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+===================================================+
+======= Testing Techniques Newsletter (TTN) =======+
+======= ON-LINE EDITION =======+
+======= July 1995 =======+
+===================================================+
TESTING TECHNIQUES NEWSLETTER (TTN), On-Line Edition, is E-Mailed
monthly to support the Software Research, Inc. (SR) user community and
provide information of general use to the world software testing commun-
ity.
(c) Copyright 1995 by Software Research, Inc. Permission to copy and/or
re-distribute is granted to recipients of the TTN On-Line Edition pro-
vided that the entire document/file is kept intact and this copyright
notice appears with it.
TRADEMARKS: Software TestWorks, STW, STW/Regression, STW/Coverage,
STW/Advisor, X11 Virtual Display System, X11virtual and the SR logo are
trademarks of Software Research, Inc. All other systems are either
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
========================================================================
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
o THOUGHTFUL THREAD APPEARS ON INTERNET
(POSTPONEMENT NOTICE)
o SOFTWARE RESEARCH OFFERS
FLIGHT RECORDER OPTION WITH CAPBAK/X
o SWEDISH SOFTWARE TESTING ASSOCIATION FORMED
o CALL FOR ARTICLES: LESSONS LEARNED II
o OBJECTIVE SOFTWARE QUALITY CONFERENCE
PROCEEDINGS AVAILABLE
o SR OFFERS TECHNICAL APPLICATION NOTES
o CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
OBJECT WORLD FRANKFURT `95
o TONY WASSERMAN SELECTED AS FIRST STEVENS AWARD RECIPIENT
o CALENDAR OF EVENTS
o TTN SUBMITTAL POLICY
o TTN SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
========================================================================
THOUGHTFUL THREAD APPEARS ON INTERNET
(POSTPONEMENT NOTICE)
Editor's note: The posting written by Cem Kaner, the second half of
which was to appear in this month's issue of the TTN/Online, has been
postponed to next month's issue. There was so much good stuff this
time, we ran out of room! We apologize for any inconvenience.
This would have been the second of two parts; the first half appeared in
last month's TTN/Online.
Watch next month's issue for the conclusion!
-ed.
========================================================================
SOFTWARE RESEARCH OFFERS
FLIGHT RECORDER OPTION WITH CAPBAK/X
One of the most common headaches for a technical support specialist is
having to tell a user "we can not reproduce your problem". What you
want is someone looking over the shoulder of the user seeing exactly
what they do. To make this possible, Software Research has introduced
``Flight Recorder (FR)'', based on its industry leading capture/playback
product CAPBAK/X. FR is intended for use by software publishers or OEMs
as a method for recording in-field use of their product for in-house
diagnostic analysis of user-detected software problems. FR acts like the
``black box'' on board commercial aircraft: a complete recording of a
user's activities can be made and then shipped (e-mail) back to the sup-
plier for complete diagnosis of the situation.
This product option is available on an OEM basis only, and a separate
license agreement authorizing distribution of the product feature is
required. Please contact SR Corporate Sales for complete details.
Software Research, Inc. 901 Minnesota Street San Francisco, CA 94107 USA
USA Tel: [+1] (415) 550-3020 US Only: [+1} (800) 942-SOFT Fax: [+1]
(415) 550-3030 Email: sales@soft.com
========================================================================
SWEDISH SOFTWARE TESTING ASSOCIATION FORMED
SAST
Swedish Association for Software Testing
General Information about SAST
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
SAST - Swedish Association for Software Testing is a non-profit organi-
zation with members from all different companies interested in Software
Testing within Sweden. The group is currently administered through
SFK-DATA (Swedish Quality Association). The purpose of SAST is to
improve status of Software Testers and Software Testing in Sweden.
SAST Activities
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
o Arrange SAST meetings four times a year (full days - Members only)
o Arrange Seminars and courses in Software Testing (open to all)
o Produce information materials - hand out booklets in Software Testing
o Keep reference lists for Software Testing Literature, International
conferences/seminars and test tools catalogues, etc.
o Software Test Standards (Terminology, etc.)
o Represent Sweden in Internation committees for Software Testing
o Collect statistics of Software Testing in Sweden
The idea is to exchange knowledge and ideas between the members within
the network during the one-day meeting. These meetings are arranged
so that a one-hour SAST meeting will be held. Prominent speakers will
present talks, and work will continue in small groups. The results of
these discussions will be collected and publicly available.
How to become a member: If you would like to become a member of SAST,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
please contact:
Ms. Sigrid Eldh
Process Manager & Test Methods
VK/EHS/PBT Ericsson Hewlett-Packard Telecommunications AB
Box 126 25 Stockholm SWEDEN
Phone +46 8 719 39 59
Fax +46 8 681 11 10
Email ehseldh@ehs.ericsson.se
========================================================================
CALL FOR ARTICLES
LESSONS LEARNED II
IEEE Software seeks articles for a special issue reporting lessons
learned and observed in the last 20 years, scheduled for publication in
May 1996.
The need for continuing improvements in the software process is a widely
acknowledged fact. We hope to speed the industry+s learning process by
encouraging practitioners to share both their success stories and their
failures. An open, honest exchange is an easy way to step up technology
transfer. This issue, a follow up to a September 1993 special issue,
will focus on practical experiences observed and lessons learned from
real projects. We seek positive and negative articles that clearly
describe valuable lessons learned using a mature technology that has
been validated through use.
This special issue will focus on the practical experiences observed and
learned from real projects. What works and what does not work both will
be reported. Authors should present their work in terms that are useful
to the entire software community. To plan a submission, refer to the
September 1993 special issue and to The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick
Brooks.
Among other topics, we solicit original articles about:
-- Management (planning, cost estimation, scheduling, monitoring, con-
trol)
-- Techniques (structured programming)
-- Approaches and methodologies (structured analysis and design, object
orientation,architectures)
-- Process (development, definition, automation, evaluation, and modif-
ication) -- Configuration management (systematic ways to keep
artifacts in order)
-- Maintenance (reverse engineering and reengineering)
-- Education and training (developing software heroes and instilling a
software-engineering culture)
Please send six copies for receipt by August 1, 1995 to
Pei Hsia
Visiting Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
& Computer Science
United States Military Academy
West Point, NY 10996
hsia@cse.uta.edu
Articles must not exceed 20 double-spaced pages, including everything.
Submissions are peer-reviewed and are subject to editing for style,
clarity, and space. For detailed author guidelines, contact Angela Bur-
gess, PO Box 3014, Los Alamitos, CA 90720; Fax: (714) 821-4010; Email:
aburgess@computer.org.
========================================================================
OBJECTIVE SOFTWARE QUALITY CONFERENCE
PROCEEDINGS AVAILABLE
The Objective Software Quality Conference (Second Symposium on Software
Quality Techniques and Acquisition Criteria) was held in Florence,
Italy, May 29 -31, 1995. Presentations included such topics as Process
Assessment and Improvement, Software Modeling and Quality, Reuse, Qual-
ity and Users, Product Quality, and Testing.
Below is a list of the titles and authors. "*" indicates those papers
of particular interest and potential.
Opening Commentary:
- P. Nesi: "Objective Quality, 1995"
Keynote Speech:
- G. Bucci: "The Impact of Software Quality"
Session: PROCESS ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT
- A. Kuntzmann-Combelles: "Quantitative Approach to Software Process
Improvement"
* P. Kuvaja: "BOOTSTRAP: A Software Process Improvement Methodology")
* A. Coletta: "The SPICE Project: An International Standard for
Software Process Assessment, Improvement, and Capability Determination"
- M. Campanai, E. Ferretti, and V. Valori: "Quality Estimation of
Software Application for Banking"
Session: SOFTWARE MODELING AND QUALITY
* G. Bruno and R. Agarwal: "Validating Software Requirements Using
Operational Models"
- G. Lofrumento, S. Pileri: "Object-Oriented Design of the UPT Service:
Evaluation of the Design Quality and Experience Learned"
Session: REUSE
- T. Stalhane: "Development of a Model for Reusability Assessment"
- E.-A. Karlsson, J.-M. Morel: "The Impact of Reuse on Software
Quality"
I. Sommerville, L. Masera, C. Demaria: "Practical Guidelines for Ada
Reuse in an Industrial Environment"
Session: QUALITY AND USERS
- A. Cicu: "Process Quality Problems from the Point of View of the User
and of the Purchaser of Software"
* L. Binucci: "Software Quality of Use: Evaluation by MUSiC"
Session: PRODUCT QUALITY
- G. Bakker, F.P. Hirdes: "Recent Industrial Experiences with Software
Product Metrics"
- A. Spinelli, D. Pina, P. Salvaneschi, E. Crivelli, R. Meda: "Quality
Measurement of Software Products: an Experience about a Large Automation
System"
Session: TESTING
* G. Bazzana, R. Delmiglio, A. Lora, O. Balestrini, and S. Finetti:
"Quantifying the Benefits of Software Testing: an Experience Report
from the GSM Application Domain"
* G. Bruno, M. Varani, V. Vico, and C. Offerman: "Benefits of Using
Model-based Testing Tools"
* A. Bertolino: "Software Testing for Dependability Assessment"
Several of these speakers also gave presentations at the Eighth
International Software Quality Week (QW'95), held May 30 - June 2 in
San Francisco, and sponsored by Software Research Institute.
Paolo Nesi edited the Proceedings for the conference, which are now
available. Contact Professor Nesi for more details:
Prof. Paolo Nesi
Universita degli Studi di Firenze
Sistemi/Informatica
Via S.Marta, 3
Firenze 50139, ITALY
========================================================================
SR OFFERS TECHNICAL APPLICATION NOTES
Software Research, Inc. is happy to offer our latest application notes!
Each note briefly explains a feature of a currently-offered SR product
or important information about software testing.
The following application notes are available via email in either
PostScript or ASCII format:
* CAPTURE/PLAYBACK MODES: Although user interfaces now provide the user
with more aesthetic options, the fact that these options can be
invoked in any order has created a more complex environment for test-
ing and the inconsistencies across platforms.
* STW/COVERAGE(tm) SUPPORT FOR EMBEDDED AND CROSS DEVELOPMENT: This
Application Note deals with how to handle testing when an application
is built using a cross-compiler; that is, a compiler that executes on
a host machine but generates executable code that runs on a target
machine.
* WHY PRODUCT EVALUATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL: STW is a rich and diverse pro-
duct set, but a detailed "try it before you buy it" evaluation is
going to be a crucial process.
* SOFTWARE TEST TOOLS CONSIDERED HARMFUL?: Reprinted from Testing Tech-
niques Newsletter, Spring 1994, this is an article about the growth
of the software testing industry and the some of the pitfalls of this
relatively immature segment.
* SERIAL APPLICATION SELECTION METHOD: A typical application of
CAPBAK/MSW is to "drive" a set of applications that are all run from
one machine. This Application Note describes the Serial Application
Selection Method.
* TRUE-TIME AND WIDGET MODES BOTH NECESSARY!: Although there are signi-
ficant advantages to both true-time and widget-level test capture
playback, it is important to recognize the pros and cons of each
method.
* FLIGHT RECORDER OPTION WITH CAPBAK/X: One of the most common
headaches for a technical support specialist is having to tell a user
"we can not reproduce your problem". What you want is someone look-
ing over the shoulder of the user seeing exactly what they do. To
make this possible, Software Research has introduced ``Flight
Recorder (FR)'', based on its industry leading capture/playback pro-
duct CAPBAK/X.
* Xdemo: In the sale of any software product, a demonstration is very
often far more effective than a write-up or lengthy presentation. As
they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Xdemo is based on
SR's industry leading capture/playback product CAPBAK/X.
========================================================================
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION
OBJECT WORLD FRANKFURT `95
The Software Event for Central Europe
Date: October 9-11, 1995
Place: Sheraton Conference Center, Frankfurt/Main
Germany
Exposition: Tuesday October 10, 1995
Wednesday October 11, 1995
Tutorials: Monday October 9, 1995
Conference: Tuesday October 10, 1995
Wednesday October 11, 1995
FOCUS: Object World is the largest all-object oriented technology (OT)
series in the world, with shows in London, Tokio, Sydney, San
Francisco and Boston. Object World focuses specifically on the
commercial and practical aspects of applying object technology.
MESSAGE: The increase usage of OT in organizations has driven the mis-
sion of Object World`s conference programs, special events, and
exhibibits. Object World is a place for professional to demon-
strate, sell, and learn about the latest object-oriented products
and services, both in its present usage and future.
TARGET AUDIENCE/ATTENDEES: Object World Frankfurt attracts profession-
als ranging from technical staff to business leaders including
software developers, programmers, system managers, advanced tech-
nology planners, members of the technical staff, MIS managers, and
engineers, as well as CIOs, VPs, and company presidents. Attendee
represent the leading companies in financial services, aerospace,
manufacturing, telecommunications, and others.
TARGET AUDIENCE/EXHIBITORS: The exhibits at Object World Frankfurt will
feature vendors and developers of products which incorporate
object-oriented technology including database management systems,
window management systems, languages and tools, class libraries,
CASE tools, desktop environments, GUI development, training, con-
sulting and market research. Object World Frankfurt has been ack-
nowledge by the specialized press as The software event in Central
Europe.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: To find out more about exhibiting at Object World
Frankfurt `95, please contact Martin Beck at +49-89-360 86-208, or
simply fax your request to +49-89-360 86-290. If you would like to
inquire by mail, please send your request to Object World Frank-
furt, c/o IDG World Expo, Messen und Ausstellung GmbH, Franz-
Joseph Str.35, D-80801 Munich, Germany. To find out more about
the conference program, please contact Roberto Zicari at +49-
6173-2852, or Fax. +49-6173-94 04 20. LogOn Technology Transfer
GmbH, Burgweg 14a, D-61476 Kronberg (Ts), Germany.
Windows is a registered trade mark of Microsoft Co.
========================================================================
TONY WASSERMAN SELECTED AS FIRST STEVENS AWARD RECIPIENT
Dr. Anthony I. (Tony) Wasserman was the first recipient of the Stevens
Award and presents the inaugural Stevens Lecture on Software Develop-
ment Methods. The lecture, titled "Methods, Tools, and the Software
Development Process", was part of the 7th International Workshop on CASE
(CASE'95) conference.
"Tony has made two decade's worth of contributions to software develop-
ment methods as an author, lecturer, professor, and entrepreneur," says
Peter A. Freeman, Dean of the College of Computing and Chief Information
Officer at Georgia Institute of Technology. "More
than almost anyone else, he has successfully bridged the research com-
munity and the commercial world."
The Stevens Award has been created to recognize outstanding contribu-
tions to the literature or practice of methods for software development.
The lecture presentations will focus on advancing or analyzing the state
of software methods and their direction for the future.
This award lecture is named in memory of Wayne Stevens (1944-1993), a
highly-respected consultant, author, pioneer, and advocate of the prac-
tical application of software methods and tools. His 1974 IBM Systems
Journal article "Structured Design" was the first published on the topic
and has been widely reprinted. Stevens was the chief architect of
application development methodology for IBM's consulting group.
Tony Wasserman, the first Stevens Award lecturer, has been a pioneer in
software development environments. He is founder and chairman of
Interactive Development Environments (IDE), maker of the Software
through Pictures integrated CASE environment. As a professor at the
University of California (1971-1986), he developed the User Software
Engineering method and supporting tools for rapid application develop-
ment. He was instrumental in the development of methods to support the
design of systems to be built in the Ada language, including the 1982
"Methodman" report. He is the author of 8 books and 30 articles on
software engineering and software development tools. Wasserman was the
first chairman (1976-79) of the Special Interest Group on Software
Engineering (SIGSoft) of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM),
and was editor-in-chief (1983-86) of the ACM Computing Surveys journal.
His latest work is on architectures, development processes, and tools
for object-oriented systems.
========================================================================
------------>>>CALENDAR OF EVENTS<<<---------------
========================================================================
Here is a list of upcoming events of interest.
"o" indicates that Software Research, Inc. will lead or participate in
these events. "-" indicates that Software Research, Inc. will not par-
ticipate in these events.
o 30 Aug-1 Sep Windows Solutions, Moscone Center, San Francisco,
Ziff-Davis Expos, 303 Vintage Park Drive, Foster City,
CA 94404-1138, Tel: 415-578-6900, Fax: 415-525-0224, SR
#: 3397
o 9-11 Aug COMPSAC 95, Contact: Mr. David Kung, Assoc. Prof.,
Comp. Sci. Engineering, U. of Texas, Arlington, TX,
phone: 817-273-3627, fax: 817-273-3784, email:
kung@cse.uta.edu SR#: 3327
o 30 Aug-1 Sep Windows Solutions, Moscone Center, San Francisco,
Ziff-Davis Expos, 303 Vintage Park Drive, Foster City,
CA 94404-1138, Tel: 415-578-6900, Fax: 415-525-0224, SR
#: 3397
- 11-14 Sep Information Superhighway Summit, Santa Clara Conven-
tion Center, Santa Clara, CA, Contact: ComNet, Tel: [+1]
(800) 225-4698 (US Only), or: [+1] (508) 879-6700, Fax:
[+1] (508) 872-8237, Email: comnet@idgwec.com, WWW:
http://www.idgwec.com
o 28-29 Sep Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference (PNSQC),
Oregon Convention Center, Contact: - Exhibits, Mr.
James Mater, Revision Labs, Inc., Tel: 503-690-2341, -
Conference Management, Ms. Terri Moore, Pacific Agenda,
PO Box 10142, Portland, OR 97210, Tel: 503-223-8633, SR
#: 3123
o 23-24 Aug XVT Software Partners, Village At Breckenridge, CO,
Contact: John. L. Donnelly, Exhibit Manager, Tel: 303-
440-9813, Fax: 303-440-9836, email: johnd@xor.com, SR #:
3381
o 19-21 Sep UNIX Expo 1995, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New
York, NY, Contact: Don Berey, Tel: 800-829-3976, ext.
169, or Laura McQuaid, show manager, Tel: 800-829-3976
ext. 9100, Fax: 201-346-1602, SR #: 3238
o 3-5 Oct Software Development '95 East, Washington, D.C. Convention
Ctr., Washington, D.C., SR #: 3299-B
========================================================================
------------>>> TTN SUBMITTAL POLICY <<<------------
========================================================================
The TTN On-Line Edition is forwarded on the 15th of each month to sub-
scribers via InterNet. To have your event listed in an upcoming issue,
please e-mail a description of your event or Call for Papers or Partici-
pation to "ttn@soft.com". The TTN On-Line submittal policy is as fol-
lows:
o Submission deadlines indicated in "Calls for Papers" should provide
at least a 1-month lead time from the TTN On-Line issue date. For
example, submission deadlines for "Calls for Papers" in the January
issue of TTN On-Line would be for February and beyond.
o Length of submitted items should not exceed 68 lines (one page).
o Publication of submitted items is determined by Software Research,
Inc., and may be edited as necessary.
========================================================================
----------------->>> TTN SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION <<<-----------------
------------------->>>NEW INSTRUCTIONS!!<<<-------------------
========================================================================
To request a FREE subscription or submit articles, please send E-mail to
"ttn@soft.com".
TO SUBSCRIBE: please use the keywords "Request-TTN" or "subscribe" **AND
INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS** in the Subject line of your E-mail header.
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TO CANCEL: include the phrase "unsubscribe" or "UNrequest-TTN" **AND
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Note: To order back copies of the TTN On-Line (August 1993 onward),
please use the keywords "Back issue request" in the Subject line, and
please specify the month(s) and year(s) in the body of your message when
E-mailing requests to "ttn@soft.com".
TESTING TECHNIQUES NEWSLETTER
Software Research, Inc.
901 Minnesota Street
San Francisco, CA 94107 USA
Phone: (415) 550-3020
Toll Free: (800) 942-SOFT
FAX: (415) 550-3030
E-mail: ttn@soft.com
## End ##