Features
- Cover Type: Paperback with 480 pages
- Published by: Wiley
- Edition: 2nd Edition April 12, 1999
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0471358460
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0471358466
-
Book Dimensions:
9 x 7.6 x 1.2 inches
- Weighs: 1 pounds
Product Review
The original printing of
Testing Computer Software set the standard for the emerging field of test engineering with a full tour of the state of the art in managing the testing process. The reissued text makes this classic out-of-print text available once again. Though it relies heavily on older examples (including MS-DOS) and has not been updated, this text is still a worthwhile resource for practical-minded advice on the realities of testing.
The best thing about
Testing Computer Software is its practical point-by-point guide to everyday
software testing, from creating a test plan, to writing effective bug reports, to working with programming staff and management to fix bugs.
That said, this book's early frame of reference shows how far we've come. (The book relies heavily on MS-DOS examples and features some truly embarrassing anachronisms, including the mention of testing dot-matrix printers and even EGA/VGA video modes.) The bibliography stops at sources from 1992 and features many references from the 1980s. Nowadays, automated
software testing tools are the staple of any testing strategy. This book even advocates a wait-and-see approach to the "new"
Microsoft Test.
These limitations aside, there is still a good deal to mine here. Much of the approach to testing is still very valid for any aspiring or working test engineer. Clearly, readers of the first edition will have little reason to upgrade to this second edition, but for anyone who appreciates a "classic" (and indeed a pioneering) text in the field of
software testing, it's good to have
Testing Computer Software in print again.
--Richard Dragan Topics covered: test case design, test planning, project lifecycle overview,
software errors, boundary conditions, bug reports, regression testing, black box testing,
software quality and reliability, managing test teams, printer testing, internationalization, and managing legal risk.
Product Review
"Deep insight and a great deal of experience is contained in this book" --
Database & Network Journal, Vol. 30/5 2000"I enjoyed reading Testing computer software. The text contains numerous highlights Offering practical advice, authoritative figures you can cite to customers and higher management, and entertaining anecdotes to share with coworkers Although some sections need updating, I still think it is a valuable training and reference source for
software testers, managers, and developers." --Diomidis Spinellis; IEEE
software magazine (May /June 2001))
"Deep insight and a great deal of experience is contained in this book" (Database & Network Journal, Vol 30/5 2000)
Reader ReviewsThis book should sit on the desk of every software tester. Many books will tell you how to test when you have enough time and cooperation. This book tells you what to do when the schedule is tight, the specification is missing, and the developers are tired of your focus on problems. It has sound advice and is a pleasure to read. I keep coming back to it. Feel like you have an impossible job? Read this book. (Note: this book was published in 1993 and has not been updated since then. Wiley lists 1999 as the publication date because that was when they became the new publisher for the book, which is destined to become a classic.)
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