Introduction to Software Testing

SE foundations

• There was little scientific understanding of the causes of boiler explosions.
• Similarly, ours is a young discipline and we’re still working on the foundations.
• What’s a good design?
• high-level abstractions of software components
• safety-critical systems
• role of formalisms and formal methods
• verification and validation
• system evolution

Problems

• We aren’t sharing as much information as we should (partly due to corporate paranoia), and there isn't that much careful, analytical data anyway.
• Info-tech is a fast-paced, fad-happy, innovation-driven, big money game.
• There has been little time or money for careful reflection, evaluation, and condensation.