March, 2004
Back on Track
It’s been a while since I’ve issued a newsletter and it’s good to be back! As you will notice, this is a shorter format than past issues of The Software Quality Advisor and I hope you will find that less can be better. My goal for this and future issues is to give you practical information that can help you build your testing skills and do your job better. Please let me know how I’m doing toward that goal. I would love to hear topics of interest to you, so that I can write on those subjects in upcoming issues. Thanks for your support!
Featured Article
Why I’m More Positive About Exploratory Testing
by Randall W. Rice, CSQA, CST
In the past I have not given a lot of attention to exploratory testing in my writing, speaking and teaching. I have favored the more defined testing techniques. However, as I continue to train and test, I see things that make me more favorable toward exploratory testing as a valuable testing technique.
[Read more here]
What’s New on RiceConsulting.com
New QualityTalk Radio Interview on Building on Your Skills
Have you ever wondered how to build your testing skills when you don’t have a big budget for training? Host Mickey O’Neil interviews me on how to build your testing skills in a variety of ways. We discuss training courses, how to find the right training course for you, options for inexpensive training, certifications and testing conferences. Listen to this free program today at www.riceconsulting.com!
New Training Workshop – How to Become a Better Tester
Are you stuck in rut as a tester? Are your skills getting a little dull? Then, this course is for you. After over 13 years in training testers, I’ve developed an interactive workshop that is designed to expand a tester’s horizons. We ask questions, explore problems and learn a lot about testing, teamwork and how to add value to your company and career.
I’m really excited about this new workshop that can help any tester, regardless of experience level, to be an indispensable part of a test team. Find out more here.
Leadership Thought
“The best people to take with you on the leadership journey don’t simply sit back and wait for opportunities to come to them. They make it their responsibility to go out and find them.” John C. Maxwell
Book Review
A Practitioner's Guide to Software Test Design
by Lee Copeland
Product Details:
ISBN: 158053791X
Format: Paperback, 320pp
Pub. Date: December 2003
Publisher: Artech House, Incorporated
This is a great read on an important topic. Lee Copeland has done a super job in bringing together a diverse set of test techniques in a way that will make sense to testers of all experience levels. This book also brings many of the techniques we have used over the years, such as boundary value testing and equivalence classes, up to date with newer techniques such as pairwise testing and use cases for testing.
It was interesting to read some of the quotes from Boris Beizer and other early testing authors. Some of those nuggets, such as the example of “Kiddie Pool vs. Real Pool” had a big impact on me years ago as I developed my understanding of what testing is about.
Copeland achieves a nice level of coverage in this book, as he addresses black box and white box testing, as well as testing paradigms that shape the way someone may look at testing. The trade-offs between exploratory and scripted approaches are examined in particular.
I really like the readability of this book, due in large part to the humor that Copeland sprinkles through the book just when you need a smile.
Copeland also does an excellent job of thoroughly explaining by example how the various testing techniques are applied. He takes each technique step-by-step and breaks it down so that even a beginner can understand.
I found the chapter devoted to bug taxonomies very helpful by providing the lists by Beizer, Caner, Binder, Whittaker and others in a single location. I often tell my students to “start a bug collection” to understand the defects most common in the software they test. This is a natural and effective starting point for process improvement. The bug taxonomy can give you a head start on your own bug collection.
I can highly recommend this book to any tester. If you are looking for a self-study book in test planning, this is a great place to start!
Readability - 5
Coverage of topics - 5
Depth of coverage - 5
Credibility - 5
Accuracy - 5
Relevance to software quality - 5
Overall - 5
Reviewed by Randy Rice
“The winner’s edge is not in a gifted birth, or in talent. The winner’s edge is in the attitude, not aptitude.” Denis Waitley
Links of interest
Got a New Strategy? Now Make it Happen!
Security a Work in Progress for Microsoft
Bank of America creates Indian outsourcing subsidiary
8 ways micro-managers can cure themselves
Resources for Your Test Lab
Need an answer to a support question on anything concerning hardware, software, O/S? Try this site!
If you do web testing and need a particular browser, past or present, try:
"If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut."
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955), Observer, Jan. 15, 1950
Last Updated on Wednesday, 28 October 2009 07:45
