Checklists 12 1 Introduction Checklists are used as

Checklists

12. 1 Introduction �Checklists are used as a technique to give status information in a formalized manner about all aspects of the test process. This chapter contains the following categories of checklists: � checklists for quality characteristics; � general checklist for high-level testing; � general checklist for low-level testing; � test design techniques checklist; � checklists concerning the test process.

12. 2 Checklists for quality characteristics � connectivity; � reliability; � flexibility; � maintainability; � portability; � reusability; � security; � testability; � usability.

�Connectivity is the capability of the system to establish connection with different systems, or within this (distributed) system. �Reliability is the capability of the system to maintain a specified level of performance when used under specified conditions. �The quality attribute “reliability” is divided into three subattributes – maturity, fault tolerance, and recoverability.

�Flexibility is the capability of the system to enable the user to introduce extensions or modifications without changing the system itself. �Maintainability is the capacity of the system to be modified. Modifications may include corrections, improvements, or adaptation of the system to changes in the environment, and also in requirements and functional requirements.

�Portability is the capability of the software to be transferred from one environment to another. �Reusability is the capability of the software to enable the reuse of parts of the system or design for the development of different systems. �Security is the capability of the system to ensure that only authorized users (or systems) have access to the functionality.

�Testability is the capability of the system to be validated. �Usability is the capability of the system to be attractive to the user under specified conditions, and to be understood, learned, and used.

�Usability is a rather subjective quality characteristic – just what usability means depends on the individual taste of a user. However, it is usually possible to identify different groups of users with their own demands. Another factor often ignored is the culture that influences the acceptance of the user interface. The only way to get a clear picture of the usability of a system is to let a user implement use the system as if it were in daily use. If it is thought that culture could be an important factor, the forum used should have a diverse cultural background, or otherwise use more forums. �To give a clear picture of the usability of a system, a questionnaire can be filled in by the members of the user forum. Possible items in the questionnaire include the following.

12. 3 General checklist for high-level testing �General �Division into subsystems and interfaces �Function structure �User dialog �Quality requirements

12. 4 General checklist for low-level testing �General �System structure �Program division �Program description �Performance requirements

12. 5 Test design techniques checklist �Control flow test �The desired test basis is a flow chart, or a decision complemented by a description. �Classification-tree method �Elementary comparison test �Statistical usage testing and rare event testing �State-based testing technique �Evolutionary algorithms �Safety analysis

12. 6 Checklists concerning the test process �The checklists in this section provide guidelines for a diversity of activities concerning the test process. They are not exhaustive but can serve as a basis for constructing organization-dependent and projectdependent checklists. The following checklists are included.

�Test project evaluation. This checklist contains attributes for intermediate and final evaluations of a project. � Global investigation of the system. This checklist can be used to support the global review and study activity from the planning and control phase. �Preconditions and assumptions. This checklist contains examples of preconditions and assumptions to include in a test plan. � Test project risks. The risks regarding the test project must be made explicit. This checklist contains a number of potential risks.

� Structuring the test process. This checklist is used to assess the current situation of testing. � Test facilities. This checklist is useful for organizing and establishing the test infrastructure, the test organization, and test control during the planning and control phase. � Production release. This is a checklist for the determination of completeness of the product, test activities, production parameters, and production operations. � Coding rules. This checklist applies to the low-level testing activities concerning analysis of the code.

�Test project risks �The project risks are identified and described in the test plan. For each risk, the consequence and the solution, and/or measures to minimize the risk or consequences, are mentioned.