Connecting Practice

In developing a software organization’s policy and strategy, one can manage their Tracking System tools to support and improve their operation and total life cycle performance. And in the light of the impact on business, society, customer and people, the following are free Tracking System tools for best, good, or emerging Tracking System tool identification and evaluation.

Tracking System

1. Bosco - Bosco is a rewrite of the popular Bugzilla defect tracking software in PHP. It is database-independent, and aims to be easy to maintain and modify. It also has an API to allow external applications to work with its data… read more

2. Bug-A-Boo - Bug-A-Boo is a bug reporting and tracking system that runs on any Web server that supports CGI. It can handle any number of projects, users, and bug classifications, and is really flexible in their setup… read more

3. Bugdar - Bugdar is a free, fast, and powerful bug tracker just took another large leap in terms of features and speed. Bugdar 1.2 hosts a series of new features, but fixes, speed enhancements, and minor tinkering… read more

4. Bugtrack - Bugtrack is a Web-based bug tracking system written in Perl. It supports multiple users and projects with multiple components and versions, provides e-mail notification, and should work with any DBI compliant database… read more

5. Bugzilla - Bugzilla is the leading open-source/free software bug tracking system. It is server software designed to help you manage software development… read more

6. Double Choco Latte - Double Choco Latte is a system for tracking bugs, changes and enhancements to software, and requests for software. It is suitable for multiple products and multiple accounts (clients)… read more

7. EnterTrack - EnterTrack is an open source web-based artifact tracking/management system written in PHP. EnterTrack is derived from Issue-Tracker v4.0.1 (www.issue-tracker.com) and adds a number of features particularly useful to larger groups… read more

8. Eventum - Eventum is a user-friendly and flexible issue tracking system that can be used by a support department to track incoming technical support requests, or by a software development team to quickly organize tasks and bugs… read more

9. GNU GNATS - GNU GNATS is a set of tools for tracking bugs reported by users to a central site. It allows problem report management and communication with users via various means… read more

10. Mantis - Mantis is a free popular web-based bugtracking system. It is written in the PHP scripting language and works with MySQL, MS SQL, and PostgreSQL databases and a webserver. Mantis has been installed on Windows, Linux, Mac OS, OS/2, and others… read more

11. OTRS - OTRS is an Open source Ticket Request System with many features to manage customer telephone calls and e-mails. It allows your support, sales, pre-sales, billing, internal IT, helpdesk, etc. department to react quickly to inbound inquiries… read more

12. RT: Request Tracker - RT is an enterprise-grade ticketing system which enables a group of people to intelligently and efficiently manage tasks, issues, and requests submitted by a community of users… read more

13. Roundup - Roundup is a simple-to-use and -install issue-tracking system with command-line, web and e-mail interfaces. It is based on the winning design from Ka-Ping Yee in the Software Carpentry “Track” design competition… read more

14. gwyple - gwyple is a GUI, implemented in Perl and Perl/Tk, for handling bug reports. These reports usually arrive by email, are stored by helper scripts called from procmail, and can then be organized by gwyple independently from the used BTS… read more

15. pg Request Tracker 2/3 Report - pg Request Tracker 2/3 Report is a set of tools for generating reports for Request Tracker 2/3 (RT 2/3). Currently, it only supports the Postgres (”pg”) and MySQL backends… read more

16. phpBugTracker - phpBugTracker is a web-based bug tracker with functionality similar to other issue tracking systems, such as Bugzilla. Design focuses on separating the presentation, application, and database layers… read more

17. phpSupport 5.0 - phpSupport 5.0 is your customer friendly trouble ticket system. With 5.0 you allow users to register to open trouble tickets and keep track of their tickets… read more

Below is the defect life cycle diagram.

Moreover, in “Defect Workflow for Mantis Bug Tracking System” topic, I described the defect workflow used by client, QA team, and Software Developer team in Mantis. In this piece, I improved the defect workflow aim to help client, QA team, and Software Developer team works and/or tasks further. The conformance to the defect workflow woould govern them to:

~ reduce the gaps due to lack of knowledge on the implied quality needs (specified in a project request and design, produced by the programmers, what the clients wanted) and/or approach governing the quality of their deliverables and products.
~ re-enforce Mantis;
~ optimize the current defect management process;
~ improve the quality of the deliverables;
~ improve team collaboration;
~ reduce errors or deficiencies in the process; and
~ prevent unforeseen problems.

The perceived benefits would be good service, lower development cost, and achieving the best possible results.

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In “Mantis - A Free Popular Web-based Bug Tracking System“ topic, it describes Mantis as free popular web-based bug tracking system. In this piece, it describes the defect workflow used by the QA Team and Dev Team in Mantis characteristically with the following activities:

1. Reporter - Reporting Issue Basics
2. QA Team - Reviewing
3. Reporter - Giving Feedback
4. Software Development Team - Reviewing
5. Software Developer - Marking Defect as Fixed
6. QA Team - Testing
7. QA Team - Acknowledging Defect for Closing
8. Reporter - User Acceptance Testing
9. Reporter - Closing Defect

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As I downloaded the latest stable version of Mantis, I am blogging about it.

Mantis is a free popular web-based bug tracking system. It is written in the PHP scripting language and works with MySQL, MS SQL, and PostgreSQL databases and a webserver. Mantis has been installed on Windows, Linux, Mac OS, OS/2, and others. Almost any web browser should be able to function as a client. It is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL).

The main features include:

1. Free (GPL License)
2. Easy to Install (both internally and in hosted environments).
3. Easy to evaluate:

• Demo
• InstantMantis - Be up and running in 2 minutes (not recommended for production use)

4. Simple User Experience
5. Web Based
6. Supports any platform that runs PHP (Windows, Linux, Mac, Solaris, AS400/i5, etc)
7. Available in 68 localizations.
8. Simple/Advanced Issue Pages
9. Multiple Projects per instance
10. Support for Projects, Sub-Projects, and Categories.
11. Users can have a different access level per project
12. Changelog Support
13. Roadmap
14. My View Page
15. Search and Filter

• Full Text Search
• Simple/Advanced Filters
• Shared Filters (across users / projects)

16. Built-in Reporting (reports / graphs)
17. Custom Fields
18. Email notifications
19. Users can monitor specific issues
20. Attachments (can be saved on webserver or in database - can also backup to an FTP account)
21. Issue Change History
22. RSS Feeds (news, issues matching saved filters, issues matching a specific project)
23. Customizable issue workflow
24. Sponsorships Support - users are able to place bounties or sponsorships for specific issues, also developers can track such sponsorships / payments.
25. Anonymous Access
26. Signup with Captcha and Email Confirmation.
27. Self-Service Reset Password Support
28. Export to csv, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word
29. Ability to extended functionality through hook (custom) functions.
30. Reporting issues via Email (available as a patch - currently being integrated)
31. Reporting Issues via a custom form on your website (Anonymantis).
32. Source Control Integration (SVN and CVS).
33. No limit on the number of users, issues, or projects.
34. Wiki Integration (optional)
35. Time Tracking
36. Ability to send messages to messages to other users in regards to a specific issue.
37. Public / Private Projects - Public project accessible to all users, private are only accessible to those explicitly added.
38. Public / Private Notes - Private notes are accessible to users with a specific access level to the relevant project.
39. Public / Private Issues - Private issues are accessible to users with a specific access level to the relevant project.
40. Issue Relationships
41. Issue Relationship Graphs (uses “dot” library).
42. Attachment Auto-Preview
43. Public / Private News (news can be associated with a specific project, or with all projects).
44. Sticky Issues (always appear on the top of the issues list).
45. Group Actions: actions can be applied on multiple issues.
46. Easy hyperlinks to issues and issue notes (e.g. #123 hyper links to issue number 123).
47. Ability to view recently visited issues (the last 5 visited issues are visible by default at the top right corner).
48. Authentication

• Default Mantis Authentication (recommended)
• LDAP Integration
• HTTP Basic Authentication Support
• Active Directory Integration (patches available)

49. Chat Integration (optional)
50. Multi-DBMS Support - Mantis uses ADODB as an abstraction library to support multiple DBMSes.

• MySQL
• MS SQL
• PostgreSQL
• Oracle (experimental)
• DB2 (in progress)

51. Webservice (SOAP) interface (MantisConnect)

• A SOAP web service that is implemented in PHP and can be consumed from any language that supports SOAP web services.
• .NET Client Library
• Java Client Library
• Cocoa Client Library
• Eclipse Plugin
• NAnt Task
• Mantis Notifier

52. Support for mobile devices (MantisWAP).
53. Online Chat (optional integration)
54. There are community projects that integrate it with content management and project management too
55. Twitter Integration allowing users to monitor updates (Added in release 1.1.0a4)

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In “Template Content For Documenting Defects” topic, it describes how one can document the defects using a template for reporting defects, tracking defect status, and generating test summary report. This piece describes the defect workflow used in the template.

Note the defect workflow describes the repeatable pattern of activities, steps, and information in the defect reporting process and determines who is responsible for each activity or step to make the changes. It should be systematic and adaptable for managing and resolving defects.

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The following specific activities could be performed to achieve the development of test specification documents:

1. Develop task satisfying activities and progress tracking system.

2. Identify specific issues or choices outside and inside the situation that should be addressed, confronted, and reinforced in assessing readiness to engage in the undertaking. This usually involves various driving forces, or major influences, that might effect in getting ready to engage in the process. Example: Shortcomings to subject knowledge, experience, and expertise on this area; support; time; etc.

3. Obtain and examine what resources available to engage and devote in the undertaking, such as project objectives, requirements, use cases, etc. Note: Ensure the most effective use of available resources by focusing on the key priorities.

4. Review/Verify objectives, requirements, and/or use cases for correctness and completeness. Use the reasoning process to identify and eliminate incomplete, unclear, incorrect, and ambigious words, phrases, and constructs. Ask “What” most of the time. The intention is to understand the objectives, requirements, and/or use cases and improve their quality for better test design, execution, and results. Note: Arrange meetings at regular intervals with the users for issue clarifications - Issues must be precise and only relevant points should be discussed. Must be very particular in asking inquiries/questions.

5. If appropriate, validate requirements and/or use cases against objectives - Compare requirements and/or use cases to the objectives, if requirements and/or use cases do not belong in the process scope. This includes applying use cases against requirements - Use cases must satisfy requirements. Otherwise, use cases are incomplete.

6. Design, develop, refine, and further the list of functionalities and test cases to fill the gaps in test coverage by:

• reviewing the list of functionalities and test cases by working closely with the requirement’s author - A problem with the list of functionalities and test cases must be redesigned;
• working closely with the user to validate the list of functionalities and test cases - Let users obtain a better understanding of what the deliverable system will be like; and
• reviewing the list of functionalities and test cases by working closely with the developers - Developers understand what they are going to be tested on, and obtain a better understanding of what they are to deliver so they can deliver for success.

This includes:

• developing the full and complete list of functionalities that have to be tested;
• describing the displaying the page(s), navigating on the page(s), and inserting/updating/deleting event actions test cases clearly, concisely, and unambiguously; and developing correct and accurate test data;
• facilitating the team meeting for the list of functionalities and test cases review; and
• Updating the list of functionalities and test cases after review.

7. Use the list of functionalities and test cases for testing.

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A new version of a system is made as fix to some faults or response to changes in its required specifications. In this case, regression testing must rerun as a partial operational requirements after completing the first round of testing.

Moreover, regression testing is time consuming. To limit this, consider the following activities:

1. Generate traceability matrix for optimized test coverage during the requirement phase.
2. Review the test documents and base lining based on impact analysis report. This includes updating traceability matrix.
3. Generate the test repository of test condition, test cases, and/or test scripts for the new requirements. This includes reviewing and removing obsolete test condition, test cases, and/or test scripts from the test repository.
4. Add new test condition, test cases, and/or test scripts to the test repository for enhancing test coverage.
5. Ensure that the incorporation and/or modification of program works properly to promote minimal retesting before the execution.
6. Execute the test repository of test condition, test cases, and/or test scripts. Note any of the techniques below need to be rerun during the undertaking:

• only test case does execute any of the modified parts of the program to establish that the modified parts of the program preserves the desired functionality of the old program;
• only test case has effect on the program output to verify that the new or modified program produces correct output on them;
• only test case has effect on the program output when it is evaluated differently; and
• only test case does execute any of the unmodified parts of the program to verify that its behavior is unchanged and ensure that the fixes made to the program do not cause new errors to occur.

7. Update traceability matrix based on analysis report.
8. Update the test repository of test condition, test cases, and/or test scripts.
9. Continue performing regression testing until all the defects fixed and test cycles are over.

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Thanks to ohskylab of myBlogLog for finding this.

The “How to Report Bugs Effectively” by Simon Tatham, professional and free-software programmer describes a general procedures on how to report bugs effectively on the site and only key tips are listed here as follows:

• It doesn’t work.
• Show me.
• Show me how to show myself.
• Works for me. So what goes wrong?
• So then I tried . . .
• I think the tachyon modulation must be wrongly polarised.
• That’s funny, it did it a moment ago.
• So I loaded the disk on to my Windows . . .

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Given the topic, I feel a need to acknowledge that I have to thank adel shehadeh the owner of testSQUAD blog for finding this software testing tools. The owner’s post (Selenium - a Mozilla firefox Add-ons last May 02, 2007) influences my thinking to share more details about the topic.

Moreover, Selenium IDE is an integrated development environment for Selenium tests. It was made by the folks over at OpenQA.org; it is implemented as a Firefox extension and a very easy to use and powerful tool for controlling, automating or testing web sites that allows you to record, edit, and debug tests; and it includes the entire Selenium Core, allowing you to easily and quickly record and play back tests in the actual environment that they will run.

The following are the features:

• Easy record and playback
• Intelligent field selection will use IDs, names, or XPath as needed
• Auto-complete for all common Selenium commands
• Walk through tests
• Debug and set breakpoints
• Save tests as HTML, Ruby scripts, or any other format
• Support for Selenium user-extensions.js file
• Option to automatically assert the title of every page

Further, some people say that Selenium IDE is awesome and a handy way to test web applications in Firefox. They recommended it.

To know more about Selenium IDE, you may visit:
http://www.dynamitemap.com/selenium

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Some of detection methods that can be used to examine the quality of products are as follows:

• Reviews - Personal, peer, pair, management, QA, independent;
• Testing - Structural, functional, integration, stress/performance, regression, field, acceptance;
• Simulations - Prototypes, models;
• Field Trials - Prototypes, beta testing; and
• Mathematical - Proofs of correctness.

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Some of the common signs (problems) that show up due to poor quality assurance are as follows:

• deficient document and it’s difficult to interpret;
• fails to meet the business and technical needs;
• unscalable;
• unstable; and
• expensive.

Moreover, some things that can help to solve the problems above are as follows:

• Organization and team structure;
• Practice toolbox selection;
• Professional development;
• Checklists & Templates;
• Reviews and Audits;
• Quality criteria;
• Right Culture; and
• Quality improvement.

Further, two things must be ensured for quality assurance to be effective:

First, the quality plan must be sufficient to achieve the required quality standards expected of the organization. In this regard the plan must not only be specific and detailed listing all quality requirements and standards, but also include all the steps taken to ensure that those requirements and standards are met.

Secondly, quality assurance should be independent of the project itself (as well as the project manager). This comes down from the project management guidelines for effective quality assurance, and builds on a broad-based, organizational approach to standards-based product testing.

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A QA member can carry out the quality review process with a method that cut complex work, product, service, and/or process condition apart characteristically with the following steps:

1. Identify the subject(s) of work, product, service, and/or process condition. The subject serves to tell us what function(s) to review.
2. Identify the end (effect) of the work, product, service, and/or process condition. The end serves to tell us what to be accomplished.
3. Identify the necessary means (causes) of the work, product, service, and/or process condition. The necessary means server to tell us how many ways of acting to accomplish the end cited in the second step.
4. Develop the conclusion (improve work, product, service, and/or process condition). The conclusion serves to tell us that the function(s) cited in the first step is carried out the way mentioned in third step to achieve the end cited in the second step. If appropriate, identify the unexpressed end or necessary means to justify the conclusion.

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“Quality review is a framework for thought.” This is how I would like to start this piece. It raises and suggests solution to shortcomings to arrive a well-justified conclusion about a given work, product, service, and/or process condition. It is a process that examines work, product, service, and/or process standards and specifications against their intended purpose. Typically what need to be reviewed are the work, product, service, and/or process deliverable.

By any large, the task in reviewing work, product, service, and/or process deliverable cannot be taken for granted. It must be systematic and specific to achieve the validity of the quality results, but the shortcomings to arrive a well-justified conclusion about work, product, service, and/or process condition could fail (satisfy not) the standards and specifications. The premise is that, the lack of understanding on a certain form about work, product, service, and/or process condition affecting or influencing the project team decision-making due to ignorance. The lack of understanding due to ignorance could explain why one behavior behaves disorderly.

Moreover, the question, how can we ensure the validity of the quality results, however, remain unanswered. Thus, the intention of combating these shortcomings is the key factors why this piece is made into existence.

Further, a good knowledge on quality review process could help a person ensure the validity of the quality results. By adopting quality review process for achieving the validity of quality results, one may assume that the validity of his/her quality results will lead him/her to improve his/her performance.

A further, quality review process is sequential (one at a time) in nature. The essentials of quality review process are described as follows:

Initially, the QA member must have a certain form to follow if he needs to assess a work, product, service, and/or process condition. This includes:

1. Identifying what type of reviews you will use. This includes keeping in mind the purpose of reviews when you are deciding on what to use.
2. Identifying who will responsible for the reviews.
3. Describing any quality review checklists that will be used.

Then, the QA member must verify (confirm) the justifiable of the work, product, service, and/or process condition based on his knowledge and/or understanding of this form to validate (execution) the work, product, service, and/or process condition and achieve the quality results. Otherwise, the QA member must evaluate (comparison) the work, product, service, and/or process condition with this form.

In the evaluation, if the evaluation is stronger, that is, their comparison has a greater number of significant points in common, the QA member is suggested to validate the work, product, service, and/or process condition and achieve the quality results. Otherwise, when their comparison has a greater number of significant points of difference, the QA member is suggested to log the work, product, service, and/or process condition as an issue for clarifications.

The diagrammatic representation of the quality review process below shows the general assessment flow between components.

The sample arithmetic condition below is presented to understand more how this quality review process operates:

A.) 23 + 18 = 41
B.) 23 + 18 = 341011

Here we see a single test case (23+18) with two quite different answers. They are the results of two different processes with two different forms. In the left-hand example, we are justified in believing that the test case A is correct because our understanding confirms that it follows the real pattern that the addition process must follow (adding vertical rows, carrying the extra digits). Thus, when we validate it, we get correct results - the answer is 41. In the right-hand example, we are not justified in believing that the test case B is correct because our understanding confirms that it led to the incorrect process, that is, the sum is put down in order from right to left - the result is 341011. As a result, we evaluate test case B with test case A (or other test case) and find that they are not similar in forms and processes. Thus, the test case B’s form and/or process is an issue for clarifications.

The idea of the method with the quality review process can benefit us to speed up, achieve, and bring gains the desirable outcome.

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Poor quality statement can affect one’s behavior to provide project sponsor and client with easy access to quality requirements, solve problems that need to be solved, justify poor quality action and alignment, justify wasted time, and focus on things. Without any clear understanding and idea of what the quality statement are, that one can go in search of things that are broken and his/her goal becomes fixing them. The following are sample activities that one could take to identify and define clearly the desirable quality goals or targets with the project sponsor, client, and team members on a project:

1. Obtaining resources. This includes reviewing project sponsor and client general requirements and supporting documents.
2. Understand the quality needs and/or expectations of the project sponsor and client and input of team members in terms of quality on the project.
3. Determine the desirable quality goals and targets that are consistent with the needs and expectations of the project sponsor and client and input of team members. This includes identifying all the deliverables to be produced, deciding how to best validate their quality, and setting quality criteria and defining quality standards for the deliverables.
4. Define quality statement in ways meaningful to project sponsor, client, and team members.
5. Make sure that quality statement is reviewed and accepted by the project sponsor and client. This includes gaining project sponsor and client agreement with quality statement and re-confirming quality statement with client when changes are approved.

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Poor quality plan can limit quality statement, process, and/or criteria’s success and could even cause the quality statement, process, and/or criteria to fail. By not fixing the problem, one could find further concerns down the line of the quality operation, such as:

• poor procedures to maximize quality control potentials;
• poor project understanding and project team rejection to ideas due to deficient documentation;
• increase of overhead in undertaking quality checks; and
• problems take longer to fix.

Interestingly, some organization don’t want to produce a quality plan due to their belief that developing a quality plan is too complicated and the jargon of quality plan in relation to compliance with quality standards, policies, templates, checklists, criteria, guidelines, metrics, and a range of acronyms are too overwhelming and could leave them confused. This supports the problem and block them to solve their issues and/or concerns.

Viewing the above situations, one needs to find solution and ensure that the desired quality is achieved and that project outputs are fit for purpose; and meet all quality standards, policies, checklists, criteria, guidelines, and metrics in a straightforward and objective way.

The following are sample activities that one could take on to achieve desired quality:

1. Use a quality plan template to describe, structure, develop, organize, and finalize the quality plan with the project team. This includes:

a.) Get the project team ready with the undertaking by communicating the quality process and general requirements and supporting documents for establishing and mutual understanding on project facts. This includes collaborating with the project team for agreement, ideas development, information development, mutual understanding, utilization, and decision making; identifying the quality control tasks of project team needed to control quality; listing the quality assurance activities required to assure quality; and obtaining the project team with tools, training, techniques, and assistance.

b.) Identify and define clearly the desirable quality goals or targets with the project sponsor, client, and team members on a project.

c.) Perform analysis development. This includes thinking about what needs to be done and what could go wrong.

2. Create a cohesive dialog by bring project sponsor and client to a quality review. It could make them more comfortable if they see that quality is being addressed during the start of the project.

3. Expose project sponsor and client to the complexities and potential quality problems and/or issues that usually exist in a project for awareness. This includes ensuring them that you have a mechanism in place to fix the quality problems and/or issues.

4. Execute the quality plan. This includes preparing plan and actions to counter any weaknesses or deficiencies in the quality plan execution.

5. Develop follow up process to allocate fixes to particular people and ensure they actually make the changes. This implies that time must be built into the schedule for rework following review and verification processes.

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