"The last time I saw a book I
liked so much I asked to write the forward."
-- Ward
Cunningham
"Curiously, the book is far
bigger than expected as it expands in your head as you read it."
--Alan
Richardson
Each lesson "is a gem of wisdom, encapsulated in a very few
words, giving useful guidance, not just theory and philosophy."
-- Lee
Copeland
"The authors have definitely told the truth,
and nothing but the truth."
-- Cathy
Bell
Lessons Learned in Software Testing is a finalist in Software Development Magazine's Jolt Awards.
Great software testing teams aren't born, they're made -- through a lot of hard work and persuasive communication. Along the way, there is an abundance of traps that one can fall into, which can derail the best-laid plans and put your projects behind schedule.
Cem Kaner, James Bach, and Bret Pettichord know this all too well. Between them, they have over fifty years of testing experience, and know what it takes for successful testing. In this groundbreaking new book, they have compiled 296 nuggets of wisdom for you to put to work in your testing projects. They reveal insights on how to do the job well, how to manage it well, and how to steer clear of common mistakes in software testing.
Each lesson is an assertion related to software testing, followed by an explanation or example that shows you the how, when, and why of the testing lesson.
The ultimate resource for software testers, developers and managers at every level of experitise, this guidebook also features:
- Useful practices and helpful ways of evaluating situations from the world's leading software testing experts.
- Lessons for all key topic areas including test design, test automation, test managment, test strategies, and bug reporting.
- Advice on how to match the selection of practices to the circumstances of your project
"This book is VERY
dangerous."
-- Anonymous
"Buy a carton-load and hand a
copy out to everyone who tests and to everyone who thinks that she or he
manages testers."
-- Tim Lister (from the foreward)
“A fresh, provocative look at what goes on in the 'real world' of
software testing -- guarenteed to make you rethink most of your
assumptions and traditional 'theories' of how testing really ought to be
done.”
-- Ed
Yourdon
“Any one of these tiny
lessons could be worth the price of the book.”
-- Tom DeMarco, Principal,
Atlantic Systems Guild
“Pick up this book, open it
anywhere, read it for 2 minutes, and take one lesson as a suggestion. Your
testing, test planning, test management, or thinking about testing will
improve dramatically.”
-- Johanna Rothman, Rothman
Consulting Group, Inc.
-- Sam Guckenheimer, Senior Director of Automated Testing Technology, Rational Software Corporation
“Definitely a book worth reading and keeping around. Smart, practical, insightful and thought-provoking.”
-- Ross Collard, Collard & Company
“These three distinguished test professionals have written a precisely-stated and thought-provoking book that offers a distinctive and important perspective on testing and test project management. I agree with much of what I read, and I disagree with some of what I read, but, without reservation, I can recommend to everyone who works as, works with, works for--or has working for her--a test professional that they read all of this book, using it as a tool to refine and question what they do and why they do it.”
-- Rex Black, Author, Managing the Testing Process and Critical Testing Processes
“This is the book the testing community has been looking for and didn't realize it. A must read for any test engineer or manager.”
-- George Hamblen Jr., director of software quality assurance for a large financial services company
“This isn't textbook stuff. It's better. It's real life under discussion and observation. I'm excited to see so many aspects of testing being brought together into one book. I expect great discussions to be had because of this book.”
-- Steve Tolman, Manager of Software Quality, PowerQuest
“These lessons contain wonderful insights about software testing in the real world, from the leading practical experts on software testing. Whether you test software, or work with people who do, this book is great stuff.”
-- Alan Myrvold
“These Lessons Learned are obviously reported directly from the trenches of software testing in the real world. There are no empty theories here. It's all about what works and doesn't work, distilled from the experiences of a large and varied list of seasoned, expert testers and test managers. Clear and succinct. It has brought clarity to many of my own learning experiences and provoked a lot of new thoughts.”
-- Fran McKain, Software Test Manager, Hewlett-Packard Company
“Reviewing this book was one of my greatest learning experiences. I warmly recommend this as a must-have for any testing professional.”
-- Hans Buwalda, consultant
“The book is packed with nuggets of gold derived from years of practical experience. The chapter on test automation alone is more useful than any of the books I've seen on test automation. The chapter on techniques has powerful ideas, simply stated! I especially appreciated the clear and straightforward description of how to do combination testing using the all-pairs testing. But the book presents much more than ideas and techniques--it puts them in context, so they can be successfully applied.”
-- Doug Hoffman, Consultant, Software Quality Methods, LLC
“Lessons Learned in Software Testing is a must read for the beginner who needs tried and true tips and for the mature test manager who is looking for more refinements for his or her organization.”
-- Chris DeNardis, Supervisor of Software Engineering, Rockwell Automation
“Lessons Learned in Software Testing offers an invaluable collection of real world practices based on years of experience shared by the authors collectively and many of their colleagues. Cem, James and Bret are doing great work in delivering their expertise through the use of a creative format that makes reading entertaining. The book presents many practical suggestions to testers, test managers, programmers as well as business managers. These will help them develop sound testing strategies and avoid potentially fatal mistakes. It's an absolute must for anyone who has a serious interest in software testing.”
-- Hung Q. Nguyen, President and CEO, LogiGear Corporation
“The lessons format is simple and succinct, just the thing for us to use in late night test planning sessions. Where other books have been long on theory and are great for study, this is long on reality, practicality, and immediate usefulness. It will unquestionably have a prominent place in my own library.”
-- Mary Romero Sweeney, Author, Visual Basic for Testers
“This is an excellent book. I have had similar experiences as documented in this book, without being able to learn the lessons whilst in the middle of the problem. The book is a useful tool and I will bring it to my clients in my daily work as a consultant.”
-- Ståle Amland, Principal Consultant, Amland Consulting, Norway
“Use this book to take a fast path to effective software testing. Read the relevant parts, and keep it close by. These lessons will give you an education equivalent to several lifetimes of testing!”
-- Erik Petersen, Software Testing Consultant, Melbourne Australia
About the Authors
CEM KANER, JD, PhD is Professor of computer sciences at Florida Institute of Technology. He also consults on technical and management issues, and practices law within the software development community. He is the lead author of two books, Testing Computer Software and Bad Software (both from Wiley)
JAMES BACH is founder and principal consultant of Satisfice, Inc., a software testing and quality assurance company. His experience with competitive software development in leading Silicon Valley companies, such as Apple and Borland, led him to specialize in such aspects of the craft as “good enough” quality, risk-based testing, exploratory testing, and other techniques that require skill and judgment. He has also served as Chief Scientist at Software Testing Labs.
BRET PETTICHORD works as an independent consultant and edits the popular Software Testing Hotlist. A frequent speaker and writer, he is also the founder of the Austin Workshop on Test Automation.