VCE IT Theory Slideshows Problem Solving Methodology 3 Development By Mark Kelly McKinnon Secondary College Vceit.com

Contents Activities Validation Informal Testing User documentation

Development Often involves a coordinated team using project management to monitor their progress and manage their actions and resources.

Acquire equipment Hardware is bought off-the-shelf or custom built. Software is bought off-the-shelf or custom programmed. Custom equipment is very expensive and slow to create, but suits the user’s needs perfectly. Off-the-shelf equipment is far cheaper, easier to get and has more support, but needs to offer all the functionality the user needs.

Validation Checks for the reasonableness of data being input, mainly: Range checks Existence checks Type checks Can be done manually or electronically

INFORMAL TESTING

Informal testing Software and hardware are assembled Informal testing carried out at each stage of development: Component testing: ensures each component works as it should in isolation (e.g. a software module, a hardware device) Integration testing: ensures components work properly together. e.g. a memory chip can communicate properly with a CPU; a software module receives the right data from another module.

Testing Activities Deciding: Conducting the tests What needs to be tested (e.g. Formulas, buttons, media, links, communications)? How will each thing be tested? What test data, if any, will be used? What are the expected results? Conducting the tests Recording the actual results Correcting any identified errors.

Testing types Unit testing – tests system components in isolation to see if they behave properly Integration testing – tests components once they have been integrated with other components. Often components are all fine by themselves, but errors arise when they try to exchange data.

User Documentation Once the system is finished and mature, documentation is written. See here for the documentation slideshow See Onscreen user doc slideshow

After development: formal testing Informal “check as you go” testing occurred during development Formal testing is an official procedure that proves the system works as it should The objectives specified in the analysis phase’s logical design are confirmed one by one

Formal testing May also involve user acceptance testing (UAT) The customer, or typical people who will be using the system for real, use it and report their findings.

Formal testing Client – “Show me that it can produce 10,000 invoices in 5 hours” Developer – OK. Watch… [Time passes] Client – “OK. Now show me the improved readability” Developer – “Compare this new output with sample output from the old system.” Client - “Good. Now show me…” etc

Related topics User documentation slideshow Onscreen user doc slideshow

VCE IT THEORY SLIDESHOWS By Mark Kelly McKinnon Secondary College vceit.com These slideshows may be freely used, modified or distributed by teachers and students anywhere on the planet (but not elsewhere). They may NOT be sold. They must NOT be redistributed if you modify them.