Page 72 - SOFTWARE TESTING & QUALITY ASSURANCE

Unit 5: Special Types of Testing

More information about Microsoft’s set of standards for both hardware and
software can be obtained from the following link.
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Search/en-us?query=standards

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/gg463010.aspx
Configuration Testing other Hardware

Configuration testing involves checking the configurations of the various software and hardware that
support a system. Apart from knowing the type of hardware, you also need to know the memory size,
CPU speed, and so on and ensure that these hardware types connect to the correct piece of hardware
and software configuration.

Some of the common questions that one needs to answer before performing
configuration testing are as follows:

What external hardware will operate with the software?
1. What models and versions of the hardware are available?
2. What features or options does the hardware support?

While performing configuration testing, one must ensure to have relevant set of questions to learn
about the system to be tested. Equivalence class partitions of the hardware are created based on input
obtained from the people who work with the project manager. Based on their input, test cases are
developed and they are run on the appropriate hardware to be tested.
5.2 Graphical User Interface Testing

The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is the front-end that acts as an interface for the users of computer or
an electronic gadget.
A software product is developed and designed for use by its customers. Be it office, home or college,
you can find several software products used on a regular basis. Therefore, it becomes necessary to check
the usability of the software products.
Usability of a software product can be seen in the appropriate functional and effective interaction of the
software product. It can be said that usability is very similar to Ergonomics. Ergonomics relates to the
science of designing things in such a way that makes the product easy to use it.
As a software tester, you would be the first person to use the software product. Usability of one product
differs from that of another. The medium through which you interact with the software is known as
User Interface or UI. There are some peculiar cases, one of which is discussed in the following example.

There is no user interface to control fuel or air ratio in an engine. However,
extra pressure is required by the gas pedal. The noise from the tailpipe or
emission pipe acts as a user interface in this case.

Did you know? Initially, computers had toggle switches and light bulbs as user interfaces.
In the 1960s and 1970s, punch cards, teletypes, and paper tapes were the popular user
interfaces.
The GUI has become a de facto standard for user interface in most of the modern technologies.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 65