Hi Everyone, I hope that you will have a chance to come and her Elfriede Dustin speak about test automation at next week's meeting. Again, at this month's regular meeting, 2 lucky attendees will each receive a copy of the book, Total Quality Management for Software, edited by Gordon Schulmeyer and James McManus. Note that we will have a 2nd meeting on the 24th of this month when Cem Kaner will share his latest thoughts on regression testing. Best wishes, John Pustaver Region I Councilor ASQ Software Division Meeting of the Software Quality Group of New England Meetings of the Software Quality Group are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the facilities of Sun Microsystems, Burlington (Driving directions below). MEETING DAY & DATE: Wednesday, May 10, 2000 TIME: 6:15 PM HEADLINE: Automated Testing Life-cycle Methodology (ATLM) and Automated tools SPEAKER: Elfriede Dustin, Test manager and author of Automated Software Testing MORE INFO: John Pustaver, 978-443-4254, pustaver@swquality.com LOCATION: Sun Microsystems, Burlington (Driving directions below) DESCRIPTION: The book "Automated Software Testing", Elfriede Dustin, et al describes the Automated Testing Life-cycle Methodology (ATLM). This presentation will give an overview of the ATLM and Automated tools. How test teams introduce an automated software test tool on a new project is nearly as important as the selection of the most appropriate test tool for the project. A tool is only as good as the process being used to implement the tool. Over the last several years test teams have largely implemented automated testing tools on projects, without having a process or strategy in place describing in detail the steps involved in using the test tool productively. This approach commonly results in the development of test scripts that are not reusable, meaning that the test script serves a single test string but cannot be applied to a subsequent release of the software application. In the case of incremental software builds and as a result of software changes, these test scripts need to be recreated repeatedly and must be adjusted multiple times to accommodate minor software changes. This approach increases the testing effort and brings subsequent schedule increases and cost overruns. The fallout from a bad experience with a test tool on a project can have a ripple effect throughout an organization. The experience may tarnish the reputation of the test group. Confidence in the tool by product and project managers may have been shaken to the point where the test team may have difficulty obtaining approval for use of a test tool on future efforts. Likewise, when budget pressures materialize, planned expenditures for test tool licenses and related tool support may be scratched. By developing and following a strategy for rolling out and implemented an automated test tool as part of the Automated Testing Life-cycle methodology, the test team can avoid having to make major unplanned adjustments throughout the test process. The presentation "Automated Software Testing" addresses these various issues and their solutions. Elfriede Dustin works as a Test Manager at BNA Software. She is a SQA Certified test engineer and supports test efforts for a multitude of applications. In support of software test efforts, Elfriede has been responsible for implementing automated test, or has performed as the lead consultant guiding the implementation of automated software test. She has lead the successful rollout of automated testing tools at various companies, and has applied her rollout strategy on many different projects. Elfriede Dustin is the senior author of the book "Automated Software Testing", published by Addison-Wesley. Currently the book is listed as a testing book bestseller on www.amazon.com. Elfriede is a frequent speaker at various international testing conferences (i.e. Rational conference, STAR conference, TCS conference, CSC conference). Elfriede Dustin also maintains her own website, see www.autotestco.com. NEXT MEETING NOTE: The next meeting will be held on May 24, 2000: Cem Kaner, Regression Testing 1999-2000 Software Quality Group Calendar Oct. 13, 1999: Mike Sowers, Getting results with Technical Reviews and Inspections through web based automation. Nov. 10, 1999: Anna Allison , Managing for Success: The High Quality Equation Dec. 8, 1999: Test Automation Panel Discussion Jan 12, 2000: Chuck Connell, Turning Around Software Projects That Are Off Track Feb 9, 2000: Stephanie Beach, Aspect Communications: The basics you need to start working with when you are all alone in the lab. Mar 8, 2000: Valerie Nolan, Configuration Management topic TBD Apr 12, 2000: Bill Harmon, Meaningful Metrics May 10, 2000: Elfriede Dustin, Automated Testing Life-cycle Methodology May 24, 2000: Cem Kaner, Regression Testing Jun 14, 2000: Tom Poirier, The "Quality on Time" Test Methodology for Dot Coms: Achieving Verifiable Levels of Coverage in Abbreviated Time Frames July 12, 2000: Annual Hot Topics Night The Software Quality Group holds monthly meetings. Topics covered at these meetings have included software testing, inspections, ISO 9000, metrics configuration management, and demonstrations of vendor QA tools. There is no charge. The Software Quality Group meets monthly at 6:15pm on the second Wednesday of the month at the facilities of Sun Microsystems, Burlington, MA. Driving directions: >From 128/95 Take the Rt. 3 exit heading north (not the Middlesex Turnpike exit if you're coming form the south). From Rt. 3N take the first exit (which is Rt. 62 - Bedford Ave). Turn east toward Burlington. Approximately 0.3 mile after the interchange, turn right onto Network Drive, which leads to the campus on your right. Take the second drive off of Network Drive into the Sun parking lot. Park in the visitor lot and enter the lobby opposite the Sun clock tower. Information about future meetings will be available on the Software Quality Page at http://www.swquality.com/users/pustaver. To be on the email distribution list, send a note to pustaver@swquality.com. The Software Quality Group is cosponsored by Sun Microsystems and the ASQ Software Division and all are welcome. There is NO charge. Directors of the Software Quality Group are John Pustaver, Region I Councilor, American Society for Quality, Software Division and Paul Ratty, Sun Microsystems.