Better Software Magazine Articles

When in Doubt, Reframe

One often overlooked testing skill is understanding what our clients are saying--in addition to the words that actually come out of their mouths. Sometimes reframing a seemingly irrational response can lead to a higher level of communication and a more productive relationship.

Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
Rising Above the 7 Percent Rule

Afraid of what you're missing by testing only 7 percent of your code? Forget your formal code inspections; Jason Cohen enlightens us on the merits of bringing lightweight code inspection to your organization.

Jason Cohen
The Right Stuff: Four Small Steps for Testers One Giant Leap for Risk Mitigation

In the countdown to a product release, leaving load testing for last is a risky maneuver. In this month's cover story, Rex Black and Barton Layne present a case study of a project on which they adhered to a four-step strategy. By following these four steps, they were able to alleviate those nasty, end-of-project performance surprises.

Barton Layne Rex Black
The Magic 8 Ball of Testing

Have you ever wished for a tool to help you define and refine requirements and make your programs more testable? OClear could be the tool you've been waiting for.

Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
The Death Spiral

Users don't have to be doomed to the nightmare of software fraught with defects that should have been fixed before release. Time spent testing now can save you from the Death Spiral later. Remember: If you don't have time to do it right, how will you have time to do it over . . . and over . . . and over?

Linda Hayes's picture Linda Hayes
There's Nothing Like the Real Thing

Ever wondered why one team's automated tests pass but your tests of the same software fail? Jonathan Kohl has an explanation. Perhaps we should all take a page from Marvin Gaye's songbook and test our project ideals in real-world environments. After all, "there ain't nothin' like the real thing."

Jonathan Kohl's picture Jonathan Kohl
The Ins and Outs of Integration Testing

Software integration is never an easy task, and a good integration testing process is the key to success. This introduction to integration testing will help you identify what to test, typical faults to look out for, and effective means to uncover these faults.

Hans Schaefer
The Proof of the Pudding . . .

In this month's Test Connection Michael Bolton recounts a valuable lesson he learned early in his testing career: What's the best way to test a product? Use it yourself.

Michael Bolton's picture Michael Bolton
A Box of a Different Color

Are there elements of glass box testing and black box testing that overlap and can be helpful to either type of tester? One developer looks at the gray area between black box testers and glass box testers and comes up with some surprising results.

Matthew Heusser's picture Matthew Heusser
Big, Complex, and Tested? Just Say "When": Software Development Using Presenter First

Looking to bridge the gap between code and customers? David Crosby and Carl Erickson elaborate on the benefits of an approach called Presenter First, a simple technique that can be repeated as many times as needed to get the job done.

David Crosby

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