Better Software Magazine Articles

Domain-Centric Programming: Redefining the Universe

Sometimes to build better software you have to challenge long-standing assumptions. Find out what happened when one programmer realized his priorities were upside-down.

J.B. Rainsberger
An Elephant in the Room

We make software so that people can use it. Yet these users are so hard to define that they are often simply ignored. This six-step approach to Interaction Design can help you bring your customers down to size so that you can provide the right product for them.

Jeff Patton's picture Jeff Patton
post implementation problem reports Eliminating Functional Defects Through Model-Based Testing

Model-based testing is based on the premise that lowering costs and improving software reliability require a tight link between functional specifications and test cases. The test process should find problems in the specification of requirements and guarantee that the functionality called out in the specification is completely exercised during the testing effort. If testers can develop full-coverage test scripts directly from quality specifications, they can be highly confident that the functionality has been successfully translated into the delivered applications.

Peter Becker
Compressing Test Execution Time to a 24-Hour Cycle

Software development projects face a growing trend of tighter schedules, more complex environments, and increased time-to-market pressures. Thomas Poirier presents a composite case study that explores how frequently encountered situations can severely impact the duration of the Test Execution Cycle (TEC). Learn strategies and tactics to shorten the TEC to within a 24-hour cycle without sacrificing test coverage.

Thomas Poirier, Conduciv inc.
STARWEST 1999: Testing and Test Automation: Establishing Effective Architectures

This presentation provides a practical guide for addressing three essential testing challenges: how to design and document a highly inspectable test suite; how to effectively architect an automated regression test library; and how to integrate test design and automation technology using Action Words. In this double-track session, Ed Kit and Hans Buwalda provide examples, case studies, and demonstrations to illustrate a proven test automation architecture. Learn of the common automation problems and how to overcome them. Discover how to create a process for test design that supports effective test automation.

Edward Kit and Hans Buwalda, Software Development Technologies
Software Inspection: Taking a Step Forward to Completion

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Neela Majumder, Intel Corporation
Exploiting a Broken Design Process

A major flaw in the way most code is designed allows you to break the code by exploiting the flaw. Learn how this "trick" can force software into a state from which it produces incorrect results. Observe live demonstrations on applying this "trick" to popular software programs and code. Discuss ways to build test automation that methodically searches for these flaws.

James Whittaker, Florida Tech, Computer Science
Database Design for Test Information Management

Every test organization must report its findings in a concise, timely, and comprehensive way. Using a relational database to manage test information can dramatically reduce the cost and effort of such reporting. Learn the pitfalls to avoid when designing a test information database. Examine a concrete example of good test database design that you can apply immediately.

Stephen Liss, Motorola
Does Test Length Matter?

According to popular testing folklore, long tests are more likely to find bugs than short ones. Based on a series of experiments using formal traversal tools, Shmuel Ur demonstrates that long tests do indeed achieve better coverage and are lower in costs than test suites built of short tests. Explore the trade-offs between short and long tests while learning the effective strategies of converting test requirements to test plans.

Shmuel Ur, IBM Research
Managing User Acceptance Testing in Large Projects

Managing user acceptance testing poses many challenges, especially in large-scale projects. Julie Tarwater explores the issues of planning, coordinating, and executing effective user testing with a large number of end users. Learn strategies for ensuring user acceptance while exploring the pros and cons of each. Discover ways to prioritize issues that arise from user testing.

Julie Tarwater, T. Rowe Price Associates

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