Software Engineering » Software Testing

Discover The Importance Of Computer Software And What It Is All About

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:38:21 +0000

There is a huge list of different type of computer software. Today programmers can create any software you can imagine. Software development companies are increasing in number. You find such companies online based in India, Romania, UK and many other countries. At any single point in time, there are thousands of software jobs posted all over the internet like software engineering jobs, software testing job and software sales jobs.

What is software piracy? There are several kinds of software piracy. The bottom line is when software is pirated, the developer does not receive compensation for their work. Programs presented by Online Software Engineering Schools guide students to better understand the various tasks and specialties that aid in software product development.

Computer software:

The term software is generally used for computer software that is an essential part of the computer system. It stores and process all encoded information or computer instructions on PC.

For example Windows, antivirus, antispyware, Ms Word, Photo shop, FTP software and many more.

Software is the short name given to computer software. Anything, which can be stored automatically, is known as software. Both hardware and software are different from each other. They are responsible for the proper functioning of the PC by making them fit for use. Software is processed by computer systems, programs and other data. Being totally opposite to hardware, which is used to store or execute the software, software is connected with random access memory and then carry out the work in central processing unit.

Computer games can be categorized mainly into PC games that are played in your computer after installation using the CDs that contain the software, downloadable pc games, and the online games. Keeping a diary of your computer can be a valuable asset if something goes wrong. Imagine for a moment the consequences if your hard drive failed or worse, someone stole your computer. Use a backup software. Hackers are diligently at work everyday trying to find the weakness in your system so that they may be able to steal your personal information.

The world online can be a scary place and sometimes it can get downright nasty. From viruses and spyware to internet identity theft, the information stored on your computer is under constant assault and should be protected at all costs. Others would simply like to create trouble and destroy your hard drive. That is why you need antivirus and anti adware and spyware software. Most antivirus protection software protects your computer from known viruses and Trojan horses. If a new virus is detected, your virus software will automatically download the new definition so that your computer will be safe.

It’s a known fact that the majority of personal computers have corrupt files with errors on them. Problems with Windows Registry usually result in Windows crashes. That is why a Registry software was created.

Business software include, ftp software such as Filezilla, mailer (used to send out email), website design software such as Nandu or any other html composer, TomahawkPDF software (Creates pdf documents) and many more.

That sums up what software means and the different types of computer and business software.

By: Karl Sultana

Software Testing and Quality Assurance

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:44:54 +0000

Software testing can be defined as the process in which the tester aims at checking the software for errors and also, verifying that the functional requirements of a software are met. The system is examined under controlled conditions. The basic orientation is detection of faults within the system.

In this process, a program or an application is executed with the intentions of improving its quality. One strives to find the bugs within the software. As software industry has now grown in both size and complexity, so has its wide area of applications. We see soft wares in banking industry, in gaming industry, in management applications etc. Each has its own target customers and users. Before any software is launched, one must attempt to make an assessment as to its audience, customers, etc. The process of testing aims to aid in this regard.

Verification and Validation
Verification is a thwarting mechanism which helps in detection of all the possible weak points within a software before the process of testing actually begins.

Validation takes place after verification and this is where the concrete testing begins. One aims at finding the defects present in the functional requirements or the software’s specifications.

Software Quality
The quality of any software can be determined by the following yardsticks:

- It must be free of bugs
- It must be delivered on the due date
- It must be complete within the budget initially allotted
- It must meet all the requirements and expectations of the client

Software quality assurance
Software Quality Assurance or SQA, as it is popularly known, is a method by which one aims at monitoring the whole process of software engineering and take measures at appropriate durations for ensuring that the quality of the software is not compromised with. This is approached by use of audits of quality management system by which the system was initially built. A few examples of the quality standards are CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) or ISO 9000.

SQA covers the whole process of development of any software and includes the design, coding, control of the code, reviews of the code, managing the configurations and the release of the final product. It is basically a method to control the processes of software development.

Advantages of SQA
- Improved customer satisfaction
- Reduced cost of development
- Reduced cost of maintenance
- Methodology of SQA
- Validation testing
- Data comparison
- Usability testing

By: Matthew Brone

Software Interface Testing and Other Types of Software Testing

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:34:35 +0000

Software interface testing is just one among the many types of software testing that are used by software engineers for software development. Automated testing is one of the most common software test approaches these days. With this, engineers would not have to perform tests or quality assurance manually.

Nonetheless, automation of software test requires that a prior manual testing procedure should be set up and that this conforms to a formalized testing process. To automate the process, special software is used to control test executions, to ready pre-conditions or requirements for the test, and to compare actual outcomes to predicted results. While automated testing enables developers to save time and energy, manual testing is still needed for more complex tests. One of the testing methods that cannot be entirely automated is interface testing.

Interface testing is one of the most important software tests in assuring the quality of software products. In a nutshell, human beings are able to communicate with hardware through an interface. Interface is actually software that consists of sets of messages, commands, images, and other features that allow communication between a device and a user. Various companies use this type of software testing to make sure that their customers will not encounter any problem when using a particular software product once it is delivered to them. In addition, developers usually want their products to be supported by more than one language thus, their need to understand the interface. In this test, developers come up with changes or revisions and introduce these to a software application by taking note of the feedback from end-users. Usually, each end-user is assigned a specific task. During the course of this test, the program flow is checked and evaluated to determine if it matches the natural strategy of the user in navigating within the application. Moreover, this test determines which application areas are initially and usually accessed and its user-friendliness as well.

A moderator is often tasked to undertake this quality assurance test. Throughout the process, he does not need to communicate anything to the end-user. Rather, he will only be documenting or recording the reaction of the user towards the application. At the session’s end, he interviews the end-users and endorses their feedback to the software developer. This way, interface testing improves the software’s overall acceptance and the consumer’s user experience. Factors like functionality, performance speed, the time needed to use the program, the ease with which the user remembers using the program, user satisfaction, and the rate of user errors are the usual criteria that developers have for a well-designed user interface.

Other software testing types aside from interface testing include component testing, system testing, acceptance testing, and release testing. Component testing requires testing all individual components of software design. System testing, on the other hand, involves testing the functional and non-functional requirements of application systems. Acceptance testing evaluates and compares the system against pre-set requirements. Lastly, release testing is conducted to determine if a new system is compatible to the current technical environment.

By: Sam Miller

Why Software Engineers Use Interface Testing

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:43:20 +0000

In software development, testing is a crucial part of the whole process. Many software engineers have considered interface testing as one of the most important tests they have to conduct in order to guarantee the quality of their products.

There are many kinds of software testing, but generally, they can be classified into automated and manual. Engineers appreciate automated testing, as such helps them save time. With this option, they would not have to go through a manual quality assurance procedure. Likewise, automated testing is widely used nowadays by software engineers.

But there is a problem though with automated testing. This is because a prior manual test is needed for software automation. The said manual testing should be in unison to a systematized testing procedure. Take note that special software should be utilized to automate the system, too. The software is intended to control test implementations, to prepare test requirements, and to assess actual results against the predicted outcome.

Despite the benefits of automated testing, software engineers understand that manual testing is something that cannot be avoided, especially in complex projects. According to them, the software interface test is an example of a testing type that cannot be automated a full 100 percent.

You might wonder what an interface is. It is actually the interface that makes it possible for an individual to communicate with computer hardware. The interface is also referred to as software. It is made up of commands, messages, features, and images that permit communication to flow between the device and end user.

Software companies normally adopt interface tests. This is because such type of testing is the best way to ensure that buyers of their software products will be guaranteed high quality. But you might ask why opting the interface test is considered a good strategy for software businesses. The reason for this is feedback. With this type of testing, software developers are allowed to introduce revisions through an application. They may note feedback issued by users, which could help improve their software product. What happens here is that users are given a task. The flow of the software program is being assessed during the testing process. The aim is to find out whether the flow goes hand in hand with the manner that the user navigates within the program. Likewise, interface test evaluates the impact of the application to users, especially on how easy or difficult they find the program. Meanwhile, a moderator is assigned to conduct the test. He or she needs to only record the feedback of the user regarding the software application. After the whole testing process, the moderator is bound to give the comments of the user to the software developer so revisions can then be incorporated into the application.

As earlier mentioned, there are still several kinds of software testing that developers can use other than interface testing. Some of these are namely system, component, release, and acceptance. For the part of software businesses, the important thing to remember is the choice of software testing they wish to adopt. Quality should be of utmost concern here. Remember that the fewer problems that end users encounter in using your software application, the better it is for the company.

By: Sam Miller