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A Bible for Software Testing?

Posted by Cliff on from the a-new-testament-for-QA dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "I'm soon to be starting a position in software testing and wondered (well hoped) if Slashdot readers had recommendations for reading, in terms of dealing with testing from the trenches and management of the process. I've read a number of general software engineering texts, but what I'm looking for is a specific 'bible' on software testing that will get me in the right mindset, before I begin."

12 of 34 comments (clear)

  1. get certified, don't worry too much by oiarbovnb · · Score: 5, Informative
    You should think about getting certified as a CSTE (Certified Software Test Engineer) or CQA (Certified in Quality Assurance) from the Quality Assurance Institute.

    By the way, I'm a software tester, and I hate my job. And don't worry about being too over-prepared for your job. All the testing jobs I've had (4 now) have been pretty simple. The first day on the job, you'll be introduced to your new computer, and if you are lucky, your co-workers. After that they will give you a bunch of documentation to look through and in about 2-4 weeks you will begin testing from scripts. It's the easiest, most mind-numbing job for a computer professional. Not fun if you ask me... If you are detail-oriented, and not problem-solving oriented, it might be a good match for you. But don't expect to do much thinking on the job...

    1. Re:get certified, don't worry too much by Peterl · · Score: 2, Informative

      I do QA for a living. I mostly work on designing and implementing tools for automated testing, and performance testing. I code, write test plans, work with management and dev to help decide project goals and requirements, provide input on hardware and software capital expenditures for the QA team, etc. Not all QA jobs involve following "button pushing" scripts that somebody else wrote.

      If you are unhappy with the level of challenge at work, then I suggest you improve your skillset and look for work elsewhere.

  2. Testing Computer Software by jhoger · · Score: 4, Informative

    Testing Computer Software

    by Kaner, Falk, Nguyen

    You can't go wrong with this one.

  3. Testing Computer Software by Quikah · · Score: 4, Informative

    Testing Computer Software

    by Cem Kaner, Jack L. Falk, Hung Quoc Nguyen, Jack Falk, Hung Q. Nguyen

    If you plan on doing this as a career I am sure you will encounter something by James Bach, IMO he is overated and a bit of an ass (sent me outside a classroom because I didn't have any questions for him?! So I came up with a lame question I already knew the answer to and proceeded to fall asleep for the rest of the lecture).

    --
    Q.
  4. Good Beginner Text by TechnoBoffin · · Score: 2, Informative

    I work testing desktop app integration, and a very good book I've seen that's quite accessible to the beginner is Testing Computer Software by Kaner, Falk, and Nguyen. I bought it and passed it around our lab just for the first few chapters which deal with the mindset behind software testing, such as why even bother testing when you can't assure 100% bug-free code. Later chapters cover how to effectively log bugs, how to test things besides actual code (devices, localization, manuals, etc.), and an overview of how to manage a software testing team. From experience, I can tell you that not 100% will be applicable to the particular job you're about to start, but it will meet your "get me in the mindset" requirement.

    --
    I'm not a cool guy, I just play one on T.V.
  5. Here's what's on my bookshelf by steve.m · · Score: 4, Informative

    I find these books useful:
    Lessons learned in software testing - A good introduction
    Software Testing - A whole load of thing you'd never think off
    Software test automation:Effective use of test execution tools - A bible for implememting automated testing
    How to break software - crashing apps by forcing error conditions
    How to break software security - similar to above, but with security in mind

  6. How To Break Software by RomSteady · · Score: 4, Informative

    How To Break Software by Dr. James Whittaker.

    I was able to attend a "virtual lecture" by Dr. Whittaker thanks to a former employer. He not only understands the root causes for most bugs, but understands the core competencies that the best software testers have.

    --
    RomSteady - I came, I saw, I tested. GamerTag: RomSteady / http://www.romsteady.net
  7. The Art of Software Testing by speedy1161 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Here
    Sure it costs a fortune, and its old, but the stuff in it stands the test of time. Definatly a must have if you're testing any software that just cannot have a critical failure.

  8. Software Testing in the Real World by GlenRaphael · · Score: 3, Informative
    I rather like the book Software Testing in the Real World: Improving the Process by Edward Kit. This book is very short, so you can read it in a reasonably finite time. It's aimed at the managerial end of things -- figuring out how to iteratively improve the testing process in an existing organization.

    If you're not at a managerial level and need more localized nuts-and-bolts information, I'll second the recommendation everybody else is making - Testing Computer Software by Kaner/Falk/Nguyen.

    If you want to get certified, you can find out about that here. As part of running tests to certify people, the Software Quality Institute maintains a current list of books here for Certified Software Test Engineers and here for Certified Software Quality Analysts.

    (I'm signed up to take the CSTE next month.)

    --
    I play Nerd-Folk!
  9. good book not quite bible level by timbu2 · · Score: 2, Informative

    I like Boris Beizer's "Black Box Testing", which is not really about white box testing. It has really good examples based on filling out U.S. tax forms. It helps to understand testing at both specific and abstract levels.

  10. Certified, shmertified by gosand · · Score: 2, Informative

    You should think about getting certified as a CSTE (Certified Software Test Engineer) or CQA (Certified in Quality Assurance) from the Quality Assurance Institute.

    By the way, I'm a software tester, and I hate my job. And don't worry about being too over-prepared for your job. All the testing jobs I've had (4 now) have been pretty simple.

    You must be a contractor. I have been in software testing for 11 years now, and it can get very complicated. Of course, every place you work looks at testing differently. If you get in somewhere that values testing, your job can get very complicated - "Here, learn how this entire program works in a week. Oh, and learn how it interfaces with these two other products."

    It's the easiest, most mind-numbing job for a computer professional. Not fun if you ask me... If you are detail-oriented, and not problem-solving oriented, it might be a good match for you. But don't expect to do much thinking on the job...

    Sorry, but you don't sound like a professional to me. Sure, it can be boring and un-technical, but if you take that attitude then you'll be doing the same job forever. There are tons of opportunities to work directly with developers to debug code, or get into complex system configurations, or performance testing and tuning, or tracking down some elusive customer problem. It all depends on where you are working, and their level of sophistication. Test automation is a whole nuther ball-o-wax too. There are requirements, design, and sometimes code inspections. And if where you are working is into the whole CMM thing, then QA is not testing, but is process oriented.

    Believe me, a good quality tester is a valuable asset. They think differently than programmers, which can strike a very good balance. If a workplace doesn't value their QA/testing people, then it probably shows in their products.

    --

    My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

    1. Re:Certified, shmertified by oiarbovnb · · Score: 2, Informative
      You must be a contractor. I have been in software testing for 11 years now, and it can get very complicated. Of course, every place you work looks at testing differently. If you get in somewhere that values testing, your job can get very complicated - "Here, learn how this entire program works in a week. Oh, and learn how it interfaces with these two other products."

      Nope, not a contractor. I was a contractor for 2 of the 4 positions, but the first and last jobs were straight up jobs. I never got certified but am thinking about doing it.

      Sorry, but you don't sound like a professional to me.

      You are right that I'm not very professional about my job. I don't enjoy the work, and need to get into another field. The day I walked out of college I was handed a high-paying software testing job, and took it. I regret having done that because now I have no "actual" experience in other areas of software development and it is hard to make a switch.

      Test automation is a whole nuther ball-o-wax too.

      This is one of the areas of testing that I actually enjoy, as it allows me to do some problem solving and programming. You don't need to tell me I'm in the wrong job, I already know this. It sounds like there are some people out there that really enjoy their jobs in QA, but I don't for the reasons I already pointed out - I'm not detail-oriented, and this is a detail-oriented position.