vrm@blackwater.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu (Vasile R. Montan) (11/14/90)
I am just starting to get into some large scale software testing for the first time and would like to gather some ideas of what other people are doing in this area. I would also appreciate any references that others have found useful. Right now I have next to nothing so anything would be helpful. I am programming in C on various platforms running Unix. 1. A large part of what I will be testing is an application interface library. I know there are basic testing techniques for this but would like to hear some practical experience. 2. The basic idea of the program is to distribute jobs to different servers which can be plugged in dynamically. This means that the configuration of the entire system can change over time. Currently, I am ignoring this and assuming a set configuration which remains constant. Ultimately, I would like to also test the effect of changing the system. 3. The communication between the job disributor and the servers is through RPC. Are there any special case for testing these connections? Are there ways to introduce RPC errors? 4. The servers can run on different platforms which may cause problems. 5. Some of the servers are existing programs, but others are developed by us. I need to test the integration of all of them regardless of where they were developed. 6. Some servers are developed using the X window system. Are there any automated testing procedures for graphical user interfaces. Again, I would appreciate any suggestions; no matter how minor you think they are. If there is enough interest I can post a summary of the responses I get on comp.software-eng. -- Vasile -- **************** The above opinions are mine, all mine. ***************** Vasile R. Montan Bell Atlantic Knowledge Systems 9 South High Street vrm@cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu Morgantown, WV 26505
daves@hpopd.HP.COM (Dave Straker) (11/14/90)
The best books I know of on testing are: Hetzel - The complete guide to software testing Beizer - System testing and quality assurance Beizer - Software testing techniques Myers - The art of software testing Also check out IEEE 829 Know all these and you can set yourself up as a consultant! Dave
johnb@srchtec.UUCP (John Baldwin) (11/15/90)
Also, don't pass up: "Software Validation, Verification, Testing and Documentation"; Andriole, Stephen J. (Ed.); 1986, Petrocelli Books, Inc.; Princeton, NJ. [A compilation of reports submitted to the National Bureau of Standards, with some filler added to give the reader some groundwork which may have been omitted from the original reports] Related to software testing: "Software Reliability: Measurement, Prediction, Application"; Musa, John D., Anthony Iannino, and Kazuhira Okumoto; 1987; McGraw-Hill; New York, NY. [Heavy on the math; accessible to the non-mathematical if you pay attention to what they're saying and are willing to push the "I believe" button when they interpret the ramifications of the math] -- John T. Baldwin | "Pereant qui ante nos nostra dixerunt!" Search Technology, Inc. | (A plague on those who said our good johnb%srchtec.uucp@mathcs.emory.edu | things before we did!)