Testing a software application (except maybe a
very simple program a few lines long) may well be an impossible task due to
large number of:
1. All
possible inputs
2. All
possible input validations
3. All
possible logic paths within the application
4. All
possible outputs
5. All
possible sequences of operations
6. All
possible sequences of workflows
7. All
possible speeds of execution And the above for just with a single user
8. All
combinations of types of users
9. All
possible number of users
10. All possible
lengths of time each user may operate the application
And so on
(we have not even touched the types of test environments on which the tests
could be run).
However, it
is possible to exhaustively execute your test suite using the following tips:
1. Your
test suite should have test cases covering each documented requirement. Here my
assumption is that each requirement is documented clearly.
2. The test
cases should be specific, concise and efficient. Each test case should have
clear and unambiguous steps and expected results.
3. The
configuration data, input test data and output test data should be clearly
specified.
4. You
should have a clean and stable test environment in which to execute your test
suite.
5. In a
perfectly working application, it should be possible to execute each test case
in the suite.
6.. Each
confirmed bug (found during testing or found by the client) should result in
another test case written or an existing test case updated.
7. Important:
You should not assume the correctness and completeness of your test suite by
yourself. Review of such test suite by peers, business people, managers,
clients and users may provide you valuable inputs to correct your test suite.
8.
Discipline in maintaining your test suite and executing it would go a long way
in preventing bugs leaked to the clients/ users of your application.
