Quality Assurance ITEC Rick Price

Expectations This course is not purely a lecture course – Classroom participation is a large portion – Everyone is expected to participate – Please feel free to challenge anything in this class There are no iron clad rules for achieving quality We will all learn from each other Everyone will have a better idea how to accomplish different tasks as we work through this course.

Overview Introduction to QA – Software quality – Quality factors Traditional QA – Test strategy – Test cases – Test execution – QA Metrics Agile – Agile principals – QA Quadrants – Automation – Iteration activities

Grading Class participation – 10% Project – 40% – Test Strategy – 5% – Test Case – 15% – Test Execution – 15% – Automation – 5% Mid-term – 25% Final 25%

Texts Software Quality Assurance: From Theory to Implementation – Daniel Galin Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams – Lisa Crispin and Janet Gregory

Questions?

Quality Assurance What makes software different from other discipline? – Product complexity – Software is invisible – Opportunity to detect defects

QA Environment Characteristics Contractual constraints Subject to customer-supplier relationship Required Teamwork Cooperation with other teams Interface with other teams Personnel changes Maintenance and upgrades

What is software quality?

Components of Software Quality Code quality – Does it meet customers needs – The ‘ilities – Defects Process and Procedures Documentation – Requirements – Designs – User manuals/help Data

Causes of Defects Requirements Communication with client Deviations from requirements Design errors Coding errors Maintenance changes

Software Quality IEEE definition – Degree to which a system, component or process meets specified requirements. – Degree to which a system, component, or process meets customer or user needs or expectations. Expanded definition – Conformance with explicitly stated requirements – Meets quality standards in contract – Good Software Engineering Practices are followed.

Software Quality Assurance IEEE Definition – Planned and systematic pattern of all actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that an item or product conforms to established technical requirements – Set of activities designed to evaluate the process by which the products are developed or manufactured.

Software Quality Assurance Expanded definition – A systematic, planned set of actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that the software development process or the maintenance process of a software system product conforms to established functional technical requirements as well as with the managerial requirements of keeping the schedule and operating within the budgetary constraints.

Quality Control/Assurance Quality Control - Set of activities designed to evaluate the quality of a developed product – Main objective is to prevent any product that does not meet standards from reaching customers Quality Assurance – Set of activities designed to prevent causes of errors, detect and correct errors early. – Main objective is to minimize the cost of guaranteeing quality

Software Quality Factors

Requirements Document One of the most important documents for achieving software quality Covers all attributes of software and its use

Quality Factors Issues related to various attributes of software, its use and maintainability Can be classified into groups

Quality Factor Groups Product Operation factors Product revision factors Product transition factors

Product Operation Factors Correctness Reliability Efficiency Integrity Usability

Product Revision Factors Maintainability Flexibility Testability

Product Transition Factors Portability Reusability Interoperability

Additional Factors Verifiability Expandability Safety Manageability Survivability

Questions?

Next week Read Chapters 4 and 6