Perfect Software And Other Illusions About Testing
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Product Description
Product Description
Everyone has a role to play in software testing -- even people outside a project team. Testers, developers, managers, customers, and users shape the process and results of testing, often unwittingly. Rather than continue to generate stacks of documents and fuel animosity, testers can cultivate rich opportunities and relationships by integrating an effective testing mentality into any process.
Gerald Weinberg, author of The Psychology of Computer Programming and more than forty nonfiction books, sets out to disprove destructive notions about testing and testers in Perfect Software: And Other Illusions About Testing. With a blend of wit, storytelling, and jaw-dropping insight that has won him fans around the world, Weinberg deftly separates what is expected, significant, and possible in software testing. He destroys fallacies and steers readers clear of common mistakes.
We test because people are not perfect, and simply testing "more" does not guarantee better quality. This book guides test strategy development that's scalable for any project.
Topics include:
* Why Not Just Test Everything?
* Information Immunity
* What Makes a Test "Good"?
* Major Fallacies About Testing
* Determining Significance
* Testing Without Machinery
* and much more
Gerald Weinberg, author of The Psychology of Computer Programming and more than forty nonfiction books, sets out to disprove destructive notions about testing and testers in Perfect Software: And Other Illusions About Testing. With a blend of wit, storytelling, and jaw-dropping insight that has won him fans around the world, Weinberg deftly separates what is expected, significant, and possible in software testing. He destroys fallacies and steers readers clear of common mistakes.
We test because people are not perfect, and simply testing "more" does not guarantee better quality. This book guides test strategy development that's scalable for any project.
Topics include:
* Why Not Just Test Everything?
* Information Immunity
* What Makes a Test "Good"?
* Major Fallacies About Testing
* Determining Significance
* Testing Without Machinery
* and much more
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I liked this book from the point of view that it carries the message that you have to test software from early in the process and test often. It seems to have been written more with the larger development corporation in mind where they have separate departments for design, development and testing which probably covers the Microsoft, IBM and Oracle's of the industry. However, there was also plenty of pertinent content for the smaller developer, even the one-man band, to consider.
Chapter 8 in particular managed to pose the question all software engineers should ask themselves, whatever phase of the design they deal with, and certainly makes one think back to code one has written to question whether or not your own efforts were adequate. It seems in many cases these days there is still inadequate consideration of ensuring the best possible quality of output.
So, is there such a thing as "Perfect Software"? Well, following the underlying message in this book, in Gerald's other collaboration, "The Handbook of Walkthroughs, Inspections, and Technical Reviews", and applying a little more forethought to ones development process you can step a lot closer to achieving that aim.
Chapter 8 in particular managed to pose the question all software engineers should ask themselves, whatever phase of the design they deal with, and certainly makes one think back to code one has written to question whether or not your own efforts were adequate. It seems in many cases these days there is still inadequate consideration of ensuring the best possible quality of output.
So, is there such a thing as "Perfect Software"? Well, following the underlying message in this book, in Gerald's other collaboration, "The Handbook of Walkthroughs, Inspections, and Technical Reviews", and applying a little more forethought to ones development process you can step a lot closer to achieving that aim.
Format:Paperback
With out a doubt a must have on your desk for explaining misunderstood software testing and development issues to your colleagues. I have found myself on a regular basis reaching for the book when I'm struggling to convey a point to colleagues.
I regularly found myself laughing at how the situations I seem to encounter on a daily basis are played out almost word for word in this text.
The book is neatly organised into sections that are useful and helpful in their own right. The section summary at the end is a great synopsis and worth putting to memory.
Gerry Weinberg yet again hits the nail completely on the head.
I regularly found myself laughing at how the situations I seem to encounter on a daily basis are played out almost word for word in this text.
The book is neatly organised into sections that are useful and helpful in their own right. The section summary at the end is a great synopsis and worth putting to memory.
Gerry Weinberg yet again hits the nail completely on the head.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
13 reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Excellent - for the right audience
12 May 2009
Format:Paperback
If you've been in testing long, you've probably heard the standard impossible questions:
"Why didn't you find that?"
"Why would we hire a human to test when we can automate our testing?"
"This NEEDS TO WORK. And we need it next week. Period"
If you drank the deep draught of testing, if you've struggled with it, wrestled with it, and gotten good at it, I have only one thing to say:
This probably ain't the book for you.
This book is for the people who are asking you the impossible questions.
Seriously. This is a nice evening read and will provide an executive, manger, or developer with enough information about testing to (A) understand some of the challenges of the role, (B) set appropriate expectations, and (C) communicate those expectations clearly.
In other words, it can be the difference between a sane life and an insane one - if only you can get the right people to read it.
Now, the style of the book is plain prose and folsky story - it's the kind of thing you can read in an comfortable evening, or perhaps, two. It doesn't have fancy metrics and graphs, but we all know what Mark Twain said about that.
So if you are a seasoned tester, this book might not be for you - it's for your boss, your bosses boss, the customer, the CEO, and The New Guy. I wanted to get my management team the book as a Christmas present, but somehow all those folks had read it before Christmas ... I suspect a co-worker.
Absolutely great for it's niche. Top Flight. Buy two copies to give away today!
"Why didn't you find that?"
"Why would we hire a human to test when we can automate our testing?"
"This NEEDS TO WORK. And we need it next week. Period"
If you drank the deep draught of testing, if you've struggled with it, wrestled with it, and gotten good at it, I have only one thing to say:
This probably ain't the book for you.
This book is for the people who are asking you the impossible questions.
Seriously. This is a nice evening read and will provide an executive, manger, or developer with enough information about testing to (A) understand some of the challenges of the role, (B) set appropriate expectations, and (C) communicate those expectations clearly.
In other words, it can be the difference between a sane life and an insane one - if only you can get the right people to read it.
Now, the style of the book is plain prose and folsky story - it's the kind of thing you can read in an comfortable evening, or perhaps, two. It doesn't have fancy metrics and graphs, but we all know what Mark Twain said about that.
So if you are a seasoned tester, this book might not be for you - it's for your boss, your bosses boss, the customer, the CEO, and The New Guy. I wanted to get my management team the book as a Christmas present, but somehow all those folks had read it before Christmas ... I suspect a co-worker.
Absolutely great for it's niche. Top Flight. Buy two copies to give away today!
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Useful book
14 Oct 2008
Format:Paperback
A really useful book. Testing is the most misunderstood of software related activities. Even by software development professionals.
The book explains what we can expect from testing, what are the main challenges, and what is wrong with common practices and attitudes.
Short, well written (as always with Gerald Weinberg's books), easy to read, without technical details, this book is a good introduction to the realities of software testing, for every stakeholder of software projects and of software products.
The book explains what we can expect from testing, what are the main challenges, and what is wrong with common practices and attitudes.
Short, well written (as always with Gerald Weinberg's books), easy to read, without technical details, this book is a good introduction to the realities of software testing, for every stakeholder of software projects and of software products.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Things to consider
12 Mar 2009
Format:Paperback
I know Jerry Weinberg. I like him, treasure his advice, and have read and liked many of his books. This is another of his books that I like.
Jerry writes around testing software. I say "around" instead of "about" because this book isn't about the technical aspects of testing software. I find it to be about the personal and thoughtful aspects of testing software. More importantly, it is about information - communicating, considering, and applying information.
This all starts with Jerry's definition of Testing a System:
a process of gathering information about it with the intent that the information could be used for some purpose.
Aha! Gathering information that we can use. I agree. I have often pleaded with people on projects to understand this about testing.
I don't know how often I have heard screams of, "The test failed! The test failed!"
No, the test didn't fail. We learned something from the test, so it was a success. Perhaps you were disappointed by what you learned from the test, but the test didn't fail.
This is why I love Weinberg's book about testing. Its contents will last beyond the current and next three generations of test tools and techniques. It cuts to the heart of testing in a timeless manner.
Simple, right? Wrong. The second half of the testing definition is about using the information, and people use the information. Now we come to a huge hurdle. "Information is power." Some people crave information, and many people fear it, even to the point of hiding it or lying about it.
Weinberg discusses the fear at length, how to spot the fear, and how to work with the people who are afraid.
Yes, I recommend this book. I can give it to a manager at any level and trust that if they read it, they have the potential to be a much better manager. I can give the book to just about anyone - especially people who have nothing to do with software or testing software. It contains much about how people gather, communicate, consider, and use information.
Jerry writes around testing software. I say "around" instead of "about" because this book isn't about the technical aspects of testing software. I find it to be about the personal and thoughtful aspects of testing software. More importantly, it is about information - communicating, considering, and applying information.
This all starts with Jerry's definition of Testing a System:
a process of gathering information about it with the intent that the information could be used for some purpose.
Aha! Gathering information that we can use. I agree. I have often pleaded with people on projects to understand this about testing.
I don't know how often I have heard screams of, "The test failed! The test failed!"
No, the test didn't fail. We learned something from the test, so it was a success. Perhaps you were disappointed by what you learned from the test, but the test didn't fail.
This is why I love Weinberg's book about testing. Its contents will last beyond the current and next three generations of test tools and techniques. It cuts to the heart of testing in a timeless manner.
Simple, right? Wrong. The second half of the testing definition is about using the information, and people use the information. Now we come to a huge hurdle. "Information is power." Some people crave information, and many people fear it, even to the point of hiding it or lying about it.
Weinberg discusses the fear at length, how to spot the fear, and how to work with the people who are afraid.
Yes, I recommend this book. I can give it to a manager at any level and trust that if they read it, they have the potential to be a much better manager. I can give the book to just about anyone - especially people who have nothing to do with software or testing software. It contains much about how people gather, communicate, consider, and use information.
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