Some people think that “hard problems in software testing” is a non sequitur. However, those of us that have done software testing know just how true it is to say, “the testing of software is a very challenging endeavor.”
I commend Scott Tilley and Brianna Floss for taking on the difficult task of researching, analyzing, and reporting on the topics in this book. This kind of work is much needed in our industry because there are indeed hard problems in software testing—problems affecting all of us. The specific testing problems may change, for example, due to the introduction of new approaches such as service orientation or new technologies such as cloud computing, but the essential nature of testing is timeless.
I was one of the practitioners that attended an event on the campus of the Florida Institute of Technology, in the early days of this research, to discuss hard problems in software testing. It was obvious to me that many in this industry are dealing with the same issues and this book has captured those issues very well. I encouraged other testing professionals at Lockheed Martin to participate in their survey so that our views would be captured as part of the study.
Scott and Brianna’s research into Testing as a Service (TaaS) is also a much-needed endeavor. Their research has resulted in findings that should be very useful to any group thinking about using TaaS. Many organizations around the world, from both government and industry, are looking to change the paradigm for software testing. TaaS has the potential of achieving an improved approach to testing software while also increasing the quality of the testing results.
I know that upon reading this book you will find the research presented not only enlightening, but useful as well. Like me, I am sure you will also want to encourage Scott and Brianna to continue the “future work” they mention.
Thomas L. Wissink
Senior Fellow
Director of Integration, Test & Evaluation (IT&E)
Lockheed Martin Corporate Engineering