Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• What are the types of requirements in software engineering?

  Requirements fall into three categories: business, user and software. See examples of each one, as well as what constitutes functional and nonfunctional software requirements.  Continue Reading

• How to write a business requirements document in Agile

  An Agile software team shouldn't rely on rigid processes or a control board to get the job done, but it still needs to make business requirements a central focus. Enter the BRD.  Continue Reading

• How ALM differs from SDLC

  ALM and SDLC both cover much of the same ground, such as development, testing and deployment. Where these lifecycle concepts differ is the scope of what they include.  Continue Reading

• Top 3 application performance testing objectives and goals

  Let's explore the importance of result analysis, the right measurements and test design for application performance testing.  Continue Reading

• How to elicit performance requirements

  Eliciting performance requirements from business end users necessitates a clearly defined scope and the right set of questions. Expert Mary Gorman explains how to effectively gather information.  Continue Reading

• Why is unit testing important for developers?

  Through unit testing, software developers know source code works at the atomic level. Read why unit testing is important and valuable, as well as how it can ease the debugging process.  Continue Reading

• Regression testing vs. UAT: Goals and techniques

  Regression tests and UAT ensure software quality and both require a sizeable investment. Learn when and how to perform each one, and some tips to get the most out of your effort.  Continue Reading

• Functional vs. nonfunctional requirements in software engineering

  Learn the meaning of functional vs. nonfunctional requirements in software engineering, with helpful examples. Then, see how to write both and build a product that users will love.  Continue Reading

• Software performance testing requirements and prerequisites

  Just because software passes functional tests doesn't mean it works. Dig into stress, load, endurance and other performance tests, and their prerequisites and requirements.  Continue Reading

• Improve ROI in software testing with adaptability, automation

  QA needs to reiterate its value to the business side of the organization. Use this tried-and-true advice to leverage documentation and automation to make everyone happy.  Continue Reading

• Know when to choose automated vs. manual testing

  Vendors have inched toward automated application testing for a long time, yet there is still room for growth. Software tester Amy Reichert offers her insights.  Continue Reading

• Can we fully automate our software testing?

  Your boss has jumped on the bandwagon to automate software testing. Don't despair. Software testing expert Matt Heusser walks through what to say -- and do -- to keep everyone happy.  Continue Reading

• What is the difference between SIT and UAT?

  User acceptance testing and system integration testing differ in one key way: the person who does the testing. Learn when to apply UAT vs. SIT.  Continue Reading

• What goes into a user story vs. use case for Agile development?

  Developers refer to software requirements to code a good product, but there are different ways to categorize user needs. What's the difference between a user story vs. a use case?  Continue Reading

• What's the difference between API and web services testing?

  Web services and APIs aren't the same -- or are they? How do web services and API testing differ, and what does each type of test aim to achieve?  Continue Reading

• What are some bad coding practices to avoid?

  Application development projects aren't meeting expectations, and developers are not sure why. What are some common bad coding practices that developers follow but should avoid?  Continue Reading

• Which programming practices alleviate code redundancy?

  WET code leaves apps bogged down. Learn how to reduce the challenges brought on by code redundancy by programming based on the DRY principle.  Continue Reading

• What coding standards in software engineering should we follow?

  Every team has its own ideas about coding practices. What types of code standards should our team embrace to produce quality work as we develop applications?  Continue Reading

• How do I foster reusable code across dev projects?

  Developers don't have a lot of free time. Code reuse helps dev teams focus on the most valuable aspects of a project. So ensure your team knows how to write, and test, reusable code.  Continue Reading

• How to meet QA responsibilities during a software tester shortage

  An organization facing a dire shortage of QA engineers can't just dump these tasks on developers. Here's how to keep up software quality with limited QA resources.  Continue Reading

• How do I know what's test automation vs. automated testing?

  A script-based tool has replaced a daily testing exercise on some code. Is it simply an automated test, part of a test automation strategy or even DevOps-enabled continuous testing?  Continue Reading

• Quality assurance testing vs. user acceptance testing

  There are differences between QA and UAT, but testers from both sides ought to collaborate and firm up test plans to resolve issues.  Continue Reading

• Which code quality metrics should devs track?

  Developers and testers strive to create quality, reusable code to deploy apps faster and keeps users happy. But what metrics should they track to evaluate code quality?  Continue Reading

• How can I course-correct my testing career path?

  Don't get stuck in QA monotony. Show your technical knowhow and expand your horizons to boost your career -- even if it means throwing out the map.  Continue Reading

• What makes for a quiet developer work environment on the road?

  Developers run into distractions when they work out of a hotel or Airbnb. Here's how to fight back against subpar accommodations that halt productivity -- and how to avoid them next time.  Continue Reading

• What are the top software testing methodologies?

  Whether you want to discover new software testing methodologies or rejuvenate test cases, QA is all about efficiency. Evaluate these testing techniques and strategies to meet QA goals.  Continue Reading

• How do I find my career path in software testing?

  I've been a tester for many years and want to progress professionally. Yet, I'm struggling to find chances for advancement and a career path in software testing. Any pointers?  Continue Reading

• How can learning scripting languages help junior testers?

  As a junior tester, I think learning scripting languages could make me more valuable to my team and enhance my career. But how do I pick the scripting language to learn?  Continue Reading

• How can I attend software testing conferences?

  You want to attend a software testing conference, but your employer said it's too expensive. Here are some ways to improve your chances to attend.  Continue Reading

• Automated security testing frees devs to prevent breaches

  Common software security mistakes include testing at the last minute and not testing open source code and VMs. Expert Matt Heusser suggests ways to avoid these and other missteps.  Continue Reading

• What are the QA risks in automated software release management?

  Beware the QA threats of software release management automation, warns Brian Kirsch. Application release automation enables fast deployment, but be sure to catch bugs first.  Continue Reading

• How is startup culture different from a proven company?

  Expert Gerie Owen discusses the differences between a startup culture and an established company's work environment. Learn more about which would work best for you.  Continue Reading

• Is a software test schedule at the development team's mercy?

  Does the development team determine the software test schedule? Find out why working with DevOps can alleviate some time and test constraints.  Continue Reading

• What skills do Agile testers need?

  The Agile team collaborates closely and makes a lot of changes. What does the ideal Agile tester possess in technical and people skills?  Continue Reading

• What is the best way to load test mobile applications?

  Mobile apps create a challenge for testers; no approach can cover every device. However, there are best practices for load testing mobile applications.  Continue Reading

• What does it mean to test APIs?

  Expert Gerie Owen explains what it means to test APIs and why it is important to ensure that applications are working at peak performance level.  Continue Reading

• How do I understand runtime environments?

  Whether it's C, Java or Adobe, it's important to understand the differences among runtime environments. Expert Stephen J. Bigelow outlines the various choices.  Continue Reading

• What are the pros and cons of contract QA jobs?

  Contract QA jobs can pay more than staff positions, but only if you're a good negotiator. Expert Amy Reichert helps explain the differences between staff QA and contractors.  Continue Reading

• Should the QA process always include the business side?

  Quality assurance professionals need to start thinking about bringing business along for the ride. Expert Amy Reichert offers tried-and-true advice to get started.  Continue Reading

• Struggling with testing? Here's how to get lean QA started

  Trying to identify bottlenecks in the software testing process can be challenging, but starting a lean QA effort can help. Expert Amy Reichert explains.  Continue Reading

• What happens when acceptance criteria in software testing is missing?

  You can't test something if you don't know what it's supposed to do. Often, testers have a very incomplete understanding of what they're testing. Here's how to fix the problem.  Continue Reading

• How do I know if my busy QA professionals are actually engaged?

  A busy tester seems like a happy tester, but expert Amy Reichert warns that appearances can be deceiving. Here's why you need to be sure your testers are really paying attention.  Continue Reading

• What is the DevOps role for operations people?

  In a DevOps world, it can be hard to know where Dev ends and Ops starts. Expert Tim Western explains what the various DevOps roles can and should be.  Continue Reading

• Do you have to choose between smoke and regression tests?

  Software testing options abound. In the battle of smoke versus regression tests, which scenario fits best? Expert Amy Reichert explains how and when to use both for the best results.  Continue Reading

• Can time management improve productivity of QA testers?

  Despite what you might think, time management is possible. Expert Amy Reichert explains how QA testers can stop procrastinating and take charge of their lives.  Continue Reading

• Product owners don't have time to write Agile user stories? You write them.

  If the product owner won't or can't write the vital Agile user stories, expert Ben Linders explains how to take on this project yourself.  Continue Reading

• What is collaboration and why is it important to Agile methodologies?

  Agile methodologies stress the benefits of collaboration, working with cross-functional teams to encourage communication between business owners and IT.  Continue Reading

• The good and the bad of online discussion forums

  What is the value of online discussion forums? This expert sees the good and the bad in online forums.  Continue Reading

• Define project scope in terms of time, money and quality

  We all want our projects to be on budget, on time and of high quality, but not necessarily in that order. What is your advice for balancing these needs?  Continue Reading

• Does a tester actually need test cases?

  Discover whether or not test cases are necessary in this expert answer by consultant Robin Goldsmith.  Continue Reading

• Test software with persona-based requirements

  Do persona-based requirements make it easier to test software? Learn if there are tools designed to make testing software easier.  Continue Reading

• How QA testers participate in the requirements definition process

  Learn how QA testers should participate in the requirements definition process in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• How do requirements relate to acceptance criteria?

  Requirements and acceptance criteria often seem to be essentially the same thing, but that's not quite true.  Continue Reading

• Is Agile requirement gathering that different from waterfall?

  Does moving to Agile development eliminate up-front requirements gathering? Does it mean the development team takes responsibility for requirements instead of the business side?  Continue Reading

• How to resolve team conflict

  Arguing team members can derail a project. Project managers can help resolve the issue by finding its root cause.  Continue Reading

• When tracking defects, make efficiency the end goal

  Tracking defects can benefit the development team if done for the right reasons. Explore the reasons to track defects in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• Software quality metrics paint partial project picture

  QA consultant Gerie Owen discusses the use of two post-production metrics: defect removal efficiency and defect detection percentage.  Continue Reading

• Proactive additions shore up forms-based authentication

  How can we best prevent hacking and user account lock out in Web applications with forms-based authentication?  Continue Reading

• How Amazon CloudWatch provides automated APM tools

  Amazon CloudWatch provides AWS customers with automated APM tools that they can use to keep applications and businesses running smoothly.  Continue Reading

• Agile ALM tools have pitfalls to acknowledge

  While venders only discuss the benefits of using Agile ALM tools, test expert Amy Reichert reveals the possible pitfalls.  Continue Reading

• The risks of Agile software development: Overcoming feature creep

  Ellen Gottesdiener, founder of EBG Consulting offers insights on managing feature creep, the biggest pitfall of Agile software development.  Continue Reading

• Guiding principles for an automated software test

  An expert in automated software testing offers guiding principles for succeeding at this most challenging of QA projects.  Continue Reading

• A well-developed software requirements specification is easy to test

  SearchSoftwareQuality expert Scott Sehlhorst discusses how to avoid writing a software requirements specification that is too vague to be tested.  Continue Reading

• How does the role of project manager change in the cloud?

  Agile and ALM expert Yvette Francino discusses how the role of project manager may change when applications are developed and tested in the cloud.  Continue Reading

• When to perform post-production testing

  In some cases, testing post-production is needed, according to expert Pete Walen. He discusses the potential situations where post-production testing is helpful and what expectations we can have for performance testing.  Continue Reading

• Integration testing: What are the challenges?

  Expert Pete Walen describes common problems with integration testing and offers insights into implementing it correctly, so that both internal and external users can benefit.  Continue Reading

• Exploring integration testing in the Agile development lifecycle

  Agile expert Lisa Crispin explores the various meanings and offers tips to testers on how to work integration testing into the Agile development lifecycle.  Continue Reading

• Exploratory testing and regression testing in continuous integration

  Expert Lisa Crispin explains how and when to implement exploratory testing, automated regression testing and manual regression tests in an Agile development environment.  Continue Reading

• Understanding the dependencies between requirements in a Scrum environment

  Prioritizing user stories for each iteration in a Scrum environment can be challenging if the project owner does not understand the dependencies between requirements. In this expert response, Lisa Crispin shares best practices for prioritizing user ...  Continue Reading

• How user stories help to define software requirements

  User stories play an important role when defining requirements and they also contribute to living documentation during the software development process. In this expert response, Lisa Crispin offers key practices for ensuring that requirements align ...  Continue Reading

• Mapping software requirements to test cases

  Even though you must have at least one test case per requirement, it's possible not to have a one-to-one mapping between each requirement and test case. In this response, expert Sue Burk explains how it is important to trace the relationship between...  Continue Reading

• Tracking changes to requirements in Agile development

  All development teams need to track requirements changes, but depending on the software development lifecycle and overall ALM process, the best approach to change tracking may not be the same across the board. In this response, expert Mike Jones ...  Continue Reading

• How to gain acceptance of organizational change

  Any organizational change can meet with internal resistance. In this response, SSQ Site Editor Yvette Francino offers advice on how to win buy-in from those affected through honest communication and continuous improvement.  Continue Reading

• Application development for mobile phones: Testing across different devices

  New mobile phone models enter the market all the time, and it seems daunting to perform application testing on the various devices available. Expert Karen Johnson carefully examines the factors developers must consider and offers strategies on how ...  Continue Reading

• Functional requirements and nonfunctional requirements in software engineering explained

  Clearly defining both functional and nonfunctional requirements in software engineering projects is important from both a business perspective and a performance perspective. In this expert response, Sue Burk offers definitions and examples for both ...  Continue Reading

• Software retest, regression, smoke and sanity testing: What's the difference?

  Understanding the nuances between different types of test efforts can be a challenge. In this expert response, Karen Johnson explains what is meant by retesting, regression testing, smoke testing and sanity testing. Find out the purpose of these ...  Continue Reading

• Differences in Agile and traditional software project management

  In this expert response, some of the differences between project management in traditional environments and agile environments are explained. One of the biggest differences is the flexibility of scope changes that is welcomed in agile environments.  Continue Reading

• What does "change management" mean in software development and QA?

  Change management, sometimes called configuration management, has a few different meanings in the software development community, from team changes to code changes, explains expert Yvette Francino.  Continue Reading

• Scrum Master or Scrum project management, is there a difference?

  A Scrum Master is commonly mistaken for a project manager who works in a Scrum environment. Learn what distinguishes a Scrum Master in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What are the pros and cons of centralizing a QA or software test team?

  Is it better to centralize a test team or have testers paired organizationally with developers? There can be advantages to either approach. This expert response examines some considerations and an alternative that will allow your quality team to ...  Continue Reading

• Who determines the appropriate severity or priority for a defect?

  There are often differences of opinion on the definition of severity or priority of a defect. The bottom line is determining when and if the defect will be fixed. Factors that need to be considered are customer urgency and time required to fix and ...  Continue Reading

• Problems caused by skipping analysis stage of SDLC

  A requirements expert explains the possible pitfalls of skipping the analysis phase in the software life cycle development (SDLC).  Continue Reading

• How to deliver software with an SDLC iterative model

  The phases of iterative SDLCs come together to build better software applications faster, as long as the team avoids some common development and planning mistakes.  Continue Reading

• Differentiating between Functional and Nonfunctional Requirements

  Many of the difficulties encountered in defining requirements relate to the functional-nonfunctional distinction. As so often happens, some of those difficulties are things of which people are aware, largely realizing after-the-fact that ...  Continue Reading

• What is test granularity?

  Test granularity is the level of detail at which your software tests and test cases address your project.  Continue Reading

• Template for requirements use cases

  A user is looking for a template for writing requirements use cases. Robin Goldsmith walks through a few interpretations of this question.  Continue Reading

• Formulating test status reports based on daily status criteria

  A user requests help deriving the daily status criteria for the test execution of a software project, with status criteria including test execution criteria, test case failure rate and bug rate.  Continue Reading

• Is a requirements freeze in a software project a bad idea?

  Learn why imposing a requirements freeze in an application project is usually a misguided idea.  Continue Reading

• Integration testing: Is it black box or white box testing?

  Integration testing of software systems can be black box or white box testing. Learn how each can be used in this Ask the Expert Q&A with testing expert Mike Kelly.  Continue Reading

• Use cases and SRS for requirements gathering

  Before comparing use cases and software requirements specifications, you should know what each is. Requirements expert Robin Goldsmith explains how use cases and SRS work and how to use them for requirements engineering.  Continue Reading

• How to match the test environment to the production environment

  Testers often find a gulf between test results in a test environment and test results in a production environment. Testing expert John Overbaugh offers strategies for ensuring that test results in different environments match.  Continue Reading

• Running UAT and system testing in parallel

  Conducting user acceptance testing and system testing at the same time may or may not be a good choice. Expert Baher Malek discusses the factors that testers need to consider when attempting a parallel UAT process.  Continue Reading

• How to estimate change requests in requirements

  Software requirements are often subject to change; using a sound estimation process helps greatly to manage change. Requirements expert Betty Luedke explains, in detail, how to implement good estimation techniques.  Continue Reading

• Use cases: Who writes them, what data do you include?

  Typically a business analyst writes the use cases for a software project. But who writes them doesn't matter as much as what is included in them, says expert Robin Goldsmith.  Continue Reading

• The scope of user acceptance testing

  User acceptance testing is ineffective if testers don't allocate the proper time and resources. Expert Karen N. Johnson explains how to avoid shortchanging UAT.  Continue Reading

• Prioritizing software testing on little time

  Too many test cases and too little time? Expert Scott Barber explains how to prioritize testing.  Continue Reading

• Requirements gathering for payroll application

  Engineering requirements for a payroll or similar application demands careful consideration. Expert Rob Apmann explains how to approach this complicated task.  Continue Reading

• Usability testing vs. user acceptance testing

  Usability testing and user acceptance testing may sound similar, but these tests have different focuses and are executed at different times in the SDLC. Expert Karen N. Johnson explains how these tests work.  Continue Reading

• How to create a testing scorecard

  A software testing scorecard can be a good tool for managing a team's progress. Expert John Overbaugh explains how to create a testing scorecard and that fits yours and the customer's needs.  Continue Reading

• Free load and performance testing tools

  What is a good choice for a free load testing tool? Expert Dan Cornell offers his advice and explains how to get started with your testing tool.  Continue Reading