Software Testing Made Easy

ISTQB CTFL and CTAL exam 2010

2009-12-16T15:46:00.001+08:00

Hi all,

Just got this from my email to MSTB asking about exam dates for CTFL & CTAL.

January 2010:

Friday, 15/01/2010
Friday, 22/01/2010
Friday, 29/01/2010

February 2010:

Friday, 12/02/2010
Saturday, 13/02/2010 - CTAL test manager
Friday, 20/02/2010

March 2010:

Friday, 05/03/2010
Saturday, 06/03/2010 - CTAL test manager
Friday, 12/03/2010
Friday, 19/03/2010
Friday, 26/03/2010

Using Badboy with JMeter

2009-12-14T00:08:00.003+08:00

Another great feature of BadBoy is that it can export your BadBoy script to JMeter. It's worthwhile to use JMeter since BadBoy load test feature can be resource intensive at times depending on how many Virtual Users (VUs) and thread settings.

While Badboy offers some elementary load testing features, to do real stress testing you often need much more. Rather than trying to offer all of the features of a complete load testing product, Badboy integrates with a free, open source product called JMeter. JMeter is run by the Apache Software Foundation and is free and open source.

Badboy integrates with JMeter by letting you save your scripts in the JMeter file format so that you can open them and run them in JMeter. This support means that you can use Badboy to record your scripts to do functional testing, and then save the same script as a JMeter file to do performance testing using the full power of JMeter!

Exporting a script in JMeter format is very simple. Simply record your script and navigate to File->Export to JMeter

Limitations

There are, unfortunately some limitations to Badboy's JMeter support. These limitations exist because the features of JMeter and Badboy do not exactly match each other and in some cases it is not possible to export items directly.

The following limitations should be noted:

JScript cannot be exported. JMeter cannot run JScript because it does not have an embedded browser window. JScript items will be ignored in the script when you do your export.
Data sources are not exported. JMeter has its own concept to replace Data Sources. When you export your file, all of your variables will be created in JMeter as "User Parameters". You can, if you wish, provide a file for JMeter to read variable values from. Please read the JMeter help on the "HTTP User Parameter Modifier" to see how to do this.
Increments are not exported. JMeter does not use increments to modify variables. Rather, variables are automatically modified by the iteration of a loop and the presence of a User Parameter Modifier.
Navigations are not exported. Navigations also rely on having a browser window present and thus cannot be directly supported by JMeter. You can simulate them if you wish by using Jmeter features.
Assertions are exported but may need adjustment. Badboy will attempt to export Assertions to JMeter but due to small differences in how JMeter and Badboy handle Assertions it is possible that they will not always work the same way. Badboy automatically scans for these problems and will alert you with a message after export containing details about what may need to be adjusted.

Important Note

Badboy's integration with JMeter is entirely supported by Badboy Software. If you have issues with JMeter support, please find help from Badboy's support channels (for example, the Badboy Forum). Please do not bother the JMeter mailing lists with Badboy questions!

Wave Test Manager : an extension of BadBoy

2009-12-10T16:46:00.003+08:00

Right, now that you have BadBoy as the Test Automation tool, you would need something to manage it. Coupled with BadBoy, they also provide Wave Test Manager (again, free to a certain extent). It manages all your BadBoy Scripts right from scheduling it to emailing you the results when the scripts have completed.

Wave Test Manager
If you have an organization where many diverse people need to be able to run tests on a variety of platforms and environments then Wave Test Manager is for you!

Wave Test Manager gives you:

A shared environment for running Badboy tests that everyone can use
An easy way to automate the running of tests and integrate them into your development lifecycle
A simple way to run the same script in many different environments (eg. operating systems, browser versions) at once
A store and archive of Tests and Results accessible to everyone in your team.

How It Works?

The Wave Test Manager system lets any computer in your organization become an "agent" for running Badboy Tests. Anybody can then run scripts on the agent computers via a centralized web interface called the "Test Manager". The Test Manager queues and schedules Tests to run on the desired computers when they become available and emails results when they are finished.

BadBoy Test Automation

2009-12-10T11:51:00.010+08:00

If you are looking for a FREE (well, sort of) Test Automation Tool to test your web application, then I would recommend BadBoy. If you have used Quick Test Professional (QTP) before, then BadBoy is something similar. It is GUI driven and very easy to use without the need of high programming skills. A few features that I really like;

GUI Based Record & Playback
Recording mode in Internet Explorer and re-playable in Firefox
It both functional and load testing tool
Ability to export to JMeter
With the 15 minutes video tutorial, anyone can do basic automation!

Some information about the product;

Badboy is a powerful tool designed to aid in testing and development of complex dynamic applications. Badboy makes web testing and development easier with dozens of features including a simple yet comprehensive capture/replay interface, powerful load testing support, detailed reports, graphs and much more!BadBoy Features
The basis of Badboy is the Script Tree - this is a window pane that sits along side the embedded browser and monitors its activity, displaying information as you browse.Playback
Once you have created your script, you can use Badboy's Playback functionality to replay the actions in sequence - and watch your browser browse through your site all by itself! Because Badboy records everything about the actions performed by the browser, playing the script reproduces exactly the same result that the original browsing caused. [Next Page]

You can choose to play back your whole entire script, or you can play it one step at a time. Badboy gives you lots of options including scheduling your script to play at any time in the future or even regular intervals if you want to monitor your web site.Variables, Looping, Data Sources and More!
Badboy lets you easily parameterize any aspect of your captured script using Script Variables, making it simple to modify parameters to play back with different values. Once parameterized, Badboy automatically links new items to the same variable, minimizing maintenance as you record new items or change your script.

The Data Source tool built into Badboy can load values from any ODBC compliant database, and Badboy has integrated support to loop over the values retrieved - thus making it child's play to exhaustively test whole ranges of data values. The Toolbox
Badboy's features don't stop with capture and playback of requests - it offers you a virtual swiss-army-knife of tools for automating even the most difficult operations! With Badboy's suite of tools you can do almost anything. You can even create custom items of your own to place in the script and execute using Badboy's powerful automated playback engine.Badboy's DOM View
Developers will love Badboy's DOM View which with a press of a key (Ctrl-D) opens and displays a powerful interface for examining and manipulating the loaded web page, including a full display of the browser DOM with CSS information and a JavaScript console for entering and executing JavaScript commands.Interesting isn't it? For more info on the product visit www.badboy.com.au

Spira Development Roadmap

2009-12-09T13:21:00.003+08:00

Hi all,

Just got this from Inflectra. More features coming our way...!!!

Version 2.3.1 – Scheduled for Release 29-Dec-2009

Subversion and Mantis Integration
Enhanced usability of various controls and selection boxes
Additional reportsVersion

Additional Add-Ons / Plug-Ins / Extensions

Integration with HP LoadRunner, FrogLogic Squish, SOAP UI and IBM Rational FunctionalTester
Integration with Visual Studio and Eclipse
Integration with AxoSoft OnTime and IBM Rational ClearQuest
Integration with CVS
Ability to Import Data from MS-Word

Notes

- Subversion integration will allow you to browse the source control repository through the SpiraTeam web front-end and also link artifacts in SpiraTeam with both documents/files in Subversion and also individual commits/revisions.

- CVS integration will allow you to browse the source control repository through the SpiraTeam web front-end and also link artifacts in SpiraTeam with both documents/files in CVS and also individual commits/revisions.

- SOAP UI integration will allow you to run automated SOAP UI tests and have the results be reported back against corresponding test cases in SpiraTeam

- Eclipse Integration will allow you to view your assigned tasks and incidents in the Eclipse IDE and update the status and progress of the items inside the IDE (rather than having to use the SpiraTeam web front end).

- The ability to import from MS-Word will allow you to take requirements and test cases authored in Microsoft Word and import them into SpiraTeam (similar to the current MS-Excel importer)

Version 3.0 – Scheduled for Release 4-Mar-2010

Additional release backlog planning functionality
Ability to for project members to view individual schedules and perform time tracking
Enhanced Email Notification Functionality
Version control of artifacts
Enhanced Requirements Traceability Capabilities
Support for more than ten (10) custom properties per artifact and additional property types
Ability to manage test data for keyword-driven testing in SpiraTeam
Distributed Automated Test Execution Engine for launching automated tests remotely
Requires ASP.NET 3.5 Architecture (previously ASP.NET 2.0 required only)

Malaysia Testing Hub

2009-12-09T13:17:00.002+08:00

Recently, MSTB has just launched "Malaysia Testing Hub". Below is an excerpt from their website;

MSTB is currently the only member of ISTQB to initiate a software-testing hub. The Malaysian Testing Hub is the first program of its kind in the world, created to sustain the industry as a whole and supported by the government.

The Malaysian Testing Hub (MTH), a stimulus program wholly initiated by MSTB, is designed to create awareness and elevate the software testing industry in the country and region by functioning as a centre for software testing excellence. MTH plans to create a pool of globally-competitive certified professionals in software testing through a pioneer apprenticeship program open to eligible candidates.

The development of MTH is a milestone in the software testing industry as it denotes thought leadership and mindset change among key players. MTH will put Malaysia on the map, not only as a nation focused on quality, but as a globally sought-after testing hub.

MTH conforms to the government’s plan under the Human Capital Development initiative initiated by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) to drive a knowledge-based economy and create a mass of skilled professionals and experts.

The Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia values are embodied in the inception of the Malaysian Testing Hub that embraces a culture of excellence where value is determined by the quality of work, knowledge and experience.

“Q” equates to Quality, which is the core concept of the Malaysian Testing Hub.

The Malaysian Testing Hub consists of four (4) components to complete its ecosystem:

Q-Capability

A training and certification program designed to produce highly sought-after, internationally recognized, and globally competitive professionals and experts. The Q-Cap syllabi are recognized by ISTQB.

Q-Lab

A world class testing facility with state-of-the-art equipment where software testers can practice, research, and test software while working on real test cases alongside internationally certified trainers and professionals.

Q-Industrial Development

A sub-program that creates awareness of the Malaysian Testing Hub by planning communication programs and PR initiatives to generate interest. It is also responsible for managing industrial relations with various stakeholders.

Q-Portal

The development and implementation of an online portal to support MTH. The Q-portal will be the gateway to information on software testing, development, and advances in the industry, discussion forums, news, and events

These four components are central in supporting the Malaysian Testing Hub in achieving its mission and goals.

Q-Capability

Q-Capability, or Q-Cap for short, is the training arm of the Malaysian Testing Hub. The major focus of this subdivision is to train and produce high calibre software testers with the expertise to compete internationally through a specially designed pioneer apprenticeship program.

The apprenticeship program sees Q-Cap providing real-time hands-on training at the Q-Lab and conducting examinations to ensure that each software tester qualifies with an ISTQB certification at the foundation level or advanced level – both of which are recognized as professional qualifications in the testing community. The apprenticeship program will be led by a group of internationally certified experts and professionals and includes an international trainee-exchange program with other ISTQB members.

With internationally recognized certification, MTH will be well equipped to produce software testers capable of leveraging their knowledge to provide the best service across all their engagements. The qualified testers can work with organizations across different industries to effect improvements including time and cost reductions, enhanced productivity, and ensure a higher return on investment.

There are currently more than 130,000 ISTQB certified software testers globally who practice within a common software-testing framework. Q-Cap’s training program supports this framework as training and certifications are regulated under the auspices of the ISTQB.

The number of Malaysians earning ISTQB certification has increased compared to the previous years. In 2007, MSTB passed 31 individuals, with the number rising to 105 in 2008, while 2009 saw an all-time high of 141 passes (up to October).

Certification in the field of software-testing is a valuable asset as it increases the marketability of a software-tester within an organization or industry. Professional certification adds value and helps accelerate an individual’s career path.

Q-Cap is now accepting applications from individuals interested in software-testing certification. The program is currently open solely to Malaysian citizens who have completed tertiary education in technical fields such as engineering, IT, and the sciences.

Successful applicants may apply for sponsorship from MSTB, and may be presented with apprenticeship opportunities at Q-Laboratory, another segment of the Malaysian Testing Hub.

Q-Cap aims to attract professionals, particularly those with a requirements engineering background. Individuals applying to be software testers can be fresh graduates, or those sponsored by their employers to master another skill set.

Q-Laboratory

Q-Lab, a 6,500 sq. ft test centre located in Puchong, is a world-class testing facility that is part of the Malaysian Testing Hub. Q-Lab, built to assist in developing Malaysia’s professional testing community, is furnished with state-of-the-art equipment and can accommodate up to 120 professional testers. The lab can also run up to 10 testing projects concurrently.

The Malaysian Testing Hub aspires to make software testing more accessible to interested individuals with the Q-Lab set up. Q-Lab provides the perfect opportunity for aspiring individuals to join the software-testing industry. Q-Lab also functions as a testing centre for local companies who wish to outsource their software testing requirements.

Qualified software testers chosen for the apprenticeship program can start their new careers in this lab using a hands-on approach, enabling them to practice, research and test software in real time. Testing will be done in a controlled environment where junior testers are given genuine projects to work on under the supervision of experienced testers.

Q-Industry Development

Software testing in Malaysia is still in its infancy as the industry is largely untapped. Q-Industry Development refers to part of the Malaysian Testing Hub that raises awareness about software testing and the availability of training and international accreditation.

Efforts are underway in promoting software testing and the Malaysian Testing Hub, one of which is the annual Software Testing Conference (SOFTEC), which first began in 2008.

SOFTEC 09, held in July, successfully addressed issues, discrepancies, and inconsistencies in the area of software testing, while exploring and identifying best practices, challenges, and innovations in the industry.

SOFTEC 09, as the first program under Q-Industry Development, managed to reach target stakeholders with a 100% increase in participation over the previous year. Knowledge-sharing sessions and business opportunities were explored as more international speakers took the stage.

SOFTEC 09 was also supported by the Malaysian government with a representation of 50 delegates.

SOFTEC 2010, set to be the stage for the ISTQB General Assembly, will be held for the first time in Malaysia.

Q-Industry Development also includes a series of recruitment drives to raise awareness and attract individuals interested in software testing. The recruitment drives will promote Q-Lab and Q-Cap with roadshows held nationwide in conjunction with this program. MSTB will hold roadshows in Penang (31Oct – 1Nov 09), Sabah (7-8 Nov 09), Johor (14-15 Nov 09), Sarawak (21-22 Nov 09) and Kuala Lumpur (5-6 Dec 09).

These recruitment drives will also include industry dialogues and on-site interviews with interested applicants to determine their eligibility.

Q-Portal

Q-Portal is poised to be the gateway to connect budding and professional software testers to the industry. Q-Portal, as MTH’s online arm, will create awareness about MTH in the cyberworld.

The public can access information on the dates and venues of upcoming training sessions via Q-Portal and receive updates about the industry and upcoming events.

Q-Portal will also function as an online community of software testers with chat rooms and forums on the latest developments in software testing as well as issues, challenges, and opportunities in the industry.

For more info, visit www.mstb.org

MSTB aims to recruit talent for Malaysia Testing Hub

2009-11-23T11:32:00.002+08:00

Kuala Lumpur, November 23, 2009 – IT professionals and graduates across all disciplines in Kuala Lumpur are the prime targets for the Malaysian Software Testing Board’s (MSTB) final run of recruitment drive for the Malaysia Testing Hub (MTH) project to be held at The Zon Regency Hotel on 5 and 6 December.

The recruitment drive is in tandem with the Malaysian government’s plans to make a quantum leap to be an advanced and high income economy.

The Malaysia Testing Hub, an ambitious project undertaken by MSTB, is an ecosystem program designed to significantly contribute to the government’s plans to ensure the country’s relevance in the highly competitive global economy.

Among the sub-programs under the MTH is Q-Lab, an apprenticeship program that aims to create a pool of qualified, competent, and highly sought-after Test Engineers. Q-Lab is equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and testing tools, and the creation of new enterprises involved in independent verification and validation services.

MSTB will facilitate this exciting venture to lead and promote the industry towards innovative approaches in software and product quality testing. The program also aims to engage collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors in assisting in the development of the country’s new economic model with an end-result of achieving “double the per capital income of the country” as expressed by the Malaysian Prime Minister.

The software testing industry requires more experts as global trade expands with the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and the introduction of the World Trade Organisation’s respective covenants.

“This is an opportune time to kick-start our recruitment drive with the long-term goal of ensuring that local businesses and institutions meet global standards and sustainable prospects,” says Mastura Abu Samah, MSTB’s President. “Our organisation’s forward-thinking culture will definitely distinguish us in this fast-paced industry by adopting new benchmarks, particularly on our human resource front.”

Professionals in this sector will be a valuable asset to MSTB given the government’s commitment in the creation of world-class ICT facilities and an aggressive thrust to generate a sufficient and qualified workforce.

New recruits of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board will form the human capital foundation, established under MSTB’s testing hub initiative, while carving a successful career path if they choose.

A panel of notable experts and academicians will present their views on issues pertinent to software testing at the Industry Dialogue sessions.

“We encourage all qualified Malaysians to take advantage of this opportunity and build a career path with us,” adds Mastura. “With the availability of a rich talent pool, we are confident in competing with advanced economies and other global players.”

Kuching targeted for MSTB's Recruitment Drive for Malaysia Testing Hub

2009-11-17T11:33:00.000+08:00

Kuching, November 17, 2009 – IT professionals and graduates across all disciplines in Kuching are the prime targets for the Malaysian Software Testing Board’s (MSTB) recruitment drive for the Malaysia Testing Hub (MTH) project to be held at Kuching Hilton on 21 and 22 November.

The recruitment drive is in tandem with the Malaysian government’s plans to make a quantum leap to be an advanced and high income economy.

The software testing industry requires more experts as global trade expands with the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and the introduction of the World Trade Organisation’s respective covenants.

“This is absolutely an opportune time to kick-start our recruitment drive with the long-term goal of ensuring that local businesses and institutions meet global standards and sustainable prospects,” says Mastura Abu Samah, MSTB’s President. “Our organisation’s forward-thinking culture will definitely distinguish us in this fast-paced industry by adopting new benchmarks, particularly on our human resource front.”

A panel of notable experts and academicians will present their views on issues pertinent to software testing at the Industry Dialogue sessions.

MSTB to embark on Malaysian Testing Hub project

2009-11-08T11:37:00.001+08:00

KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Software Testing Board (MSTB) is embarking on an ambitious project: the Malaysian Testing Hub (MTH) – an ecosystem program that would contribute, in a significant way towards the Government’s plan to ensure Malaysia’s relevance in the competitive global economy.

This is in line with the Government’s plans for Malaysia to make quantum leap to be an advanced and high income economy.

Among the sub-programs under the MTH is the Q-Lab, which involves an apprenticeship program that seeks to produce highly sought after Test Engineers. Q-Lab would include the creation of new enterprises that will be involved in independent verification and validation (IV & V) activities on products.

The exciting venture of MSTB would see it take the necessary ‘baby-steps’ to lead and promote the industry towards innovative approaches in software and product quality testing. The program would also engage collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors to assist in the development of the country’s new economic model that would achieve the “double per capita income of the country” as articulated by the Prime Minister.

On this score, the MSTB calls upon IT professionals and graduates of all disciplines to turn their attentions to positions currently available in Malaysia through MSTB.

To communicate this effectively to the relevant segments, the Board will be undertaking a nationwide recruitment drive and industry dialogue sessions. The software testing industry, which has grown exponentially over the years, will require more experts as global trade opens up further with ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and the World Trade Organisation’s respective covenants coming into effect.

As a member of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board, both the recruitment drive and the industry dialogue sessions are in line with MSTB’s objectives of ensuring local businesses institutions attain global standard and sustainable opportunities.

Once recruited, these new personnel will form the human capital foundation, published under MSTB’s testing hub initiative, while at the same time laying the foundation to a successful career path for themselves.

Mastura Abu Samah, President, Malaysian Software Testing Board said, “We are at an opportune juncture in time to kick-start this recruitment drive. As a forward thinking organization, MSTB intends to set itself apart in the fast-paced industry by adopting new benchmarks on our human resource front.”

For the Industry Dialogues, a panel of notable experts and academicians will be coming together at the various venues to share their views on the varied issues pertinent to software testing.

Kicking-off the Penang leg of the session were Associate Prof. Dr. Kamal Zuhari Zamli, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, USM; Mohd Redzuan Abdullah, Head of Testing Centre of Excellence, MIMOS Berhad and Lee Yiang Ming, Head of Technical Service (Malaysia), Scope International (M) Sdn Bhd. A different panel of experts will be presenting their views at each city.

She added, “ICT companies should leverage on MSTB’s initiatives and incentives and these dialogues sessions will present a clearer picture of the options available via our concerted programmes.

“We encourage all qualified Malaysian to seize the opportunity and build a career path with us. With the rich talent pool available, we are confident that we will be placed in good stead to compete with advanced economies and other global players.”

The recruitment drive is set to take place at central locations in five major cities across the nation namely Sutera Harbour, here yesterday and today; The Zon Regency , Johor Bahru on Nov 14 and 15; Hilton Kuching, Sarawak on Nov 21 and 22 and The Zon, Kuala Lumpur on Dec 5 and 6 from 9am to 5pm on each day.

Malaysia Software Testing Board (MSTB) is a voluntary and non-profit organization that represents the national industry interests and promotes the broad profession of software testing.

As a member of International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB), MSTB provides the leadership and regulates the accreditation process and certification regulations for the Malaysian software industry; through promoting the development of a common body of understanding and knowledge about testing in alignment with ISTQB programmes that are internationally recognized.

-Published in the New Sabah Times on 8 Nov 2009-

Malaysia: Regional software testing hub

2009-08-05T17:27:00.000+08:00

Source : MIS Asia

Malaysia hopes to become regional software testing hub, says The Malaysian Software Testing Board (MSTB), which is organising the second Software Testing Conference, SOFTEC09, in Kuala Lumpur.

MTSB president Mastura Abu Samah says: “Due to the unqualified success of the first SOFTEC last year, software testing guru and International Software Testing Board chairman, Rex Black, has committed to return as one of the keynote speakers.”

“Another global keynote speaker is Malaysian Professor Jasbir Dhaliwal, who currently heads the System Testing Excellence Programme (STEP) at the University of Memphis, US,” adds Samah.

Malaysian Software Testing Board (MSTB)—www.mstb.org—is incorporated as a voluntary and non-profiting organisation that represents the national and industry interest and promotes the broad profession of software testing. As a member of the ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualification Board) MSTB aims to provide the leadership and regulates the accreditation process and certification regulations for Malaysian software industry through promoting the development of a common body of understanding.

Government support

“SOFTEC09 is also planning to feature a specialist in software engineering methodologies, Capers Jones, who is the founder of Software Productivity Research, and is often associated with the function point model of cost estimation,” said Samah. “His many computer science publications have been widely used by many organisations and educators.”

“Themed ‘Mind The Gap’, SOFTEC09 will be held from 20-23 July in Kuala Lumpur, after a colloquium hosted by UNITEN (Tenaga National University),” said Samah. “Members of MSTB Board and its working group members support SOFTEC09 in their respective capacity as practitioners and academia etc. They are Custommedia, Mesiniaga, CASE-UTM (Centre for Advance Software Engineering), Mercatela, and Malaysian University of Science & Technology (MUST). MSTB is fully supported by the government ICT agency, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC).”

Malaysia on the way to enter software testing mainstream, says Malaysian ministry

2009-08-05T14:47:00.000+08:00

Source : MIS Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, 23 JULY 2009 -- Malaysia is on the way to entering the mainstream of global software testing, according to the Malaysian ministry of science, technology & innovation (MOSTI).

Launching the Softec09 (Software Testing Conference), organised by the Malaysian Testing Board (MSTB), MOSTI deputy minister Tuan Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusoff, said: "Maintaining and spurring the growth of the economy has had its challenges, such as the global downturn and pandemic, and we have reinforced our plans to take advantage of the economic upturn."

"To help Malaysia move towards its goal of becoming developed by 2020, we looked at other countries such as India and Ireland. Among other things used by such countries were the use of (a) IT exporters (b) knowledge as a product and (c) knowledge as the tool used to drive the economy," said the deputy minister, who added that Malaysia as a regional testing centre was a desirable outcome.

The deputy minister said: "The global software testing market is estimated at US$13 billion according to analyst firm Gartner, and is expected to grow to US$56 billion by 2013, according to consulting firm Ovum."

MSTB is a non-profit body that represents and promotes the profession of software testing, and is a member of the USA-based ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board).

Malaysia: Testing as a Service (TaaS)

Malaysian Testing Board (MSTB) president Mastura Abu Samah said: "MSTB is the official representative of Malaysia to the world's mainstream software testing arena, MSTB is in the working group of 26 of the ISO/IEC JTC1/SC7 [working group of the international quality standard] that focuses on ISO/IEC 29119 International Software Testing standard that is currently under development."

"This would add further strength to our vision of making Malaysia a regional software testing centre, offering software testing as a service [TaaS]," Mastura said. "The number of testers in Malaysia has more than doubled from 90 to 240 since the MSTB was formally created prior to the inaugural Malaysian Software Testing Conference 2008."

“As there are 110,000 certified software testing professionals in the world, the journey is still in its infancy stage,” she said. “However, with continued support from the Malaysian government agencies such as MOSTI, and the quality standards body SIRIM, we are confident Malaysia can play a key role on the world stage.”

More certified software testers needed

2009-07-26T21:31:00.000+08:00

Source : The Star (24 July 2009)

PETALING JAYA: The country has made significant progress in the realm of certified software testers, said the Malaysian Software Testing Board (MSTB).

It said that the segment grew from having a mere 90 certified testers to 240 over the past one year. But more growth is needed.

“We have made good progress but considering that there are 110,000 certified testers worldwide, we have a long way to go before we can be considered as having a respectable software-testing services community,” said MSTB president Mastura Abu Samah.

A recent survey conducted by market researcher Ovum shows that the global computer software and systems testing services market is expected to grow from US$13bil (RM46bil) this year to US$56bil (RM201bil) by 2013.

“Given this, Malaysia must position itself to be competitive in this industry,” said Mastura.

“This is why it is so important to have international certification, but unfortunately many companies and businesses still do not see the benefits of getting their staff certified as testers.”

MSTB is working with Sirim Bhd — the national agency for industrial development —to establish a software-testing hub in Malaysia.

The initiative is supported by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, the Economic Planning Unit, and the Prime Minister’s Department.

MSTB is a non-profit organisation that offers certification in the International Software Testing Qualifications Board’s (ISTQB) certified tester foundation level (CTFL) programme.

It was created last year due to a shortage of certified software testers in Malaysia.

Malaysia on the way to enter software testing mainstream, says Malaysian Ministry

2009-07-23T11:38:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, 23 JULY 2009 - Malaysia is on the way to entering the mainstream of global software testing, according to the Malaysian ministry of science, technology & innovation (MOSTI).

Launching the Softec09 (Software Testing Conference), organised by the Malaysian Testing Board (MSTB), MOSTI deputy minister Tuan Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusoff, said: "Maintaining and spurring the growth of the economy has had its challenges, such as the global downturn and pandemic, and we have reinforced our plans to take advantage of the economic upturn."

"To help Malaysia move towards its goal of becoming developed by 2020, we looked at other countries such as India and Ireland. Among other things used by such countries were the use of (a) IT exporters (b) knowledge as a product and (c) knowledge as the tool used to drive the economy," said the deputy minister, who added that Malaysia as a regional testing centre was a desirable outcome.

The deputy minister said: "The global software testing market is estimated at US$13 billion according to analyst firm Gartner, and is expected to grow to US$56 billion by 2013, according to consulting firm Ovum."

MSTB is a non-profit body that represents and promotes the profession of software testing, and is a member of the USA-based ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board).

Malaysia: Testing as a Service (TaaS)

Malaysian Testing Board (MSTB) president Mastura Abu Samah said: "MSTB is the official representative of Malaysia to the world's mainstream software testing arena, MSTB is in the working group of 26 of the ISO/IEC JTC1/SC7 [working group of the international quality standard] that focuses on ISO/IEC 29119 International Software Testing standard that is currently under development."

"This would add further strength to our vision of making Malaysia a regional software testing centre, offering software testing as a service [TaaS]," Mastura said. "The number of testers in Malaysia has more than doubled from 90 to 240 since the MSTB was formally created prior to the inaugural Malaysian Software Testing Conference 2008."

“As there are 110,000 certified software testing professionals in the world, the journey is still in its infancy stage,” she said. “However, with continued support from the Malaysian government agencies such as MOSTI, and the quality standards body SIRIM, we are confident Malaysia can play a key role on the world stage.”

Software Testing Conference 2009 (Key Speakers)

2009-06-11T10:42:00.001+08:00

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Brochures & Catalogs

Software Testing Conference 2009

2009-05-21T11:10:00.002+08:00

Software Testing ROI (Part 1)

2009-05-18T15:37:00.005+08:00

The software testing industry has emerged as an integral phase in the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). However, there are still companies that still reluctant to invest in testing. Among other reasons is the stakeholders does not able to see or justify the cost savings.

Let us look at the cost of bug fixing. On average, in a quarterly release, it is estimated that 1000 “must fix” bugs will occur. During review, cost of finding defects is $1, during developer testing is $10 and through tester’s testing is $100 and a costly $1000 when found by customers. To simulate, below are the breakdowns on 3 different phases;

Developer Testing
Bugs Found = 250
Cost of Bug Fix = $10
Fix Cost = $2,500

* Developers test their own codes and fix the bugs found. Minimal cost.

Tester’s Testing
Bugs Found = 350
Cost of Bug Fix = $100
Fix Cost = $35,000

*Once tester found a bug, it has to be sent back to Developer for fixing, release to test and tester to re-test the fixes. It involves cyclic phase between Developer, Tester and perhaps Release/Environment Engineer.

Customer Support
Bugs Found = 400
Cost of Bug Fix = $1000
Fix Cost = $400,000

* Customer found a bug. It will go through a process of customer reporting the bug, tester to assess the bug and if found valid bug, it will go to developer for fixing and again the cyclic phases to deploy it back to production/live environment. A long/lengthy process and involves various parties.

Next, how would a company saves money by having a testing phase? Actually, there are 4 ways that you can look at it;

Finding bugs that get fixed or even preventing them

Finding bugs that don’t get fixed but are known

Running tests that mitigate risk

Guiding the project to success through timely, accurate credible information for project tracking.

Finding Bugs that Get Fixed

The main reason is that it is always cheaper to find and fix bugs before it is release to Production or Live environment. This concept is called Cost of Quality (CoQ).

CoQ = Cost of Conformance + Cost of Non-Conformance

Conformance Cost is cost that cover testing (finding bugs) and quality assurance (preventing bugs). Non-Conformance cost on the other hand includes the cost of fixing the bugs, the whole cyclic process that it needs to go through. This can also include the risk of loosing customers or the effort required to deal with the situation.

The ultimate question is “Can testing reduce CoQ?”. To answer this, let us look at the hypothetical case study. Let us assume that;

1000 to be found in a project (250 by Developer and 750 by Customer)

The cost of bug fixing as per what we have discussed earlier

Now, examine the breakdown cost below;

Part 2 of this article will show the Hypothetical Analysis of a company can reach up to 627% on Testing ROI.

Get A Handy Reference Book on Software Testing Today!

2009-05-14T16:13:00.003+08:00

You can now obtain a handy reference book on software testing. The MSC Malaysia CDP Software Testing’s Testing Book of Knowledge (T-BOK) is intended to help companies to adopt more structured processes in improving their software testing capabilities and product quality.

Click Here to get your copy FREE!

About MSC Malaysia CDP Software Testing T-BOK

1. What is MSC Malaysia CDP Software Testing’s T-BOK?

MSC Malaysia CDP Software Testing’s T-BOK is a high level reference handbook on software testing. It is an initiative by the CDP Software Testing under the MSC Malaysia Capability Development Programme (CDP) offered by Capability Development Department, Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC).

T-BOK encapsulates and summarizes the CDP Software Testing’s practices in the area of structured software testing, such as establishment and implementation of standards, guidelines and appropriate methodologies, e.g. CDP Software Testing Test Methodology Framework (TMF), CDP Software Testing Quality Management System (QMS) Framework, V-MODEL of Testing and CDP Software Testing Test Project Lifecycle.

2. What is the benefit of utilizing T-BOK in your Software Testing processes?

T-BOK provides a guideline for companies embarking on structured software testing which resulted in improvement of software quality. It also provides good initial reference to set up an effective software testing lab.

T-BOK provides a systematic technical foundation through structural method, such as establishment and implementation of standards, guidelines and appropriate methodologies, to achieve effective results in software projects.

3. Who will benefits from T-BOK?

T-BOK is aimed to benefit professionals involved in software testing. T-BOK can be used by ICT companies seeking to adopt a more structured approach in their software testing. Mainly, it is a reference for quality and test professionals, programmers, developers, specialists and project managers who are responsible for execution, planning and control of testing.

4. What kind of information is available in T-BOK?

T-BOK includes the definition of testing, the hierarchy of the testing organization, the benefits and the challenges of implementing effective software testing processes and the different stages of testing available.

Additionally, it also describes the CDP Software Testing Test Methodology Framework (TMF), CDP Software Testing Quality Management System (QMS) Framework, V-MODEL of Testing and CDP Software Testing Test Project Lifecycle. Furthermore, some background information on Configuration Management (CM) and Defect Management (DM) are also available.

SpiraTeam SpiraPlan SpiraTest v2.2 is OUT!

2009-05-14T15:56:00.003+08:00

Hi all,

Inflectra Corp has just release v2.2 last Friday. I have installed it on my local machine and was impressed with the new features. Four significant improvements;

Document Management (Finally! Everything is now in a single repository!)

Resource Tracking

Improvement Usability

Additional APIs for integrating with other systems

Try it out @ http://www.spirateam.net/

jMeter QuickStart Guide

2009-04-20T02:11:00.000+08:00

ISTQB CTAL Study Guide and Sample Questions

2009-04-16T10:45:00.007+08:00

Advanced Software Testing - Vol.1

Advanced Software Testing-Vol.1: Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Test Analyst. This book is written for the test analyst who wants to achieve advanced skills in test analysis, design, and execution. With a hands-on, exercise-rich approach, this book teaches you how to define and carry out the tasks required to put a test strategy into action. Learn how to analyze the system, taking into account the user’s quality expectations. Additionally, learn how to evaluate system requirements as part of formal and informal reviews, using an understanding of the business domain to determine requirement validity. You will be able to analyze, design, implement, and execute tests, using risk considerations to determine the appropriate effort and priority for tests. You will learn how to report on testing progress and provide necessary evidence to support your evaluations of system quality. Click Here!

Advanced Software Testing - Vol. 2

Advanced Software Testing - Vol. 2 Guide to the ISTQB Advanced Certification as an Advanced Test Manager. This book teaches test managers what they need to know to achieve advanced skills in test estimation, test planning, test monitoring, and test control. Readers will learn how to define the overall testing goals and strategies for the systems being tested. This hands-on, exercise-rich book provides experience with planning, scheduling, and tracking these tasks. You'll be able to describe and organize the necessary activities as well as learn to select, acquire, and assign adequate resources for testing tasks. Learn how to form, organize, and lead testing teams Master the organizing of communication among the members of the testing teams, and between the testing teams and all the other stakeholders. Additionally, you’ll learn how to justify decisions and provide adequate reporting information where applicable. Click Here!

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Testers

2009-04-15T11:30:00.005+08:00

Published in 1989, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, written by Stephen R. Covey has helped millions establish great habits for achieving true interdependent effectiveness in their life and their jobs. This article discusses the 7 habits, framing the habits for highly effective testers. Below are the 7 habits:

Be Proactive
Begin with the End in Mind
Put First Things First
Think Win/Win
Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood
Synergize
Sharpen the Saw

Habit 1 - Be Proactive

A tester's goal in any software project is to ensure that the software is delivered with high quality. When software projects fail due to poor quality, you can either be proactive or reactive when analyzing what caused it. If you are reactive, you will blame other people and circumstances for problems or obstacles. If you are proactive, you will take responsibility for the failure and find ways to correct it in future projects. Upon completion of every project, your team should do a 'post mortem' or 'retrospective' where you openly discuss things that were done successfully in the project and things that were done poorly. Below are some ideas for being proactive on future projects:

Be Responsible for Great Requirements - Don't blame others for poor requirements. Instead, work with the team to fully analyze the requirements to ensure they are complete, accurate and testable.

Analyze Traceability - Creating a traceability matrix of test cases for each requirement allows you to analyze the test cases for coverage, testability, and completeness. Proactively hold team meetings to review your test cases to ensure you have fully understood the requirement and have adequate test coverage. Post your test cases for the development team to review before coding begins, this will reduce rework and QA time.

Communicate Effectively - During testing, it is imperative that everyone knows the status of the testing effort. Communicate daily status via email or a discussion forum. Include metrics like defect counts, requirement coverage, number of test cases run, passed, failed, and awaiting run, etc.

Describe Defects Effectively - When creating defects, spend time creating a good defect description, steps to reproduce and expected results. Include screen shots and as much information as needed to fully reproduce the issue. This will reduce QA rework.

Habit 2 - Begin with the End in Mind

Your end goal for a software project should be to deliver high quality software that meets the needs of the client. Before coding begins, you should make a list of success criteria that you judge the project on. For example, your success criteria may be that the software produces specific results, has no known defects (or a small number of low severity defects), is well documented, is easy to use, etc. By defining the success criteria up front, you can objectively evaluate whether the project met the criteria or not. Solicit help from all team members (project managers, product managers, testers, automation engineers, developers, documentation specialists, etc.) when defining the success criteria. By getting a team perspective of the success criteria, you will have better and more measurable criteria and you will get much better buy-in from the team.

Habit 3 - Put First Things First

Prioritizing your work effort is critical. You must apply effort to the most important things first, followed by less important things. For example, everyone agrees that negative testing is important to ensure that software gracefully handles scenarios where the user tries things that are not normally done and it was not designed to do. But when stacked up against positive testing, negative testing is definitely less important. So begin your testing effort by testing the software to ensure it works as designed and test it vigorously for this. Once that effort has been completed, then perform your negative testing (testing bounds, invalid data entry, overflow, injection, etc.).

Habit 4 - Think Win/Win

In many organizations, development and testing teams play a blame game and create tension between the teams. This can be very disruptive and can greatly affect the quality of the software project and the user experience. The development and testing teams should have a common goal -- to ensure that the client receives the software with the highest of quality. If this is a unilateral goal of the team, it makes sense for all team members to provide help and encouragement to each other so that when the software is shipped with high quality and the client is happy, everyone on the team basks in the joy of a happy client. If you want to encourage an environment of trust, respect and foster an win/win team, here are a few tips:

Share Knowledge - Don't hold your knowledge to yourself, share it with others.
Socialize - Eat lunch with members in different roles in your company. Learn more about them, take a general interest in their hobbies and personal goals.
Encourage Others - Offer congratulations and compliments to team members that you see are doing a great job. Tell your (and their) manager how well you think they are doing. Tell them how much you appreciate their efforts.
Help Struggling Team Members - If you see team members struggling, jump in and offer to help. If you offer, follow through and ensure they get the help they need. You may need help in the future so offering help can foster a win/win relationship for you in the future.

Habit 5 - Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Many of us have a bad habit of blocking out a conversation and not listening because we so desperately want our opinion to be heard. Every tester and team member has a different experiences, different perspectives and motivations. Before you can solve any problem, it is important to first listen intently and diligently to fully understand the problem. Once you feel you have all the facts, solicit ideas for multiple solutions. Having several options can provide better discussions and allows team members to tweak initial solutions into solutions that are more far reaching and solve the problem in a more direct way. If you disagree with an approach, don't attack the person that offered the approach. Instead, explain based on your past experiences why you think there might be a better approach.

Habit 6 - Synergize

Team collaboration is the key to a synergized team. A synergized team is made up of divergent team members that have different strengths, different backgrounds and different perspectives. Encourage these differences but provide your team with tools that allow you maximize their effectiveness. Highly collaborative teams communicate with each other by sharing their calendars, posting their statuses into discussion forums so that everyone is aware of what the other is doing and accomplishing. These teams keep track of all tasks they work on each day, the number of hours worked, the number of hours remaining and variances to plan. They also share documents that illustrate best practices and produce white papers that teach others what they have learned.

Habit 7 - Sharpen the Saw

Productive testers see the need to continue honing their skills and love learning new techniques, best practices and approaches. They have a thirst for knowledge, reading every testing book they can get their hands on. They learn how to make their jobs easier -- by automating test cases and applying best practices that reduce QA time and increase software quality. They stay in touch with the testing community by visiting testing sites like Sticky Minds, QA Guild and others. They also know when to have fun. They recharge their batteries by taking great vacations and by having outside hobbies and activities.

Test Talk : Testing Return on Investment

2009-03-20T11:01:00.001+08:00

Mind The Gap : Call for papers!

2009-03-17T16:33:00.002+08:00

Comparison of Software Testing Certification

2009-03-17T14:21:00.001+08:00

Comparison of Software Testing Certification

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

SpiraTest Integration with Bugzilla & Quick Test Professional

2009-03-17T09:59:00.002+08:00

Hi guys,

I am currently working on some inititiaves to try out the SpiraTest Integration with Bugzilla & Quick Test Professional.

Stay tuned for more updates!