QA–QC Arena – Software Testing Home for beginners and experts

Testing Glossary – I

Software – Computer programs, procedures, and possibly associated documentation and data pertaining to the operation of a computer system.

Risk – A factor that could result in future negative consequences; usually expressed as impact and likelihood.

Error (Mistake) – A human action that produces an incorrect result.

Defects (Bugs, Fault) – A flaw in a component or system that can cause the component or system to fail to perform its required function.

Failure – Deviation of the component or system from its expected delivery, service or result.

Quality – The degree to which a component, system or process meets specified requirements and/or user/ customer needs and expectations.

Exhaustive Testing – A Test approach in which the test suite comprises all combination of input values and preconditions.

Testing– The process consisting of all life cycle activities; both static and dynamic, concerned with planning, preparation and evaluation of software products and related work products to determine that they satisfy specified requirements, to demonstrate that they are fit for purpose and to detect defects.

Code – Computer instructions and data definitions expressed in a programming language or in a form of output by an assembler, compiler, or other translator.

Test Basis – All documents from which the requirements of a component or system can be inferred. The documentation on which the test cases are based. If a document can be amended only by way of formal amendment procedure, then the test basis is called a frozen test basis.

Requirement – A condition or capability needed by a user to solve a problem or achieve an objective that must be met or possessed by a system or system component to satisfy a contract, standard, specification, or other formally imposed document.

Review – An evaluation of product or project status to ascertain discrepancies from planned results and to recommend improvements. E.g. – Management Review, Informal Review, Technical Review, Inspection, and Walkthrough.

Test Case – A set of input values, execution preconditions, expected results and execution post conditions, developed for a particular objective or test condition, such as to exercise a particular program path or to verify compliance with a specific requirement.

Test Objective – A reason or purpose for designing and executing a test.

Debugging – The process of finding, analyzing and removing the causes of failures in software.

Test Plan – A document describing a scope, approach, resources and schedule of intended test activities. It identifies, amongst others, test items, the features to be tested, the testing tasks, who will do each task, degree of tester independence, the test environment, the test design techniques and entry and exit criteria to be used and the rationale for their choice, and any risks requiring contingency planning. It is a record of the test planning process.