Software Test Automation Fall 2001

Studies have shown that over fifty percent of software defects are attributed to poorly defined requirements. From a process improvement perspective, it is imperative that project managers establish a more effective and efficient way of defining and tracking business requirements. Jeff Tatelman describes a "how to" approach for developing a practical automated regression testing process using a traceability matrix and business event scenarios.

Topics covered in this presentation include: Why and when to trim the test suite; How to select tests to run with
Coverage Analysis System (CAS) tools; Testing Code Changes before push; How we create CAS databases; and When CAS methods are not useful.

Action Word Testing. This concept illuminates testing as an action, a process, an art. Learn how Action Word Testing can be applied to deal with critical test issues such as lack of functional knowledge of a system under test; instability of the design during test development; and automation of 100% of the functional or technical tets. Hans Buwalda uses a financial exchange that's introduced a new electronic trading system to demonstrate Action Word Testing (approximately 15,000 tests).

The current state of software test automation is in flux. Today's technologies-the Web, Java, wireless technologies, etc.-have changed how we do business and how we need to test. Test automation technologies are changing to keep up. Edward Kit summarizes the key shifts in the automated software quality industry and presents a new automation model, including an integrated set of testing processes and techniques.