Software Testing

By acting as the central clearing house for system users, programmers and IS management, a skilled system tester & documentation specialist enhances the predictability and ultimately the intuitive quality of the system.

 

'Testing the ice' on Alaska's Bering Sea  

Testing from a User's Perspective

ClarityFirst recently added a comprehensive software testing approach to our service offerings. In our years of experience, we have found that software testing is a natural accompaniment to technical writing and instructional design.

That is because on so many occasions technical writers uncover functional errors, and it is their job to report these errors to the system developers. Recently, ClarityFirst formalized our testing approach, which adds a strategic value to this part of our role.

ClarityFirst’s approach to bug tracking is a team activity that involves engineers, managers, testers, and technical writers. Our use of Seapine’s TestTrack Pro software and a clearly defined test plan enables us to help you effectively coordinate activities between team members.

Tracking bugs is a vital aspect of software development.  Early detection and quick resolution of bugs improves overall quality and reduces development costs.

Our approach enables authorized users to look up the current state and history of any defect at any time.

 

Testing and Communication

An important aspect of communication in testing is automatic notification of team members by e-mail when:

  • Bugs are assigned to them

  • New bugs are added, and

  • When the status of any specific bug changes.  

The software we use provides statistics on how many bugs are still open, in addition to the bug's history, such as who found, fixed, and verified it.

Later in the testing process, ClarityFirst employs automated testing software,i.e. the QA Wizard, which integrates with TestTrack Pro to ensure that defects discovered during testing enter the defect management process. The key advantages of QA Wizard tool are:

  • It eliminates the learning curve associated with other automated testing tools, and

  • It automates the manual testing process enabling manual testers to quickly become effective automated testers.

  • ClarityFirst uses Seapine testing software.  

 

ClarityFirst Testing Framework

  • Test Planning

  • Requirements and Design Analysis

  • Test Requirements & Objectives

  • Test Plans

  • Test Cases

  • Test Scripts / Procedures

  • Test Implementation

  • Test Execution & Results

  • Defect/Bug reporting and Tracking

  • Results Reporting (Test Metrics)

  • Automated Test Development and Management  

 

 

Version Control for Testing

ClarityFirst employs version control software tools such as Microsoft SourceSafe. The link below provides an example of ClarityFirst's testing lifecycle, using SourceSafe.  All system documents, including the requirements, design and testing files are maintained in SourceSafe.

Visual SourceSafe Testing Lifecycle