Software Best Practice

I SPI, ESSI, EUREX.- 1 Software Process Improvement.- 1.1 Introduction.- 1.2 Objectives-Scope of the Initiative.- 1.3 Strategy.- 1.4 Target Audience.- 1.5 Dimensions of Software Best Practice.- 1.6 European Dimension.- 1.7 Types of Projects.- 1.7.1 Stand Alone Assessments.- 1.7.2 Process Improvement Experiments (PIEs).- 1.7.3 Application Experiments.- 1.7.4 Dissemination Actions.- 1.7.5 Experience/User Networks.- 1.7.6 Training Actions.- 1.7.7 ESSI PIE Nodes (ESPINODEs).- 1.7.8 Software Best Practice Networks (ESBNETs).- 2 The EUREX Project.- 2.1 Target Audience and Motivation.- 2.2 Objectives and Approach.- 2.3 Partners.- 2.4 Related Dissemination and Training Actions.- 2.4.1 Software Improvement Case Studies Initiative (SISSI).- 2.4.2 ESPITI.- 3 The EUREX Taxonomy.- 3.1 Analysis and Assessment of PIEs.- 3.2 Classification into Problem Domains.- 3.2.1 First Regional Classification.- 3.2.2 Result of First Regional Classification.- 3.2.3 Consolidation and Iteration.- 3.2.4 Update of Regional Classification.- 3.2.5 Mapping of Attributes.- 3.2.6 Review of Classification and Mapping into Subject Domains.- 3.2.7 Subject Domains Chosen.- 3.2.8 Unclassified PIEs.- 3.3 Testing, Verification, and Quality Management.- II Testing, Verification, and Quality Management.- 4 Perspectives.- 4.1 Introduction to the Subject Domain.- 4.2 Software Verification & Validation Introduced.- 4.2.1 Verification & Validation with Respect to the Product Development Process.- 4.2.2 The Main Weaknesses of the Testing Process.- 4.2.3 An Improved Process Model.- 4.2.4 How to Improve: the Road to Process Improvement.- 4.2.5 Cost/Benefit Analysis.- 4.3 Testware.- 4.3.1 A Testing Definition.- 4.3.2 Customer Needs.- 4.3.3 Types of Testing.- 4.3.4 Debugging.- 4.3.5 Other Techniques.- 4.3.6 Tools.- 4.3.7 Testware.- 4.3.8 Benefits and Limits.- 4.3.9 References.- 4.4 Classic Testing Mistakes.- 4.4.1 Theme One: The Role of Testing.- 4.4.2 Theme Two: Planning the Testing Effort.- 4.4.3 Theme Three: Personnel Issues.- 4.4.4 Theme Four: The Tester at Work.- 4.4.5 Theme Five: Technology Run Rampant.- 4.4.6 Acknowledgements.- 4.4.7 References.- 5 Resources for Practitioners.- 5.1 Methods and Tools.- 5.2 Books.- 5.2.1 Introductory Reference Books on Software Quality.- 5.2.2 Classics on Testing.- 5.2.3 Key Books on Testing.- 5.2.4 Key Books on Inspections.- 5.3 Organisations.- 5.4 Important Conferences.- 5.5 Web Sites.- 6 Experience Reports.- 6.1 PI3 Project Summary.- 6.1.1 Participants.- 6.1.2 Business Motivation and Objectives.- 6.1.3 The Experiment.- 6.1.4 Impact and Experience.- 6.1.5 References.- 6.2 PROVE Project Summary.- 6.2.1 Participants.- 6.2.2 Business Motivation and Objectives.- 6.2.3 The Experiment.- 6.2.4 Impact and Experience.- 6.3 TRUST Project Summary.- 6.3.1 Participants.- 6.3.2 Business Motivation and Objectives.- 6.3.3 The Experiment.- 6.3.4 Impact and Experience.- 6.4 FCI-STDE Project Summary.- 6.4.1 Participants.- 6.4.2 Business Motivation and Objectives.- 6.4.3 The Experiment.- 6.4.4 Impact and Experience.- 6.5 TESTLIB Project Summary.- 6.5.1 Participants.- 6.5.2 Business Motivation and Objectives.- 6.5.3 The Experiment.- 6.5.4 Impact and Experience.- 6.6 ATECON Project Summary.- 6.6.1 Participants.- 6.6.2 Business Motivation and Objectives.- 6.6.3 The Experiment.- 6.6.4 Impact and Experience.- 6.7 GUI-Test Project Summary.- 6.7.1 Participants.- 6.7.2 Business Motivation and Objectives.- 6.7.3 The Experiment.- 6.7.4 Impact and Experience.- 7 Lessons from the EUREX Workshops.- 7.1 Second Italian Workshop.- 7.1.1 Introduction.- 7.1.2 The Workshop Experts.- 7.1.3 Testing Web-based Applications.- 7.1.4 Workshop Conclusions.- 7.1.5 Workshop Discussions.- 7.2 Third Spanish Workshop.- 7.2.1 Introduction.- 7.2.2 Expert Presentation.- 7.2.3 Workshop Discussion and Conclusions.- 7.3 Pilot German Workshop.- 7.3.1 Introduction.- 7.3.2 Expert Presentation.- 7.3.3 Workshop Discussion and Conclusions.- 7.4 Lessons Learned from the Workshops.- 7.4.1 People Issues.- 7.4.2 Business Issues.- 7.4.3 Technical Issues.- 7.4.4 Final Conclusions.- 8 Significant Results.- 8.1 Barriers Preventing Change of Practices.- 8.1.1 Ignorance of the Software Product Quality Methods.- 8.1.2 Uncertainty about the Return on Investment and Fear of Raising Development Costs to an Unacceptable Level.- 8.1.3 Still Not Enough Pressure on Software Producers to Increase Quality Standards.- 8.2 Best Practices Recommended by Experts.- 8.2.1 Investing in the Acquisition of New Skills.- 8.2.2 Formalising the Verification Process and Integrating it with the Development Process.- 8.2.3 Investing Carefully but Inevitably in Automation.- 8.2.4 Measuring Results and Return on Investment.- 8.3 Revisiting the Classic Testing Mistakes.- 8.3.1 Mistakes in the Role of Testing.- 8.3.2 Mistakes in Planning the Complete Testing Effort.- 8.3.3 Mistakes in Personnel Issues.- 8.3.4 Mistakes in the Tester-at-Work.- 8.3.5 Mistakes in Test Automation.- 8.3.6 Mistakes in Code Coverage.- 8.4 The EUREX Process.- III Process Improvement Experiments.- 9 Table of PIEs.- 10 Summaries of PIE Reports.- 10.1 ACIQIM 21757.- 10.2 AERIDS 10965.- 10.3 ALCAST 10146.- 10.4 AMIGO 21222.- 10.5 ARETES 24148.- 10.6 ASTEP 23860.- 10.7 ASTERIX 23951.- 10.8 ATECON 10464.- 10.9 ATM 21823.- 10.10 ATOS 21530.- 10.11 AUTOMA 10564.- 10.12 AUTOQUAL 24143.- 10.13 AVAL 21362.- 10.14 AVE 21682.- 10.15 BEPTAM 21284.- 10.16 CALM 21826.- 10.17 CITRATE 23671.- 10.18 CLEANAP 21465.- 10.19 CLISERT 24206.- 10.20 CONFITEST 24362.- 10.21 DATM-RV 21265.- 10.22 DOCTES 21306.- 10.23 EMINTP 21302.- 10.24 ENG-MEAS 21162.- 10.25 EXOTEST 24266.- 10.26 FCI-STDE 24157.- 10.27 FI-TOOLS 21367.- 10.28 GRIPS 23887.- 10.29 GUI-TEST 24306.- 10.30 IDEA 23833.- 10.31 IMPACTS2 24078.- 10.32 INCOME 21733.- 10.33 MAGICIAN 23690.- 10.34 METEOR 21224.- 10.35 MIST 10228.- 10.36 ODP 10788.- 10.37 OMP/CAST 24053.- 10.38 PCFM 23743.- 10.39 PET 10438.- 10.40 PI3 21199.- 10.41 PIE-TEST 24344.- 10.42 PREV-DEV 23705.- 10.43 PROVE 21417.- 10.44 QUALITAS 23834.- 10.45 RESTATE 23978.- 10.46 SDI-WAN 10494.- 10.47 SIMTEST 10824.- 10.48 SMUIT 21612.- 10.49 SPIDER 21394.- 10.50 SPI 23750.- 10.51 SPIRIT 21799.- 10.52 STOMP 24193.- 10.53 STUT-IU 21160.- 10.54 SWAT 23855.- 10.55 TEPRIM 21385.- 10.56 TESTART 23683.- 10.57 TESTING 21170.- 10.58 TESTLIB 21216.- 10.59 TRUST 23754.- 10.60 USST 23843.- 10.61 VERA 23732.- 10.62 VERDEST 21712.- 10.63 VISTA 24153.- 10.64 STAR 27378.