Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts
Software testing tools and techniques
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Improve ROI in software testing with adaptability, automation
QA needs to reiterate its value to the business side of the organization. Use this tried-and-true advice to leverage documentation and automation to make everyone happy. Continue Reading
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Know when to choose automated vs. manual testing
Vendors have inched toward automated application testing for a long time, yet there is still room for growth. Software tester Amy Reichert offers her insights. Continue Reading
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Can we fully automate our software testing?
Your boss has jumped on the bandwagon to automate software testing. Don't despair. Software testing expert Matt Heusser walks through what to say -- and do -- to keep everyone happy. Continue Reading
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What's the difference between API and web services testing?
Web services and APIs aren't the same -- or are they? How do web services and API testing differ, and what does each type of test aim to achieve? Continue Reading
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What are some bad coding practices to avoid?
Application development projects aren't meeting expectations, and developers are not sure why. What are some common bad coding practices that developers follow but should avoid? Continue Reading
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How to meet QA responsibilities during a software tester shortage
An organization facing a dire shortage of QA engineers can't just dump these tasks on developers. Here's how to keep up software quality with limited QA resources. Continue Reading
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How do I know what's test automation vs. automated testing?
A script-based tool has replaced a daily testing exercise on some code. Is it simply an automated test, part of a test automation strategy or even DevOps-enabled continuous testing? Continue Reading
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How is startup culture different from a proven company?
Expert Gerie Owen discusses the differences between a startup culture and an established company's work environment. Learn more about which would work best for you. Continue Reading
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What is the best way to load test mobile applications?
Mobile apps create a challenge for testers; no approach can cover every device. However, there are best practices for load testing mobile applications. Continue Reading
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What does it mean to test APIs?
Expert Gerie Owen explains what it means to test APIs and why it is important to ensure that applications are working at peak performance level. Continue Reading
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Should the QA process always include the business side?
Quality assurance professionals need to start thinking about bringing business along for the ride. Expert Amy Reichert offers tried-and-true advice to get started. Continue Reading
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Struggling with testing? Here's how to get lean QA started
Trying to identify bottlenecks in the software testing process can be challenging, but starting a lean QA effort can help. Expert Amy Reichert explains. Continue Reading
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Define project scope in terms of time, money and quality
We all want our projects to be on budget, on time and of high quality, but not necessarily in that order. What is your advice for balancing these needs? Continue Reading
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Does a tester actually need test cases?
Discover whether or not test cases are necessary in this expert answer by consultant Robin Goldsmith. Continue Reading
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Test software with persona-based requirements
Do persona-based requirements make it easier to test software? Learn if there are tools designed to make testing software easier. Continue Reading
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Software quality metrics paint partial project picture
QA consultant Gerie Owen discusses the use of two post-production metrics: defect removal efficiency and defect detection percentage. Continue Reading
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Software retest, regression, smoke and sanity testing: What's the difference?
Understanding the nuances between different types of test efforts can be a challenge. In this expert response, Karen Johnson explains what is meant by retesting, regression testing, smoke testing and sanity testing. Find out the purpose of these ... Continue Reading
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What are the pros and cons of centralizing a QA or software test team?
Is it better to centralize a test team or have testers paired organizationally with developers? There can be advantages to either approach. This expert response examines some considerations and an alternative that will allow your quality team to ... Continue Reading
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Who determines the appropriate severity or priority for a defect?
There are often differences of opinion on the definition of severity or priority of a defect. The bottom line is determining when and if the defect will be fixed. Factors that need to be considered are customer urgency and time required to fix and ... Continue Reading
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What is test granularity?
Test granularity is the level of detail at which your software tests and test cases address your project. Continue Reading
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Formulating test status reports based on daily status criteria
A user requests help deriving the daily status criteria for the test execution of a software project, with status criteria including test execution criteria, test case failure rate and bug rate. Continue Reading
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How testers can convince developers of software errors
If a tester fully understands the software errors found and can show the impact of them, then he is more likely to get developers to fix them. Continue Reading
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How to prevent HTTP response splitting
HTTP response splitting is a serious Web attack that can wreak havoc on your Web applications. Security expert Ramesh Nagappan explains how this attack works and what professionals can do to prevent this exploit. Continue Reading
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How to match the test environment to the production environment
Testers often find a gulf between test results in a test environment and test results in a production environment. Testing expert John Overbaugh offers strategies for ensuring that test results in different environments match. Continue Reading
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Running UAT and system testing in parallel
Conducting user acceptance testing and system testing at the same time may or may not be a good choice. Expert Baher Malek discusses the factors that testers need to consider when attempting a parallel UAT process. Continue Reading
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Test metrics and use case coverage during testing
When using use cases to drive testing, it's important to understand that there are no industry standards for coverage. Testing expert Mike Kelly explains how testers should approach dubious metrics. Continue Reading
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Granularity in test case design
Test case granularity is a complex issue in test case design. Expert John Overbaugh explains how to determine how detailed your test cases should be. Continue Reading
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Prioritizing software testing on little time
Too many test cases and too little time? Expert Scott Barber explains how to prioritize testing. Continue Reading
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How to create a testing scorecard
A software testing scorecard can be a good tool for managing a team's progress. Expert John Overbaugh explains how to create a testing scorecard and that fits yours and the customer's needs. Continue Reading
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Test plan and test strategy
Software testing is helped by a good test plans, strategies and logistics. Expert Scott Barber explains what these aspects of the testing methodology are. Continue Reading