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Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good - But...
Review: A rehash of basic testing concepts. While the first section (chapters 2 through 13, chapter 1 being an introduction) does not shed new light or offer really new insights, the case studies in the second section are very good indeed. Instead of focusing on conceptual "dos and don'ts", the case studies shed light on what happened in specific instances. This section makes the book a worthwhile buy.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good - But...
Review: A rehash of basic testing concepts. While the first section (chapters 2 through 13, chapter 1 being an introduction) does not shed new light or offer really new insights, the case studies in the second section are very good indeed. Instead of focusing on conceptual "dos and don'ts", the case studies shed light on what happened in specific instances. This section makes the book a worthwhile buy.
Rating: 
Summary: Lives up to its title! Exceptionally valuable
Review: This book lives up to its subtitle, "An Off-the-Shelf Software Testing Process". It is organized into an introduction (chapter 1) and three parts that consist of 17 chapters and 18 appendices. The 12 chapters in Part 1 cover the basics of a traditional testing process. Because this book's focus is not so much about teaching testing as it is about providing a process, this information is more of an anchor point to ensure that you understand the author's terminology, perspective and approach. Covered in this part are: overview of testing, testing techniques at a high level, test planning and management, unit, integration and system testing, systems integration testing, user acceptance testing, operations acceptance testing, regression testing, test process improvement, and the introduction, adoption and maintenance of the testing process. Some of the key strengths of Part 1, in my opinion, include how Mr. Watkins ties test stages to life cycle milestones using the V-model and the clear distinction made between functional and non-functional testing techniques. I also liked the chapter layout for each testing technique, which presented each technique in a clear and consistent manner. The layout starts with an overview of the technique, gives the approach and test data requirements, roles and responsibilities, planning resources, inputs, techniques and outputs. This layout clearly lends itself to plan-do-check-act or entry-task-validation-exit models used in mature quality organizations. It's important to note that the processes are generic and need to be tailored to your organization based. This is especially true of terms and definitions. For example, my definition of user acceptance testing differs from the author's, as does my definition of Defect Removal Efficiency. I did a search of both terms on the Internet and found a 60%/40% split in favor of the author regarding the definition of user acceptance testing, and a 75%/25% split in my favor with respect to the definition of Defect Removal Efficiency. The significance of this is software testing, despite the growing body of knowledge, IEEE standard terminology and inclusion of KPAs in the CMM, is still hampered by imprecise terminology. I am grateful that the author included a glossary in this book that succinctly gives his definitions. Part 2 provides five chapters of case studies showing how testing processes are implemented in organizations. These case studies are presented in a format that lends itself to comparative analysis: organization overview, testing requirements unique to the organization, how the organization manages and plans testing, roles and responsibilities, testing phases, artifacts, and process improvement initiatives. This part of the book is a gold mine of best practices and ideas, and shows how five organizations implemented a viable testing process to meet their unique requirements. The appendices are a collection of artifacts that you can tailor to your own testing process. This collection consists of TEMPLATES AND FORMS: A-Terms of Reference (scope and roles/responsibilities of the process), B-Testing Guide covering each of the testing techniques in Part 1, C-Test Plan Template, D-Test Specification Template, E-Test Script Template, F-Test Result Record Template, G-Test Log Template, H-Test Certificate Template, I-Reuse Pack Checklist, J-Test Summary Report Template. WORKED EXAMPLES: K-Equivalence Partition Example, L-Boundary Analysis Example, M-State Transition Example. CHECKLISTS AND OVERVIEWS: N-Automated Testing Tool Selection Criteria, O-Usability Testing Overview, P-Test Process Health Check and Q-Testing Object-Oriented Software. Appendices A through P are also provided electronically via the URL provided in the book. They are in MS Word format. Note that the book and Part 3 make reference to a CD ROM, which does not exist. Also, the URL provided will redirect you to a home page on the publisher's web site and from there you will need to search for the book title, which leads to the book page and a hyperlink titled "solutions to problem sets". It's worth the trouble because the templates are the key artifacts of the "Off-the-Shelf Software Testing Process". This book is one of the most valuable testing references that I own. It will kick-start an implementation of a mature and effective testing process, and can be tailored to fit any organization's unique requirements. It earns a solid five stars and a place on my short list of testing books.
Rating:
Summary: Lives up to its title! Exceptionally valuable
Review: This book lives up to its subtitle, "An Off-the-Shelf Software Testing Process". It is organized into an introduction (chapter 1) and three parts that consist of 17 chapters and 18 appendices. The 12 chapters in Part 1 cover the basics of a traditional testing process. Because this book's focus is not so much about teaching testing as it is about providing a process, this information is more of an anchor point to ensure that you understand the author's terminology, perspective and approach. Covered in this part are: overview of testing, testing techniques at a high level, test planning and management, unit, integration and system testing, systems integration testing, user acceptance testing, operations acceptance testing, regression testing, test process improvement, and the introduction, adoption and maintenance of the testing process. Some of the key strengths of Part 1, in my opinion, include how Mr. Watkins ties test stages to life cycle milestones using the V-model and the clear distinction made between functional and non-functional testing techniques. I also liked the chapter layout for each testing technique, which presented each technique in a clear and consistent manner. The layout starts with an overview of the technique, gives the approach and test data requirements, roles and responsibilities, planning resources, inputs, techniques and outputs. This layout clearly lends itself to plan-do-check-act or entry-task-validation-exit models used in mature quality organizations. It's important to note that the processes are generic and need to be tailored to your organization based. This is especially true of terms and definitions. For example, my definition of user acceptance testing differs from the author's, as does my definition of Defect Removal Efficiency. I did a search of both terms on the Internet and found a 60%/40% split in favor of the author regarding the definition of user acceptance testing, and a 75%/25% split in my favor with respect to the definition of Defect Removal Efficiency. The significance of this is software testing, despite the growing body of knowledge, IEEE standard terminology and inclusion of KPAs in the CMM, is still hampered by imprecise terminology. I am grateful that the author included a glossary in this book that succinctly gives his definitions. Part 2 provides five chapters of case studies showing how testing processes are implemented in organizations. These case studies are presented in a format that lends itself to comparative analysis: organization overview, testing requirements unique to the organization, how the organization manages and plans testing, roles and responsibilities, testing phases, artifacts, and process improvement initiatives. This part of the book is a gold mine of best practices and ideas, and shows how five organizations implemented a viable testing process to meet their unique requirements. The appendices are a collection of artifacts that you can tailor to your own testing process. This collection consists of TEMPLATES AND FORMS: A-Terms of Reference (scope and roles/responsibilities of the process), B-Testing Guide covering each of the testing techniques in Part 1, C-Test Plan Template, D-Test Specification Template, E-Test Script Template, F-Test Result Record Template, G-Test Log Template, H-Test Certificate Template, I-Reuse Pack Checklist, J-Test Summary Report Template. WORKED EXAMPLES: K-Equivalence Partition Example, L-Boundary Analysis Example, M-State Transition Example. CHECKLISTS AND OVERVIEWS: N-Automated Testing Tool Selection Criteria, O-Usability Testing Overview, P-Test Process Health Check and Q-Testing Object-Oriented Software. Appendices A through P are also provided electronically via the URL provided in the book. They are in MS Word format. Note that the book and Part 3 make reference to a CD ROM, which does not exist. Also, the URL provided will redirect you to a home page on the publisher's web site and from there you will need to search for the book title, which leads to the book page and a hyperlink titled "solutions to problem sets". It's worth the trouble because the templates are the key artifacts of the "Off-the-Shelf Software Testing Process". This book is one of the most valuable testing references that I own. It will kick-start an implementation of a mature and effective testing process, and can be tailored to fit any organization's unique requirements. It earns a solid five stars and a place on my short list of testing books.
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