Software QA/Testing Technical FAQs

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before creating test cases to "break the system", a few principles have to be observed:
Testing should be based on user requirements. This is in order to uncover any defects that might cause the program or system to fail to meet the client's requirements.
Testing time and resources are limited. Avoid redundant tests.
It is impossible to test everything. Exhaustive tests of all possible scenarios are impossible, simple because of the many different variables affecting the system and the number of paths a program flow might take.
Use effective resources to test. This represents use of the most suitable tools, procedures and individuals to conduct the tests. The test team should use tools that they are confident and familiar with. Testing procedures should be clearly defined. Testing personnel may be a technical group of people independent of the developers.
Test planning should be done early. This is because test planning can begin independently of coding and as soon as the client requirements are set.
Testing should begin at the module. The focus of testing should be concentrated on the smallest programming units first and then expand to other parts of the system.
We look at software testing in the traditional (procedural) sense and then describe some testing strategies and methods used in Object Oriented environment. We also introduce some issues with software testing in both environments.

Would like to know whether Black Box testing techniques like Boundary Value Analysis and Equivalence Partitioning - during which phases of testing are they used,if possible with examples ?

Answer1:
Also Boundary Value Analysis and Equivalence Partitioning can be used in unit or component testing, and generally is used in system testing
Example, you have a module designed to work out the tax to be paid:
An employee has £4000 of salary tax free. The next £1500 is taxed at 10%
The next £28000 is taxed at 22%
Any further amount is taxed at 40%

You must define test cases that exercise valid and invalid equivalence classes:
Any value lower than 4000 is tax free
Any value between 4000 and 5500 must paid 10%
Any value between 5501 and 33500 must paid 22%
Any value bigger than 33500 must paid 40%
And the boundary values are: 4000, 4001, 5501, 33501


Answer2:
This Boundary value analysis and Equivalence partitioning is used to prepare the positive and negative type test cases.
Equivalence partitioning: If you want to validate the text box which accepts the value between 2000 to 10000 , then the test case input is partitioned as the following way
1. <=2000
2. >=2000 and <=10000
3. >10000
The boundary Values analysis is checking the input values on boundaries. IN the above case it can checked with whether the input values is on the boundary or above the boundary or in low boundary.

Test Case Design
Test cases should be designed in such a way as to uncover quickly and easily as many errors as possible. They should "exercise" the program by using and producing inputs and outputs that are both correct and incorrect. Variables should be tested using all possible values (for small ranges) or typical and out-of-bound values (for larger ranges). They should also be tested using valid and invalid types and conditions. Arithmetical and logical comparisons should be examined as well, again using both correct and incorrect parameters. The objective is to test all modules and then the whole system as completely as possible using a reasonably wide range of conditions.

How to use methods/techniques to test the bandwidth usage of a client/server application?

Bandwidth Utilization:
Basically at the client-server model you will be most concerned about the bandwidth usage if your application is a web based one. It surely is a part of concern when the throughput and the data transfer comes into the picture.
I suggest you to use the Radview's Webload for the Load and Stress testing tool for the same.
Available at the demoware.. you can record the scenarios of the normal user over the variable connection speed and then run it for hours to know about the bandwidth utilisation and the throughput and data trasfer rate, hits per sec, etc... there is a huge list of parameters which can be tested over a n no of combinations..

How do test case templates look like?
Software test case templates are blank documents that describe inputs, actions, or events, and their expected results, in order to determine if a feature of an application is working correctly. Test case templates contain all particulars of test cases. For example, one test case template is in the form of a 6-column table, where column 1 is the "test case ID number", column 2 is the "test case name", column 3 is the "test objective", column 4 is the "test conditions/setup", column 5 is the "input data requirements/steps", and column 6 is the "expected results".
All documents should be written to a certain standard and template. Why? Because standards and templates do help to maintain document uniformity. Also because they help you to learn where information is located, making it easier for users to find what they want. Also because, with standards and templates, information is not be accidentally omitted from documents.

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