Scribd
Upload
4 views

SoftwareTesting

Software testing is essential for ensuring that a software system meets its specifications and functions correctly in its intended environment. Despite the challenges of finding all bugs due to numerous possible paths, inputs, and user environments, effective testing methods such as black-box and white-box testing, as well as automation, can significantly improve software quality. Beta testing can provide valuable insights but may not accurately represent average users, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive testing strategy throughout the software development process.

Uploaded by

santhoshnaduhatty
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
4 views

SoftwareTesting

Software testing is essential for ensuring that a software system meets its specifications and functions correctly in its intended environment. Despite the challenges of finding all bugs due to numerous possible paths, inputs, and user environments, effective testing methods such as black-box and white-box testing, as well as automation, can significantly improve software quality. Beta testing can provide valuable insights but may not accurately represent average users, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive testing strategy throughout the software development process.

Uploaded by

santhoshnaduhatty
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 27

Software Testing

Overview
Definition of Software Testing
Problems with Testing
Benefits of Testing
Effective Methods for Testing
Definition of Software
Testing
Software testing is the process of
executing a software system to
determine whether it matches its
specification and executes in its
intended environment.
“Program testing can be a very
effective way to show the presence
of bugs, but it is hopelessly
inadequate for showing their
absence” [Dijkstra, 1972]
Why Test?
Q: If all software is released to
customers with faults, why should
we spend so much time, effort, and
money on testing?
Release of a Software
Product
Timing is another important factor
to consider.
New products: The first to the
market often sells better than
superior products that are released
later.
Beta Testing
Customers test for free!
Seems to give you test cases
representative of customer use.
Helps to determine what is most
important to the customers.
Can do more configuration
(environment) testing than in your
testing lab.
Problems with Beta
Testing
Most beta testers are “techies” who
have a higher tolerance of bugs. They
do not represent the average customer.
Beta testers usually won’t report:
usability problems, bugs they don’t
understand and bugs that seem
obvious.
Takes much more time and effort to
handle a user reported bug.
Cutting Testing Costs can
Increase other Costs
Customer support can be very
expensive. Less bugs = less calls.
Customers will look for more
reliable solutions.
Software organizations must
perform cost benefit analysis’ to
determine how much to spend on
testing.
Problems with Testing
Since it is impossible to find every
fault in a software system, bugs will
be found by customers after the
product is released.
Another Problem
In many software companies, testers are
ill-equipped to test software. For
example: My last co-op firm (which will
remain unnamed).
Testing done almost entirely by untrained co-ops.
Testers were responsible for creating black-box test
plans without being given formal specifications.
Testers were not provided with tools to automate
test plans.
Reasons that Bugs Escape
Testing
User executed untested code.
User executed statements in a
different order than was tested.
User entered an untested
combination of inputs.
User’s operating environment was
not tested.
Why Can’t Every Bug be
Found?
Too many possible paths.
Too many possible inputs.
Too many possible user
environments.
Too Many Possible Paths
Too Many Possible Inputs
Programs take input in a variety of
ways: mouse, keyboard, and other
devices.
Must test Valid and Invalid inputs.
Most importantly, there are an
infinite amount of sequences of
inputs to be tested.
Too Many Possible User
Environments
Difficult to replicate the user’s combination of
hardware, peripherals, OS, and applications.
Impossible to replicate a thousand-node
network to test networking software.
How is Testing Done
Phases of the Software
Process

Requirements Specification
Design Phase
Phase Phase

Implementation
Phase

Retirement Maintenance Integration


Phase Phase Phase
Why No Testing Phase?
Testing must be done at every phase.
Testing of a phase must be build upon
and checked against the results of the
previous phase.
Non-execution based testing is done in
early phases (before executable code is
produced).
Execution and non-execution based
testing can be done in later phases.
Nonexecution-Based
Testing
Walkthroughs
Inspections
Walkthroughs are shorter and
more informal than inspections.
Goal of both is to record faults, not
to correct them.
Execution-Based Testing
Utility
Reliability
Robustness
Performance
Correctness
Black-Box / White-Box
Testing
Black-box tests are driven by the
program’s specification
White-box tests are driven by the
program’s implementation

Black- White-
Specification Program
box box
tests tests
Test Automation
If a manual test costs $X to run the
first time, it will cost $X to run
every time thereafter.
An automated test can cost 3 to 30
times $X the first time, but will
cost about $0 after that.
Any Questions?
Too Many Possible Paths
There are 5 paths from A to X without
passing through the loop.
There are 520 paths from A to X after
passing through the loop 20 times.
There are 5 + 52 + 53 +…+ 520 = 100
trillion possible paths in this program.
If you could test a path per second it
would take more than 3 million years!
Black Box Testing
Checks that the product conforms
to specifications
Cannot determine how much code
has been tested

Omissions
detected by black-
Program
box tests
White Box Testing
Allows tester to be sure every
statement has been tested.
Difficult to discover missing
functionality.

Commissions
Program detected by White-
box tests

You might also like