Test Methodologies

Aztecsoft has evolved a three-step approach to testing software, based on best practices observed

throughout a wide variety of successful testing projects.

Test Strategy

Test

Execution

Test

Planning

Test Strategy

A product's test strategy ties the product's release and sign-off criteria to its business objectives.

The overall testing strategy is defined in collaboration with the customer. In order to take key
dependencies into account, test planning, testcase design, test automation and test execution are
aligned with the development schedule. Meaningful test scheduling requires a clear understanding of
ETA's and sequencing for :

• Completion of low- and high-level specifications;
• Code-complete (coding for everything but bug-fixes stops);
• Completion of component unit-testing (when QA can begin interaction testing);
• UI-freeze (after which QA can be confident that (a) UI level automation will not break

repeatedly due to fluctuating UI and screen layouts, and (b) that API-level automation

will not be undermined by changes in interfaces/API's).
Identifying key trade-offs is essential, for it is impossible to test all scenarios, cover the full
configuration matrix, and automate all test cases, while remaining within the practical limits of time
and budget. Trade-offs on the development side need to be in concert with trade-off development
trade-offs; otherwise, development and test will have conflicting priorities. This is the stage in which
project focus is established.

We identify the features, components, sub-components, and items to be tested and the range of tests to be carried out. In addition to available automation we also estimate other required and possible automation. We catalog the tools used by the customer, potentially useful off-the-shelf tools, and internal Aztecsoft tools that may be used for the project.

We identify which features/components will be tested manually, which will be tested via automation,
and what kind of automation tool is required (script-based, GUI-based, proprietary, off-the-shelf,
etc.).

To summarize, the key activities are as follows:

• Define project scope & commitments
• Define terms of reference
• Set customer expectations
• Tie together the business objectives of the STQE project with the release/sign off

criterion and associated testing activity
• Integrate the STQE processes with development lifecycle
• Partition the problem into manageable test plans
• Identify key dependencies & trade-offs
• Scope resource requirements

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Test Planning

The next step is Test Planning, which defines the approach for testing. The first task is to establish,