Absence of Bugs, Fault and Failure after Testing - Essay Example

Software Testing al Affiliation                       Software Testing Kaner, Falk & Nguyen (2009) defines software testing as an investigation that is done to give the various stakeholders in software development information regarding the quality of the product. It gives a very objective and independent view about the software so that those who wish to implement given software are aware of the risks of that particular implementation process. In most instances, it entails execution and the application of that given software with the sole intention of finding bugs, defects and errors. There are a number of possible test that can be done even on simple complements of the application which is being developed. It is the duty of the programmer to select a feasible technique which is available at the time of test so that the required information about the application can be obtained (Savenkov, 2008). The test does not only give objective view on the risks but also on the quality of that given product that is being developed. According to Meyer (2008), software testing can be done immediately an executable application is available. In most instances, the approach which is being used in the software development process will dictate when the testing will be done and how it will be carried out. When the phased process is being used by the developers, then tests will be run and done immediately after the definition of the system requirements. On the other hand, when the Agile approach is being used, the programming process and the testing are done concurrently. During designing and building of an application, the programmer may make mistakes in causing defects. Defects are the flaws that are found in the software. When the results obtained when the application is executed deviates from what was expected, then it is an indication that there are defects in that particular software. It implies that any kind of deviation from the specifications that are given at the beginning of the design and development process will result in defects. On the other hand, when software does not meet the needs and expectations of the end users, then it can be said that it has carrying bugs. The bugs may be caused by error in logic or coding (Rodríguez, Llana & Rabanal, 2014). Thus, the testing process is done with the intention of unraveling the bugs and defects. When the tests yield a large number of errors and defects then it will be referred to as a Buggy software. Absence of Bugs, Fault and Failure after Testing Edsger Dijkstra, a key figure in the field of computer science claimed that the software testing does not show the absence of bugs and faults but rather it only indicates their presence. The claim is also supported by Kolawa & Huizinga (2007) which argues that the fact that there is no evidence about bugs and defects in a given software application does not warrant the conclusion that such defects may not be existing in that particular application. In the testing process, the methods that are usually employed are the ones which are aimed at finding evidence which will point towards the existence of a defect. As such, the application is tested to find out if it meets the needs of the end users or if it gives the results that had been expected or anticipated. If the results conform to what had been expected, then it is usually concluded that there are no defects in that given application since no evidence is available to show that such errors and defects exist. Having no evidence to indicate that the software is having defects in itself may be an indicator that the errors and bugs are there but the testing method or process used is not effective enough to point them out for consideration at that given time. The use of testing to conclude that absence of evidence implies absence of bugs and errors is one that uses a logical rule of inferences which can lead to the making of wrong conclusions in the software design and building process. It is a conceptualized probabilistic method of making conclusions and thus may lead to the wrong kind of information being held on a given software. In the testing process, the absence of such evidence only means that the bugs and errors are not there at that given time but does not show that there are no codes which may produce them later on. Requirements of Testing Testing the software is an integral part when it comes to building a system or an application. However, when the testing is not done well, then the overall success of the process will also be compromised. One of the most essential components that should be tested is the functional requirements of that given products (Rodríguez, Llana & Rabanal, 2014). Each functional requirement must always have a quality measure which allows the programmer to gauge whether the product being designed and developed will meet the needs of the end users. The fictional requirements of the software can be tested by means of the available standards tests and once each of them passes through the selected tests, then they can be evaluated before the process progresses. Constantly testing the functional requirements ensures that the product that is being developed is unceasingly in line with the needs of the parties and people who are going to use it. The second aspect that needs to be tested is the quality of the product. Quality testing can be done immediately a single functional requirement has been obtained. The aim of doing quality testing is to be able to trap the defects caused by requirement related issues in the early stages of the process (McConnell, 2004). When the testing is done, inappropriate requirements will not be incorporated into the design and implementation process. Before the requirements are included into the requirement specification, it must be subjected to several quality gateway tests to ensure that they are accurate and will not results in problems at the later stages of development.   Reference List Binder, R 2009, Testing Object-Oriented Systems: Objects, Patterns, and Tools. Addison-Wesley Professional, Boston. Kaner, C, Falk, J, & Nguyen, H 2009, Testing Computer Software, 2nd Ed. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. Kolawa, A & Huizinga, D 2007, Automated Defect Prevention: Best Practices in Software Management. Wiley-IEEE Computer Society Press, New York. McConnell, S 2004, Code Complete. Microsoft Press, London. Meyer, B 2008,  "Seven principles of software testing",  Computer, vol. 41, no. 8, pp. 99–101. Rodríguez, I,  Llana, L & Rabanal, P 2014,  "A General Testability Theory: Classes, properties, complexity, and testing reductions", IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, vol. 40 , no. 9, pp. 862–894. Savenkov, R 2008, How to Become a Software Tester. Roman Savenkov Consulting, Sunnyvale.     Read More