As testers, we know that we can define many more test cases than we will ever have time to design, execute, and report. The key problem in testing is choosing from the almost infinite number of tests available a small, “smart” subset that will find a large percentage of the defects. Join Lee Copeland to discover how to design test cases using formal black-box techniques, including equivalence class testing, boundary value testing, decision tables, and state-transition diagrams. Explore examples of each of these techniques in action. Don’t just pick test cases at random. Learn to selectively choose a set of test cases that maximizes your effectiveness and efficiency to find more defects in less time. Then, examine how to use the test results to evaluate the quality of both your products and your testing. Discover the test design techniques that will make your testing more productive.
Lee Copeland
With more than thirty years of experience as an information systems professional at commercial and nonprofit organizations, Lee Copeland has held technical and managerial positions in applications development, software testing, and software process improvement. At Software Quality Engineering, Lee has developed and taught numerous training courses on software development and testing issues, and is a sought-after speaker at software conferences in the United States and abroad. He is the author of the popular reference book, A Practitioner’s Guide to Software Test Design.
Throughout history, people have built systems of dramatically increasing complexity. In simpler systems, defects at the micro level are mitigated by the macro level structure. In complex systems, failures at the micro level cannot be compensated for at a higher level, often with catastrophic results. Lee Copeland says that we are building hyper-complex computer systems—so complex that faults can create totally unpredictable behaviors. For example, systems based on the service-oriented architecture (SOA) model can be dynamically composed of reusable services of unknown quality, created by multiple organizations, and communicating through many technologies across the unpredictable Internet. Lee explains that claims about quality require knowledge of test “coverage,” which is an unknowable quantity in hyper-complex systems. Join Lee for a look at your testing future as he describes new approaches needed to measure test coverage in these hyper-complex systems and lead your organization to better quality—despite the challenges.
Throughout the years, Lightning Talks have been a popular part of the STAR conferences. If you’re not familiar with the concept, Lightning Talks consists of a series of five-minute talks by different speakers within one presentation period. Lightning Talks are the opportunity for speakers to deliver their single biggest bang-for-the-buck idea in a rapid-fire presentation. And now, lightning has struck the STAR keynotes. Some of the best-known experts in testing will step up to the podium and give you their best shot of lightning. Get multiple keynote presentations for the price of one—and have some fun at the same time.