1. Boundary Testing To Infinity and Beyond …
Robert Sabourin
President
AmiBug.Com, Inc.
Montreal, Canada
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

2. Elevator Parable Robert Sabourin , Software Evangelist President
AmiBug.Com Inc.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

3. Overview Introduction Traditional Boundary Risks Requirements
Data Entry
Processing
Exploring Boundaries
Testing Objectives
Discover Variables
Experimentation
Analysis
Stress Boundaries
Behavioral
Performance
Quality Factors
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

4. Boundary Questions What is a: variable? boundary? boundary test?
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

5. Boundary Questions What is a variable? To VARY is to CHANGE
A variable is something which can change
Software behavior depends on the VALUES of many VARIABLES
Anything which influences the behavior of software could be a variable
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

6. Boundary Questions What is a boundary? Many concepts Extreme Values
Minimum
Maximum
Singularities
Discontinuities
Points at which behavior changes
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

7. Boundary Questions What is a boundary test? ______________________
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

8. Boundary Questions What is a boundary test? Confirmatory test
Confirm behavior is as expected at boundaries of variables
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

9. Boundary Questions What is a boundary test? Exploratory discover …
which variables influence behavior
the behavior as values are varied
values which do not cause behaviors to change
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

10. Boundary Questions Why are boundary tests important? Experience
Knowledge
Boundaries values are sometimes considered as the best representative values in an equivalence class
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

11. Taking AIM Testing Approaches Equivalence Classes Usage Scenarios
Quality Factors
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

12. Taking AIM Requirements Use cases Functional requirements
Quality factors
Constraints
Written requirements
Implicit requirements
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

13. Taking AIM Usage Scenarios Identify classes of users
Identify how users will use system
Describe scenarios
Use Story board or similar approaches
Identify variations
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

14. Quality Factors Importance Different Application Types
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

15. Taking AIM Equivalence Classes November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

16. Edsger W. Dijkstra
“Program testing can be used to show the presence of bugs, but never to show their absence”
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

17. Taking AIM Equivalence class
A subset of all possible test values to a variable
Each member assumed provide the same info
Each variable may have many classes
Equivalence class are not mutually exclusive
Focus testing
Reduce the number of test cases
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

18. Sets – Venn Diagram Equivalence Classesb c d a b c d e f b a c
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

19. Equivalence Classes Equivalence Sources Requirements Code Data
Business logic
Capabilities
Ranges
Constraints
Code
Decisions
Intermediate computations
Data
Input fields
Database
Internal structures
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

20. AIM - Equivalence Classes
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

21. Example: Date Field Equivalence Classes Mind Map
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

22. Example: Claim Amount Equivalence Classes Mind Map
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

23. November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

24. Boundary
Discontinuity
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

25. Boundary
Singularity
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

26. Boundary
Behavioral Change
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

27. Boundary
Jump Discontinuity
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

28. Boundary Removable Discontinuity November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

29. Boundary Conic Sections Intersect a plane with a cone Parabola Circle
Ellipse
Hyperbola
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

30. November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

31. Boundary Fractal Roots Polynomial: x**5 - 1 November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

32. Boundary Time Domain Frequency Domain November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

33. Boundary
Political Geography
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

34. Boundary
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

35. Boundary
Physical Geography
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

36. Boundary
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

37. Boundary
Going over the edge
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

38. Boundary Off the edge of the earth November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

39. Analysis & Design Quebec City Bridge, 1916 Tacoma Narrows, 1940
Construction collapse
Stress due to scale
Tacoma Narrows, 1940
Collapse during normal operation
Stress due to instability
Wind was only 42 mph
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

40. Taking AIM Quality Factors Scale Meter Goal November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

41. Taking AIM
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

42. Taking AIM
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

43. Boundaries Limits of authority November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

44. Boundary
Limits of patience
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

45. Boundary Visual acuity Are these two points the same November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

46. Boundary
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

47. Boundary
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

48. Boundary Color Correctly name shades of yellow November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

49. Boundary Phonetic Similarity Conscious, Conscience
conscious = adjective meaning awake, perceiving: Despite a head injury, the patient remained conscious.
conscience = noun meaning the sense of obligation to be good: Chris wouldn't cheat because his conscience wouldn't let him.
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

50. Boundary Delay timing Pauses and delays in the middle of transactions
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

51. Boundary Security The ethical hacker How long to break in?
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

52. Boundary
Resonant frequency
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

53. Boundary Toy train set Which variables lead to a crash?
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

54. November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

55. Performance Testing Experiments
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

56. Performance Testing Experiments
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

57. Performance Testing Experiments
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

58. Performance Testing Experiments
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

59. Performance Testing Experiments
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

60. Performance Testing Experiments
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

61. Related Rates
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

62. Minimal Platform
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

63. Understanding Complex Technology Quantitatively By Tom Gilb
Rank
Credibility
0.0
Wild guess, no credibility
0.1
We know it has been done somewhere
0.2
We have one measurement somewhere
0.3
There are several measurements in the estimated range
0.4
The measurements are relevant to our case
0.5
The method of measurement is considered reliable
0.6
We have used the method in-house
0.7
We have reliable measurements in-house
0.8
Reliable in-house measurements correlate to independent external measurements
0.9
We have used the idea on this project and measured it
1.0
Perfect credibility, we have rock solid, contract- guaranteed, long-term, credible experience with this idea on this project and, the results are unlikely to disappear
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

64. Variable Type Boundaries
Numbers and Calculations
Computer Representations
Integer
Floating Point
Casting
Precision
Epsilon
Rounding
Error
unsigned char
255
short int
-32,767
32,767
unsigned short
65,535
int
unsigned int
long int
-2,147,483,647
2,147,483,647
unsigned long
4,294,967,295
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

65. Variable Type Boundaries
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

66. Variable Type Boundaries
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

67. Variable Type Boundaries
Times
Dates
Causality
Ranges
Formats
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

68. Date/Time Boundaries November 12, 2018 © Robert Sabourin, 2007 Day
First Day of Month
Last Day of Month
Month
First Month of Year
Last Month of Year
Year
First Year of Century
Last Year of Century
First Year of Millennium
Last Year of Millennium
Leap Year
Leap Century
Hour
First hour of day
Last hour of day
First hour of morning
Last hour of morning
First hour of afternoon
Last hour of afternoon
Leap hour forward
Leap hour backward
Leap day forward
Leap day backward
Minute
First minute of hour
Last minute of hour
Second
First second of minute
Last second of minute
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

69. Date/Time Boundaries Transactions Crossing Time Ranges
Crossing hour (for example Newfoundland time zone is off by 30 minutes from Atlantic time zone)
Crossing AM PM (in one time zone transaction is in morning, in another time zone transaction is in the afternoon)
Crossing Day (in on time zone transaction is in different day)
Crossing Year (in one time zone transaction is in different year)
Crossing Month (in one time zone transaction is in different month)
Crossing Century (in one time zone transaction is in different century)
Crossing Millennium (in one time zone transaction is in different millennium)
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

70. Variable Type Boundaries
Systems of equations
Matrices
Condition
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

71. Variable Type Boundaries
Text
Strings
Collation
Syntax
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

72. Bidirectional Text Boundaries
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

73. To Boldly Go
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

74. Boundary Buzz Light-year To infinity and beyond November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007

75. Thank You
Questions?
November 12, 2018
© Robert Sabourin, 2007