Here are Ketils personal notes from a walkthrough of the book “software testing foundations”, combined with notes on agile testing and parts from the wikipedia. Look if you wish, it’s as imperfect and unusable as such notes always should be.
2.1 Define the terms failure, fault and error
Failure := Desribes the event when a user experiencne a problem, a non-fulfillment of a given requirenment. Examples of failures are products that .
Fault := the cause of a failure
Error := A failure to complete a task, usually involving a premature termination (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/error)
2.2 What is defect masking
A defect can be hidden by other defects. Correction of the other defects will often reveal the masked one
2.3 Explain the difference between testing and debugging
Testing = Looking for bugs
Debugging = Localizing and removing bugs
2.4 Explain why each test is a random sampling
It’s economically impossible to test everything. Therefore one make assumptions and prioritie. This process makes each test a random sampling, there are no possibility to test all samples so you got to make a random selection.
2.5 List the main characteristics of software quality, according to ISO 9126
- Functionality
- Reliability
- Usability
- Efficiency
- Maintainability
- Portability
2.6 Define the term system reliability
Reliability describes the ability of a system to keep functioning under specific use over a specific period of time
The quality characteristics are split into maturity, fault tolerance and recoverability.
2.7 Explain the phases of the fundamental test process
As proven in the V-model, the phases of the fundamental test process follow the phases of software development. This means that when the requirenments are defined, the tests covering accaptanse critereias are defined as well.
The fundamental test process cover these issues:
- Planning and control,
- Analysis and design,
- Implementation and execution,
- Evaluation of the test exit criteria,
- Post testing activities
4.1 Describe the basic steps for running a review
The basic steps for running a review are:
- Planning
- Overview
- Preparation
- Examination / meeting
- Rework
- follow-up
4.2 What different kinds of review exists?
Management / project review: Monitors progress, determines the status of plans and schedules, confirms / excludes requirements and their system allocation, Evaluates the effecient of management approaches used to achieve fitness.
Walkthrough, an informal review with the purpose of finding defects, ambiguties and problems in the written documentation
Inspection, a formal review
Technical review, here the focus is compliance of the document with the specification, fitness for intended purpose, and compliance to standards
Informal review, such as pair programming, buddy testing and code swapping
4.3 hich roles participate in a tecchnial review?
The revieweres must be technically qualified experts. Some of the participants should not be previously involved in the project, to avoid “project blindness”.
Management do NOT participate in tehnical reviews.
5.2 What is the purpose of a test harness?
A test harness is a framework around the object to be tested, it’s purpose is to ensure that the object is as it sould be. It has two main parts: Test execution engine, and test script repository.
A test harness should allow specific tests to run, orcestrate a runtime environment, and provide a capability to analyse the results.
5.4 Explain the equivalence class partition technique
The equivalence class partition technique:
- For every input data element that should be tested, the domain of all possible inputs should be determined.
- The domain is then partitioned into equivalence classes.
- First, the subdomain of correct inputs is found. This is the equivalence class of all corret input values. The tests object should process these values according to the specification.
5.5 Define the test completeness criterion for equivalence class coverage
A possible criteria is that every se case, and every possible combination of use cases, must be tested with at least one test case.
6.4 State the typical tasks of a test manager
Manage the planning and fulfillment of the tests, the test team and test item. This includes test policies, quality management, project management, personell management and everything related to these issues
6.7 Define the term tests strategy
The test strategy determines the strategies of the tests: Their objectives and the means to achieve the objectives.
6.8 Discuss four typical approaches to determine a test strategy
Four approaches:
- Preventative
- Reactive
- Analytical
- Heuristic
6.15 What is the purpose of incident status model?
To see the development of bugs, and ensure that no bugs are left unnoticed
6.18 What basic kinds of standards exists?
Informal and formal standards, as:
- Company standards
- Best practices
- Quality management standards
- Standards for particular industrial sectors
- Software test standards