Acceptance Testing for

ROME
Pete Castle
Test & Quality Manager
 Agenda
• What is software testing/ Who does it?
• Why software testing is important
• Some fundamentals of testing
• Test Plans & Scripts
• Sample Testing Techniques
 What is software Testing?
• “Software testing is an empirical technical investigation
conducted to provide stakeholders with information
about the quality of the product or service under test”
Professor Cem Kaner - Director of Florida Tech's Center
for Software Testing Education & Research

• Empirical - derived from experiment, experience, and

observation
• Technical - Having special skill or practical knowledge
• Investigation - A detailed inquiry or systematic
examination
 Why testing is Important
• All Software has defects (bugs)
• All software products are ‘prototypes’ (in my view)
• Software products are getting larger and more
complicated - Vista 40% larger than XP @ over 50
million LOC
• Software Engineering is not as mature as other
disciplines e.g. Civil Engineering
• Software is written by people – people make mistakes
• Software testing looks to find the most important defects
as early as possible – increasing confidence that the
software meets specification
 Who’s involved in testing?
• Requirements Analysts – Inspections, Peer Reviews
• Developers – Code Inspection, Unit Testing
• Testers – System & Integration Testing
• Trainers – Training materials production
• Users – User Acceptance Testing
• Project Managers – Scheduling, Resourcing, Risks,
Issues, Defect Stats
• Everybody is responsible for quality - NASA
 Fundamentals of Software Testing

Plan Specify Execute Record Check

• Software testing needs planning, tests need specifying,

once executed they need results recording, and post
completion should be easily auditable
 The importance of a planned approach
• Important to map out a strategy that will give the greatest
level of confidence in the product
• ‘Ad hoc’ testing may find errors, but may not be cost
effective
• Testing should focus on areas where defects are most
likely
• All testing should have a reason
• Question “Is a test that doesn’t find an error a good test or not?”
• Essential to plan what needs to be done and then
itemise how it is to be achieved.
 Testing Mantra
• Mantra - Spiritual conduit, words or vibrations that instil
concentration in the devotee.

• Test as early as possible

• Gather as much knowledge of the application under test as possible

• Look for vulnerabilities

• Build ‘Bug Taxonomies’ (Classification)

• Use Quicktests (and publicise the fact)

 Testing Mantra
• You can always think of another test – but should you?
• Concept of ‘Good enough Testing’
• Practicality over dogma
• Everybody has responsibility for ‘shipping’ the product

• Record all tests/defects/issues/recommendations

• Testers are not the sole arbiters of quality

• Testing only shows problems exist – not their absence

• Never, ever, ever make it personal

• Defects are issues with products and process not people
• Good working relationship is essential for good products
Document Hierarchy - Test Plan
 What is a Test Plan - 1
 Test plan is
 tool to help plan the testing activity
 product to inform others of test process
 Includes
 Document control
 Objectives
 Scope
 Approach – Schedule, Priorities, Deliverables,
Resources, Responsibilities
 Risks/Contingences
 Sign-off/Approval
 What is a Test Plan - 2

• Produced by Test Lead/Project Manager

• Published to Project/Programme
• Not constrained by format – living document
• Enough information to be used by anyone to test
the product
 Rome Test Plan

 Ready for review

 Written by Tim Wells
Document Hierarchy -Test Scripts
 Test Scripts
• Test Script - Is a collection of test cases for the
software under test (manual or automated)
• Test Case - A set of inputs, execution
preconditions, and expected outcomes
developed for a particular objective, such as to
exercise a particular program path or to verify
compliance with a specific requirement.
 Pre-conditions/Information
• Browsers – IE, Firefox, Safari
• O/S – Linux, Windows
• Access Control – Logins, Roles
• Test Data requirements
• Date/Time considerations
• Other document references
 Example Test Script - 1
• System Test of input of numeric month into data
field

Ref. Field/Button Action Input Expected Result Pass/Fail

001 Month Enter Data 0 Data rejected. Error Message 'Invalid Month' Fail

002 Month Enter Data 1 Data Accepted, January Displayed Pass

003 Month Enter Data 06 Data Accepted, June Displayed Pass

004 Month Enter Data 12 Data Accepted, December Displayed Pass

005 Month Enter Data 13 Data rejected. Error Message 'Invalid Month' Fail
 Example Test Script - 2
Search
Researcher
Page
Test Reqs Pass/
Ref. Ref. Function Inputs Expected Result Actual Result Fail
2.001 REF003 Search 1. Forenames = John All UCL researchers with 427 matches - paging
Researchers 2. Surname = <Blank> forenames starting Pete displayed working correctly, data
3. eMail = <Blank> in alphabetic order, 23 records per displayed correctly and
page in reasonable time (5
List comprises Name, Department, secs)
Occupation Type
All data items hyperlinked
Pass
2.002 REF003 Search 1. Forenames = <Blank> All UCL researchers with surnames 61 matches - paging
Researchers 2. Surname = Smith starting Smith displayed in working correctly, data
3. eMail = <Blank> alphabetic order, 23 records per displayed correctly and
page in reasonable time (5
List comprises Name, Department, secs)
Occupation Type
All data items hyperlinked
Pass
 Example Test Script - 3

New/ Covered Pass Date

No. Type Scenario Test To test? Change? (Y/N) / Fail Who tested
39 Admissions Basic Licence Basic Licence Y Y Y P SM 06/01/08
Admissions Admissions - Setup

40 Basic Licence Y Y Y P SM 06/01/08

Admissions -
Criterion Setup

41 Basic Licence Y Y Y P SM 06/01/08

Admissions -
Admissions Policy

42 Basic Licence Y Y Y P SM 06/01/08

Admissions - ADT
Import from EMS

43 Basic Licence Y Y Y F SM 06/01/08

Admissions - ASL
Export to EMS
 Test Scripts
 Readable
 Accessible
 Usable by anyone – standards
 Can vary depending upon the type of
testing being undertaken
 Testing Techniques

• Quicktests
• Negative Testing
• Integration Testing
 Techniques 1- Quick Tests
• Quicktests - Investigation more important than
Confirmation

• A quicktest is a cheap test that has some value but

requires little preparation, knowledge, or time to perform

• Focus on common coding errors

 Techniques 1- Quick Tests
• Things that have failed before – Defect data
• Tab order (particularly when adding new functions)
• Addresses (BFPO, new Post Codes)
• Short cut keys

• Boundaries – Ages, Dates, Values, Increments, Page Breaks

• Interrupts, Duplications, Ordering of tasks

• Generate Order before setup – no cost codes, cost centres, suppliers,
budgets
• Exit/Interrupt before completion

• Consume resource (Dog Piling)

• Never close a window
• Never exit an option
 Techniques 1- Quick Tests
• Force all error messages
• Informative messages - Spelling
• Debug information?

• Capacity/Files – Files to fill all available space, large files, empty

files, incorrect format

• Dependencies – e.g. same student many functions

• Integration Quicktest

• Comparisons – screens, data, reports

• Tools e.g. Beyond Compare, Screen Capture, Redgate Toolset, InCtrl3
 Negative Testing

• Testing the system using negative data – to generate

exceptions that cause the software to fail
• Going against knowledge of ‘How the system should
work’
• For Example - Testing the password where it should be
minimum of 8 characters - so test it using 7 and 9
characters
• Emphasis on breaking not confirmation
 Negative Testing
• Embedded single quote and other ‘special’ characters e.g. John’s
Car, John & Erin, 99%, Straße (German Addresses)
• Required Data Input – Don’t
• Field Size – Shoe test (also Quick Test)
• Field ‘Types’ – Characters in numeric field
• Boundaries (Upper/Lower) – underage job applications, 101 lines on
an order with a maximum of 100 lines
• Invalid dates e.g. 31/04/08
• Addresses – BFPO, Hong Kong Addresses, ‘New Post Codes’
• Web Session Testing – Access web page but not logged in
• Switch off during upgrade – what happens, does the application
know there is a problem?
 Integration Testing (In the large)

• “Testing performed to expose faults in the interfaces and

in the interaction between integrated components and
products” Sue Myler – Integration Team Lead
• Usually scenario based rather than low level test cases
• Relies upon testers having system knowledge & testing
expertise – ability to think ‘outside of the box’, develop
new tests during testing
• Relies on successful unit, integration in the small and
system testing
• Can mimic business processes
 Integration Testing (In the large)

Integration Test Cases

• 3 Applicants
• 1 applies for 1 post
• 1 applies for 2 posts - also applies for the same
post twice (by accident)
• 1 applies for 3 posts
• do their records appear correctly across ROME
• Delete a Vacancy – what happens to that applicant
records?
 Integration Testing (In the large)

• Short list applicant for post he entered twice, deleting

one application
• Invite for interview but candidate withdraws
• Candidate then re-applies
• Data exported, ROME updated, then re-exported, does
data appear correctly in target application
 Test Scenarios
New/ Covered Pass Date
No. Type Scenario Test To test? Change? (Y/N) / Fail Who tested
39 Admissions Basic Licence Basic Licence Y Y Y P SM 06/01/08
Admissions Admissions - Setup

40 Basic Licence Y Y Y P SM 06/01/08

Admissions -
Criterion Setup
41 Basic Licence Y Y Y P SM 06/01/08
Admissions -
Admissions Policy
42 Basic Licence Y Y Y P SM 06/01/08
Admissions - ADT
Import from EMS
43 Basic Licence Y Y Y F SM 06/01/08
Admissions - ASL
Export to EMS
44 Basic Licence Y Y Y F SM 06/01/08
Admissions - ATF
Import from EMS
45 Basic Licence Y Y Y F SM 06/01/08
Admissions - ATF
Re-Import from EMS
with additions and
amendments
 Review
• Software Testing is important for increasing confidence that the
software meets specification
• To get the best results from testing certain fundamentals should be
followed
• Testing is part of software development
• Different software testing techniques enhance our ability to test
• Many different types of software testing exist – which we can
combine into single test cases/scenarios
 Test Example – Data Entry Screen

• Create Test cases to negatively test (break) the

data entry screen
Description Data/Validation

Title 20 Chars, mandatory, pick list

provided
Forename 25 Chars, mandatory
Surname 25 Chars, mandatory
email Address 50 Chars, mandatory, validated
Home Telephone Number 25 Chars
 Next Steps
 ROME - Kick off meeting
 Testing required who/when
 Test Script Template
 Mantis - Issue/Defect Logging