[thelist] Page Testing

Luther, Ron Ron.Luther at hp.com
Thu Dec 7 15:54:38 CST 2006


Jess noted:

>>I'm the only developer at my employer.  I test the application 
>>as I go along.  When finished I request the dept. to test it.  
>>And they do a lousy job. 

>>Does anyone know of a url for standard testing strategies with web
apps?  


Hi Jess,


Would that it were so easy!  ;-)

I don't think that testing (done properly at any rate) is at 
all easy or obvious. Heh. (In fact, *I* usually end up complaining 
about the poor job of testing IT has done!)

Perhaps your end users are doing 'a lousy job' of testing because 
(a) they don't know how to test or (b) they don't know what the 
expectations are for testing.

Maybe you should try scheduling a 'testing workshop' ... set up 
a room full of machines, bring in a handful of on-site and/or 
or out-of-town users, feed them, and make them work for a few 
days on various scenarios that the application is supposed to 
handle.

Keep a bugtracker handy and discuss the ongoing results with 
the program sponsor ... E.g. 'the users are complaining that 
they can't reuse authorization codes like in the old days - 
therefore the changes seem to be working very well!'

Also make it clear to everyone involved that there may be some 
things they will not be able to immediately test; e.g. calculations 
through week/month/quarter/year-end boundary changes ... and 
remind them when those opportunities do arise to test functionality 
at those points in time as well.


HTH,

RonL.
(Who does not believe in 'user sign-offs'.)



More information about the thelist mailing list