Software Testing and Quality Assurance

General Description

We will spend about 2/3 of the class time discussing topics related to testing. The primary focus will be on various testing techniques, including 1) black box or functional testing, 2) clear box or structural testing, and 3) usage-based statistical testing. Test activities, management, and other issues, such as testing schedule and phases, team organization, testing process, etc., will also be discussed.

The rest of the class time will be devoted to general concepts about quality, other alternatives to testing (e.g., inspection, formal verification, and fault tolerance), and quality analysis (quality models and measurements, defect analysis, and software reliability engineering). A related course, ``CSE 8317: Software Reliability and Safety'', to be offered concurrently with this course, will include in-depth discussions of some of these topics.

Graduate students (those enrolled in CSE 7314 or via NTU) are required to write a short essay about software quality practice and provide a project summary. (Undergraduate students enrolled in CSE 5314 are not required to do these.)

Textbook and Class Material

• Required textbook: "Black-Box Testing: Techniques for Functional Testing of Software and Systems", by Boris Beizer, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1995. ISBN# 0-471-12094-4.
• Required: Course notes, with additional papers to be covered, class notes/slides/etc.
• Highly recommended textbook: "Software Reliability Engineering", by John Musa, McGraw-Hill, 1998. ISBN# 0-07-913271-5.
• Online information and selected class material will be available at www.engr.smu.edu/~tian/class/7314.02s.

Workload and Grading

List of Topics and Tentative Schedule

• Notice 1: All the due dates listed below are for in-class and TAGER students. We have a standard 13 day grace period for video/NTU students to turn in their work (post-mark/e-mail by the dates 13 days from corresponding due dates for in-class/TAGER students).
• Notice 2: If you need to make alternative arrangements for turning-in material or taking exams because of tape delays/health reasons/etc., you must contact the instructor ahead of time and get an extension. (Otherwise you'll receive 0 for the specific item.)
• Notice 3 (SMU policy for Disability Accommodations):
  If you need academic accommodations for a disability, you must first contact Ms. Rebecca Marin, Coordinator, Services for Students with Disabilities (214-768-4563), to verify the disability and to establish eligibility for accommodations. Then you should schedule an appointment with the professor to make appropriate arrangements.