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Testing and Documentation (Evaluation (Efficient use of coding constructs,…
Testing and Documentation
comprehensive test plan
Comprehensive testing describes the process of testing normal, exceptional and extreme data.
Extreme
Extreme data is data that is on the limit of the acceptable range. (The highest and lowest possible numbers that are still acceptable)
Exceptional
Values that are outside the range and are unacceptable. This includes imputing text instead of a number etc.
Normal
Normal data is regarded as data that should be accepted and handled correctly, it should be within the range
errors
Logic
The program will execute the code but will produce unexpected results.
Examples
Using < instead of >
Using AND instead of OR
Execution
An execution error occurs when a program is asked to do something that it cannot, resulting in a ‘crash’.
Example
Dividing something by zero
Syntax
This is an error in the spelling or grammar used when coding.
Examples
Forgetting to include speech marks
Missing a character
debugging techniques
Breakpoints
When a programmer creates code they can add what is known as a breakpoint. A breakpoint is a point in the program where the code will stop executing. In large programs it is not uncommon to use a trace table prior to setting breakpoints. A trace table will highlight the fact that the value is not as it should be and the programmer can then set breakpoints to check specific parts of the program without having to trace each variable all of the time.
Watchpoints
Where a breakpoint is triggered at a specific point in the execution of code, a watchpoint is concerned with changes in the value of specific variables. For example, you could create a watchpoint on a variable called score and apply a condition to the watchpoint that stops execution when the value of score changes to ten. This would allow you to check that the value changes at the point in the execution that you expect it to.
Trace Tables
Trace tables are used to allow programmers to trace the value of variables as each line of code is executed. The values of the variables are displayed in a table and assist the programmer in identifying any potential errors.
Dry runs
A dry run is the process of a programmer manually working through their code to trace the value of variables. There is no software involved in this process. They will either read through a print out of the code or the actual code on the screen. It is done at various stages and only deals with logic errors, not execution.
Evaluation
Usability
Usability is the measure of a product's potential to accomplish the goals of the user.
Maintainability
How easy is it for other programmers to look at and understand if they need to change or add to it. Things like readability, comments and coding standards are needed to make the code maintainable
Efficient use of coding constructs
Has the programmer used repetition (loops) where possible to reduce the amount of code?
Has the programmer used arrays where possible instead of declaring many individual variables?
Has the programmer used selection statements that will only make comparisons until a solution is reached?
Robustness
The program should be able to run, even when the input entered is not valid. It should not regularly crash and should be reliable.
Fitness for purpose
Does the software actually do the things that were asked for during the analysis stage? This must be backed up by evidence from testing.