A People-Oriented
Guide to Mastering the Ten Biggest Challenges Software Testers Face
About the Book
Software testers require technical and political skills to survive what can
often be a lose-lose relationship with developers and managers.
Whether
testing is your specialty or your stepping stone to a career as a developer, there's
no better way to survive the pressures put on testers than to meet the ten challenges
described in this practical handbook.
This book goes beyond the technical
skills required for effective testing to address the political realities that
can't be solved by technical knowledge alone. Communication and negotiation skills
must be in every tester's tool kit.
Authors Perry and Rice compile a "top
ten" list of the challenges faced by testers and offer tactics for success.
They combine their years of experience in developing testing processes, writing
books and newsletters on testing, and teaching seminars on how to test.
The
challenges are addressed in light of the way testing fits into the context of
software development and how testers can maximize their relationships with managers,
developers, and customers.
In fact, anyone who works with software testers
should read this book for insight into the unique pressures put on this part of
the software development process.
"Somewhere between the agony of
rushed deadlines and the luxury of all the time in the world has got to be a reasonable
approach to testing."—from Chapter 8
The Top
Ten People Challenges Facing Testers
Challenge #10: Getting Trained in Testing
Challenge
#9: Building Relationships with Developers
Challenge #8: Testing Without
Tools
Challenge #7: Explaining Testing to Managers
Challenge #6: Communicating
with Customers—And Users
Challenge #5: Making Time for Testing
Challenge
#4: Testing What's Thrown Over the Wall
Challenge #3: Hitting a Moving Target
Challenge
#2: Fighting a Lose-Lose Situation
Challenge #1: Having to Say No
Reviews
"Everyone involved in the testing process
should read this book.
"This is an excellent book on responsbility
and communication."
"Testing is a field full of political land
mines. . . . When the authors quizzed hundreds of
testers, they found that their top 10 challenges
involved people rather than technology.
. . . The book is free of jargon and immensely readable
. . . equally accessible to testers, developers,
and project managers. You don't have to be a tester
to profit from its insights."
—Kathleen
Melymuka Computerworld
"The authors
discuss the state of the practice and how that impacts test for each of the top
10 challenges as they define them. They then discuss impediments to positive change
and guidelines for success. . . ."
—IEEE
Computer
"Describes how to deal with people
in the software testing world, covering communication and negotiation skills testers
need for maximizing relationships with managers, developers, and customers."
—SciTech
Book News
"I really liked the emphasis they put on people
issues. By the time you finish the book, you should have a good idea of where
you and your organization stand on testing, compared to what is both possible
and desirable. And, you'll have some good ideas on what you can do about it."
—Sue Petersen Visual Developer
" . . . common sense is often lacking
in the high-pressure electronics-test environment, and the chance to see it spelled
out can be inspiring. . . . this book is worth having on your shelf. It can help
initiate discussion among all the competing interests in the test environment."
—Rick
Nelson Test &Measurement World
"The
authors justify their choice [of the top ten] with a serious characterization
of these challenges and provide valuable guidance on how to survive them. . .
. The book should be read by all software managers and software project leaders
and software test managers. If testers happen to read it they should pass it on
to their managers afterwards."
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