Software Planner newsletter

If your looking for an overview of test cases for testing the user interface you could start with the Software Planner newsletters from Steve Miller. For the last two news letters he has focused on this area. In August it was "20 Useful test cases for testing User Interfaces" and this month it is "15 Useful test cases for ensuring a consistent User Interface".

Examples of the test cases include:

Screen font type: Ensure that the screen font family matches from screen to screen. Mismatching fonts within the same sentence and overuse of different fonts can detract from the professionalism of your software user interface.

Screen font sizes: Ensure that the screen font sizes match from screen to screen. A good user interface will have an accompanying style guide that explicitly defines the font type and size for headers, body text, footers, etc.

Error logging: If fatal errors occur as users use your application, ensure that your applications writes those errors to a log file, event viewer or a database table for later review. Log the routine the error was in, the person logged on, and the date/time of the error.

Error messages: Ensure that error messages are informative, grammatically correct, and not condescending.

Outsourced testing webinar

There is a Free Webinar on Thursday 24 September: 14.00 BST. Its entitled "Outsourced Testing – You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It".

"There are now many organisations offering managed testing and QA services, with the promise of in-depth technical and testing skills, cost savings, flexibility, accelerated delivery, and better quality.
While these contracts are entered into with the best intentions, all too often these seemingly great deals soon begin to feel expensive, inflexible, and no longer targeted to the needs of the organisation. Control of how well solutions are being tested, and the continuity of value delivery, must essentially be maintained.
Anyone considering or using outsourced testing services will want to avoid the pitfalls experienced by others via proven methods of management and working. This webinar explores some practical management techniques for setting up, or rejuvenating testing managed service arrangements, including supplier management and measurement, and tools that make outsourcing testing work a success for the customer."

Software Planner acquired by AutomatedQA

This week saw the merger of AutomatedQA with Pragmatic Software. Both companies had good testing tools in complementary spaces. TestComplete serviced the automated functional testing space while Software Planner provided testing tool support for test management throughout the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle). The two companies had already begun to work together to provide a more integrated solution and compete with the wider testing tool offerings from companies such as HP (the Mercury testing tools) and Micro Focus (both the Compuware and the Borland (nee Segue) testing tool set).

"For too long, Application Lifecycle Management and automated testing has been out of reach for all but the biggest software development organizations", says Derek Langone, President of AutomatedQA. "The addition of the Software Planner product suite lowers the barriers to entry of cost and complexity, so every software developer, regardless of size, can leverage the immediate advantages of ALM".

Steve Miller, President/CEO of Pragmatic Software joins AutomatedQA as Vice President of ALM Solutions. "We are excited to have Software Planner join the AutomatedQA family of outstanding quality assurance products," says Miller. "Integrating manual testing and test automation into a comprehensive software lifecycle solution will allow our clients to succeed with their software development efforts while empowering teams to become more lean and productive."