Re: [BLACKBOX] Software testing (was user input)

From: [at]} <Chris>
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:18:34 +1030

----boundary-LibPST-iamunique-2134336416_-_-
Content-type: text/plain

>-----Original Message-----
>From: BlackBox [mailto:BLACKBOX{([at]})nowhere.xy
>Gunnar Bernhardt
>Sent: Sunday, 17 January 2010 8:46 PM
>To: BLACKBOX{([at]})nowhere.xy
>Subject: Re: [BLACKBOX] user input (was limiting integer
>values in interactor field)
>
>
>PS: I do not know how professional programmers work, but when
>I return from work I am happy to understand a basic concept
>and making it run.
>The majority of my errors are fixed by the first idea that
>springs to mind and is accepted by the compiler and a
>superficial test at run time (when I see how our programmers
>at work fix errors I assume this is what they do as well most
>of the time).
>

You can get away with that much of the time when programming in Oberon as it
encourages good programming practices and is excellent at letting you know
when you do something stupid. However, I would not recommend using a trial
and error / hacking approach to software development using more lax
languages (e.g. C).

Many software developers appear to follow the model used in other industries
today i.e. let customers do the work of finding and reporting faults rather
than doing inhouse testing and quality control. Easy internet distribution
and automatic updates only serve to encourage these practices. While this
approach might appear cheaper in the short term it often ends up
considerably more expensive in the long term.

Oberon microsystems are at the other end of the spectrum and have a quality
record better than most other software products we have had experience with.
Unfortunately with dwindling numbers of customers willing to pay good money
for quality products it is not always the road to financial success.

How much testing is *necessary* (not just 'good enough') depends on the job
at hand. When we are developing 'one-off' software to use ourselves we do
minimal testing - any problems can be fixed as and when we encounter them.
On the other hand when we are working on products to be potentially deployed
to 100,000's of remote customers, testing is much more exhaustive. For
example, our CD burning product was used in house for a couple of years and
was rewritten twice before it was considered robust enough to be let out
into the wild. Testing of Armaide continued for a couple of months after it
was judged to be 'good enough' and before a release candidate was finally
distributed. Bad first impressions and an avalanche of technical support
problems can kill a product. In extreme cases it can take the company with
it. Anybody remember Ashton-Tate and DBase IV?

Cheers,
Chris

Chris Burrows
CFB Software
http://www.armaide.com

----
To unsubscribe, send a message with body "SIGNOFF BLACKBOX" to LISTSERV{([at]})nowhere.xy----boundary-LibPST-iamunique-2134336416_-_-
Content-type: application/rtf
Content-transfer-encoding: base64
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="rtf-body.rtf"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=
----boundary-LibPST-iamunique-2134336416_-_---

Received on Mon Jan 18 2010 - 00:48:34 UTC