Best Practices for software development and testing
“More than the act of testing, the act of designing tests is one of the best bug preventers known. The thinking that must be done to create a useful test can discover and eliminate bugs before they are coded”-Boris Beizer
The one most evident change that has come globally is the fact that along with the dangers of terrorist attacks, we now face the challenge of fighting against an enemy which is rather unknown and can take any form they like, and probably even attack when you are the least bit prepared. We all today are a part of the 21st century which has welcomed upon itself a series of cyber-attacks.
In an era when everything that we do has been converted into the phase of getting auctioned on the online platform of the world wide web, it was evident that the impending dangers of the unknown enemy would strike. Besides all the gold and cash kept safe in the Swiss accounts of the world, the one thing that has become more critical to save and the harbour is the stacks and stacks of data that is stored in countless applications, online software and numerous websites that we use to complete our day to day activities.
This is probably one of the major reasons why it has become increasingly important to bring out the White Hat Hackers who can help come up with software and programs that will face no threats of cyber-attacks and data infiltration. One of the ways most programmers can get a step closer to doing that is by ensuring that during the program development phase itself strict and rigorous testing phases are carried out. To bring you up to speed with the latest and best software testing procedures we bring to a few practices that will ensure that incidents of data theft and cyber-attacks are completely minimized.
HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PRACTICES OF SOFTWARE TESTING
Correct and controlled environment: with the evolution of the cloud storage platform and considering the ease that it offers, a lot of software and application programmers tend to use the cloud itself as a medium for testing and control. There is no denying how effective the cloud is but because of the easy access, it is also true that it is very vulnerable and cyber-attack friendly. Any company that is developing new software or application needs to make sure that they spend enough to arrange for an environment where software testing can be the most effective and worthwhile.
Test, test, test, and repeat: all those of you who are familiar with the world of software and app development may have heard of the final Quality Audit (QA) phase. The biggest mistake we make is that we leave the QA phase right until the last signing off the step. One practice that needs to be followed here is that at the time when you are working on new software or application, make it mandatory to conduct the QA stage at the end of every trial and development procedure. This will help you eliminate any major risks and troubleshooting issues that you or the users may face while using the software. Consider this as your very own SWOT test for your software program so as to do away with all the minor risks and making sure that they don’t become a major and critical risk later.
Covering all the bases: as an efficient and effective programmer, it is your duty to see to it that you write testing programs that cover all the situations and incidents or roadblocks that an application or software by face when functioning. This is merely called being prepared for the best or the worst. Consider the application or software you are working on and then sit down to analyze all the situations or bottlenecks that the software may encounter while functioning. Like they say prevention is better than cure, by following this practise you will actually eliminate any major holdbacks that can hamper the end result and performance matrix of your program.
Leave the Tests to the Testers: when a software developer is working day and night to get his software up and running it is only natural that they may overlook a few critical things. As much as a developer would want their program/software to be a success, there is also this hidden fact that they may let go of minor glitches and issues that they know are there. Make it a compulsory practice to ensure that your own programmers and developers are not the ones in charge of writing tests for their own software that they are developing ( You can also learn programming languages by online courses and tutorials). This will make sure that there are no biased opinions and also that only the best program/software that is glitch and error-free shall proceed to the final step of commissioning.
All’s lost without reports: as much as virtual notepads have helped make life easy, it will be great if during all the testing procedures you make sure that you actually note down all the findings and observations that you have come across. This will help you focus on the errors and glitches that you need to work on. Just like a doctor takes notes of all your symptoms, taking dedicated notes and pointers will help you find the solution to the bug or issue your software is facing.
Customized Tailor-Made Tests: today when you work on a software or a program it can be used and accessed on a number of platforms. It has thus become crucial to write tests based on different situations and issues that software or application may encounter when used on different mediums such as the laptop, mobile screens or tablet screens. It should be clear for a test writer that each gadget that is used to access software or program will encounter different issues and challenges.
Define a Target and set a Goal: probably the most important practice of testing software is to define all the people what the importance of testing is. You need to explain to them about the technicalities and the finer aspects of conducting such programming tests. Communicate with the rest of the development team and let them know about the RCAI matrix and ask for their inputs on the same.
The world of software and application development is getting redefined each and every day. And, with all these constant changes and upgrades, it is more vital to ensure that the coming of age application and software developers learn more about the ethics and practices that should be observed for software development and testing.
