When this book was first published in 1979, software testing was far from an exact science. Considered the "dark art" of software development, it was a little-understood process without a set of standard principles.Twenty-five years later, testing hasn’t really changed–but The Art of Software Testing has.

In addition to all the major software testing topics–such as higher-order testing, white- and black-box testing, debugging, code inspections, and walkthroughs–this fully updated Second Edition features up-to-date information on testing twenty-first-century software projects, including vital Internet-based e-commerce applications, as well as details on Extreme Testing, which supports the widely used Extreme Programming development methodology.

Just like the first edition, this revision fills the gaps in the professional literature and provides a practical, rather than theoretical, discussion of the purpose, nature, and principles of proper testing. While the book focuses on methodologies for the design of effective test cases, it also covers the psychological and economic issues that are essential to a full understanding of program testing.

Many programming students enter the workforce without the proper understanding of software testing. This book covers all the essential topics for those students, but also provides all the detail and precision that working programmers might need during the testing phase. Appropriate for programmers and students at any level, The Art of Software Testing, Second Edition presents all the latest new ideas and techniques–many illustrated with helpful examples. Comprehensive and always practical, this essential guide includes code-inspection checklists, a self-assessment test, and other resources programmers need for effective testing–and fewer bugs.

First published in 1979, the text for programmers and students at any level provides a practical discussion of the purpose, nature, and principles of testing, covering higher-order testing, white- and black-box testing, debugging, code inspections, and walkthroughs. The second edition adds information on testing recent software such as Internet-based e-commerce applications and provides details on Extreme Testing, which supports the widely used Extreme Programming development methodology.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Practical, up-to-date tactics and techniques for successful, efficient testing:

• Basic testing principles and strategies
• Program inspections and walkthroughs
• Code inspections
• Error checklists
• Peer ratings
• Black- and white-box testing
• Error guessing
• Top-down vs. bottom-up testing
• Higher-order testing
• Function and system testing
• Acceptance testing
• Installation testing
• Module (unit) testing
• Test planning and control
• Independent testing agencies
• Debugging principles
• Error analysis
• Extreme Testing
• Testing Internet applications
• Higher-order testing of e-commerce architectures

This long-awaited revision of a bestseller provides a practical discussion of the nature and aims of software testing. You'll find the latest methodologies for the design of effective test cases, including information on psychological and economic principles, managerial aspects, test tools, high-order testing, code inspections, and debugging. Accessible, comprehensive, and always practical, this edition provides the key information you need to test successfully, whether a novice or a working programmer. Buy your copy today and end up with fewer bugs tomorrow.

Practical, up-to-date tactics and techniques for successful, efficient testing: Basic testing principles and strategies Program inspections and walkthroughs Code inspections Error checklists Peer ratings Black- and white-box testing Error guessing Top-down vs. bottom-up testing Higher-order testing Function and system testing Acceptance testing Installation testing Module (unit) testing Test planning and control Independent testing agencies Debugging principles Error analysis Extreme Testing Testing Internet applications Higher-order testing of e-commerce architectures

List of Figures and Tables.

Preface.

Introduction.

Chapter 1:A Self-Assessment Test.

Chapter 2:The Psychology and Economics of Program Testing.

The Psychology of Testing.

The Economics of Testing.

Black-Box Testing.

White-Box Testing.

Software Testing Principles.

Summary.

Chapter 3:Program Inspections, Walkthroughs, and Reviews.

Inspections and Walkthroughs.

Code Inspections.

An Error Checklist for Inspections.

Data Reference Errors.

Data-Declaration Errors.

Computation Errors.

Comparison Errors.

Control-Flow Errors.

Interface Errors.

Input/Output Errors.

Other Checks.

Walkthroughs.

Desk Checking.

Peer Ratings.

Summary.

Chapter 4:Test-Case Design.

White-Box Testing.

Logic-Coverage Testing.

Equivalence Partitioning.

An Example.

Boundary-Value Analysis.

Cause-Effect Graphing.

Error Guessing.

The Strategy.

Chapter 5:Module (Unit) Testing.

Test-Case Design.

Incremental Testing.

Top-down versus Bottom-up Testing.

Top-down Testing.

Bottom-up Testing.

A Comparison.

Performing the Test.

Chapter 6:Higher-Order Testing.

Function Testing.

System Testing.

Facility Testing.

Volume Testing.

Stress Testing.

Usability Testing.

Security Testing.

Performance Testing.

Storage Testing.

Configuration Testing.

Compatibility/Configuration/Conversion Testing.

Installability Testing.

Reliability Testing.

Recovery Testing.

Serviceability Testing.

Documentation Testing.

Procedure Testing.

Performing the System Test.

Acceptance Testing.

Installation Testing.

Test Planning and Control.

Test Completion Criteria.

The Independent Test Agency.

Chapter 7:Debugging.

Debugging by Brute Force.

Debugging by Induction.

Debugging by Deduction.

Debugging by Backtracking.

Debugging by Testing.

Debugging Principles.

Error-Locating Principles.

Error-Repairing Techniques.

Error Analysis.

Chapter 8:Extreme Testing.

Extreme Programming Basics.

Extreme Testing: The Concepts.

Extreme Unit Testing.

Acceptance Testing.

Extreme Testing Applied.

Test-Case Design.

Test Driver and Application.

Summary.

Chapter 9:Testing Internet Applications.

Basic E-commerce Architecture.

Testing Challenges.

Testing Strategies.

Presentation Layer Testing.

Business Layer Testing.

Data Layer Testing.

Appendix A: Sample Extreme Testing Application.

Appendix B: Prime Numbers Less Than 1,000.

Glossary.

Index.