Chapter 1. Software Testing Background

 

What’s a Bug?

For the purposes of this book and much of the software industry, a software bug occurs when one or more of the following five rules are true:

1.        The software doesn't do something that the product specification says it should do.

2.        The software does something that the product specification says it shouldn't do.

3.        The software does something that the product specification doesn't mention.

4.        The software doesn't do something that the product specification doesn't mention but should.

5.        The software is difficult to understand, hard to use, slow, or in the software tester's eyes will be viewed by the end user as just plain not right.

NOTE

Every person who uses a piece of software will have different expectations and opinions as to how it should work. It would be impossible to write software that every user thought was perfect. As a software tester, you should keep this in mind when you apply Rule #5 to your testing. Be thorough, use your best judgment, and, most importantly, be reasonable. Your opinion counts, but, as you'll learn in later chapters, not all the bugs you find can or will be fixed.

 

Why Do Bugs Occur?

There are several reasons specifications are the largest bug producer. The next largest source of bugs is the design.

NOTE

There's an old saying, "If you can't say it, you can't do it." This applies perfectly to software development and testing.

 

What Exactly Does a Software Tester Do?

The goal of a software tester is to find bugs, find them as early as possible, and make sure they get fixed.

NOTE

It's important to note that "fixing" a bug does not necessarily imply correcting the software. It could mean adding a comment in the user manual or providing special training to the customers. It could require changing the statistics that the marketing group advertises or even postponing the release of the buggy feature. You'll learn throughout this book that although you're seeking perfection and making sure that the bugs get fixed, that there are practical realities to software testing. Don't get caught in the dangerous spiral of unattainable perfection.

 

What Makes a Good Software Tester?

The methodical and disciplined approach to software testing that you'll learn in this book requires the same hard work and dedication that programming does. It involves very similar skills, and although a software tester doesn't necessarily need to be a full-fledged programmer, having that knowledge is a great benefit.

 

Here's a list of traits that most software testers should have:

They are explorers. Software testers aren't afraid to venture into unknown situations. They love to get a new piece of software, install it on their PC, and see what happens.

They are troubleshooters. Software testers are good at figuring out why something doesn't work. They love puzzles.

They are relentless. Software testers keep trying. They may see a bug that quickly vanishes or is difficult to re-create. Rather than dismiss it as a fluke, they will try every way possible to find it.

They are creative. Testing the obvious isn't sufficient for software testers. Their job is to think up creative and even off-the-wall approaches to find bugs.

They are (mellowed) perfectionists. They strive for perfection, but they know when it becomes unattainable and they're okay with getting as close as they can.

They exercise good judgment. Software testers need to make decisions about what they will test, how long it will take, and if the problem they're looking at is really a bug.

They are tactful and diplomatic. Software testers are always the bearers of bad news. They have to tell the programmers that their baby is ugly. Good software testers know how to do so tactfully and professionally and know how to work with programmers who aren't always tactful and diplomatic.

They are persuasive. Bugs that testers find won't always be viewed as severe enough to be fixed. Testers need to be good at making their points clear, demonstrating why the bug does indeed need to be fixed, and following through on making it happen.

A fundamental trait of software testers is that they simply like to break things.

In addition to these traits, having some education in software programming is a big plus.