Test Development

Today Software Testing is not a low end task. Testers are doing variety of testing. Sometimes developers are moved to Test Automation and Performance Testing. I am sure that Code development skills improves Tester's ability. Many test expertises have said about it. I found one interesting article at Testy's blog. He has analyzed in depth. Link ==> Do testers need programming skills?

The below quote content is from I.M.Testy's blog

The debate over whether testers need to at least understand programming concepts is still raging within the discipline. To me this debate is puzzling because it seems to suggest that as a professional, I don't have to really understand or be completely proficient in critical aspects of my trade. Even Cem Kaner noted, "I think that the next generation of testers will have to have programming skills." Actually, there was a time not so long ago when testers had to have programming skills, so it is nice that Cem now acknowledges that skill as useful in testing.

Unfortunately, occasionally even within Microsoft a few people still want to differentiate between STE and SDET by blindly assuming that STE meant non-programming testers. The fact is, that the old STE ladder level guidelines clearly stated skills such as debugging production code, and design and develop effective automation as required skills for Microsoft testers. Unfortunately, some managers chose to selectively ignore these skill requirements and some groups chose to differentiate between GUI testers and any tester who could write code by labeling them as STE and SDET respectively. (This was a horrible abomination of job titles in my opinion.) The new SDET competencies at Microsoft are designed, and supposed to be implemented in a manner, to reinforce the essential skills we expect from our testers so a tester at a certain level in their career stage in one business unit essentially has equitable skills of any other tester at the same level in their career stage in any group in the company.

Documentation testing

Recently I have done a review for installation and user guides. I came to know few basic issues. Document testing is very important for user guide and installation guides. It can bring few more values to customers. Generally testers are not interested to test the documents. You will change your mindset if you read David's article - Justification for Documentation Testing.

Documentation testing is nothing but testing concerned with the accuracy of documentation. Documentation meets its goal when it provides enough and necessary information to end users or customers. Below I have given a famous technical writer Richard Lippincott's comment.
Quote 1:

In recent years, usability has been recognized as an important
issue in documentation quality, and methodologies
have been developed to test and improve the user’s
speed, readability, and ability to find information.

Quote 2:

The documentation testing process can be considered the
test for the accuracy portion of the usability model.
It would fall under the key practice of quality assurance
activities as defined by Hackos in the Information
Process Maturity Model.

Testing Computer Software (ISBN: 0471358460) book talks about testing user manuals. It says that the effective documentation should have following benefits:

1. Improves Usability


2. Lowers customer support costs


3. Improves reliability


4. Increases Maintainability


5. Improves Installability


6. Enhances salability


7. Reduces liability

Web Testing & Client server testing

Server process:

 Server programs generally receive requests from client programs, execute database retrieval
and updates, manage data integrity and dispatch responses to client requests. The serverprocess acts as a software engine
that manages shared resources such as databases, printers, communication links, or high
powered-processors.It is the backend process of the application.

Client process: 
       Client programs usually manage the user-interface portion of theapplication, validate data
entered by the user, dispatch requests toserver programs, and sometimes execute business logic.
The client-based process is the front-end of the application.It is the interaction between the user and the rest of the application
system.

In client server testing test engineer are conduct the following testings:-

1.Behaviour testing(GUI TESTING)

2.Input domain testing

3.Error Handling testing

4.Backend testing

In Web testing test engineer are condut the following testings:-

1.Behaviour Testing

2.Static web testing

3.Input domain testing

4.Backend testing

5.Error handling testing

5.Frame Level testing

Difference between Application server and Web server:

Application server	Web server
Developers can create, test, and execute application components	It is designed to create and deploy Web site, serving up content more so than applications.
These are typically J2EE-based, running EJBs or other Java components.	It supports JSP,servlets and ASP
Application servers are designed to create true applications with complex business logic,	Web servers are technology designed to create and deploy Web site serving up content more so than applications, serving
Application Server supports HTTP,TCP/IP and many more protocols.	A Web Server understands and supports only HTTP protocol

Phases in SDLC

Five different phases in software development lifecycle:

Each phase has a defined input and a defined output.

• Requirement analysis
• Design analysis
• Implementation
• Testing
• Maintenance

PHASES	INPUT	OUTPUT
Requirement Analysis	Get the requirements from client and problem definition.	Get the details of functionality and nonfunctionality requirements and Software requirement specifications (SRS)has to be written.
Design Analysis	Discuss about software requirement specifications(SRS) and analyze development of the architecture and design of the algorithms	It gives validated design document and details of various modules and the details of logic and algorithms
Implementation	Validated design document.software architects is given to programmer.They are able to do the coding.	Source code.Code in a given programming language.
Testing	The source code is converted into an executable code and various inputs are given.When wrong output is reflected defect is analyzed.	Completetely tested software that means Bug free software wil get.
Maintenance	It involves configuration management of the work product keeping track of the feedback from the client.	Customer satifaction

Testing levels

Levels of Testing:
The whole software can not be tested at a time,so a practical approach is to divide the testing process into different levels.To start with each unit is tested separately and then the modules have to be built from the units and the modules are tested.Then the modules are combined together and the system is built and tested.

Level1:
Unit Testing:This testing is done to test the source code.Unit is the smallest piece of code that can be tested independently.This testing is done by the development team.After this testing units are combined into modules and then modules testing is carried out.

Level2:
Integration testing:This testing is done to test the design.Testing is carried out while combining different modules of a software package.Each module is tested separately and then modules are integrated and testing is carried out.In this testing debugging is easier by incrementally building the software.

Level3:
System testing:Testing is done to test the SRS(Software Requirement Specifications).After all the modules are combined together the system testing is carried out.Functional and performance testing are done during system testing.

Level4:
Acceptance Testing:Testing carriedout by the client to accept the software.This test procedure is prepared by the QA team inassociation with the client and testing is carried out as per this procedure.