn't big enough to justify extensive testing?

Consider the impact of project errors, not the size of the project. However, if extensive
testing is still not justified, risk analysis is again needed and the same considerations as
described previously in 'What if there isn't enough time for thorough testing?' apply. The
tester might then do ad hoc testing, or write up a limited test plan based on the risk
analysis.
What can be done if requirements are changing continuously?
A common problem and a major headache.
? Work with the project's stakeholders early on to understand how requirements might
change so that alternate test plans and strategies can be worked out in advance, if
possible.
? It's helpful if the application's initial design allows for some adaptability so that later
changes do not require redoing the application from scratch.
? If the code is well-commented and well-documented this makes changes easier for the
developers.
? Use rapid prototyping whenever possible to help customers feel sure of their
requirements and minimize changes.
? The project's initial schedule should allow for some extra time commensurate with the
possibility of changes.
? Try to move new requirements to a 'Phase 2' version of an application, while using the
original requirements for the 'Phase 1' version.
? Negotiate to allow only easily-implemented new requirements into the project, while
moving more difficult new requirements into future versions of the application.
? Be sure that customers and management understand the scheduling impacts, inherent
risks, and costs of significant requirements changes. Then let management or the
customers (not the developers or testers) decide if the changes are warranted - after all,
that's their job.
? Balance the effort put into setting up automated testing with the expected effort
required to re-do them to deal with changes.
? Try to design some flexibility into automated test scripts.
? Focus initial automated testing on application aspects that are most likely to remain
unchanged.
? Devote appropriate effort to risk analysis of changes to minimize regression testing
needs.
? Design some flexibility into test cases (this is not easily done; the best bet might be to
minimize the detail in the test cases, or set up only higher-level generic-type test plans)
? Focus less on detailed test plans and test cases and more on ad hoc testing (with an
understanding of the added risk that this entails).
What if the application has functionality that wasn't in the requirements?

It may take serious effort to determine if an application has significant unexpected or
hidden functionality, and it would indicate deeper problems in the software development
process. If the functionality isn't necessary to the purpose of the application, it should be
removed, as it may have unknown impacts or dependencies that were not taken into
account by the designer or the customer. If not removed, design information will be
needed to determine added testing needs or regression testing needs. Management should
be made aware of any significant added risks as a result of the unexpected functionality.
If the functionality only effects areas such as minor improvements in the user interface,
for example, it may not be a significant risk.
How can Software QA processes be implemented without stifling productivity?

By implementing QA processes slowly over time, using consensus to reach agreement on
processes, and adjusting and experimenting as an organization grows and matures,
productivity will be improved instead of stifled. Problem prevention will lessen the need
for problem detection, panics and burn-out will decrease, and there will be improved
focus and less wasted effort. At the same time, attempts should be made to keep
processes simple and efficient, minimize paperwork, promote computer-based processes
and automated tracking and reporting, minimize time required in meetings, and promote
training as part of the QA process. However, no one - especially talented technical types -
likes rules or bureacracy, and in the short run things may slow down a bit. A typical
scenario would be that more days of planning and development will be needed, but less
time will be required for late-night bug-fixing and calming of irate customers.
What if an organization is growing so fast that fixed QA processes are impossible?

This is a common problem in the software industry, especially in new technology areas.
There is no easy solution in this situation, other than:
? Hire good people
? Management should 'ruthlessly prioritize' quality issues and maintain focus on the
customer
? Everyone in the organization should be clear on what 'quality' means to the customer
How does a client/server environment affect testing?

Client/server applications can be quite complex due to the multiple dependencies among
clients, data communications, hardware, and servers. Thus testing requirements can be
extensive. When time is limited (as it usually is) the focus should be on integration and
system testing. Additionally, load/stress/performance testing may be useful in
determining client/server application limitations and capabilities. There are commercial
tools to assist with such testing. (See the 'Tools' section for web resources with listings
that include these kinds of test tools.)
How can World Wide Web sites be tested?

Web sites are essentially client/server applications - with web servers and 'browser'
clients. Consideration should be given to the interactions between html pages, TCP/IP
communications, Internet connections, firewalls, applications that run in web pages (such
as applets, javascript, plug-in applications), and applications that run on the server side
(such as cgi scripts, database interfaces, logging applications, dynamic page generators,
asp, etc.). Additionally, there are a wide variety of servers and browsers, various versions
of each, small but sometimes significant differences between them, variations in
connection speeds, rapidly changing technologies, and multiple standards and protocols.
The end result is that testing for web sites can become a major ongoing effort. Other
considerations might include:
? What are the expected loads on the server (e.g., number of hits per unit time?), and
what kind of performance is required under such loads (such as web server response time,
database query response times). What kinds of tools will be needed for performance
testing (such as web load testing tools, other tools already in house that can be adapted,
web robot downloading tools, etc.)?
? Who is the target audience? What kind of browsers will they be using? What kind of
connection speeds will they by using? Are they intra- organization (thus with likely high
connection speeds and similar browsers) or Internet-wide (thus with a wide variety of
connection speeds and browser types)?
? What kind of performance is expected on the client side (e.g., how fast should pages
appear, how fast should animations, applets, etc. load and run)?
? Will down time for server and content maintenance/upgrades be allowed? how much?
? What kinds of security (firewalls, encryptions, passwords, etc.) will be required and
what is it expected to do? How can it be tested?
? How reliable are the site's Internet connections required to be? And how does that affect
backup system or redundant connection requirements and testing?
? What processes will be required to manage updates to the web site's content, and what
are the requirements for maintaining, tracking, and controlling page content, graphics,
links, etc.?
? Which HTML specification will be adhered to? How strictly? What variations will be
allowed for targeted browsers?
? Will there be any standards or requirements for page appearance and/or graphics
throughout a site or parts of a site??
? How will internal and external links be validated and updated? how often?
? Can testing be done on the production system, or will a separate test system be
required? How are browser caching, variations in browser option settings, dial-up
connection variabilities, and real-world internet 'traffic congestion' problems to be
accounted for in testing?
? How extensive or customized are the server logging and reporting requirements; are
they considered an integral part of the system and do they require testing?
? How are cgi programs, applets, javascripts, ActiveX components, etc. to be maintained,
tracked, controlled, and tested?
Some sources of site security information include the Usenet newsgroup
'comp.security.announce' and links concerning web site security in the 'Other Resources'
section.
Some usability guidelines to consider - these are subjective and may or may not apply to
a given situation (Note: more information on usability testing issues can be found in
articles about web site usability in the 'Other Resources' section):
? Pages should be 3-5 screens max unless content is tightly focused on a single topic. If
larger, provide internal links within the page.
? The page layouts and design elements should be consistent throughout a site, so that it's
clear to the user that they're still within a site.
? Pages should be as browser-independent as possible, or pages should be provided or
generated based on the browser-type.
? All pages should have links external to the page; there should be no dead-end pages.
? The page owner, revision date, and a link to a contact person or organization should be
included on each page.
Many new web site test tools have appeared in the recent years and more than 280 of
them are listed in the 'Web Test Tools' section.
How is testing affected by object-oriented designs?

Well-engineered object-oriented design can make it easier to trace from code to internal
design to functional design to requirements. While there will be little affect on black box
testing (where an understanding of the internal design of the application is unnecessary),
white-box testing can be oriented to the application's objects. If the application was well-
designed this can simplify test design.
What is Extreme Programming and what's it got to do with testing?

Extreme Programming (XP) is a software development approach for small teams on risk-
prone projects with unstable requirements. It was created by Kent Beck who described
the approach in his book 'Extreme Programming Explained' (See the Softwareqatest.com
Books page.). Testing ('extreme testing') is a core aspect of Extreme Programming.
Programmers are expected to write unit and functional test code first - before the
application is developed. Test code is under source control along with the rest of the
code. Customers are expected to be an integral part of the project team and to help
develope scenarios for acceptance/black box testing. Acceptance tests are preferably
automated, and are modified and rerun for each of the frequent development iterations.
QA and test personnel are also required to be an integral part of the project team.
Detailed requirements documentation is not used, and frequent re-scheduling, re-
estimating, and re-prioritizing is expected. For more info see the XP-related listings in the
Softwareqatest.com 'Other Resources' section.
Why is it often hard for management to get serious about quality assurance?
Solving problems is a high-visibility process; preventing problems is low-visibility. This
is illustrated by an old parable:
In ancient China there was a family of healers, one of whom was known throughout the
land and employed as a physician to a great lord. The physician was asked which of his
family was the most skillful healer. He replied,
"I tend to the sick and dying with drastic and dramatic treatments, and on occasion
someone is cured and my name gets out among the lords."
"My elder brother cures sickness when it just begins to take root, and his skills are known
among the local peasants and neighbors."
"My eldest brother is able to sense the spirit of sickness and eradicate it before it takes
form. His name is unknown outside our home."
Why does software have bugs?

miscommunication or no communication - as to specifics of what an application should
or shouldn't do (the application's requirements).
software complexity - the complexity of current software applications can be difficult to
comprehend for anyone without experience in modern-day software development.
Windows-type interfaces, client-server and distributed applications, data
communications, enormous relational databases, and sheer size of applications have all
contributed to the exponential growth in software/system complexity. And the use of
object-oriented techniques can complicate instead of simplify a project unless it is well-
engineered.
programming errors - programmers, like anyone else, can make mistakes.
changing requirements (whether documented or undocumented) - the customer may not
understand the effects of changes, or may understand and request them anyway -
redesign, rescheduling of engineers, effects on other projects, work already completed
that may have to be redone or thrown out, hardware requirements that may be affected,
etc. If there are many minor changes or any major changes, known and unknown
dependencies among parts of the project are likely to interact and cause problems, and the
complexity of coordinating changes may result in errors. Enthusiasm of engineering staff
may be affected. In some fast-changing business environments, continuously modified
requirements may be a fact of life. In this case, management must understand the
resulting risks, and QA and test engineers must adapt and plan for continuous extensive
testing to keep the inevitable bugs from running out of control - see 'What can be done if
requirements are changing continuously?' in Part 2 of the FAQ.
time pressures - scheduling of software projects is difficult at best, often requiring a lot of
guesswork. When deadlines loom and the crunch comes, mistakes will be made.
egos - people prefer to say things like:
'no problem'
'piece of cake'
'I can whip that out in a few hours'
'it should be easy to update that old code'
instead of:
'that adds a lot of complexity and we could end up
making a lot of mistakes'
'we have no idea if we can do that; we'll wing it'
'I can't estimate how long it will take, until I
take a close look at it'
'we can't figure out what that old spaghetti code
did in the first place'
If there are too many unrealistic 'no problem's', the result is bugs.
poorly documented code - it's tough to maintain and modify code that is badly written or
poorly documented; the result is bugs. In many organizations management provides no
incentive for programmers to document their code or write clear, understandable,
maintainable code. In fact, it's usually the opposite: they get points mostly for quickly
turning out code, and there's job security if nobody else can understand it ('if it was hard
to write, it should be hard to read').
software development tools - visual tools, class libraries, compilers, scripting tools, etc.
often introduce their own bugs or are poorly documented, resulting in added bugs.
How can new Software QA processes be introduced in an existing organization?

A lot depends on the size of the organization and the risks involved. For large
organizations with high-risk (in terms of lives or property) projects, serious management
buy-in is required and a formalized QA process is necessary.
Where the risk is lower, management and organizational buy-in and QA implementation
may be a slower, step-at-a-time process. QA processes should be balanced with
productivity so as to keep bureaucracy from getting out of hand.
For small groups or projects, a more ad-hoc process may be appropriate, depending on
the type of customers and projects. A lot will depend on team leads or managers,
feedback to developers, and ensuring adequate communications among customers,
managers, developers, and testers.
The most value for effort will be in (a) requirements management processes, with a goal
of clear, complete, testable requirement specifications embodied in requirements or
design documentation and (b) design inspections and code inspections.
What is verification? validation?

Verification typically involves reviews and meetings to evaluate documents, plans, code,
requirements, and specifications. This can be done with checklists, issues lists,
walkthroughs, and inspection meetings. Validation typically involves actual testing and
takes place after verifications are completed. The term 'IV & V' refers to Independent
Verification and Validation.
What is a 'walkthrough'?
A 'walkthrough' is an informal meeting for evaluation or informational purposes. Little or
no preparation is usually required.
What's an 'inspection'?
An inspection is more formalized than a 'walkthrough', typically with 3-8 people
including a moderator, reader, and a recorder to take notes. The subject of the inspection
is typically a document such as a requirements spec or a test plan, and the purpose is to
find problems and see what's missing, not to fix anything. Attendees should prepare for
this type of meeting by reading thru the document; most problems will be found during
this preparation. The result of the inspection meeting should be a written report.
Thorough preparation for inspections is difficult, painstaking work, but is one of the most
cost effective methods of ensuring quality. Employees who are most skilled at
inspections are like the 'eldest brother' in the parable in 'Why is it often hard for
management to get serious about quality assurance?'. Their skill may have low visibility
but they are extremely valuable to any software development organization, since bug
prevention is far more cost-effective than bug detection.
What is 'good design'?

'Design' could refer to many things, but often refers to 'functional design' or 'internal
design'. Good internal design is indicated by software code whose overall structure is
clear, understandable, easily modifiable, and maintainable; is robust with sufficient error-
handling and status logging capability; and works correctly when implemented. Good
functional design is indicated by an application whose functionality can be traced back to
customer and end-user requirements. (See further discussion of functional and internal
design in 'What's the big deal about requirements?' in FAQ #2.) For programs that have a
user interface, it's often a good idea to assume that the end user will have little computer
knowledge and may not read a user manual or even the on-line help; some common
rules-of-thumb include:
the program should act in a way that least surprises the user
it should always be evident to the user what can be done next and how to exit
the program shouldn't let the users do something stupid without warning them.
What is SEI? CMM? ISO? IEEE? ANSI? Will it help?

SEI = 'Software Engineering Institute' at Carnegie-Mellon University; initiated by the
U.S. Defense Department to help improve software development processes.
CMM = 'Capability Maturity Model', developed by the SEI. It's a model of 5 levels of
organizational 'maturity' that determine effectiveness in delivering quality software. It is
geared to large organizations such as large U.S. Defense Department contractors.
However, many of the QA processes involved are appropriate to any organization, and if
reasonably applied can be helpful. Organizations can receive CMM ratings by
undergoing assessments by qualified auditors.
Level 1 - characterized by chaos, periodic panics, and heroic efforts required by

individuals to successfully complete projects. Few if any processes in place; successes
may not be repeatable.
Level 2 - software project tracking, requirements management, realistic planning, and

configuration management processes are in place; successful practices can be repeated.
Level 3 - standard software development and maintenance processes are integrated

throughout an organization; a Software Engineering Process Group is is in place to
oversee software processes, and training programs are used to ensure understanding and
compliance.
Level 4 - metrics are used to track productivity, processes, and products. Project
performance is predictable, and quality is consistently high.
Level 5 - the focus is on continouous process improvement. The impact of new processes
and technologies can be predicted and effectively implemented when required.
Perspective on CMM ratings: During 1997-2001, 1018 organizations were assessed. Of

those, 27% were rated at Level 1, 39% at 2, 23% at 3, 6% at 4, and 5% at 5. (For ratings
during the period 1992-96, 62% were at Level 1, 23% at 2, 13% at 3, 2% at 4, and
0.4% at 5.) The median size of organizations was 100 software engineering/maintenance
personnel; 32% of organizations were U.S. federal contractors or agencies. For those
rated at
Level 1, the most problematical key process area was in Software Quality Assurance.
ISO = 'International Organisation for Standardization' - The ISO 9001:2000 standard

(which replaces the previous standard of 1994) concerns quality systems that are assessed
by outside auditors, and it applies to many kinds of production and manufacturing
organizations, not just software. It covers documentation, design, development,
production, testing, installation, servicing, and other processes. The full set of standards
consists of: (a)Q9001-2000 - Quality Management Systems: Requirements; (b)Q9000-
2000 - Quality Management Systems: Fundamentals and Vocabulary; (c)Q9004-2000 -
Quality Management Systems: Guidelines for Performance Improvements. To be ISO
9001 certified, a third-party auditor assesses an organization, and certification is typically
good for about 3 years, after which a complete reassessment is required. Note that ISO
certification does not necessarily indicate quality products - it indicates only that
documented processes are followed. Also see http://www.iso.ch/ for the latest
information. In the U.S. the standards can be purchased via the ASQ web site at http://e-
standards.asq.org/
IEEE = 'Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' - among other things, creates
standards such as 'IEEE Standard for Software Test Documentation' (IEEE/ANSI
Standard 829), 'IEEE Standard of Software Unit Testing (IEEE/ANSI Standard 1008),
'IEEE Standard for Software Quality Assurance Plans' (IEEE/ANSI Standard 730), and
others.
ANSI = 'American National Standards Institute', the primary industrial standards body in
the U.S.; publishes some software-related standards in conjunction with the IEEE and
ASQ (American Society for Quality).
Other software development process assessment methods besides CMM and ISO 9000
include SPICE, Trillium, TickIT. and Bootstrap.
What is the 'software life cycle'?

The life cycle begins when an application is first conceived and ends when it is no longer
in use. It includes aspects such as initial concept, requirements analysis, functional
design, internal design, documentation planning, test planning, coding, document
preparation, integration, testing, maintenance, updates, retesting, phase-out, and other
aspects.
Will automated testing tools make testing easier?

Possibly. For small projects, the time needed to learn and implement them may not be
worth it. For larger projects, or on-going long-term projects they can be valuable.
A common type of automated tool is the 'record/playback' type. For example, a tester
could click through all combinations of menu choices, dialog box choices, buttons, etc. in
an application GUI and have them 'recorded' and the results logged by a tool. The
'recording' is typically in the form of text based on a scripting language that is
interpretable by the testing tool. If new buttons are added, or some underlying code in the
application is changed, etc. the application might then be retested by just 'playing back'
the 'recorded' actions, and comparing the logging results to check effects of the changes.
The problem with such tools is that if there are continual changes to the system being
tested, the 'recordings' may have to be changed so much that it becomes very time-
consuming to continuously update the scripts. Additionally, interpretation and analysis of
results (screens, data, logs, etc.) can be a difficult task. Note that there are
record/playback tools for text-based interfaces also, and for all types of platforms.
Other automated tools can include:
code analyzers - monitor code complexity, adherence to standards, etc.
coverage analyzers - these tools check which parts of the code have been exercised by a
test, and may be oriented to code statement coverage, condition coverage, path coverage,
etc.
memory analyzers - such as bounds-checkers and leak detectors.
load/performance test tools - for testing client/server and web applications under various
load
levels.
web test tools - to check that links are valid, HTML code usage is correct, client-side and
server-side programs work, a web site's interactions are secure.
other tools - for test case management, documentation management, bug reporting, and
configuration management.
What are 5 common solutions to software development problems?

solid requirements - clear, complete, detailed, cohesive, attainable, testable requirements
that are agreed to by all players. Use prototypes to help nail down requirements.
realistic schedules - allow adequate time for planning, design, testing, bug fixing, re-
testing, changes, and documentation; personnel should be able to complete the project
without burning out.
adequate testing - start testing early on, re-test after fixes or changes, plan for adequate
time for testing and bug-fixing.
stick to initial requirements as much as possible - be prepared to defend against changes
and additions once development has begun, and be prepared to explain consequences. If
changes are necessary, they should be adequately reflected in related schedule changes. If
possible, use rapid prototyping during the design phase so that customers can see what to
expect. This will provide them a higher comfort level with their requirements decisions
and minimize changes later on.
communication - require walkthroughs and inspections when appropriate; make extensive
use of group communication tools - e-mail, groupware, networked bug-tracking tools and
change management tools, intranet capabilities, etc.; insure that documentation is
available and up-to-date - preferably electronic, not paper; promote teamwork and
cooperation; use protoypes early on so that customers' expectations are clarified.
What is software 'quality'?

Quality software is reasonably bug-free, delivered on time and within budget, meets
requirements and/or expectations, and is maintainable. However, quality is obviously a
subjective term. It will depend on who the 'customer' is and their overall influence in the
scheme of things. A wide-angle view of the 'customers' of a software development
project might include end-users, customer acceptance testers, customer contract officers,
customer management, the development organization's
management/accountants/testers/salespeople, future software maintenance engineers,
stockholders, magazine columnists, etc. Each type of 'customer' will have their own slant
on 'quality' - the accounting department might define quality in terms of profits while an
end-user might define quality as user-friendly and bug-free.
What is 'good code'?

'Good code' is code that works, is bug free, and is readable and maintainable. Some
organizations have coding 'standards' that all developers are supposed to adhere to, but
everyone has different ideas about what's best, or what is too many or too few rules.
There are also various theories and metrics, such as McCabe Complexity metrics. It
should be kept in mind that excessive use of standards and rules can stifle productivity
and creativity. 'Peer reviews', 'buddy checks' code analysis tools, etc. can be used to
check for problems and enforce standards.
For C and C++ coding, here are some typical ideas to consider in setting rules/standards;
these may or may not apply to a particular situation:
minimize or eliminate use of global variables.
use descriptive function and method names - use both upper and lower case, avoid
abbreviations, use as many characters as necessary to be adequately descriptive (use of
more than 20 characters is not out of line); be consistent in naming conventions.
use descriptive variable names - use both upper and lower case, avoid abbreviations, use
as many characters as necessary to be adequately descriptive (use of more than 20
characters is not out of line); be consistent in naming conventions.
function and method sizes should be minimized; less than 100 lines of code is good, less
than 50 lines is preferable.
function descriptions should be clearly spelled out in comments preceding a function's
code.
organize code for readability.
use whitespace generously - vertically and horizontally
each line of code should contain 70 characters max.
one code statement per line.
coding style should be consistent throught a program (eg, use of brackets, indentations,
naming conventions, etc.)
in adding comments, err on the side of too many rather than too few comments; a
common rule of thumb is that there should be at least as many lines of comments
(including header blocks) as lines of code.
no matter how small, an application should include documentaion of the overall program
function and flow (even a few paragraphs is better than nothing); or if possible a separate
flow chart and detailed program documentation.
make extensive use of error handling procedures and status and error logging.
for C++, to minimize complexity and increase maintainability, avoid too many levels of
inheritance in class heirarchies (relative to the size and complexity of the application).
Minimize use of multiple inheritance, and minimize use of operator overloading (note
that the Java programming language eliminates multiple inheritance and operator
overloading.)
for C++, keep class methods small, less than 50 lines of code per method is preferable.
for C++, make liberal use of exception handlers

Manual Testing

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Manual Testing

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The waterfall model is a sequential software development process, in which progress is seen as

Waterfall Model Diagram - Explained

Manual Testing Interview Questions for Freshers

• What is the accessibility testing?

Software Testing Interview Questions for Freshers

• Can you explain the V model in manual testing?

Software Testing Methods

• White box testing

Software Testing Methodologies

Let us have a look at each one of these methodologies one by one.

Rational Unified Process (RUP)

Rapid Application Development (RAD)

What is Software Testing?

Need of Software Testing Types

• Functional testing is done to detect functional defects in a system.

The list goes on as we move on towards different layers of testing.

Types of Software Testing

Other Software Testing Types

Black Box Testing

Compatibility Testing: Compatibility Testing determines if an application under supported

White Box Testing

The activities involved in Verification process are: Requirement Specification verification,

Terms used in Validation process:

User Acceptance Testing or System Validation:

What is Software Development Life Cycle?

Development and Implementation

What is a Test Case?

Test Case Structure

A formal written test case comprises of three parts -

• Purpose of the test

Industry experts usually conclude the definition of software testing as:

Software Testing = Software Verification + Software Validation

What software Testing is?

What is the Testing Process?

1) Debugging: It is defined as the successful correction of a failure.

5) Preventing: To avoid errors in development of requirements, design and implementation by

Remember that Testing is not a process which:

a) Demonstrates that errors or defects are absent.

b) Demonstrates that the program is functioning correctly according to the intent.

Testing can be either of the following:

a) Positive Testing: means an application is operated, as it should have been. Check if it

What is a Bug Life Cycle?

< I > Cycle I:

< II > Cycle II:

< III > Cycle III:

< IV > Cycle IV:

< V > Cycle V:

< VI > Cycle VI:

< VII > Cycle VII:

Software Testing Life Cycle Phases

1. Introduction: This describes the objective of the test plan.

Test Verification and Construction

1. Defect Id: Unique identification of the Defect.

Reporting and Rework

Final Testing and Implementation

What's a 'test plan'? (OSAF)

What makes a good test engineer?

What makes a good Software QA engineer?

What makes a good QA or Test manager?

What's the role of documentation in QA?

What's the big deal about 'requirements'?

ne of the most reliable methods of insuring problems, or failure, in a complex software

What should be done after a bug is found?