Role of users in Software Life Cycle
Users are the integral part of the Software Systems because in the end software will be used by them. As a developer and tester will work on some project and then move to the next project, but the users will use it frequently. If we are doing the testing of ATM software then after making and deploy our role will be finished but the users will use it forever.
I always stick to the definition of the Tester given by Ron Patton in his book “Software Testing” :-
“The goal of the Software Tester” is to find bugs, find then as early as possible, and make sure they get fixed.”
I would like to add one thing in this is that tester is the representative of the users. Tester has to think and act like end user while testing the product. Testers are closest to users in the organizations.
Users don’t like the break or crash in the applications. So try to think about the negative testing. I know this term ‘Negative Testing” is somewhat confusing. You can refer to the Pradeep Soundararajan famous blog for further understanding of this term.
http://testertested.blogspot.com/2007/04/negatives-of-negative-testing.html
These days I have seen the companies thinking toward the early visibility of the users in the projects. I am happy my company is working toward it. My company try to bring the customer into the picture from the early point of view. It is possible due to the fact that my company work on Metadata driven approach(MDA).
In last I would like to say we cannot ignore the users in the Software Development life cycle. It we (especially testers) think like users we can deliver the good quality products.
I always stick to the definition of the Tester given by Ron Patton in his book “Software Testing” :-
“The goal of the Software Tester” is to find bugs, find then as early as possible, and make sure they get fixed.”
I would like to add one thing in this is that tester is the representative of the users. Tester has to think and act like end user while testing the product. Testers are closest to users in the organizations.
Users don’t like the break or crash in the applications. So try to think about the negative testing. I know this term ‘Negative Testing” is somewhat confusing. You can refer to the Pradeep Soundararajan famous blog for further understanding of this term.
http://testertested.blogspot.com/2007/04/negatives-of-negative-testing.html
These days I have seen the companies thinking toward the early visibility of the users in the projects. I am happy my company is working toward it. My company try to bring the customer into the picture from the early point of view. It is possible due to the fact that my company work on Metadata driven approach(MDA).
In last I would like to say we cannot ignore the users in the Software Development life cycle. It we (especially testers) think like users we can deliver the good quality products.
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Regards and Thanks
Mukesh Dhingra
"Testing a product is a learning process."
