Introduction

Till now the database design, user interface design and implementation are complete. The system now is tested for its functionality, validity and performance. In order to test the system, a wide variety of tests are conducted to make sure that the system matches the entire identified user requirements and conscabts. This chapter focuses on testing the developed systems using different test strategies in order to verify its correctness and user acceptance.

Testing is a process of executing a program with the intent of finding an error. A good test case is one that has a high probability of finding an as yet undiscovered error. A successful test is one that uncovers an as yet undiscovered error.

The development of software systems involves a series of production activities where opportunities for injection of human fallibility are enormous. Errors may begin to occur at the very inception of the process where the objectives may be enormously or imperfectly specified, as well as in later design and development stages. Because of human inability to perform and communicate with perfection, software development is accompanied by a quality assurance activity.

Software testing is a critical element of software quality assurance and represents the ultimate review of specification, design, and coding. And it needs to be done in almost every phase of product development life cycle not just before a product is handed to a customer.

The following are some attributes of a good test:

1) A good test has a high probability of finding an error. To achieve this goal the tester must understand the software and attempt to develop a mental picture of how the software may fail. Ideally the classes of failure are probed.

2) A good test is not redundant: testing time and resources are limited. There is no point in conducting the test that has the same purpose as another test. Every test should have a different purpose.

3) A good test should be best of breed. In a group of tests that have a similar intent time and resource limitations may militate for the execution of only a subset of these tests. In such cases the tester that has the highest likelihood of uncovering a whole class of errors should be used.

4) A good test should be neither too simple nor too complex: although it is sometimes possible to combine a series of tests into one test case, the possible side effects associated with this approach may mask errors. In general each test should be executed separately.

Types of testing

White Box Testing

White box testing, sometimes called glass box testing is a test case design method that uses the control structure of the procedural design to derive test cases. Using white box testing methods, the software engineer can derive test cases that :

1) Guarantee that all independent paths within a module have been exercised at least once.

2) Exercise all logical decisions on their true and false sides.

3) Execute all loops at their boundaries and within their operational bounds.

4) Exercise internal data structure to assure their validity.

White box testing was performed at all levels of development of i-Admit. The coding team took all care to test the code and guarantee that it meets all the specifications as well as logically correct. All loops were tested and all internal data structures evaluated and verified.

Date: 2015-01-11; view: 763