QuickTest Professional : Phases of QuickTest Testing Process

Automated testing with QuickTest addresses these problems by dramatically
speeding up the testing process. The QuickTest testing process consists of 7 main phases:
Phase 1 :Preparing to record
Before you record a test, confirm that your application and QuickTest are set
to match the needs of your test. The application should display elements that you want to record.
Phase 2 :Recording a session on your application
QuickTest graphically displays each step you perform as a row in the Keyword View as you navigate through the application.
Phase 3 :Enhancing your test
- To test whether application is running correct, insert checkpoints that lets you search a specific value of page, object, or text string.
- Broadening the scope of your test, by replacing fixed values with parameters, lets you check how your application performs the same operations with multiple sets of data.
- Adding logic and conditional or loop statements enables you to add sophisticated checks to your test.
Phase 4: Debugging your test
Test is debugged to ensure that it is operating smoothly.
Phase 5: Running your test
Test is run to check the behavior of the application or website. QuickTest opens the application, or connects to the Web site, and performs each step in your test.
Phase 6: Analyzing the test results
Test results are examined to pinpoint defects in your application.
Phase 7: Reporting defects
Defects recovered can be reported to a database if the Quality Center is installed.

The four phases of testing management process in Test Director - Part II

TestDirector offers an organized framework for testing applications before
they are deployed. While using TestDirector, the testing management process can be defined using the following four steps :

- Specifying the test requirements.
- Planning the tests.
- Run the tests in manual or automatic mode.
- To analyze the defects.

Run the tests in manual or automatic mode

This phase is the most crucial phase of testing process. A test set is a group of tests in a TestDirector project designed to achieve specific testing goals. TestDirector enables you to control the execution of tests in a test set by setting conditions and scheduling the date and time for executing your tests. After you define test sets, you can begin to execute your tests. When you run a test automatically, TestDirector opens the selected testing tool, runs the test, and exports the test results to TestDirector. It includes defining test sets, adding tests to a test set, scheduling test runs, running tests manually, running tests automatically.

To analyze the defects

Locating and repairing defects is an essential phase in application development. When a defect is submitted it is tracked through the new,open,fixed,and closed stages. A defect may also be rejected or reopened after it is fixed. It includes :
- How to Track Defects
- Adding New Defects
- Matching Defects
- Updating Defects
- Mailing Defects
- Associating Defects with Tests
- Creating Favorite Views

The four phases of testing management process in Test Director - Part I

TestDirector offers an organized framework for testing applications before
they are deployed. While using TestDirector, the testing management process can be defined using the following four steps :

- Specifying the test requirements.
- Planning the tests.
- Run the tests in manual or automatic mode.
- To analyze the defects.

Specifying the test requirements

Testing process is started by specifying the testing requirements in TestDirector’s Requirements module. It provides the test team with the foundation on which the entire testing process is based. A requirement tree is created to define the requirements. This is a graphical representation of your requirements specification,
displaying your requirements hierarchically. After you create tests in the Test Plan module, you can link requirements to tests. A track of your testing needs at all stages of the testing process can be kept. It includes defining, viewing, modifying and converting requirements.

Planning the tests

Testing goals can be determined after the requirements are defined. After this a test plan tree is built to divide the application into testing units or subjects. Tests are defined for each subject. Actions are specified for each test step that are performed on application. Links can be added to keep track of the relationship between your tests and your requirements. After you design your tests, you can decide which tests to automate and after that a test script can be generated. It includes developing a test plan tree, designing test steps, copying test steps, calling tests with parameters, creating and viewing requirements coverage and generating automated test scripts.

Testing Management Tools and Source Code Testing Tools

Testing Management Tools

A rigorous process for testing is followed. this process involves working out a test plan, test cases, deciding the schedule for running various tests, generating and analyzing the test reports and tracking the bugs and checking whether the bugs have been removed and doing regression testing. Many managerial activities need to be done to effectively manage the testing process.
Now-a-days software companies have offices around the world. Different groups work at different locations on the same project. The testing and the development team are also located at different places. In such a case, the testing management tools can be used effectively for managing the testing process. Many testing management tools are web based. A test engineer can log in to the web site and update the defect report. The QA manager located at another place can login to the web site, check the status and assign the bug removal work to a developer. The bug status is updated to'corrected' after the developer removes the bug.
Testing management tools facilitate all these process-oriented activities to be done systematically. Mercury Interactive's TestDirector can be used for managing the testing process.

Source Code Testing Tools
These tools are specific to the programming language used for developing the software. Different tools used are :
- Lint, a utility used to test the portability of the code.
- Line profilers used to do the time analysis. these profilers find out the execution time for the entire program as well as for individual function calls.
- SCCS and RCS, source code configuration management tools.