What is software quality assurance (QA) testing? In a nutshell, it’s the process of finding problems in software. Why is it a big deal? Software is now in almost everything, and computers are everywhere – from homes to small businesses to large corporations and government institutions. The software also powers mission-critical applications like medical instruments, spacecraft, and nuclear power plants.
Although software is becoming somewhat easier for people to use, it continues to get more complex. The operating system Microsoft Windows has over 100 million lines of programming source code. So, finding these problems before the customer or computer user encounters them is not only important (from a business standpoint) but can also save someone’s life when used in a medical CAT scanner or an aircraft navigation system.
So why do this as a career? Some reasons for becoming a software QA testing professional are: You get to work on cool computer software systems – from small businesses to large corporations. It’s fun to find problems in software – challenging like a puzzle. Good career: high paying ($$$) and always in demand. Flexible – Can work either as an employee or a contractor/consultant.
What knowledge and skills are needed to get started? Really, all that’s needed to get started are basic computer skills: being comfortable with an operating system such as MS Windows or Mac OSX; understanding how to create, store, print, and manipulate files on the computer; and knowing what a browser, web addresses, and the Internet are.
There’s also a personality side to folks who make good software QA testers—detail-oriented, skeptical, and enjoying trying to find problems in software. You must be able to look at software and not only find what it should do but also what it should NOT do! For example, aircraft should not fly upside-down when they cross the equator (a true story from the early days of military aircraft).
Hospital medical scanners should not fry patients with X-rays (another true story from the old days). Even a seemingly minor issue like a round-off error on a bank account software system can cost millions (another true story). But suppose you have basic computer skills, a personality for finding problems, and a desire to learn and advance your career. In that case, you can succeed as a professional software QA tester.
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So, what’s the difference between testing and QA? Read on…
Testing
Testing involves finding problems (or defects, as they are called) in the software itself. Typically, you write a test plan document describing the testing processes, activities, approach, resources, schedule, and overall plan used during the testing process. Then, a document is developed that represents the actual tests (test cases) that will be run – sometimes hundreds or even thousands of tests. Then, you perform the testing by executing the tests you and others have developed, reporting any defects (or bugs as they are called in the industry), and submitting status reports describing your progress.
QA (Quality Assurance)
Finding and reporting defects is the main activity, but not the only activity. Many activities and processes can get high-quality software products out the door in a real software organization. This “life-cycle” of software includes:
