testing

Bugs that make a system crash are the most dramatic, but they may not be the most interesting. Subtle bugs hide where you don't expect them, causing systems to mislead users with incorrect results. Using scientific inquiry, you can expose these deceptive ne'er-do-wells lurking inconspicuously under the covers. Elisabeth Hendrickson offers good examples and pointers to using this investigative method.

Are you a project manager or test manager who feels like you're in constant motion? While your team works on products, your week is likely filled with meetings, conference calls, email, analysis, and consultation. But when your efforts have more to do with team performance and avoiding disasters than a tangible product, how can you measure what you've done in a concrete way?

Exploratory testing operates fluidly in real time. But that doesn't mean the process has to be random or scattered. The use of heuristics and mnemonics can serve as a road map to follow as you dive into the exploratory process. In this column, James Bach shares the mnemonic he relies on most for testing and how you can use it to make sure you're covering all the bases.

What is quality? What makes some people notice bugs and other people not notice them? Are defects always bad? Software test engineer Bernie Berger has spent time considering the nature and essence of testing. This article takes an introspective approach by posing a list of philosophical questions for testers to consider.