StackOverflow2013

Note that there are some explanatory texts on larger screens.

plurals

PO
text
Body
copied!<p>There have been a lot of great responses to this question so far, but I want to add a few notes of my own. As a preface: I am a consultant for a large company that delivers technology solutions to a wide range of large clients. I say this because, in my experience, we are required to test much more thoroughly than most software shops do (save maybe API developers). Here are some of the steps we go through to ensure quality:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Internal Unit Test:</strong><br/> Developers are expected to create unit tests for all the code they write (read: every method). The unit tests should cover positive test conditions (does my method work?) and negative test conditions (does the method throw an ArgumentNullException when one of my required arguments is null?). We typically incorporate these tests into the build process using a tool like CruiseControl.net</li> <li><strong>System Test / Assembly Test:</strong><br /> Sometimes this step is called something different, but this is when we begin testing public functionality. Once you know all your individual units function as expected, you want to know that your external functions also work the way you think they should. This is a form of functional verification since the goal is to determine whether the entire system works the way it should. Note that this does not include any integration points. For system test, you should be using mocked-up interfaces instead of the real ones so that you can control the output and build test cases around it.</li> <li><strong>System Integration Test:</strong><br /> At this stage in the process, you want to connect your integration points to the system. For example, if you're using a credit card processing system, you'll want to incorporate the live system at this stage to verify that it still works. You would want to perform similar testing to system/assembly test.</li> <li><strong>Functional Verification Test:</strong> <br /> Functional verification is users running through the system or using the API to verify that it works as expected. If you've built an invoicing system, this is the stage at which you will execute your test scripts from end to end to ensure that everything works as you designed it. This is obviously a critical stage in the process since it tells you whether you've done your job.</li> <li><strong>Certification Test:</strong> <br /> Here, you put real users in front of the system and let 'em have a go at it. Ideally you've already tested your user interface at some point with your stakeholders, but this stage will tell you whether your target audience likes your product. You might've heard this called something like a "release candidate" by other vendors. If all goes well at this stage, you know you're good to move into production. Certification tests should always be performed in the same environment you'll be using for production (or an identical environment at least).</li> </ul> <p>Of course, I know that not everyone follows this process, but if you look at it from end to end, you can begin to see the benefits of the individual components. I haven't included things like build verification tests since they happen on a different timeline (e.g., daily). I personally believe that unit tests are critical, because they give you deep insight into which specific component of your application is failing at which specific use case. Unit tests will also help you isolate which methods are functioning correctly so that you don't spend time looking at them for more information about a failure when there's nothing wrong with them.</p> <p>Of course, unit tests could also be wrong, but if you develop your test cases from your functional/technical specification (you have one, right? ;)), you shouldn't have too much trouble. </p>

Querying!

Guidance

An individual column

Larger individual text columns get their own page to allow for proper reading.

SQuiL has stopped working due to an internal error.

If you are curious you may find further information in the browser console, which is accessible through the devtools (F12).

Reload