作者：Kanglin Li and Menqi Wu
副书名：Developing an Automated Software Testing Tool
出版日期：2004
出版社：Sybex
页数：400
ISBN：0782143202
文件格式：CHM

Introduction
There are many books about software testing management. When theydiscuss software test automation, they introduce third-party testingtools. This book describes techniques for developing a fully automatedsoftware testing tool. You can use this tool to generate test scriptsfor continuous unit testing, integration testing, and regressiontesting.
Software defects are common and cause economic losses from time totime. Today, software organizations invest more time and resources inanalyzing and testing software as a unit rather than as independententities. Software engineers have observed that writing testing code isas expensive and time consuming as developing the product itself. Toensure software quality, organizations encourage software developersand testers to achieve objectives such as these:
Locating the source of defects faster and more precisely
Detecting bugs earlier in the software development life cycle
Removing more defects before the product is released
Improved testing tools can reduce the cost of software developmentand increase the quality of software. An automated testing tool musthave the following characteristics:
Accurate functionality, reliability, interoperability, and compliance
An interface that is user friendly and easy to learn and operate
Enhanced fault tolerance and automatic error recoverability
Efficient algorithm for time and resource management
Stable and mature final products that can be maintained and upgraded
Easy portability with regard to installation, uninstallation, adaptability, and security
I have used many of the commercial software test tools. Theirdevelopers declare that they have the capability to conduct varioustypes of software tests and meet the requirements of an organization.But they have limitations. For example, some of them require users torecord a series of mouse clicks and keystrokes. Others require users towrite test scripts in a specified script language or to generate a testscript automatically to test only one function (member) of a softwaremodule. Furthermore, the test scripts produced by these tools andmethods need to be edited and debugged before they can be executed toperform the desired tests. Automatic generation of the testing data isbeyond the reach of these tools, and integration testing involvesextensive manual stubbing and guesswork.
Software test engineers would like to see a fully automated softwaretest tool on the market, one that is capable of completing testingtasks from generating test scripts and composing the testing cases topresenting the results and fixing the bugs. But the tool vendors arenot able to keep up with the complexity and technology advancements intoday’s software projects. In addition, software products can includefeatures that incorporate a company’s trade secrets, which thecommercial testing tools won’t have the capability of testing.Engineers are often in the position of having to develop their owntools to cover the gaps. This book presents a way to develop andenhance a testing tool development with full automation.
When I was trained to use commercial tools, the trainers from themanufacturers presented hundreds of testing features. Software testengineers do appreciate these features, and they are important inimproving the quality of software. But the tedious and time-consumingprocesses of editing and debugging the generated test scripts sometimesprevent a thorough software test. Thus, software products are deliveredto end users with costly errors. These costs are shared by virtuallyall businesses in the United States that depend on software for theirdevelopment, production, distribution, and after-sales supports andservices. To address these current inadequacies, this book willintroduce an automated method to minimize the data editing steps,generate a test script to test the entire application, and free youfrom having to edit and debug the test script manually. The finalproduct simply accepts an application under test and delivers the testresults.
Who This Book Is For
Software engineers have long relied on the tools and infrastructuressupplied by the current software testing tool vendors. Some engineerstell successful stories. But more engineers experience frustrations.The automation is not enough, the test is not efficient, and the testscript generation and data composition methods need to be improved. Oneexpert’s solution to software test automation is to develop testingtools instead of purchasing commercial tools developed with the currentinadequate infrastructure. This book is written for people who areinvolved in software engineering and want to automate the softwaretesting process for their organizations. With the methods introduced bythis book, software engineers should gain a good understanding of thelimited automation provided by the available testing tools and how toimprove the current test infrastructure and conduct a fully automatedsoftware test.
This book is for software engineers who want more effective ways toperform software tests. The automated test tool introduced in this bookcan serve as an independent software test tool as well as an adjunct tothe commercial tools.
I assume you are a moderately experienced software developer and atest engineer in the process of conducting software test for yourorganization. The explanations and examples in this book can be easilyunderstood and followed by any intermediate- to advanced-levelprogrammer interested in expanding their knowledge in both softwaredevelopment and software testing. Knowledge of the fundamentals ofsoftware testing is essential for software test engineers. Examining acombination of programming and testing issues leads to a solid solutionto software test automation. This book’s content includes soundprogramming techniques with examples in C#. Then it graduallyprogresses to the development of a fully automated test tool. Althoughthe sample code is in C# using the Microsoft Windows platform, theconcept can be used with other languages and platforms.
As economists have reported, software failures result in asubstantial economic loss to the United States each year. Approximatelyhalf of the losses occur within the software manufacturing industry. Ifyou are a senior managerial administrator of a software organization,you are most likely interested in an improved software test method. Theother half of the loss comes out of the pockets of the software endusers. If your business or institution consists of software end users,you probably maintain teams to support the software purchased from thecontract vendors. Being aware of testing methods will assist you withefficient software application in your organization.