Software Testing

Automatic backup of TestLink MySQL DB

2009-05-12T01:15:00.001-07:00

I was given a task of exploring OpenSource Software testing tools. I
was supposed to find Open Source tools in following category:
1. Bug Tracking Tool
2. Test Management Tool
3. Test Automation Tool
1. Bug Tracking Tool: After exploring lot of opensource tools I
decided to go with BugZilla. I successfully installed and started
using BugZilla in our Organization. Before BugZilla our test team use
send bugs through XL sheets.
2. Test Management Tool: We were writing test cases in XL and it was
taking lot of time in formatting and manintaining a central
repository. My aim was to find a tool to replace this. I explored few
tools and finally I found TestLink as a great tool for test
management. For a test lead this tool is really a great help. I
successfully deployed and configured TestLInk.
I installed XAMPP on Windows XP server then deployed TestLink. Also, I
integrated TestLink with our BugZilla DB.
My next task was to make sure that MySQL database backup is taken care
automatically. I found php sripts to take My SQL DB Backup
automatically at http://www.dagondesign.com/articles/automatic-mysql-backup-script/
I deployed these two files(backup_dbs.php and backup_dbs_config.php)
at htdocs/BackUp
Whever I run this script through the Browser it use to take entire
MySQL DB backup and put it into BackUp directory I specified in
Configuration file(backup_dbs_config.php). There is little
configuration needed which is very easy.
My next worry was to automate this process. I was knowing that on
LINUX we can use CRON for schedule the tasks similarly we can use Task
Scheduler on Windows.
I set the PHP path through(Right Click My Computer>Properties>Advanced
Tab>Environment Variables>Under System Variables select PATH and edit
and add the path of your PHP installation).
Now I created a .bat file to run the backup_dbs.php. This .bat file
had following one line code
php
Now I went to Control Panel and scheduled a task to run this .bat file
every day at 5.30PM.
Now my TestLink database Backup is automatically taken and kept in a
separate directory. Now I am ready to give presentation of this tool
(TestLink) to my Manager for approvel.

Thanks and Regards,
Maleekjan.

Reverse Engineering!

2008-09-09T00:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we started doing a process called "Reverse Engineering. I was totally unaware about this process, so googled and found lot of information about it.
Reverse engineering is the process of analyzing a subject system to create representations of the system at a higher level of abstraction. It can also be seen as "going backwards through the development cycle".In this model, the output of the implementation phase (in source code form) is reverse engineered back to the analysis phase, in an inversion of the traditional waterfall model. Reverse engineering is a process of examination only: the software system under consideration is not modified (which would make it reengineering). Software anti-tamper technology is used to deter both reverse engineering and reengineering of proprietary software and software-powered systems. In practice, two main types of reverse engineering emerge. In the first case, source code is already available for the software, but higher level aspects of the program, perhaps poorly documented or documented but no longer valid, are discovered. In the second case, there is no source code available for the software, and any efforts towards discovering one possible source code for the software are regarded as reverse engineering. This second usage of the term is the one most people are familiar with. Reverse engineering of software can make use of the clean room design technique to avoid infringing copyrights.

Reasons for reverse-engineering:

Interoperability.
Lost documentation: Reverse engineering often is done because the documentation of a particular device has been lost (or was never written), and the person who built it is no longer available. Integrated circuits often seem to have been designed on obsolete, proprietary systems, which means that the only way to incorporate the functionality into new technology is to reverse-engineer the existing chip and then re-design it.

Product analysis. To examine how a product works, what components it consists of, estimate costs, identify potential patent infringement.

Security auditing.

Removal of copy protection, circumvention of access restrictions.

Creation of unlicensed/unapproved duplicates.

Academic/learning purposes.

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2008-09-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

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Sanity (Qualification) Testing

2008-08-27T00:53:00.000-07:00

Overview
Qualification (Sanity) testing is conducted to ensure that the build / code handed over to QA team is qualified to perform further Functional/Integration testing. In order to perform functional testing on the build / code; all the major functionality must be accessible and there are no obvious errors on main pages. Objective of sanity testing is to validate the testability of the system under consideration to check all the major functionality is accessible and there are no obvious errors. Testing will be performed based on the approved sanity test scripts. A round of qualification test shall be performed after a build is completed and QA is notified.

Entry Criteria

Successful completion of unit testing of all the application modules involved with minimal or no errors. Unit testing log or Unit testing status report from the dev team should be received prior start of the sanity test.

Success Criteria

Successful completion of the tests without any failures and within acceptable time allocation. If any of the modules and/or major dependent functionalities fails during the qualification testing, QA will determine the testability of the system. QA lead will perform discussion on the same with Project Manager and Dev lead. In agreement with PM and Dev Lead, QA lead can partially accept the QA build or reject the build.

Software Testing Tools

2008-08-08T05:46:00.000-07:00

In this post I am going to explain the different types of Software Testing Tools(Automation) with feature.

1. Funtionality Testing Tools(Capture/playback tools)

a) Capture user operations including keystrokes, mouse activity, and display output.

b) These captured tests form a baseline for future testing of product changes.

c) The tool can automatically play back previously captured tests whenever needed and validate the results by comparing them to the previously saved baseline.

Example: WinRunner, QTP, SilkTest, etc

d) This makes regression testing easier.

2. Memory testing (bounds-checkers):

Memory testing tools are software programs that perform detailed tests of your computer's memory system. Detect memory problems, exceeding array bounds, memory allocated but not freed, reading and using uninitialized memory.

The memory installed in your computer is very sensitive. It's always a good idea to test newly purchased memory for errors and a memory test is always in order if you suspect that you may have a hardware problem.

Example: Memtest86, Memtest86+, Windows Memory Diagnostic, M2K MemScope etc

3. Tools for performance testing of client/server applications:

System performance is generally assessed in terms of response time and throughput rates under differing processing and configuration conditions. Performance testing can serve different purposes. It can demonstrate that the system meets performance criteria. It can compare two systems to find which performs better. Or it can measure what parts of the system or workload cause the system to perform badly. In the diagnostic case, software engineers use tools such as profilers to measure what parts of a device or software contribute most to the poor performance or to establish throughput levels (and thresholds) for maintained acceptable response time. It is critical to the cost performance of a new system, that performance test efforts begin at the inception of the development project and extend through to deployment. The later a performance defect is detected, the higher the cost of remediation. This is true in the case of functional testing, but even more so with performance testing, due to the end-to-end nature of its scope.

Example: Load Runner, Jmeter etc

4. Test case management Tools

1. Provide a user interface for managing tests.
2. Organize tests for ease of use and maintenance
3. Start and manage test execution sessions that run user-selected tests
4. Provide seamless integration with capture/palyback and coverage analysis tools
5. Provide automated test reporting and documentation.

Example: Test Director, Quality Center etc.

5. Defect tracking tools:

1. Used to record, track, and generally assist with the management of defects
2. Submit and update defect reports
3. Generate pre-defined or user-defined management reports
4. Selectively notify users automatically of changes in defect status
5. Provide secured access to all data via user-defined queries.

Example: Bugzilla, Remedy, Bug Tracker, Request Tracker etc

6. Coverage analyzers:

1. Tell us which parts of the product under test have been executed (covered) by the current tests
2. Identifies parts not covered varieties of coverage - statement, decision, … etc.

Testing and SQL

2008-08-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

Lot of times people ask me that "is it necessary to know SQL to become good software Tester? the answer depends on the type of Software you are going to test. Almost all web applications interact with the databases. So if you are testing any web applications you must be knowing the language to access the database. SQL is a standard computer language for accessing and manipulating databases. If you know the SQL you can play with the database.

For example: you are testing an e-commerce website and you want to when exactly the purchase details are inserted into the main table in the databse? User can add products to the cart and then remove them and do many iterations before hi finally purchases the products. But whatever transactions the user does, the data must be saved somewhere. There will be different tables in database which hold data in different phases. When user completes his shopping then the data will be entered into the main table and you might be using some batch process code to insert this data into the main tables.

There are many such scenarios where you must be knowing SQL and database concepts to play with the database. So, if you are planning to enter into the Software Testing field then I suggest you to get yourself familiar with the RDBMS concepts and SQL language.

SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML)

SQL (Structured Query Language) is a syntax for executing queries. But the SQL language also includes a syntax to update, insert, and delete records.

These query and update commands together form the Data Manipulation Language (DML) part of SQL:

* SELECT - extracts data from a database table
* UPDATE - updates data in a database table
* DELETE - deletes data from a database table
* INSERT INTO - inserts new data into a database tab

SQL Data Definition Language (DDL)

The Data Definition Language (DDL) part of SQL permits database tables to be created or deleted. We can also define indexes (keys), specify links between tables, and impose constraints between database tables.

The most important DDL statements in SQL are:

* CREATE TABLE - creates a new database table
* ALTER TABLE - alters (changes) a database table
* DROP TABLE - deletes a database table
* CREATE INDEX - creates an index (search key)
* DROP INDEX - deletes an index

w3schools is a best place to learn basic SQL language. The tutorial is presented very nicely. If you start reading and understanding one by one it will be very easy for you to understand SQL. The best part about w3schools is that you can write some test queries and execute them while learning. Visit the site to learn more.

Testing Your Application with QTP—Getting Started

2008-07-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

Testing Your Own Application with QTP—Getting Started

You shall follow the procedure outlined below when testing your own application.

Plan your test.
Decide how to organize your test. Consider what users will want to accomplish when deciding which operations to record. Confirm that your application and QuickTest are set to match the needs of your test.

Decide how to store the objects in your test. You can store the objects for each action in its corresponding local object repository, or you can store the objects for each action in one or more common (shared) object repositories. You can also use the same shared object repository for multiple actions.

If you are new to testing, you may want to use a local object repository for each action. This is the default setting, and all objects are automatically added to the local repository of each action.

If you are familiar with testing, it is probably most efficient to work in the shared object repository mode. In this mode, you can use shared object repositories for one or more actions. This means that object information is kept in one central location. When the objects in your application change, you can update them in one location for multiple actions in multiple tests.

For more information on object repositories, refer to the Mercury QuickTest Professional User's Guide.

Record your test.
While recording follow the steps you expect users to perform as they navigate within your application or Web site.

Enhance your recorded test.
Add checkpoints to search for specific values of a page, object, text string, or table.
Replace fixed values in your test with parameters to check how your application performs the same operations with multiple sets of data.
Create output values to retrieve data during a test run.
Where applicable, use regular expressions to increase the flexibility and adaptability of your tests.
You can further enhance your test with programming and conditional and loop statements, which add logic to your test. These are described in the QuickTest Professional User's Guide.

Debug your test.
Debug your test to check that it operates smoothly and without interruption. For additional information on debugging, refer to the Mercury QuickTest Professional User's Guide.

Run your test.
Run your test on your application or Web site to check that the application functions as expected.

Analyze the test results.
Examine the results of your test to pinpoint defects in your application. (Refer to the appropriate sections of this tutorial to understand what to look for in the test results.)

Report defects.
If you have Quality Center installed, you can submit any defects discovered to a Quality Center database. (Quality Center is Mercury Interactive's tool for software test management).

For additional information, refer to the Mercury QuickTest Professional User's Guide and the documentation included with Quality Center.

Quick Test Professional(QTP)- Part 1

2008-07-30T05:02:00.000-07:00

QTP is best available tool for Functionality Testing. I am starting series of posts on this tool. In this post I am just trying to cover QTP introduction and in next posts I will try to cover further topics.

QTP features:
1. Key word driven testing:
We can record one script and parameterize it for different inputs to verify whether the application works as expected for all the classes of inputs.
2. Suitable for both client server and web based application.

The Tool can be used to test both Client Server and different Web Based Applications.

3. VB script as the script language:
Win Runner uses Test Script Language which is specific to WR but QTP uses VB Script. If you know VB Script then you can enhance or edit your test script.

4. Better error handling mechanism:

5. Excellent data driven testing features.

Advantages of QTP:

1.QTP allows even novice testers to be productive in minutes. You can create a test script by simply pressing a Record button and using an application to perform a typical business process. Each step in the business process is automated documented with a plain-English sentence and screen shot. Users can easily modify, remove, or rearrange test steps in the Keyword View.

2.QTP can automatically introduce checkpoints to verify application properties and functionality, for example to validate output or check link validity. For each step in the Keyword View, there is an ActiveScreen showing exactly how the application under test looked at that step. You can also add several types of checkpoints for any object to verify that components behave as expected, simply by clicking on that object in the ActiveScreen.

3.You can then enter test data into the Data Table, an integrated spreadsheet with the full functionality of Excel, to manipulate data sets and create multiple test
iterations, without programming, to expand test case coverage. Data can be typed in or imported from databases, spreadsheets, or text files.

4.Advanced testers can view and edit their test scripts in the Expert View, which reveals the underlying industry-standard VBScript that QuickTest Professional automatically generates. Any changes made in the Expert View are automatically synchronized with the Keyword View.

5.Once a tester has run a script, a TestFusion report displays all aspects of the test run: a high-level results overview, an expandable Tree View of the test script
specifying exactly where application failures occurred, the test data used,application screen shots for every step that highlight any discrepancies, and detailed explanations of each checkpoint pass and failure. By combining TestFusion reports with Mercury Quality Management, you can share reports across an entire QA and development team.

6.QTP also facilitates the update process. As an application under test changes, such as when a ?Login? button is renamed ?Sign In,? you can make one update to the
Shared Object Repository, and the update will propagate to all scripts that reference this object. You can publish test scripts to Mercury Quality Management, enabling other QA team members to reuse your test scripts, eliminating duplicative work.

7.QuickTest Professional supports functional testing of all popular environments, including Windows, Web, .Net, Visual Basic, ActiveX, Java, SAP, Siebel, Oracle, PeopleSoft, terminal emulators, and Web services.

Testing Principles

2008-07-29T04:51:00.000-07:00

1. A good test case is one likely to show an error.

2. Description of expected output or result is an essential part of test-case definition.

3. A programmer should avoid attempting to test his/her own program.
testing is more effective and successful if performed by an Independent Test Team.

4. Avoid on-the-fly testing. Document all test cases.

5. Test valid as well as invalid cases.

6. Thoroughly inspect all test results.

7. More detected errors implies even more errors present.

8. Decide in advance when to stop testing.

9. Do not plan testing effort under the tacit assumption that no errors will be found.

10. Testing is an extremely creative and intellectually challenging task.

Load Runner for Functionality Testing?

2008-07-23T23:52:00.000-07:00

Load Runner is a Performance Testing Tool, but Load Runner allows us to parameterize the test scripts. By using Parameterization we can use Load Runner for Regression Testing.

In order to conduct Regression testing using Loadrunner you need to create a script and parameterize it.

Example: You want to check the functionality of login window using 10 different users. For this you will have to follow the following procedure:

1. Record the script using any valid user.
2. Open the script and create parameters for username and password.
3. Fill in the values for the parameters in the flat file.
4. Change the values of paramters on every iteration.
5. Run the script for 10 iterations.

How to Parameterize a test script in Load Runner?

Select the text to be parameterized->R-click on that text you will have a option called Replace with parameter(click)->Here you will be creating a new parameter . In this you will have to the parameter name and when you click on properties, you will get one more pop up window in which you can create a table and add rows so that you give as parameters(values to be substituted when script is run) as you want.

Notice that when this process is finished your selected text will be replaced with the parameter name you gave and that will be in a pair of flower brackets & also in some different color.
Next time onwards in the same script, if you want to parameterize another text, when you right click you will be able to see the option 'Use Existing Parameter'. And you can include as many parameters as you want also you can paramterize with the same parameter.

To view the parameter substitution while replaying go to RunTime Settings->Log->Enable->Extented Log->Parameter Substitution

This is how you will be able to do regression testing using loadrunner.

Why We need Test Automation?

2008-07-22T03:18:00.000-07:00

Hello,

Today I was working on QTP and the developer next to my cube came to me and asked what is this? I said I am doing Test Automation. He was surprised to see how QTP automates complex Test Cases. He said if this software does everything? I said YES it does everything what you teach it. Functionality Testing tools do what we teach them. They will repeat test scripts number of times we want them to do. Whenever we get an application to test, first we start with digging out Test Scenarios and writing Test Cases. Once we get an application, we will execute the test cases we written. First time execution of Test Cases is always Manual Process. We cannot automate the Test Cases before the Build or Application is stable. Automation is mainly useful for Regression Testing. When first round of Manual Testing is completed and we come up with number of bugs. When development team fixes those bugs, we must re run the entire test cases to make sure that modification of code in one part(module) of application has not produced any ill effects on other parts of an application(Regression Testing). For this Manual Testing will take lot of time and it will be boring exercise for Testers. If we automate set of Test Cases for Regression testing, it will be easy for us to run them whenever some modification or debugging is done in some part of application.

I found QTP as best tool available for Functionality Testing, One can download this tool from HP's site and learn it within 14 days. I found QTP help and tutorial more than enough for self learning. Also, you can always google for your doubts. One can allocate dedicated time for learning and learn this tool very easily. You will find the tutorial section explained everything with the examples(there are demo applications with this trial versions). Try to write and execute test caes for the demo application provided with the trial version. One who knows VB script can easily learn enhancing and modification of Test Scripts.

Main points to learn in QTP:
1. Understand using of different checkpoints.
2. Parameterizing values(Test Inputs).
3. Using Regular Expressions.
4. Working with multiple Actions.
5. Analyzing Test Results.

I hope now we can start learning QTP, and you can post your questions and doubts as comments to this post. Experts can answer them.

How to write Test Cases?

2008-06-29T23:54:00.000-07:00

This is the question many freshers ask me often. Test Cases should answer two question, one What you are going to test? and How are you going to test it?. Test cases are written to standardize the testing process. Your test cases must cover the requirements. Following are the points to be taken care of when you write test cases:
1. Test Case should be written in such a way that any one should be able to execute them.
2. Your Test Cases must clearly define the requirements, inputs and expected results.
3. Clearly mention every single step of execution separately and every step must have expected and actual results.
4. Maintain one sheet for each requirement(one requirement may have several test cases).
5. Give proper test case id.

Functional Test-Case Design Techniques

1. Equivalence class partitioning
2. Boundary value analysis
3. Cause-effect graphing
4. Error guessing

1. Equivalence Class Partitioning

Partition the program input domain into equivalence classes (classes of data which according to the specifications are treated identically by the program)

The basis of this technique is that test of a representative value of each class is equivalent to a test of any other value of the same class.

identify valid as well as invalid equivalence classes

For each equivalence class, generate a test case to exercise an input representative of that class.
Example: input condition 0 <= x <= max

valid equivalence class : 0 <= x <= max

invalid equivalence classes : x < 0, x > max

3 test cases.

2. Boundary Value Analysis

Design test cases that exercise values that lie at the boundaries of an input equivalence class and for situations just beyond the ends.

Also identify output equivalence classes, and write test cases to generate o/p at the boundaries of the output equivalence classes, and just beyond the ends.

Example: input condition 0 <= x <= max
Test for values : 0, max ( valid inputs)
: -1, max+1 (invalid inputs)

3. Cause Effect Graphing

A technique that aids in selecting test cases for combinations of input conditions in a systematic way.

1. Identify the causes (input conditions) and effects (output conditions) of the program under test.

2.For each effect, identify the causes that can produce that effect. Draw a Cause-Effect Graph.

3. Generate a test case for each combination of input conditions that make some effect to be true.

4. Error Guessing

From intuition and experience, enumerate a list of possible errors or error prone situations and then write test cases to expose those errors.

Interview Tips for Entry level Testing jobs

2008-05-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

You need not to be big techie to get selected for Software Testing job. Just be clear about the fundamentals of Software testing and about software engineering.

Here are some topics you should be clear to answer:

Testing fundamentals: Testing terminology, definitions etc.

Testing Processes: The testing processes used in your current/previous company. Knowledge of life cycle testing etc.

Testing tools: Given a problem, how to solve them using testing tools.

Testing deliverables: Able to write a test plan or test case for a given product or requirements.

Analytical skills: Solving Puzzles.

Programming skills (optional): Able to write pseudo code for a given problem.

In my last interview with Symantec I have faced questions from all the topics I mentioned above except 'Programming skills'. They asked me one simple puzzle too.
Puzzle: You have 9 similar balls and one of them is weighs less, so you must identify that ball with minimum number of weighs. You dont have any weights to measure.
Luckily I was able to answer and clear the interview!

Resume
• Whatever you mention in the resume, you must try to be thorough in it.
• Be honest of what you put in it.
• Try to keep it small, it should not be longer than 2 to 3 pages.
• One of the main reason of rejection is, something is mentioned in the resume and when asked questions about it, not able to answer them and in few cases saying that "I have done that 'something' long back and I don’t remember anything”. In many cases its true that you have used a tool or something a year back and you don’t remember much about it, in that case before attending the interview, brush up at least some basics regarding it, do some home work and prepare yourself to talk about it or don’t mention about it in the resume, if it is not that important.

Testing Web Based Applications

2008-05-09T01:51:00.000-07:00

Web based Applications are increasingly becoming more feature rich, important and also the most popular means for developing commercial systems. Most companies opt for developing web based software wherever possible. This helps in catering to large number of end users. The deployment of the apps (once the infrastructure is in place) is fairly easy.

The web based applications are powerful and have the ability to provide feature rich content to a wide audience spread across the globe at an economical cost.

Hence it is a daunting task to test these applications and with more and more features testing these apps is becoming even more complex.
In this article we will study the challenges faced when testing these applications.

Factors effecting Testing of Web Applications:
Numerous Application Usage (Entry – Exit) Paths are possible
Due to the design and nature of the web applications it is possible that different users follow different application usage paths.

For example in an online banking application a user may directly go to “Bill Pay” page and other users may check account balances, view previous transactions and then “Pay the Bills”.
Generally a large number of usage paths are possible and all are supposed to work well.
All these Permutations and Combinations need to be tested thoroughly

- People with varying backgrounds & technical skills may use the application
Not all applications are self explanatory to all people. People have varying backgrounds and may find the application hard to use. For instance a Business Intelligence application with “Drill-Down-Reports” may work out for certain users but not for others.

Although this affects the design of the applications, but these factors should be tested in usability testing of the applications

- Intranet versus Internet based Applications
Intranet based applications generally cater to a controlled audience. The developers and architects can make accurate assumptions about the people accessing the apps and the hardware/software/technical specifications of the client machines.

While it may be difficult to make similar assumptions for Internet Based Applications
Also the intranet users can generally access the app from ‘trusted’ sources whereas for internet applications the users may need to be authenticated and the security measures may have to be much more stringent.

Test Cases need to be designed to test the various scenarios and risks involved.

- The end users may use different types of browsers to access the app
Typically for internet based applications users may have different Browsers when accessing the apps. This aspect also needs to be tested. If we test the app only on IE then we cannot ensure if works well on Netscape or Fire-Fox. Because these browsers may not only render pages differently but also have varying levels of support for client side scripting languages such as java-script.

- Even on similar browsers application may be rendered differently based on the Screen resolution/Hardware/Software Configuration

- Network speeds:
Slow Network speeds may cause the various components of a Webpage to be downloaded with a time lag. This may cause errors to be thrown up.

The testing process needs to consider this as important factor specially for Internet based Applications

- ADA ( Americans with Disabilities Act)
It may be required that the applications be compliant with ADA. Due certain disabilities, some of the users may have difficulty in accessing the Web Applications unless the applications are ADA compliant. The Application may need to be tested for compliance and usability

- Other Regulatory Compliance/Standards:
Depending on the nature of the application and sensitivity of the data captured the applications may have to be tested for relevant Compliance Standards. This is more crucial for Web Based Applications because of their possible exposure to a wide audience.

- Firewalls:
As mentioned earlier Applications may behave differently across firewalls. Applications may have certain web services or may operate on different ports that may have been blocked. So the apps need to be tested for these aspects as well.

- Security Aspects:
If the Application captures certain personal or sensitive information, it may be crucial to test the security strength of the application. Sufficient care need to be taken that the security of the data is not compromised.

Why technology platforms affect testing?
Technology platform upon which the Web Application was built also creates different strengths and weaknesses. Different Test Automation tools & packages are available for different Technology Platforms. This can influence the Test Strategy and the way in which Test Execution is done.

Challenges in Testing Web Based Web Applications:
To ensure that sufficient Test Coverage is provided for Web Based Applications and to provide a secure, reliable application to the user the above factors need to be considered.

For more info- Exforsys.com

Get paid for finding Software bugs!

2008-05-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

uTest has started an innovative idea of pay per bug approach. It has tied up with few companies in a pilot program. You can register as software Tester on this site and you will be given an application to test. More number bugs you find more you get paid.

How will it work?
uTest is going to tie up with some companies which don’t have dedicated QA teams and want to outsource their testing work. Such companies can use uTest services and testers community to get their application tested. In return companies will pay some amount to uTest based on the severity and priority of the bug. At the end this amount will be awarded to testers who find these bugs.

Anyone can sign up with uTest to test software’s and make cash for finding bugs. Testers can earn from few hundred to few thousand dollars per month based on experience and performance. The bug pricing will be decided by bug type, type of application and severity of the bug.

What are the benefits?
Good cash benefits for your skills,
Work from anywhere,
Flexible working time (work whenever you want),
And last important benefit: Be your own boss

As per now I think this is win-win condition for customers who don’t have separate QA departments and testers who want to earn some descent cash from their skill and experience.

Presently uTest is running a pilot program only for selected testers and 8 companies are taking part in this program. I have registered myself as a tester and even I got Debit card from uTest but I was not lucky one to get selected in Pilot program. I can't guess anything about the success of utset's approach we can just wait and watch.

Reviews on Websites related to Software Testing

2008-05-08T03:14:00.000-07:00

Hey...I have just consolidated the number of websites related to the Software Testing. You may reffer these websites to know more about Software Testing.

1. One Stop Testing: This websites does not prove to be One Stop for Software Testing but you may find good info one Types of Testing, Basic knowledge of testing tools and Interview questions(there are enough questions for you to practice).

2. TestingGeek: This one is nicely built website. Those who are looking basic concepts on testing can go online and read the sections- Types of testing, Testing tools, Case studies. Templates section is interesting and one freshers can have look on Test Plan template, GUI Check list etc.

3. Software Testing Help: This very nice website for those who are looking foe Help related to Software Testing. There are number of categories where you may find very good info on some of typical; questions on testing. Also, you can post your comments.

4. Software Testing Sucks!: Hummmm......This is very plane website with the basic information. You may checkout 'Testing Vocabulary' link for basic definitions. Rest, this site just s...!

5. Testing FAQ's: This website seems to be good for experts. It has info on tools and drivers used in Automation.

6. Software QA and Testing Resource Center: Here is another website for testing related FAQs. Just go and browse for some basic info.

7. SQA Tester: This is very interesting website. You will find enough info on Software Testing.

8. SQA Forums; This is a nice site. There are number of Forums and every forum has posts from sites users. As a registered user you can Post your Question and expect other users to reply.

Here are few more sites you can have a look:

9. QA Forums
10. QA Threads
11. Software Testing Advice
12. Software Testing.in
13. Bug Test
14. Testing Stuff
15. Smart Software Testing

Time to share our knowledge!

2008-05-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

When I was new to the Software Testing field I use to read lot of books, manuals, blogs etc to gain understand the concepts of Software Testing. As I was unemployed I use to struggle a lot to understand real time scenarios of testing. Whenevr I got chance to meet the people workking in QA field I use to ask them lot questions anf they proved usefull for me during interviews. So I think we must help the people who are new to Software Testing field by sharing our knowledge. Freshers can now clarify there doubts, questions on Software Testing. So fresher now you may comment on this blog about your questions. I will try my best to answer them with my knowledge and with the help of my seniors and colleagues. I beleive that knowledge inceares by sharing, so lets share it!

Please ask your questions briefly and to the point.

Why Software Testing?

2008-05-07T05:39:00.001-07:00

Initially I use to think a lot why there is a seperate process called Software Testing? why can't developers test the application before releasing. I got to know the answer only when I started working as a QA Analyst. No Software can be 100% defect free. Producing 100% defect free software is practically impossible. The software faults occur through the following process: A programmer makes an error (mistake), which results in a defect (fault, bug) in the software source code. If this defect is executed, in certain situations the system will produce wrong results, causing a failure. Not all defects will necessarily result in failures. For example, defects in a dead code will never result in failures. A defect can turn into a failure when the environment is changed. Examples of these changes in environment include the software being run on a new hardware platform, alterations in source data or interacting with different software.

As a Software Tester, first you must understand the Software Requirements. Every requirement must be covered in your Testing Cycle. To test a single requirement, you might need to use combinations of inputs. Attitude of a tester matters a lot in testing. One should not get boared of testing the same application. You must consider the testing as a passion and you should always try to prove that application deffers from the requirements.