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Who Is the User Anyway?

"Users have rights!" But which user? And what rights? Clare-Marie Karat's User's Bill of Rights is based on the concept that the user is always right. But who is the user? Companies that make and sell commercial software spend lots of thought and money on just this issue. All users are not the same and they have different needs. So who decides which user needs to satisfy?

Rick Craig's picture Rick Craig
Has Web Development Changed the Meaning of Testing?

Web development may be distinguished from traditional software development by descriptive terms such as "slam it and jam it," "FAD--Frantic Application Development," or "Wild Web Developer." These phrases from Glass' column help us understand the new challenges faced by test and QA people who are assigned to Web projects. In this column, Glass identifies many of the new aspects of testing that come with the advent of Web software.

TechWell Contributor's picture TechWell Contributor
Automation Testing Using Visual Basic 6.0

I have used and taught classes in Microsoft Visual Basic® since its Version 2.0, in addition to teaching and consulting on test automation. Since I work for a Quality Assurance company, Data Dimensions, Inc., most of the students I have trained have been testers. The tester's goal, usually, was to gain programming experience and to perhaps build test utilities in VB. Yet, the courses I taught were initially the same as the courses taught to developers. 

Mary Sweeney's picture Mary Sweeney
Graybox Software Testing in the Real World in Real-Time

The Graybox Testing Methodology is a software testing method used to test embedded systems. The methodology is platform and language independent. The current implementation of the Graybox methodology is heavily dependent on the use of a host platform debugger to execute and validate the software under test.

TechWell Contributor's picture TechWell Contributor
Finite State Model-Based Testing on a Shoestring

Model-based testing is a software test technique that generates tests from an explicit model of software behavior. Modern programmable test tools allow us to use this technique to create useful, flexible and powerful tests at a very reasonable cost.

Harry Robinson's picture Harry Robinson
Birth of a Test Organization

This paper aims to identify practical, easily implemented solutions to establishing a test organization. Often testers are put in a test group that is defined in name only. Regardless of what name your organization uses for the test function, you need to determine your group's identity and what you will and will not be responsible for. I liken this process to that of the growth stages of a child from crawling to first steps to walking.

Lisa Bresko
Divide and Conquer: Making Sense Out of Test Planning

The neophyte test planner is often overwhelmed by the complexity and scope of test planning. This paper presents several practical methods for dividing the testing into manageable pieces, based on the author's experience over ten years of testing a wide variety of products.

Kathy Iberle's picture Kathy Iberle
Defect Management in Development and Test

A simple survey I have been conducting at conferences since 1994 demonstrates few organizations use defect data to manage their product development. I have asked a series of questions, and provide the results.

Ed Weller's picture Ed Weller
System Testing Strategies for Highly Available Clustered Systems

This paper focuses on the strategies and challenges of testing real-world, large and complex, highly available clustered systems in the following areas: Test planning, Strategies and methodologies; Defect tracking processes; System Configuration tests; Cluster and storage fault injection tests; Effective testing practices.

The information provided in this paper is aimed at helping test engineers understand many of the quality assurance issues involved in testing large and complex systems.

Subbarao Jagannatha
Test Planning in a Fluid Environment

As a test manager, I know the product needs to be released on schedule. I'm trying to stay on schedule, but there are changes in the software. I have to keep my test team apprised of the changes and revise the test plan…again. Now it's time to plan for the next test cycle. This article offers four keys to a successful test plan: Involvement of Test Team from the Beginning, Integration Testing, Identification of Handoff Criteria, and Interaction Among All Players.

Chris DeNardis's picture Chris DeNardis

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