Estimation model for software testing

Testing of software applications and assurance of compliance have become an essential part of Information Technology (IT) governance of organizations. Over the years, software testing has evolved into a specialization with its own practices and body of knowledge. Test estimation consists of the estimation of effort and working out the cost for a particular level of testing, using various methods, tools, and techniques. An incorrect estimation often leads to inadequate amount of testing which, in turn, can lead to failures of software systems when they are deployed in organizations. This research work has first established the state of the art of software test estimation, followed by the proposal of a Unified Framework for Software Test Estimation. Using this framework, a number of detailed estimation models have been designed next for functional testing. The ISBSG database has been used to investigate the estimation of software testing. The analysis of the ISBSG data has revealed three test productivity patterns representing economies and diseconomies of scale, based on which the characteristics of the corresponding projects were investigated. The three project groups related to the three productivity patterns were found to be statistically significant, and characterised by application domain, team size, elapsed time, and rigour of verification and validation throughout development. Within each project group, the variations in test efforts could be explained by the activities carried out during the development and processes adopted for testing, in addition to functional size. Two new independent variables, the quality of the development processes (DevQ) and the quality of testing processes (TestQ), were identified as influential in the estimation models. Portfolios of estimation models were built for different data sets using combinations of the three independent variables. At estimation time, an estimator could choose the project group by mapping the characteristics of the project to be estimated to the attributes of the project group, in order to choose the model closest to it. The quality of each model has been evaluated using established criteria such as R2, Adj R2, MRE, MedMRE and Maslow’s Cp. Models have been compared using their predictive performance, adopting new criteria proposed in this research work. Test estimation models using functional size measured in COSMIC Function Points have exhibited better quality and resulted in more accurate estimation, compared to functional size measured in IFPUG Function Points. A prototype software is now developed using statistical “R” programming language, incorporating portfolios of estimation models. This test estimation tool can be used by industry and academia for estimating test efforts

Percepção do esforço no processo de teste de software

Some typical actions in software projects are taken based on the test effort and the understanding one has about it. This understanding involves the identification and characterization of the factors influencing the test effort, taking into account different test levels, types, techniques, and execution forms. Goals: Building a model of effort perception in software testing process that represents the factors influencing the effort in different test strategy configurations, supporting decision making in software testing projects. Method: Systematic Literature Review (SLR), observation study in industry, and survey with software test practitioners. Results: The studies supported the identification and characterization of 62 different effort factors. The survey led to identify the prevalence of these factors in six typical activities of the software testing process considering six different test strategy configurations. Based on the results of the three studies, a software test effort perception model was developed, adaptable to different test strategy configurations. Conclusion: The proposed model was considered useful to support managerial activities that must take into account the comprehension about the test effort, among them the effort estimationDiversas ações típicas de projetos de software são realizadas com base no esforço de teste e na compreensão que se tem a seu respeito. Esta compreensão passa pela identificação e caracterização dos fatores que afetam o esforço de teste, levando-se em conta diferentes níveis, tipos, técnicas e formas de execução dos testes. Objetivos: Construir um modelo da percepção do esforço no processo de teste de software que represente os fatores que influenciam o esforço em diferentes configurações de estratégia de teste e que seja capaz de apoiar a tomada de decisão em projetos de teste de software. Método: Revisão sistemática da literatura (RSL), estudo de observação em campo e survey com profissionais de teste de software. Resultados: Os estudos realizados possibilitaram a identificação e caracterização de 62 fatores de esforço distintos. Com o survey foi possível mapear a prevalência desses fatores em seis atividades típicas de um processo de teste de software, considerando seis diferentes configurações de estratégia de teste. Com base nos resultados dos três estudos, foi desenvolvido um modelo da percepção do esforço de teste de software, adaptável a diferentes configurações de estratégia de teste. Conclusão: O modelo proposto mostrouse útil para apoiar atividades gerenciais que devem levar em conta a compreensão sobre o esforço de teste, dentre as quais a estimativa de esforç