Software Testing

Although I have no experience in software development or testing, my boss tasked me with writing software test plans for several applications that our company maintains and updates. Needless to say, I had no idea of where to begin. Web searches led me to several test plan templates, but no coherent body of information on processes, procedures, and documentation needed for software testing. Then, based on other reviews on this site, I bought a copy of Ron Patton's book. I found this book to be well organized and easy to understand. It contains a wealth of information on the entire software development process and puts the software test plan in the proper context. Using the knowledge I gained from this book, I was able to start the process of organizing our somewhat chaotic methods of software development and testing. I very highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to learn about software testing at the beginning level!

The most approachable book covering the array of traditional testing techniques is also a good introduction for the junior tester. The book is based on the internal training program at Microsoft, which trains more testers than any other company and employs many of the leading testing experts in the field.

When I read a book that introduces software testing I do a bit of mental testing by asking the following questions:- Does the book give a solid approach? This one does.- Does it introduce bad habits or sloppy procedures? Nowhere in this book.- Could I trust the approach if I were a test manager and my team used this book exclusively as a reference? Yes.Ron Patton has written a solid book for new testers, both those who are entering the discipline by choice and those who are thrown into it. The big picture describes the importance of testing, what can happen if testing is not properly done, and how testing fits within the development and software delivery process. This material is one of the best introductions to testing I've read, and it gives the new tester a view of how important his or her role is - and this is especially important for folks who have been thrown into testing.The material on black and white box testing is solid, as are the chapters on practical application. I especially liked the scope of testing scenarios and how to perform the test, which range from configuration testing to usability testing. This part of the book is more complete than many other books for beginning and intermediate testers because it includes localization, compatibility and even documentation testing scenarios. This is one of the reasons why I would completely trust the approach in this book if I were managing a test team that used only this book as a reference (assuming, of course, they used it completely).If you're an intermediate or experienced test professional this book will be too basic. However, if you are new to the discipline and want to quickly get up to speed this book is an easy read and promotes solid practices.

Highly recommended! Just plain perfect book. It could be titled "The Essence of Testing". It gives all you need and nothing redundant. I'm happy I was lucky to find and buy this book for our QA team. Thanks, Ron!

Software Testing is a book oriented toward people just entering or considering the testing field, although there are nuggets of information that even seasoned professionals will find helpful. Perhaps the greatest value of this book would be a resource for test team leaders to give to their new testers or test interns. To date, I haven?t seen a book that gives a better introduction to software testing with this amount of coverage. Ron Patton has written this book at a very understandable level and gives practical examples of every test type he discusses in the book. Plus, Patton uses examples that are accessible to most people, such as basic Windows utilities.I like the simplicity and practicality of this book. There are no complex formulas or processes to confuse the reader that may be getting into testing for the first time. However, the important of process is discussed. I also have to say a big THANK YOU to Ron Patton for drawing the distinction between QA and testing! Finally, the breadth of coverage in Software Testing is super. Patton covers not only the most important topics, such as basic functional testing, but also attribute testing, such as usability and compatibility. He also covers web-based testing and test automation ? and as in all topics covered in the book, Patton knew when to stop. If you want to drill deeper on any of the topics in this book, there are other fine books that can take you there!I love this book because it is practical, gives a good introduction to software testing, and has some things that even experienced testers will find of interest. This book is also a tool to communicate what testing and QA are all about. This is something that test organizations need as they make the message to management, developers and users. No test library should be without a copy of Software Testing by Ron Patton!