Software Test Life Cycle (Part 1 of 3)

Usually, testing is considered as a part of the System Development Life Cycle, but it can be also termed as Software Testing Life Cycle or Test Development Life Cycle.

Software Testing Life Cycle consists of the following phases:
1. Planning
2. Analysis
3. Design
4. Execution
5. Cycles
6. Final Testing and Implementation
7. Post Implementation


1. Test Planning (Product Definition Phase):
The test plan phase mainly signifies preparation of a test plan. A test plan is a high level planning document derived from the project plan (if one exists) and details the future course of testing. Sometimes, a quality assurance plan - which is more broader in scope than a test plan is also made.

Contents of a Test Plan are as follows :

• Scope of testing
• Entry Criteria (When testing will begin?)
• Exit Criteria (When testing will stop?)
• Testing Strategies (Black Box, White Box, etc.)
• Testing Levels (Integration testing, Regression testing, etc.)
• Limitation (if any)
• Planned Reviews and Code Walkthroughs
• Testing Techniques (Boundary Value Analysis, Equivalence Partitioning, etc.)
• Testing Tools and Databases (Automatic Testing Tools, Performance testing tools)
• Reporting (How would bugs be reported)
• Milestones
• Resources and Training

Contents of a SQA Plan, more broader than a test plan, are as follows :

The IEEE standard for SQA Plan Preparation contains the following outline :

• Purpose
• Reference Documents
• Management
• Documentation
• Standards, Practices and Conventions
• Reviews and Audits
• Software Configuration Management
• Problem Reporting and Corrective Action (Software Metrics to be used can be identified at this stage)
• Tools, Techniques and Methodologies
• Code Control
• Media Control
• Supplier Control
• Records, Collection, maintenance and Retention

(Continued...)