Testing as an engineering activity

Testing as an engineering activity

This is an exciting time to be a software developer. Software systems are becoming more challenging to build. They are playing an increasingly important role in society. People with software development skills are in demand. New methods, techniques, and tools are becoming available to support development and maintenance tasks. Because software now has such an important role in our lives both economically and socially, there is pressure for software professionals to focus on quality issues. Poor quality software that can cause loss of life or property is no longer acceptable to society. Failures can result in catastrophic losses. Conditions demand software development staffs with interest and training in the areas of software product and process quality. Highly qualified staff ensure that software products are built on time, within budget, and are of the highest quality with respect to attributes such as reliability, correctness, usability, and the ability to meet all user requirements. Using an engineering approach to software development implies that:

•         the development process is well understood;

•         projects are planned;

•         life cycle models are defined and adhered to;

•         standards are in place for product and process;

•         measurements are employed to evaluate product and process quality;

•         components are reused;

•         validation and verification processes play a key role in quality determination;

•         engineers have proper education, training, and certification.