TABLE OF CONTENTS Throughout this book testing has been described as an intellectually challenging activity. It requires many skills, including the ability to plan the testing efforts, generate hypotheses about defects, design test cases and test procedures, collect and analyze measurements, set up the test environments, run the tests, and log and analyze test results. Software testers, like testers in other fields need tools to help them with their tasks. For example, digital test engineers regularly use tools such as simulators and test pattern generators to support their testing efforts. There are tools available to software testers, but there is a need to learn how to integrate them in a more effective manner into the testing process.
Tool usage requires organizational investments in time and dollars. Testers and their organizations need to understand that benefits from investing in testing tools will only be realized when:
testers have the proper education and training to use them;
the organizational culture supports tool evaluation, tool use, and technology transfer;
the tools are introduced into the process incrementally;
the tools are appropriate for the testing process maturity level and the skill level of the testers;
the tools support incremental testing process growth and improvement
The use of automated tools for software testing has the potential to increase productivity, shorten cycle time, reduce risks, and improve both product and process quality. Unfortunately, organizations do not have adequate guidelines as to which tools will be useful given their current goals, the abilities of...
