Test types

Traditionally, most attention is given to testing functionality. More and more other characteristics, like suitability, security, portability, performance and usability, are being tested. Specifically the Internet has made these characteristics of systems more important and full of risks. The characteristics can be tested using test design techniques or checklist, just like functionality. Besides that, other points of attention and ways to test are available. In Test Types a description of some of these characteristics and related test types can be found.

Maintenance

The chance of defects is the principal difference between new-build and maintenance. The formulation of the changes as object part facilitates the strategy. Several variations are possible:

• A limited test, aimed only at the change
• A complete (re)testing of the function in which the change was made
• The testing of the correlation between the changed function and the functions directly surrounding it
• A test of the entire system.

Regression test

The regression test of the system as a whole is recognised as well. It focuses on the coherence between the changed and unchanged parts of the system, since this is where the chances of regression are the greatest. If the PRA for the new-build is available, the risk categories applied here to the characteristics/object parts can play a role in the composition of this regression test. A regression test may be carried out to a full or limited extent, depending on the risks and on the required test effort. It is very easy, with the aid of the scaleable regression test set (see Specify (AST)) to perform either a thorough or a light regression test. This makes for flexibility in the testing of later releases. For more information on regression testing, see section Test Types.