In the early days of software, before "software engineering", testing was generally an ad-hoc activity performed at the end of the development life cycle. Effective testers were generally skilled in "error guessing".

However, in the 1970's testing gurus were emerging, and suggesting the concept of developing a test plan at the beginning of the life cycle, based on requirements. One of these pioneers was Dr. Bill Hetzel. Dr Hetzel was on the leading edge of testing and convened the first formal conference on Software Testing at the University of North Carolina in 1972. In June 1988 Bill Hetzel and a colleague broke more ground with an article entitled "The Growth of Software Testing". It was around this time that this second edition of his book with the tongue in cheek title, "The Complete Guide to Software Testing" was released.

The title may be tongue in cheek, but the content is significant. The Complete Guide to Software Testing provides an outstanding insight into the world of software testing, one that has extended beyond software engineers, developers and business analysts.

Software testing has captured the interest of a wider business audience, which is reflected in the range of topics addressed in this book. It is divided cleverly into 3 divisions; the author first develops the concepts and principles of testing (including the history of testing and the rationale behind it all.) Then he presents detailed discussions of testing techniques and methodologies, and lastly draws the reader into the management perspectives of managing the testing function. This last section includes the role of management, and controlling the test function.

Each chapter contains examples, checklists and case studies based on Dr. Hetzel's personal consulting and management experience. These could help you to understand the materials and adapt them to your own environment.

Of interest are a number of appendices including one titled "Software test practices survey". This survey is aimed at aiding understanding of the industry software testing practices and trends.As is said in the preface of this book, read this book if you want to know:

• What good software testing means?
• How to determine software testing objectives and criteria.
• How to develop and validate a test plan.
• How to select and prepare test cases.
• When there is too much or not enough testing.
• How to prepare testing policies and standards.
• How to use testing aids and tools.
• What to test before buying a software package.
• What to test after maintenance and enhancement changes.
• How to measure the success of your testing efforts.
  

All in all, "The complete guide to Software Testing, second edition", is a book crammed with vast information on Software testing. It is easy to read and understand, even for a beginner like myself. And as a beginner in this field I can recommend this book to other newcomers as a great place to start to broaden the understanding of this dynamic discipline.

Wilson Wray

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