This practical guide enables readers to understand and apply the TestFrame method – an open method developed by the authors and their colleagues which is rapidly becoming a standard in the testing industry. With the aid of this book, readers will learn how to customize the TestFrame method for their organizations develop reusable testing standards make optimum use of automated testing tools reuse and maintain test products IT managers will learn how to improve the control the test process and assess results, and expert testers will learn effective ways of automating test execution in a structured way.

Table of Contents:
Foreword  ix Acknowledgements  xi 1 Introduction  1 1.1  What is testing?  1 1.1.1  Why do we test?  2 1.1.2  Facts of life in testing  2 1.1.3  Testing and development  3 1.1.4  Quality of testing  5 1.2  An introduction to TestFrame  6 1.3  The TestFrame model  7 1.3.1  Reusable test products  8 1.3.2  Fitting  8 1.3.3  Structuring  9 1.3.4  Tooling  9 1.4  Phasing with TestFrame  10 1.4.1  TestFrame products  11 1.5  Preparation  12 1.5.1  Risk analysis  13 1.5.2  Test strategy  13 1.5.3  Test plan  14 1.5.4  Test planning  14 1.6  Analysis  14 1.6.1  Clusters  14 1.6.2  Test conditions  15 1.6.3  Action words  15 1.7  Navigation  16 1.7.1  Test tools  16 1.7.2  Navigation script  16 1.7.3  Separating analysis and navigation  16 1.8  Execution  17 1.8.1  Test report  18 1.8.2  Error management  18 1.9  Summary  20   2 Preparation  23 2.1  Introduction  23 2.2  Preliminary study  24 2.2.1  General  25 2.2.2  Organization  26 2.2.3  Test effort  27 2.2.4  Physical test environment  29 2.2.5  Documentation / experts  31 2.3  Risk analysis  32 2.4  Test strategy  51 2.4.1  Organization structure  52 2.4.2  Quality attributes and their relative importance  53 2.4.3  Test types  56 2.4.4  Cluster matrix  57 2.4.5  Cluster cards  58 2.4.6  Tuning  60 2.5  The test plan  60 2.5.1  Test plan versus plan of approach  61 2.5.2  Test plan structure  62 2.5.2.1  Description of the assignment  62 2.5.2.2  Defining the scope of the assignment  63 2.5.2.3  Filling the TestFrame test model  64 2.5.2.4  Specifying the time schedule  65 2.5.2.5  Defining quality assurance  65 2.5.2.6  Describing the test organization  65 2.5.2.7  Defining standards and procedures  66 2.5.2.8  Miscellaneous  67 2.6  Structuring the test environment  67 2.6.1  Step 1: Determine the effect of the test’s scope on the test environment  68 2.6.2  Step 2: Draw up an inventory of the future production environment  69 2.6.3  Step 3: Draw up an overview of the required test environment  69 2.6.4  Step 4: Describe the differences between the test environment and the (future) production environment  71 2.6.5  Step 5: Describe the responsibilities for structuring the test environment  71 2.6.6  Step 6: Describe the responsibilities in maintaining the test environment during the project  72 2.6.7  Step 7: Structure the test environment and