The Latest

When a suite of automated tests takes days to run from start to finish, there is value in adding versatility. With the right structure implemented, an automated test suite can be flexible enough to allow a user to dynamically change the tests executed every time the suite is run. Rebecca goes through the design steps of creating an interface-driven tool that gives test execution versatility.

Sometimes TDD (Test-Driven Development) doesn't get used because it can be cost prohibitive to a testing budget. Read on as Joel Spolsky laments the limited real-life usefulness of test-driven development and discusses some common roadblocks to using this testing technique.

During testing, testers mostly stress the 'Bold' part of the software and comfortably overlook the 'Beautiful' side. Beauty and functionality are treated as two extreme ends in software quality, where only one of the two can meet perfection at a given time. But the viewers of the famous soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful know very well that both are important. In this article, Yogita Sahoo explains why aesthetics are such an important contribution.

When you file a bug report, you become a bug advocate. It's your job to follow up to see that the bug is addressed one way or another. The way you write your report influences whether the application's behavior is changed. In this issue's "Bug Report," Danny Faught gives tips on writing successful bug reports.

People tend to gravitate toward what they feel comfortable with. This is also true when it's time to choose a testing methodology. Is a particular personality more suited to software testing than another? In this issue's "Technically Speaking," Brian Marick explores this possibility.

Models can be invaluable testing tools. Unfortunately, they are often difficult to automate. One solution is to have testers use action words, or action-based testing, to express models. This enables them to design action-based models that can be easily automated by a programming expert. Let Hans Buwalda teach you how to employ action words to help you get the job done.

The one thing that is crystal clear with respect to software security is that it isn't done well. Security bugs and design deficiencies that allow digital information to be stolen or tampered with are far too prevalent. As testing professionals, we have a big problem, and a big opportunity, on our hands. Learn ways to find security vulnerabilities in your system.