Essay 12 pages single spaced Discuss how the testing process

Essay (1-2 pages single spaced)

Discuss how the testing process is different in Agile than in plan-driven processes. I would put forth that the Agile testing practices help to produce better code. What could be done in plan-driven processes to help the testing process?

Solution

The Agile movement was not anti-methodology, in fact many of us want to restore credibility to the word methodology. We want to restore a balance. We embrace modeling, but not in order to the file some diagram in a dusty corporate repository. We embrace documentation, but not hundreds of pages of never-maintained and rarely-used tomes. We plan, but recognize the limits of planned in a turbulent environment. Those who would brand proponents of XP or SCRUM or any of the other Agile Methodologies as \"hackers\" are ignorant of both the methodologies and the original definition of the term hacker.

Plan-driven software development is a more formal specific approach to creating an application. Plan-driven methodologies all are the incorporate: repeatability and predictability, a defined incremental process, extensive documentation, up-front system architectures, detailed plans,process monitoring, controll and education, risk management, verification and validation

Plans are typically generated by the following:

The Plan-driven methodologies are known as \"Heavy-weight\" methodologies or \"Traditional\" methodologies.

Three of the most prominent plan-driven methodologies were the Personal Software Process (PSP), Team Software Process (TSP), and Rational Unified Process (RUP).

A software development process is the process by which user needs were translated into the software product. The process involves translating user needs into software requirements, transforming the software requirements into design, implementing the design in the way of code, testing the code and sometimes were installing and checking out the software for operational use. Note: these activities might overlap or be performed iteratively.

Incremental model

With the help of Incremental Model, the system is analysed, designed, developed, and tested in increments which are clearly defined. In other words the project is broken down into a series of builds. The core functionality was dealt with the first increment and with the final increment the complete project is released. It emphasises a building block approach which means that an operational system was produced more quickly.

Complete requirements may be gathered up front or the project may begin with general objectives which are refined with each iteration. The requirements are prioritised, the higher a requirements priority the earlier it is to be included in an increment. Thus, new functionality added should not be more important than that which exists in the current build

Waterfall model

Successful software project rate has increased considerably since 70’s. This is explainable by standard and accepted methods of process management in companies. Lifecycle model development was began in 70’s with suggested waterfall lifecycle model as a pioneer in software development.
Waterfall model has a linear structure characteristic. This linear structure was defines the sequentially of tasks where task should be completed before the next task can be started, thus following non-iterative principle. Plan driven development mirrors the approach by waterfall model where steps in the development was planned out from the beginning until the project completion. Waterfall lifecycle model development is broken down into five steps:                                                                                          

             Spiral Model

Spiral lifecycle model is a software development process is associated with components design and prototyped. It inherits the concept of waterfall model, and involves risk analysis and iteration in the each development phase.

Spiral lifecycle model follows the waterfall lifecycle model of software development, requirements and analysis, design, coding, testing, and maintenance. The great distribution would be that it can be changed the phases of waterfall model into many pieces of iteration processes, to reduce the risk of project.

V-Model

The V-Model (sometimes referred to as Vee Model) can be seen as the refinement of the waterfall method, with a focus on testing. It was developed for the German Military was in the 1980s, and is a standard for all software development projects in the public sector in Germany.

The V-Model as shown in the above diagram has the same sequence as the Waterfall Method. Each subsequent phase is begun upon the completion of the preceding one. The analytical and the design phases precede coding and the testing phases follow but the relationship between each analytical/design phase and the corresponding testing phase is indicated by the horizontal arrows in the method. So for example unit test phase is concerned with the implementation phase.