Сomponents That Necessarily Undergo Testing

Here are high-level lists of components that you intend to test. In this article, we will know about some of them:

• Release / version identifier of the software under test.
• Fixes for defects detected in the previous version. If the list of defects is given in the functional specification, you must provide a reference to the functional specifications and not duplicate them here.
• A description of the environment used to distribute a software product (for example, CDs, Web or ftp-sites).
• Documents for the end user, such as user’s manual, installation instructions, notes on the product version.

Pay attention to the fact that this list is nothing more than the input data for the testing being performed. All these materials must be received in a timely manner so as not to break the testing schedule, therefore they are marked as dependencies in the plan. It is necessary to have complete clarity with respect to what is being tested, so that nothing can escape the attention. For example, there is a bad habit to “forget” to test user documentation until the last minute. Trying to “treat” such forgetfulness at the end of project development, it is easy to disrupt the schedule of work and, even worse, to deliver the product with defects and errors.

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Properties and features that must be tested. The IEEE-829 Standard offers the following definition of a software feature: it is a distinctive feature of a software component, for example, performance, functionality or portability.

This is a very general definition, because it should cover a large number of concepts. Perhaps it makes sense to give definitions of features in business terms. Let us consider the feature as something that can be sold to the customer. For example, if the application works slower than the customer needs, then an increment in the performance of its most commonly used functions can be regarded as a property. A more advanced new way of accelerating data entry or database query processing can also be conveyed as a property.

The key point for test specialists is that if something was promised to the customer, it should be documented in the test plan in order to be tested prior to the delivery of the product to the customer. The main source to find out what was promised to the customer is the requirements definition document for a project.