Better Software Magazine Articles

Requirements When the Field Isn't Green

Most advice on requirements gathering is targeted for brand-new "green-field" projects. What about evolving projects? Here's a seven-point strategy for those of us working on maintenance, updates, and legacy documentation.

Karl E. Wiegers
Collaborate for Quality

Project teams are searching for ways to develop requirements that are as free from defects as possible. Here's how you can use collaborative workshops, along with walkthroughs and QA checklists, to develop high-quality requirements.

Ellen Gottesdiener's picture Ellen Gottesdiener
Testers and Developers Think Differently

Appreciating differences is critical for productive teams. Different approaches aid in finding solutions, and mutual respect dramatically improves group problem solving. Testers should not be judged according to developer criteria.

Bret Pettichord's picture Bret Pettichord
Automating Requirements Traceability

Developing software to meet users' specific needs can be a difficult task. Verification and validation activities can help ensure that you are building the right software right.

Bill Councill
Lessons in Test Automation

Elfriede Dustin has worked on many projects at various companies where automated testing tools were introduced to a test program lifecycle for the first time. In reviewing these projects, she has accumulated a list of "Automated Testing Lessons Learned," taken from actual experiences and test engineer feedback. In this article, she will share examples of this feedback, hoping that this information will help you avoid some typical false starts and roadblocks.

Elfriede Dustin's picture Elfriede Dustin
Testing in the Dark

How can you test software without knowing what it should do? Here is a step-by-step approach to overcoming undocumented requirements, including how to discover the requirements, how to define "quality" for the project, and how to create a test plan including release criteria.

Karl Wiegers Describes Ten Requirements Traps to Avoid

Recognized requirements expert, Karl Wiegers, shares the symptoms and solutions for common requirements-related project problems, including inadequate customer involvement, vague and ambiguous requirements, inadequate change process, and scope creep.

Karl E. Wiegers
On-Track Requirements: How to Evaluate Requirements for Testability

Prior to using the requirements to develop the Test Plan, an analysis should be performed to evaluate the testability of the requirements. This article suggests a proven method used on a recent project that accomplishes such an evaluation.

Rodger Drabick

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