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Showing posts with label Testing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Testing. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Make or Buy?
What are some advantages and disadvantages of purchasing versus developing software?
The main advantage to purchasing software versus developing it is the cost savings to design, develop, and test the software. If a company – or a consumer – purchases software, there is a reasonable expectation that it has been tested and functions the way the developer intends. However, this is not always the case. Conversely, no pre-packaged software ever does what every user wants. As a result, users have to change settings, add customization options, or resort to purchasing additional software to accomplish their goals.
Developing software has its advantages, too. If a company develops its software in-house, it can be sure the software meets expectations. One unexpected advantage is if the software benefits the company – and could benefit a company's customers – the company may be able to sell that software and realize an additional profit.
Another advantage to companies developing their own software is the concept of "dogfooding," where companies use their own product in production to demonstrate its capabilities.
As an aside, I think free and open-source software have an advantage over proprietary software when it comes to companies developing their own software. Companies can reap the benefits of having pre-packaged software, which saves on the development and design costs, and customize that software to fit their business processes.
What is important to include in the contract with a software developer?
Some important things to include in the contract with the software developer include:
- Service and support – If my software does not function correctly under certain circumstances, or there is a bug discovered, what are the developer’s responsibilities? Should they make a fix available at no cost? What is the ideal response time for any support issues? How soon can I expect a resolution to any support issues? What would be the developer’s responsibility if any data loss or data integrity issues result through use of the software? What is considered an “inappropriate” use of the software or what would violate any licensing agreements?
- Training – Will the software developer provide training or make any training available to the end users? Is the documentation on how the product is intended to function?
- User Acceptance Testing or Trial periods – Does the software developer offer a trial of their software?
- Is the software secure? It’s almost impossible to guarantee complete security as there will always be defects in the software and improvements in hacking methods. But does the developer respond to security concerns in a timely manner? Has the developer knowingly released the software with security issues?
- How much does the software cost? This would include up-front and maintenance costs over the life of the software.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
When automation goes wrong
http://www.satisfice.com/blog/archives/559
This scenario came to pass for a co-worker and myself. Our attempts to automate some manual tests uncovered a configuration issue that resulted in test data being fed into the production environment. In this case, a patient, said patient's medical record, and a prescription order for a controlled substance – in this case Oxycodone – for said patient sent to a local Walgreen's pharmacy.
Another reason why automating tests at the GUI level is not as easy as it seems . . .
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Life Goals: Attend QualityJam
One thing I wanted to do this year was attend QualityJam, QASymphony's annual user conference that talks "about the future of software quality" and other software testing topics. Unfortunately, the lack of funds prohibits me from attending this year. The conference spans two days – usually Tuesday and Wednesday – in April. I priced everything out, including: round-trip flight from Cleveland, three-day hotel stay, conference registration, transportation, and entertainment. All told, everything would come out to around $2,500.00 to $3,000.00 for roughly three days.
I priced out a Monday morning or early afternoon flight down and a Thursday morning flight back. I wanted flights outside of the actual conference dates to have a chance to decompress and explore the area where I would be staying. I would be checking into the Westin Buckhead hotel in Atlanta on Monday afternoon and leaving on Thursday morning.
But, whatever. At least I know how much I would need to save for next year and add this to my list of goals.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Looking ahead for Windows 10
Microsoft released build 15002 to its Insiders today, and it's a doozy. Among the changes are several improvements to the Edge browser and the Windows shell. Feel free to read the blog entry linked above. Also check out PC World's in-depth article and Paul Thurrott's impressions.
I'm not going to lie. This build has me looking forward to the upcoming Creators Update in the spring.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
A Collection of Quotes on Software Testing
"Our basic ideas about what are better or worse practices are strongly influenced by people we perceive as knowing how to make software." - James Bach
"A 'passing' test doesn't mean 'no problem.' It means no problem *observed*. This time. With these inputs. So far. On my machine." – Michael Bolton
"Software testers always go to heaven; they’ve already had their fair share of hell." – Anonymous
"Respect what your developers say, but don't believe a word of it." – James Bach
"The first bug fix that actually retests as fixed in the morning always makes me wonder if I'm retesting it right." – QA Hates You
"QA learns from its mistakes. It learns to repeat those mistakes every build." – QA Hates You
"Data matures like wine, applications like fish." - James Governor
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