The traditional testing process is reactive, struggling uphill after all the possible errors have been made.  Agile test-driven development writes tests prior to code, continually reviews code through pair programming, and emphasizes  frequent “acceptance” (integration) testing of small code implementations—all of which help produce cleaner program code quicker.   As much of an improvement as it is, agile test-driven development could do even better by also applying concepts and techniques of the powerful Proactive Testing™ process that identify numerous test conditions which traditional and test-driven approaches ordinarily overlook, including up to two-thirds of showstoppers and much of the extensive rework which terms like “refactoring” tend to obscure.  Following the CAT-Scan Approach™, this interactive workshop describes a Proactive Testing™ model and methods that enable agile (and other) development to deliver far better systems even quicker and cheaper, while also helping overcome traditional user, manager, and developer resistance to testing.  Exercises enhance learning.

Participants will learn:

• Test-related advantages of agile test-driven development, and its seldom-recognized limitations.

• A truly agile structured Proactive Testing? process that actually can deliver better quality while cutting time, effort, and aggravation for users, developers, and managers.

• Testing’s role in getting more accurate, complete, and testable REAL requirements.

• Low-overhead test planning/design techniques that spot and prevent ordinarily-overlooked defects.

• Proactive Integration and User Acceptance Test strategies that agile testing misses.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

This course has been designed for testing professionals and others who manage and perform testing of software products, and also for analysts, designers, and system/project managers who need to know how Proactive Testing™ can cut software development time and effort.

OUTLINE:

AGILE ADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS

Rationale for agile avoiding overhead

The Agile Manifesto

eXtreme Programming characteristics

User story requirements

Pair programming continuous code review

Test-driven test-first development

Agile “acceptance testing”

Refactoring as an expected practice

Factors limiting Agile’s actual effectiveness

PROACTIVE TESTING™ OVERVIEW

Earlier is cheaper, defect economics

Need for metrics on frequency and impact

Developer perceptions vs. actual results

CAT-Scan Approach? to find more errors

V-model and objectives of each test level

Dynamic, passive and active static testing

Reactive testing—out of time, but not tests

Proactive Testing? Life Cycle model

REAL, business requirements provide value

Product/system/software requirements

Conventional UAT misconceptions

Test activities that save the developer’s time

TEST PLANNING VALUE NOT BUSYWORK

Risk elements, impact and likelihood

Reactive approach tests higher risks more

Proactive Testing™ tests risks earlier too

Identifying commonly-overlooked risks

IEEE Standard for Test Documentation

Master and Detailed Test Plans

Stomach ache metric, prevent showstoppers

Letting testing drive development

DETAILED TEST PLANNING/DESIGN

Graphical technique to simplify integrations

Integration test plans prevent schedule slips

Black Box functional testing

Functionality Matrix identifies test designs

White Box structural testing

Structural testing of use cases

Identifying overlooked scenarios, conditions

Developing reusable test designs

Structured brainstorming

Checklists and guidelines to fill the gaps

Formal/informal test design specifications

Selecting scaled subset based on risk

Speaker’s Bio:

Robin F. Goldsmith, JD is an internationally recognized authority on software development and acquisition methodology and management.  He has more than 30 years of experience in requirements definition, quality and testing, development, project management, and process improvement.  A frequent featured speaker at leading professional conferences and author of the recent Artech House book, Discovering REAL Business Requirements for Software Project Success, he regularly works with and trains business and systems professionals.

Decision (Run/Cancel) Date for  this Courses is Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Course Fee Schedule:

On-line Registration and Payment

On-line registration for this course is closed, but you may register at the Holiday Inn Select, 15 Middlesex Canal Park Road, Woburn MA between 8:15AM – 8:30AM on Wednesday, March 19th or by call the IEEE Office at 781-245-5405.

Copyright © 2008 IEEE Boston Section. All rights reserved.
Maintained by R M Stelting

Updated Monday March 17, 2008