Training | 19
(Millichamp again), and that the ISEB by less ‘scientific’ means. Studies of
Intermediate and Practitioner, levels this phenomenon have been reported
to some extent build upon them. And for both code-based testing, and
there is no doubt that well-applied specification-based testing. The
testing – especially, testing applied to techniques are collectively known
the prevention of bugs – can generate under the label, High-Yield Testing
huge savings both in the development (google it if necessary), because
of software, and its use in live they return a high yield of bugs for
environments. a relatively low investment in the
number of test cases run.
And what about the future?
The ISEB/ISTQB Foundation syllabus is Conclusions
not (I believe) really intended to teach What can we conclude from this? Here
the skills that Millichamp refers to, are the highlights:
so much as to make all participants
•
S oftware development, and the
aware that such skills exist, are very business use of software, are both
advantageous, and need to be learned. risky undertakings, where the risk is
This is useful stuff indeed, but I think that the software may let you down
that some valuable opportunities badly, and expensively.
have been missed, which the future
•
F ailures of software projects, or
might bring in to a tester training of deployed software, can be very
programme. expensive indeed, and can usually be
For example, the original Foundation traced back to failures of or
syllabus, included mention of in testing.
“cyclomatic complexity”. This has
•
G ood testing practices can be
been dropped from all current learnt the hard way – through raw
syllabuses, Foundation, Intermediate experience – but it’s much less
and Practitioner – partly (I suspect) uncomfortable, safer, and cheaper,
because their authors didn’t really to learn the lessons from
understand it. (I beg their pardons if someone else.
there other, better, reasons.)
•
T ester training costs money, but
This is a great pity, because it’s not it’s an investment that can repay
really a difficult concept to understand, itself many times over, provided it
nor a difficult measurement to make, hits the right nails on the head.
and neither is it just an attribute of
•
But even the best-trained testers
program source code, as the syllabus can’t work their magic to real
portrayed it. Rather, it’s a fundamental effect if the project structure is
property of “test models” such as against them. Those who create
flowcharts, decision tables, state the environment in which good or
transition diagrams, cause-effect bad testing takes place also need
graphs, activity diagrams, and even some training.
use case narratives; a property which And finally,
can be used to help design powerful
•
T he ISEB tester certification
test sets that achieve high levels of programme, adopted by e-testing
coverage, and disclose high numbers Consultancy, have made a big
of bugs, with relatively low numbers of difference, but not necessarily big
test cases. enough. More opportunities for
Such techniques have been shown providing testers with skills that
to find approximately the same are of direct value to the business
Don Mills
Senior Tester
number of bugs, as found by double need to be created.
e-testing Consultancy Limited
www.etesting.com
the number of test cases developed Let’s look to the future, folks.
T.E.S.T | March 09 March 09 | T.E.S.T
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