STARWEST 2006 - Software Testing Conference

PRESENTATIONS

Rapid Thinking: When Time Is Tight

How many different kinds of yellow fruit can you name in one minute? Try it and the tension may feel familiar, like testing under a deadline-ideas quickly come to mind (or perhaps they don't), flashes of victory when you find a good
Jon Bach, Quardev Laboratories
Right Under Your Fingertips: Built-in Windows Tools for Test Automation

Launching a test automation effort can be a daunting undertaking. An abundance of testing tools are available-but if you do not have previous automation experience, how can you know if you are investing in the right solution? A safe alternative is to begin with automation tools already included in the Microsoft Windows operating system. You can use these tools to build your own test automation system that produces professional results.
Matt Lowrie, Anark Corporation
Ruby And WATIR: Your New Test Automation Tools

Ready to start writing your own test scripts? Not sure of what tools to use? Kalen Howell discovered Ruby, a powerful scripting language that is easy to learn. Using Ruby led Kalen to WATIR, an open source tool written in Ruby. WATIR is used to drive Web sites through Internet Explorer just as a user would. Just by following a few examples, Kalen was able to create automated test scripts in a matter of minutes. Learning more about Ruby enabled Kalen to write more robust scripts.
Kalen Howell, LexisNexis
Say Yes - or Say No? What to Do When You're Faced with the Impossible

The ability to communicate is a tester's-and test manager's-most important skill. Imagine this scenario. You’re a test manager. Your team is working as hard as they can. You’re at full capacity, trying to find time to test the new system your boss just gave you. And now your boss is in your office, asking you to take on one more assignment. What do you do? Say "Yes" or say "No"?
Johanna Rothman, Rothman Consulting Group, Inc.
Security Testing: From Threat to Attack to Fix

Based on his years of experience in security testing, Julian Harty believes that most system stakeholders don't understand-or even recognize-the need for security testing. Perhaps they will pay an external consultant to perform an
Julian Harty, Google, Inc.
Skill Diversity: The Key to Building the Ideal Test Team

The dictionary defines "diversity" as "variety"-and that's just what an effective test team needs. It's much easier to hire people just like you-after all, they are easy to understand and manage. But Barry Power has found that teams
consisting of all thinkers, all planners, all doers, all coordinators, or all finishers are not as effective as teams with a diverse composition. Barry has built powerful
Barry Power, Bayer Corporation
Software Disasters and Lessons Learned

Software defects come in many forms--from those that cause a brief inconvenience to those that cause fatalities. Patricia McQuaid believes it is important to study software disasters, to alert developers and testers to be ever vigilant, and to understand that huge catastrophes can arise from what seem like small problems.
Patricia McQuaid, Cal Poly State University
Software Inspections: Key Elements of Success

Inspections have over thirty years of history improving software quality and productivity. Numerous studies have shown inspection is the most effective process for discovering defects. Yet today, inspections are not widely used in the software industry. Why are they not more prevalent? Ed Weller knows that successful implementation of inspections requires a thorough understanding of
Edward Weller, Software Technology Transition
Software Security Testing: It's Not Just for Functions Anymore

What makes security testing different from classical software testing? Part of the answer lies in expertise, experience, and attitude. Security testing comes in two flavors and involves standard functional security testing (making sure that the security apparatus works as advertised), as well as risk-based testing (malicious testing that simulates attacks). Risk-based security testing should be driven by architectural risk analysis, abuse and misuse cases, and attack patterns. Unfortunately,
Gary McGraw, Cigital Inc
Squeezing Bugs out of Mission-Critical Software with Session-Based Testing

Software created in regulated industries such as medical devices must be developed and tested according to agency-imposed process standards. Every requirement must be tested, and every risk must be mitigated. Could defects
still lurk in software wrung out by such an in-depth process? Unfortunately, yes. In fact, software defects are a major cause of medical device recalls each year.
David James, HEI, Inc. Advanced Medical Division

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