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Software Testing Is A Process Used To Identify The Correctness

Software testing is conducted to find errors in software before it is released to users. It involves checking if actual results match expected results to ensure the software is defect-free. The document then outlines seven principles of software testing: 1) Testing finds defects but does not prove correctness, 2) Exhaustive testing is impossible so risk-based testing is used, 3) Testing should start early in the development process, 4) Defects cluster in some areas requiring more testing, 5) Repeating the same tests finds fewer defects over time, 6) What is tested depends on the context, 7) Finding no defects does not mean requirements are met.

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82 views

Software Testing Is A Process Used To Identify The Correctness

Software testing is conducted to find errors in software before it is released to users. It involves checking if actual results match expected results to ensure the software is defect-free. The document then outlines seven principles of software testing: 1) Testing finds defects but does not prove correctness, 2) Exhaustive testing is impossible so risk-based testing is used, 3) Testing should start early in the development process, 4) Defects cluster in some areas requiring more testing, 5) Repeating the same tests finds fewer defects over time, 6) What is tested depends on the context, 7) Finding no defects does not mean requirements are met.

Uploaded by

cmarrivada
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Software testing is a process used to identify the correctness, completeness, and quality

of developed computer software. It includes a set of activities conducted with the intent
of finding errors in software so that it could be corrected before the product is released
to the end users.

In simple words, software testing is an activity to check whether the actual results
match the expected results and to ensure that the software system is defect free.

This tutorial introduces the seven basic principles governing Software Testing.

Consider a scenario where you are moving a file from folder A to Folder B.Think of all the
possible ways you can test this.

Apart from the usual scenarios, you can also test the following conditions

Trying to move the file when it is Open

You do not have the security rights to paste the file in Folder B

Folder B is on a shared drive and storage capacity is full.

Folder B already has a file with the same name, infact the list is endless

Or suppose you have 15 input fields to test ,each having 5 possible values , the number of
combinations to be tested would be 5^15

If you were to test the entire possible combinations project EXECUTION TIME &
COSTS will rise exponentially.

Hence, one of the testing principle states that EXHAUSTIVE testing is not possible.
Instead we need optimal amount of testing based on the risk assessment of the
application.

And the million dollar question is, how do you determine this risk ?

To answer this lets do an exercise

In your opinion, Which operations is most likely to cause your Operating system to fail?

I am sure most of you would have guessed, Opening 10 different application all at the same
time.

So if you were testing this Operating system you would realize that defects are likely to be
found in   multi-tasking and needs to be tested thoroughly which brings us to our next
principle Defect Clustering which states that a small number of modules contain most of
the defects detected.
By experience you can identify such risky modules.But this approach has its own problems

If the same tests are repeated over and over again , eventually the same test cases will
no longer find new bugs

This is the another principle of testing called “Pesticide Paradox”

To overcome this, the test cases need to be regularly reviewed & revised , adding new &
different test cases to help find more defects.

But even after all this sweat & hard work in testing, you can never claim you product is bug
free. To drive home this point , lets see this video of public launch of Windows 98

You think a company like MICROSOFT would not have tested their OS thoroughly & would
risk their reputation just to see their OS crashing during its public launch!

Hence, testing principle states that - Testing shows presence of defects i.e. Software
Testing reduces the probability of undiscovered defects remaining in the software but
even if no defects are found, it is not a proof of correctness.

But what if , you work extra hard , taking all precautions & make your software product 99%
bug free .And the software does not meet the needs & requirements of the clients.

This leads us to our next principle, which states that-

Absence of Error is a Fallacy i.e. Finding and fixing defects does not help if the system
build is unusable and does not fulfill the users needs & requirements

To fix this problem , the next principle of testing states that

Early Testing - Testing should start as early as possible in the Software Development
Life Cycle. so that any defects in the requirements or design phase are captured as well more
on this principle in a later training tutorial.

And the last principle of testing states that the Testing is context dependent which basically
means that the way you test a e-commerce site will be different from the way you test a
commercial off the shelf application

Summary of the Seven Testing Principles

Principle 1 Testing shows presence of defects


Principle 2 Exhaustive testing is impossible
Principle 3 Early Testing
Principle 4 Defect Clustering
Principle 5 Pesticide Paradox
Principle 6 Testing is context dependent
Principle 7 Absence of errors - fallacy

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