I thought I’d have another go at checking some CMS software packages like Joomla. Joomla needs a web server, database and PHP so it’s not just a question of downloading Joomla and running an .exe. I already had Apache running OK on the Vista PC as well as MySQL but when I downloaded and installed PHP I couldn’t get a phpinfo.php page displayed.

Then I remembered the XAMPP package which includes all of the above and is supposed to work well. So I uninstalled the individually installed Apache web server, MySQL software and PHP, rebooted and installed XAMPP. Started MySQL as a service, from XAMPP, and that did show as running in both the XAMPP control panel and on the Vista Services window. Tried starting Apache and nada. I messed about trying to get that running for far too long and eventually gave up on the Vista PC and uninstalled XAMPP. I repeated the whole process on the XP PC and it all worked OK, including displaying the phpinfo.php page.

I copied the Joomla folder to the XAMPP htdocs folder and fired that up and it worked. Created a database and managed to get Joomla to create some content. I’ve been learning it via a pdf file which is so much slower than reading a book. Good point, how do I upload all of the junky contect I’ve created to a hosted server? Will I use it in anger? Dunno yet.

I’ve recently installed a statistics plug-in for this Wordpress blog and it shows statistics like the search terms used for finding this blog and popular pages. The search terms included Palm Island in Dubai, not that I have ever written anything about the place though I have a picture of Palm Island, with that as the description, on one blog entry. Google Images has spidered that and hence I get many hits from some very poor misguided viewers. I’ve removed that picture so with luck after Google has done another trawl I will be removed from a search of Palm Island. I also have a lot of referrers from condominium sites in Florida. Go figure. Other search terms used have been about faking ISEB certification, for heavens sake.

There are some terrific, probably even better than that, Led Zeppelin live shows available including Uniondale from 14/02/75, Long Beach from 11/04/75, New Orleans from 14/05/73 and Salt Lake City from 26/03/73. All are triple CD’s and the sound quality is exceptional, not like the old harsh sounding soundboards. All of them include the between song chatter so it really does feel like you are at the shows. Marvelous stuff.

Thought I’d write up what I’m learning about the ISEB Practitioner Certificate and this blog seems as good a place as any.

Today it’s the initial testing document that all companies should have, the company wide Test Policy document (Buried in a filing cabinet in the basement or on a companies intranet site with no links to it. Ed)

A Test Policy is:



The ISO Working Group Test Policy Rules are:



Other considerations
Place in hierarchy
Top level planning document – all subsequent planning documents should implement the test policy or justify why they don’t. The policy will be driven by business risk and the organization’s business culture. It may not always be formally documented.

Role/Purpose
To describe the organizations philosophy towards software testing so that all members of the organization know what is expected (this is particularly important to newcomers and 3rd parties). To describe the test-related activities that are expected to happen as a matter of course in all projects.

Content
Can include: Definition of testing, the test process to be used, what is meant by ‘effective’ testing and how it is evaluated, the level of software quality to be achieved and the organisational approach to test process improvement.

Benefits/Pitfalls
Benefits – everyone knows what is expected of them – both in-house and 3rd parties.
Pitfalls – The policy doesn’t always exist and may divert resources on creating one if it doesn’t exist. The policy may be ignored if there is no will in the organization to implement it. It may be out of synch with the business drivers of an organization.

Example Test Policy document
The headings have been taken from the current draft of the ISO 29119 Software Testing Standard which is due in 2011.

Begin Test Policy document————————————————————————————
Objectives of Testing
An objective of testing is to provide sufficient information to determine the current quality of the system under test. As such all activities aimed at achieving this are considered to be software testing activities (e.g. reviews, static analysis, integration, system, acceptance and regression testing).

Scope of Testing
All software that is delivered to customers will be tested.

Test Process
The organization will follow the test process defined in ISO 29119-2.

Test Levels
The levels of testing to be undertaken e.g. unit testing, system testing.

Success Factors
The number of issues outstanding on release, code and coverage requirements to be achieved.

Degree of Independence
The software testing shall be based on the Fundamental Test Process and be aligned with the development approach, but performed by an independant group within the organization.

Test Organisation Structure
Testing shall be resourced within the organization from a central pool of testers who may be assigned to one or more projects at a time.In addition, a central ‘expert’ software testing resource led by the Head of Testing shall provide test consultancy services to projects as necessary.

Tester Education



Test Process Improvement
Test process improvement shall be performed and is the responsibility of the Software Testing team. TPI or TMMI shall be used in this area. The organization shall improve in no less than three key areas annually.

Standards
Where relevant international software or systems testing standards are available then these standards will be used on all projects. Identification of these relevant standards is the responsibility of the Software Testing Team, as is checking compliance of projects with these standards.

Testing Lifecycle Model
Testing will follow a defined lifecycle model that will be aligned with the development lifecycle model.

Tester Ethics
Testers shall follow the same code of ethics as other IT staff within the organization as outlined in the organization’s IT Code of Practice.

Other Organisational Policies
Any other relevant organisation policies.

Measuring the Value of Testing
The organization will measure the return on investment of testing.

End Test Policy document————————————————————————————–

What a tedious blog post (Yep, I think you have done that subject to death. Ed).

I’ve been studying to take the ISEB Intermediate Certificate in Software Testing for the last couple of weeks and it hasn’t been easy. Having tested software for a very long time it should be relatively straightforward, but not so.

What they teach you on the Intermediate course is the best practice and the theory of testing software and mapping that to what I do and probably do reasonably well doesn’t really work. The Intermediate Certificate also builds on the original Foundation Certificate, which I passed the exam of about 4 years ago, but not the ISEB version that I took and passed but the ISTQB version and the version of the last couple of years. If that wasn’t enough to make it hard I didn’t actually do the ISEB Foundation Certificate course, I just sat, and passed, the exam. My thinking at the time being that I should be able to pass a basic software testing test.

That background has firmly jammed the chickens back in their roost but I have at last started to make some progress with the course and in the next week intend to do the exam. Failing the exam isn’t worth thinking about as their is another little scenario knocking about just to compound the whole thing.

I have also in the last couple of weeks been on a course for the ISEB Practitioner Certificate in Software Test Management. The entry criteria to get onto this course is that you have passed the Intermediate Certificate, which I haven’t yet, but which the course providers assume I will. This course is even more theory but I have learnt quite a lot about test management which is something I have never had any interest in before. I’ve been reading some of the example exam questions for both courses and sometimes I can barely understand the question. Don’t think there is much chance of anyone passing these exams if English isn’t their first language (Hell, English is your first language and you’re having trouble. Ed). The confusion continues.

There is yet another version of the Wordpress software – 2.8.6 – that I use for the writing of this blog and as usual they are begging everyone to update to it. I think the Wordpress people have the mentatility of students, or definitely a level 1 CMMI company, as most of their software releases are buggy, invariably loads of plug-ins don’t work and templates shudder at the site of a new version before falling over in a wobbly heap, but so do most templates when run against any version of the Wordpress software. This is why the template I use for this blog is so darn boring, coz it usually still stands up after yet another cack-handed Wordpress upgrade. This company need to be bought by a professional software company and have their software regression tested before release. That’ll induce some culture shock.

Been listening to Them Crooked Vultures, a supergroup made up of Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age, Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters and John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin, and they make quite a good racket.