Software QA and Testing Less-Frequently-Asked-Questions

• Why is it often hard for organizations to get serious about quality assurance?
• Who is responsible for risk management?
• Who should decide when software is ready to be released?
• What can be done if requirements are changing continuously?
• What if the application has functionality that wasn't in the requirements?
• How can QA processes be implemented without reducing productivity?
• What if an organization is growing so fast that fixed QA processes are impossible?
• Will automated testing tools make testing easier?
• What's the best way to choose a test automation tool?
• How can it be determined if a test environment is appropriate?
• What's the best approach to software test estimation?

what is defect life cycle?

The defect life cycle is:
first when the defect is found it is made note of. (this is called the New stage)
Then it is sent to the developer (this is called the Open stage)
Once the developer fixes and sends back to the tester (it is called as Fixed)
Now the tester checks if the bug had been fixed , if it is fixed (it is called Closed)

if the bug is not fixed it is returned back to the developer (this is called as Reopen)

Risk-based Testing|Risk analysis techniques

Testing is the means used in software development to reduce risks associated with a system. By testing, we hope to identify many of the problems before they get to the customer, thereby reducing the system’s risk. Unfortunately, testing alone can’t find all of the bugs and with the rapid pace of application development in the today’s world, testing has become a challenging proposition and often just doesn’t get done.

Trying to meet even tighter deadlines while still delivering products that meet customer requirements is the greatest challenge testers face today. Formulating answers to age-old questions like “What should we test?” and “How long do we test?” requires different strategies in fast-paced environments.

• Does the product meet our quality expectations?
• Is the application ready for users?
• What can we expect when 2,000 people hit the site?
• What are we risking if we release now?

Outcomes:

• Risks and risk reduction techniques relative in software testing
• Risk analysis techniques designed to identify software testing related risks
• Test design strategy based upon risk analysis

Testing Cycle:A sample

Although variations exist between organizations, there is a typical cycle for testing. The sample below is common among organizations employing the Waterfall development model.

• Requirements analysis: Testing should begin in the requirements phase of the software development life cycle. During the design phase, testers work with developers in determining what aspects of a design are testable and with what parameters those tests work.
• Test planning: Test strategy, test plan, testbed creation. Since many activities will be carried out during testing, a plan is needed.
• Test development: Test procedures, test scenarios, test cases, test datasets, test scripts to use in testing software.
• Test execution: Testers execute the software based on the plans and tests and report any errors found to the development team.
• Test reporting: Once testing is completed, testers generate metrics and make final reports on their test effort and whether or not the software tested is ready for release.
• Test result analysis: Or Defect Analysis, is done by the development team usually along with the client, in order to decide what defects should be treated, fixed, rejected (i.e. found software working properly) or deferred to be dealt with later.
• Defect Retesting: Once a defect has been dealt with by the development team, it is retested by the testing team. AKA Resolution testing.
• Regression testing: It is common to have a small test program built of a subset of tests, for each integration of new, modified, or fixed software, in order to ensure that the latest delivery has not ruined anything, and that the software product as a whole is still working correctly.
• Test Closure: Once the test meets the exit criteria, the activities such as capturing the key outputs, lessons learned, results, logs, documents related to the project are archived and used as a reference for future projects.