The magazine for software testers


The following articles are available for download. More articles, from new and back issues, will be added soon.

Skills of the Professional Tester 72kB
Geoff Quentin describes all the skills a tester needs. Full eight-part series.

Articles from the April 2004 issue:

Making it easy 140kB
Edward Garson’s holistic approach to good design

Usability and reusability 350kB
Chris Ambler discusses scripted usability tests

For the record 245kB
Sarah Saltzman on using automation in usability testing

Not a matter of opinion 290kB
Edward Bishop suggests an objective usability testing method

Through other’s eyes 80kB
How Tim Edmonds gained insight to accessibility issues

Venerable and vital 95kB
Geoff Quentin revisits the V-Model

Ghost in the machine 200kB
Mike Lucas with a regression testing case study

Changing gear 200kB
John Kent looks at advanced test automation architectures in part 4 of this series

Using risk as the basis of test planning 180kB
Can some risk of failure be tolerated? Felix Redmill thinks so

ENTIRE APRIL 2004 ISSUE 3.5MB
All the articles above plus news, features and book reviews

Articles from the January 2004 issue:

Skillware – a buyer’s guide 105kB
Bogdan Bereza-Jarocinski has a healthily cynical view of testing training

Getting our own house in order 109kB
Daryl Elfield says testing needs to look at itself before complaining too loudly

Sound structure cuts XPosure 452kB
Karen Espley describes a recent major migration project

Automatic for the people 124kB
Erik van Veenendaal explains the results of the latest survey on testing tools

The testing product and its infrastructure 71kB
Felix Redmill on the real reason things go wrong: built-in risks

Bug hunting is not a career 76kB
The way forward for testers according to QBIT’s philosophy

The enemy within 275kB
Sarah Saltzman on the dangers of dormant code and how to find it

Examining testing 105kB
Victoria Reinthal tells us about the past, present and future of ISEB and its testing qualifications

Help yourself 131kB
Alan Richardson’s self-education regime

International relations 235kB
The internationalization of testing certification as seen by Tilo Linz, Pete Bingham and Andy Redwood

The bottom line 126kB
Nick Blamey’s tips on making the case for automated web testing and measuring its ROI

The next generation 206kB
Professor Mike Holcombe describes how testing is taught at university

ENTIRE JANUARY 2004 ISSUE 2MB
All the articles above plus news, features and readers’ letters

Articles from the October 2003 issue:

Nature or nurture? 76kB
Vizuri’s lifestyle quiz reveals why you are a tester

Dutch encouragement 76kB
Erik van Veenendaal, Rogier Ammerlaan, Rob Hendriks, Vivian van Gansewinkel, Ron Swinkels and Mark van der Zwan discuss their practical experiences of using testing standards

Can we ever finish the paperwork? 88kB
Brian Hambling challenges the role of software documentation standards and asks whether they are really needed

Testing needs to get into the real world 268kB
Paul Down says goals-based testing eliminates cost and time burdens common to traditional performance testing methodologies

Test planning to derive confidence 64kB
Felix Redmill believes that test effectiveness and test efficiency should be sought separately

21st century schizoid plans 224kB
Gordon Alexander believes resistance to documentation and procedural standards is rooted in lack of sufficient training, resources and time to implement them properly

Dig the SPACEDIRT 288kB
Peter Morgan on IEEE 829: arguably still the most used testing standard

Best practices: what testers need to know 92kB
Sources of useful, established methodologies and advice are not limited to standards organisations. Dr Adam Kolawa of Parasoft introduces some you might not have seen

The case for a central support group 148kB
The takeover of NatWest by the Royal Bank of Scotland led to perhaps the biggest and best-known testing project of the decade so far. Alan Bowers explains how the process was run smoothly and completed early

ENTIRE OCTOBER 2003 ISSUE 1.3MB
All the articles above plus news, features and conference previews

Articles from the July 2003 issue:

Perl wisdom 35kB
Sulia Karhu and Eero Kareoja create bespoke testing tools

Divide and conquer 190kB
Rupert Wills uses two test scripts to do everything

Tests without specs 40kB
George Wilkinson gets on with it despite lack of documentation

Should testing include assessment? 19kB
Felix Redmill proposes an extension to the remit of testers

Replace and renew 88kB
Mike Holcombe completes his series on the X-Machine approach

Don’t let testing become part of the furniture 70kB
Adam Ripley thinks software testing must change

Bach on the future 35kB
Interview with James Bach, inventor of the Rapid Testing approach

ENTIRE JULY 2003 ISSUE 2.3MB
All the articles above plus news, features and conference previews

Articles from the April 2003 issue:

Report on ICSTEST 2003 148kB
By Edward Bishop in Cologne

Testing is a waste of time 240kB
Angela Edwards makes the case for traceability

If it’s gonna break don’t fix it 392kB
Sarah Saltzman on large failures caused by fixing small defects

Finding all the faults 148kB
Part five: Mike Holcombe states his generalized machine model theorem formally

Ghost in the machine 496kB
Part three: In his critique of test automation, John Kent moves on to data-driven architectures

Keep the faith 172kB
Dean Looney’s jobseeking advice

Making Quality Assurance work 144kB
Vivian van Gansewinkel, Erik van Veenendaal and Mark van der Zwan suggest a practical approach

Test management: the greatest risk 184kB
Felix Redmill analyses the influence of test managers

What have you let yourself in for? 52kB
George Wilkinson advises testers joining an organisation

ENTIRE APRIL 2003 ISSUE 3.6MB
All the articles above plus news, features and the book review

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