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What exactly is an ALM tool?
Application lifecycle management expert Mike Jones explains the characteristics of tools for ALM. Jones talks about the concept of an ALM framework which is concerned with both the processes and t...
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Types of software requirements: Business, functional, stakeholder, and "real"
Expert Robin Goldsmith explains the different ways that requirements are categorized, explaining the difference between "whats" and "hows." Goldmith recommends what he refers to as "real" business ...
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Special considerations for testing applications using Right to Left languages (RTL)
When testing user interface (UI) components of an application that uses a right to left language (RTL), there are special considerations. Software test expert Karen Johnson explains what to look fo...
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How do you determine functionality when there is no documentation?
Determining the functionality of an existing system when there is no documentation presents a challenge. Requirements expert Sue Burk explores various ways that a business analyst can go about unco...
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How should we implement change management?
In this expert response, requirements expert Sue Burk explains that the type of change management that is implemented will depend on development approach and dependencies such as regulatory constra...
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Best practices for working on requirements for distributed teams
Distributed teams are becoming more common in today's corporate world. Requirements expert Sue Burk describes some best practices and considerations when working as part of a distributed team. Init...
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Mobile browser testing: Where to start
Software test expert Karen Johnson points out areas of vulnerability for mobile browsers. Testers should look into display issues such as pages with style sheets designed for larger display areas. ...
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Using a traceability matrix to map requirements to test cases
Expert Robin Goldsmith explains the use of a traceability matrix and the importance of level of detail in cross-referencing requirements to test cases. Goldsmith recommends higher level of detail i...
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What is the difference between code coverage and test coverage?
Code coverage and test coverage metrics are both measurements that can be useful to assess the quality of your application code. Code coverage is a term to describe which application code is exerc...
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Are coding or testing skills more important in the corporate world?
In agile development and application lifecycle management (ALM) roles are becoming more blurred. In this expert response, Site Editor Yvette Francino describes why it's important for developers and...
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Can security testing only happen in the production environment?
Security test expert Kevin Beaver talks about the advantages and disadvantages of security testing in production environments. If production environments are off-limits, he makes recommendations fo...
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What key test metrics should be tracked for Agile teams?
Test metrics are used to help determine whether a project is on track. Agile expert Lisa Crispin gives her thoughts on metrics such as number of tests run and passed, code coverage and defect metri...
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What is meant by the term "technical debt"?
Agile expert Lisa Crispin explains what is meant by "technical debt" and how teams can address the resulting sub-standard code before it gets out of control. By refactoring or rewriting during the ...
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Three keys to successful ad hoc testing
Successful ad hoc testing involves using heuristics, experience and asking reasonable questions about the application under test. Software test expert John Overbaugh defines ad hoc testing and expl...
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Advice for getting started with security testing: Start with OWASP top ten
Software test expert John Overbaugh gives advice on skills needed to become a strong security tester. He recommends starting with learning how to test for the OWASP top ten exploits. Overbaugh also...
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Professional development for software testers
Karen Johnson suggests a variety of ways that testers can gain additional skills and experience, including social networking and open source testing.
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How important are SQL skills for a tester?
Karen Johnson explains the situations in which SQL skills are important for a software tester as well as times when the expertise is not required.
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Agile expert explains various types of software tests
An expert sheds light on the different ways to test applications and software in an agile organization and explains how requirements changes can affect test outcomes.
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What open source security tools experts stand by
When it comes to selecting a good security testing tool from the open source offerings it is best to use highly-recommended choices. Expert John Overbaugh prefers using WebScarab for his applicatio...
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How do Agile teams handle changes to requirements?
While changing requirements may pose a considerable threat with some development methodologies, agile development makes changes more manageable.
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Maintaining a software test environment is a challenge
Building and keeping a testing environment is the very first challenge that a software QA team faces, but many don't even realize it.
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Avoid the biggest pitfalls of cloud database testing
Software testers must learn what to avoid as they move into cloud database testing, where complex databases meet off-premises infrastructure.
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Agile project estimates get better over time
Recurring project estimation techniques improve the Agile team's ability to deliver increasingly accurate estimates over the course of the project.
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