MIS 161

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MIS 161 Systems Development Life Cycle
II Lecture 5Testing User Documentation
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Definition

• Hetzel, 1988
• Testing is the measurement of software (system)
  quality
• Effort required to fix / enhance applications can
  be up to 30 times greater after implementation
  than during development

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Designing Tests

• The new or modified application programs,
  procedural manuals, new hardware, and all system
  interfaces must be tested thoroughly
• The purpose is not to demonstrate that the system
  is free of errors
• The purpose is to detect as many errors as
  possible

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Principles of Testing (Hetzel, 1988)

• Complete testing is not possible
• too many combinations / permutations
• Testing work is creative and difficult
• An important reason for testing is to prevent
  deficiencies from occurring

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Testing Philosophy

• It is dangerous to test early modules without an
  overall testing plan
• It may be difficult to reproduce sequence of
  events causing an error
• Testing must be done systematically and results
  documented carefully
• Testing requires independence
• Lets not kill the messenger

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Software Quality Space

• Functionality
• Engineering
• Adaptability

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Functionality

• External quality
• Includes
• correctness
• reliability
• integrity

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Engineering

• Internal quality
• Includes
• efficiency
• testability (audit)
• documentation
• structure

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Adaptability

• Future quality
• Includes
• flexibility
• reusability
• maintainability

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Usability

• Learning time
• Performance speed
• Error handling
• Client satisfaction

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Stages of Testing

• Unit testing
• Tests each module to assure that it performs its
  function
• Integration testing (String testing)
• Tests the interaction of modules to assure that
  they work together
• System testing
• Tests to assure that the software works well as
  part of the overall system
• Acceptance testing
• Tests to assure that the system serves
  organizational needs

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Unit Testing

• Individual modules (subprograms)
• Within specified data range
• Black Box Testing
• Focuses on whether the unit meets requirements
  stated in specification
• White-Box Testing
• Looks inside the module to test its major elements

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Integration Testing

• User interface testing
• Tests each interface function
• Use-case testing
• Ensures that each use case works correctly
• Interaction testing
• Tests each process in a step-by-step fashion
• System interface testing
• Ensures data transfer between systems

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String Testing

• Several modules run concurrently
• Stub out undeveloped modules
• Passing of data between modules
• Navigation path between modules
• What do we mean by stub out?

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System Testing

• Full integration of hardware / software
• Main goals
• Integration did not cause new errors
• How easy and error-free the system is in use
• Security functions are handled properly
• System works under high volumes of activity
• Documentation and examples work properly
• Includes
• stress testing
• regression testing

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Stress Testing

• Ingest system with
• more data than expected
• no load at all
• appropriate load
• In very short time frame
• Run software for longer than specified run time

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Regression Testing

• Stress on repeated testing
• Compare new results with old
• reconcile differences

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Testing Techniques

• Equivalency classes
• input values 1 to 100
• test
• 1 and 100
• values from 2 to 99
• values outside range

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Seam Testing

• Test at
• extremes
• value zero
• exceptions that shouldnt exist
• transaction occurring twice
• cancel transaction that doesnt exist

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Acceptance Testing

• Alpha Testing
• Repeats tests by users to assure they accept the
  system
• Beta Testing
• Uses real data, not test data

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Testing Management

• Testing control
• nothing falls through the cracks
• validation matrix
• Testing documentation
• Testing responsibility

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DEVELOPING DOCUMENTATION
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User Documentation

• Intended to help users operate the system
• High quality documentation takes about 3 hours
  per page
• The task should not be left to the end of the
  project
• Time required to develop and test user
  documentation should be built into project plan
• On-line documentation is growing in importance

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Types of User Documentation

• Reference documents (Help!)
• How to perform a specific function.
• Procedures manuals
• How to perform business tasks (printing,
  inputting information)
• Tutorials
• Teach end-users how to use the system

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Designing the Documentation Structure

• Documentation navigation controls
• Documentation topics
• Commands and menus
• Common tasks
• Definitions

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Organizing On-Line Reference Documents
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Guidelines for Crafting Documentation Topics

• Use the active voice
• Minimize use of to be verbs
• Use consistent terms
• Use simple language
• Use friendly language
• Use parallel grammatical structure
• Use steps correctly
• Use short paragraphs