Software Testing & Quality

Assurance

CSE-453

Lecture - 07
 Unit Test Tools
 The well-known tools used by programmers in everyday life are an editor,
a compiler, an operating system, and a debugger
 Code Auditor: This tool is used to check the quality of software to ensure
that it meets some minimum coding standards.
 Bound Checker: This tool can check for accidental writes into the memory
location outside the data storage area of the application.
 Test Data Generator: These tools assist programmers in selecting test data
that cause a program to behave in a desired manner.
 Static Code (Path) Analyzer: These tools identify paths to test, based on the
structure of the code
 Testing Stages
Testing

Development Testing Release Testing User Testing

Unit Testing

Component Testing

Integration Testing

System testing
 Component Testing
 Software components are often composite components that are made up
of several interacting objects.
 You access the functionality of these objects through the defined
component interface.
 Testing composite components should therefore focus on showing that
the component interface behaves according to its specification.
 The test cases are not applied to the individual components but rather to
the interface of the composite component created by combining these
components.
 You can assume that unit tests on the individual objects within the
component have been completed.
Component Testing
 Interface Testing
 An interface is a shared boundary across which two separate
components of a computer system exchange information.
 Objectives
 To detect faults due to interface errors or invalid assumptions about
interfaces.
 To evaluate whether systems or components pass data and control
correctly to one another
 Interface errors in the composite component may not be detectable by
testing the individual objects because these errors result from
interactions between the objects in the component
 Interface Types
 There are different types of interface between program components
 Interface types
 Parameter interfaces: Data passed from one method or procedure to
another.
 Shared memory interfaces: Block of memory is shared between
procedures or functions.
 Procedural interfaces: Sub-system encapsulates a set of procedures to
be called by other sub-systems.
 Message passing interfaces: Sub-systems request services from other
sub-systems
 Interface Errors
 Interface misuse
 A calling component calls another component and makes an error
in its use of its interface e.g. parameters in the wrong order.
 Interface misunderstanding
 A calling component embeds assumptions about the behaviour of
the called component which are incorrect.
 Timing errors
 The called and the calling component operate at different speeds
and out-of-date information is accessed.
 Interface Testing Guidelines
 Design tests so that parameters to a called procedure are at the extreme
ends of their ranges.
 Always test pointer parameters with null pointers.
 Design tests which cause the component to fail.
 Use stress testing in message passing systems.
 In shared memory systems, vary the order in which components are
activated.
 Integration Testing
 The testing in which individual software modules are combined and tested as a
group.
 A module is formed by a group of components.
 Objectives
 To combine the software modules into a working system so that system-
level tests can be performed on the complete system.
 Some modules are more error prone than other modules, because of their
inherent complexity. It is essential to identify the ones causing most
failures.
 Putting the modules together in an incremental manner and ensuring that
the additional modules work as expected without disturbing the
functionalities of the modules already put together.
 Granularity of Integration Testing
 System integration testing is performed at different levels of granularity –
 Intrasystem testing - This form of testing constitutes low-level integration
testing with the objective of combining the modules together to build a
cohesive system in an incremental manner
 Intersystem testing – This form of testing is a high-level testing phase
which requires interfacing independently tested systems. In this phase, all
the systems are connected together, and testing is conducted from end to
end.
 Pairwise testing - Pairwise testing is a kind of intermediate level of
integration testing. In pairwise integration, only two interconnected systems
in an overall system are tested at a time.
 Integration Testing Techniques
 The Software Industry uses variety of strategies to execute integration
testing. They are -

 Big Bang Approach

 Incremental Approach which is further divided into following -
• Top Down Approach
• Bottom Up Approach
• Sandwich Approach - Combination of Top Down and Bottom Up
 Big Bang Approach
 Here all component are integrated together at once, and then tested.
 Advantages:
 Convenient for small systems.
 Disadvantages:
 Fault Localization is difficult.
 Given the sheer number of interfaces that need to be tested in this approach,
some interfaces links to be tested could be missed easily.
 Since the integration testing can commence only after "all" the modules are
designed, testing team will have less time for execution in the testing phase.
 Since all modules are tested at once, high risk critical modules are not isolated
and tested on priority.
 Incremental Methods
 In this approach, testing is done by joining two or more modules that are
logically related. Then the other related modules are added and tested for
the proper functioning. Process continues until all of the modules are joined
and tested successfully.
 This process is carried out by using programs called Stubs and Drivers
 Stub: Is called by the Module under Test.
 Driver: Calls the Module to be tested.
 Incremental Approach in turn is carried out by two different Methods:
 Bottom Up
 Top Down
 Bottom Up Integration
 In the bottom up strategy, each module at lower levels is tested with higher
modules until all modules are tested. It takes help of Drivers for testing.
 Advantages:
 Fault localization is easier.
 No time is wasted waiting for all modules to be developed unlike Big-bang
approach
 Disadvantages:
 Critical modules (at the top level of software architecture) which control the
flow of application are tested last and may be prone to defects.
 Early prototype is not possible
 Top Down Integration
 In Top to down approach, testing takes place from top to down following
the control flow of the software system.
 Takes help of stubs for testing
 Advantages:
 Fault Localization is easier.
 Possibility to obtain an early prototype.
 Critical Modules are tested on priority; major design flaws could be found
and fixed first
 Disadvantages:
 Needs many Stubs.
 Modules at lower level are tested inadequately.
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