| 1. |
- Ali, Nauman bin, et al.
(författare)
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On the search for industry-relevant regression testing research
- 2019
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Ingår i: Empirical Software Engineering. - New York, NY : Springer. - 1382-3256 .- 1573-7616. ; 24:4, s. 2020-2055
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Regression testing is a means to assure that a change in the software, or its execution environment, does not introduce new defects. It involves the expensive undertaking of rerunning test cases. Several techniques have been proposed to reduce the number of test cases to execute in regression testing, however, there is no research on how to assess industrial relevance and applicability of such techniques. We conducted a systematic literature review with the following two goals: firstly, to enable researchers to design and present regression testing research with a focus on industrial relevance and applicability and secondly, to facilitate the industrial adoption of such research by addressing the attributes of concern from the practitioners' perspective. Using a reference-based search approach, we identified 1068 papers on regression testing. We then reduced the scope to only include papers with explicit discussions about relevance and applicability (i.e. mainly studies involving industrial stakeholders). Uniquely in this literature review, practitioners were consulted at several steps to increase the likelihood of achieving our aim of identifying factors important for relevance and applicability. We have summarised the results of these consultations and an analysis of the literature in three taxonomies, which capture aspects of industrial-relevance regarding the regression testing techniques. Based on these taxonomies, we mapped 38 papers reporting the evaluation of 26 regression testing techniques in industrial settings. © The Author(s) 2019
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| 2. |
- Bjarnason, Elizabeth, et al.
(författare)
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A Multi-Case Study of Agile Requirements Engineering and the Use of Test Cases as Requirements
- 2016. - 16
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Ingår i: Information and Software Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0950-5849 .- 1873-6025. ; 77, s. 61-79
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- [Context] It is an enigma that agile projects can succeed "without requirements" when weak requirements engineering is a known cause for project failures. While agile development projects often manage well without extensive requirements test cases are commonly viewed as requirements and detailed requirements are documented as test cases. [Objective] We have investigated this agile practice of using test cases as requirements to understand how test cases can support the main requirements activities, and how this practice varies. [Method] We performed an iterative case study at three companies and collected data through 14 interviews and 2 focus groups. [Results] The use of test cases as requirements poses both benefits and challenges when eliciting, validating, verifying, and managing requirements, and when used as a documented agreement. We have identified five variants of the test-cases-as-requirements practice, namely de facto, behaviour-driven, story-test driven, stand-alone strict and stand-alone manual for which the application of the practice varies concerning the time frame of requirements documentation, the requirements format, the extent to which the test cases are a machine executable specification and the use of tools which provide specific support for the practice of using test cases as requirements. [Conclusions] The findings provide empirical insight into how agile development projects manage and communicate requirements. The identified variants of the practice of using test cases as requirements can be used to perform in-depth investigations into agile requirements engineering. Practitioners can use the provided recommendations as a guide in designing and improving their agile requirements practices based on project characteristics such as number of stakeholders and rate of change.
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| 3. |
- Bjarnason, Elizabeth, et al.
(författare)
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A Theory of Distances in Software Engineering
- 2016
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Ingår i: Information and Software Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0950-5849. ; 70, s. 204-219
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- [Context] Coordinating a software project across distances is challenging. Even without geographical and time zone distances, other distances within a project can cause communication gaps. For example, organisational and cognitive distances between product owners and development-near roles such as developers and testers can lead to differences in understanding and interpretation of the business requirements. Applying good software development practices, known to enhance alignment and coordination within development projects, can alleviate these challenges. [Objective] The aim of our research is to identify and describe underlying factors which can explain why certain practices support aligning and coordinating software development projects. [Method] We have inductively generated a theory analysing empirical data consisting of 15 interviews from 5 different companies. The systematic and iterative analysis was based on an initial hypothesis that distances affect development, and on results from previous research. [Results] We present a theory of distances that explains how practices improve the communication within a project by impacting distances between people, activities and artefacts. We also present a theoretical model of how specific alignment practices affect different types of distances. [Conclusions] The results provide a basis for further research and can be used by software organisations to improve on software practice.
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| 4. |
- Bjarnason, Elizabeth, et al.
(författare)
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Alignment Practices Affect Distances in Software Development: A Theory and a Model
- 2014
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Ingår i: GTSE 2014 Proceedings of the 3rd SEMAT Workshop on General Theories of Software Engineering. - New York, NY, USA : ACM. - 9781450328500 ; , s. 21-31
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coordinating a software project across distances is challenging. Even without geographical and time zone distances, other distances within a project can cause communication gaps. For example, organisational and cognitive distances between product owners and development-near roles such as developers and testers can lead to weak alignment of the software and the business requirements. Applying good software development practices, known to enhance alignment, can alleviate these challenges. We present a theoretical model called the Gap Model of how alignment practices affect different types of distances. This model has been inductively generated from empirical data. We also present an initial version of a theory based on this model that explains, at a general level, how practices affect communication within a project by impacting distances between people, activities and artefacts. The presented results provide a basis for further research and can be used by software organisations to improve on software practice.
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| 5. |
- Bjarnason, Elizabeth, et al.
(författare)
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An Industrial Case Study on Test Cases as Requirements
- 2015
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Ingår i: Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming : 16th International Conference, XP 2015, Helsinki, Finland, May 25-29, 2015, Proceedings - 16th International Conference, XP 2015, Helsinki, Finland, May 25-29, 2015, Proceedings. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 1865-1356 .- 1865-1348. - 9783319186115 - 9783319186122 ; 212
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is a conundrum that agile projects can succeed ‘without requirements’ when weak requirements engineering is a known cause for project failures. While Agile development projects often manage well without extensive requirements documentation, test cases are commonly used as requirements. We have investigated this agile practice at three companies in order to understand how test cases can fill the role of requirements. We performed a case study based on twelve interviews performed in a previous study. The findings include a range of benefits and challenges in using test cases for eliciting, validating, verifying, tracing and managing requirements. In addition, we identified three scenarios for applying the practice, namely as a mature practice, as a de facto practice and as part of an agile transition. The findings provide insights into how the role of requirements may be met in agile development including challenges to consider.
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| 6. |
- Bjarnason, Elizabeth, et al.
(författare)
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An Industrial Case Study on the Use of Test Cases as Requirements
- 2015
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Ingår i: Lecture Notes in Business Information<em></em>. - : Springer. ; , s. 27-39
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is a conundrum that agile projects can succeed 'without requirements' when weak requirements engineering is a known cause for project failures. While Agile development projects often manage well without extensive requirements documentation, test cases are commonly used as requirements. We have investigated this agile practice at three companies in order to understandhow test cases can fill the role of requirements. We performed a case study based on twelve interviews performed in a previous study.The findings include a range of benefits and challenges in using test cases for eliciting, validating, verifying, tracing and managing requirements. In addition, we identified three scenarios for applying the practice, namely as a mature practice, as a de facto practice and as part of an agile transition. The findings provide insights into how the role of requirements may be met in agile development including challenges to consider.
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| 7. |
- Bjarnason, Elizabeth, et al.
(författare)
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Challenges and practices in aligning requirements with verification and validation : a case study of six companies
- 2014
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Ingår i: Empirical Software Engineering. - : Springer. - 1382-3256 .- 1573-7616. ; 19:6, s. 1809-1855
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Weak alignment of requirements engineering (RE) with verification and validation (VV) may lead to problems in delivering the required products in time with the right quality. For example, weak communication of requirements changes to testers may result in lack of verification of new requirements and incorrect verification of old invalid requirements, leading to software quality problems, wasted effort and delays. However, despite the serious implications of weak alignment research and practice both tend to focus on one or the other of RE or VV rather than on the alignment of the two. We have performed a multi-unit case study to gain insight into issues around aligning RE and VV by interviewing 30 practitioners from 6 software developing companies, involving 10 researchers in a flexible research process for case studies. The results describe current industry challenges and practices in aligning RE with VV, ranging from quality of the individual RE and VV activities, through tracing and tools, to change control and sharing a common understanding at strategy, goal and design level. The study identified that human aspects are central, i.e. cooperation and communication, and that requirements engineering practices are a critical basis for alignment. Further, the size of an organisation and its motivation for applying alignment practices, e.g. external enforcement of traceability, are variation factors that play a key role in achieving alignment. Our results provide a strategic roadmap for practitioners improvement work to address alignment challenges. Furthermore, the study provides a foundation for continued research to improve the alignment of RE with VV.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Börstler, Jürgen, 1960-, et al.
(författare)
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Acceptance behavior theories and models in software engineering — A mapping study
- 2024
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Ingår i: Information and Software Technology. - : Elsevier. - 0950-5849 .- 1873-6025. ; 172
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: The adoption or acceptance of new technologies or ways of working in software development activities is a recurrent topic in the software engineering literature. The topic has, therefore, been empirically investigated extensively. It is, however, unclear which theoretical frames of reference are used in this research to explain acceptance behaviors. Objective: In this study, we explore how major theories and models of acceptance behavior have been used in the software engineering literature to empirically investigate acceptance behavior.Method: We conduct a systematic mapping study of empirical studies using acceptance behavior theories in software engineering.Results: We identified 47 primary studies covering 56 theory uses. The theories were categorized into six groups. Technology acceptance models (TAM and its extensions) were used in 29 of the 47 primary studies, innovation theories in 10, and the theories of planned behavior/ reasoned action (TPB/TRA) in six. All other theories were used in at most two of the primary studies. The usage and operationalization of the theories were, in many cases, inconsistent with the underlying theories. Furthermore, we identified 77 constructs used by these studies of which many lack clear definitions. Conclusions: Our results show that software engineering researchers are aware of some of the leading theories and models of acceptance behavior, which indicates an attempt to have more theoretical foundations. However, we identified issues related to theory usage that make it difficult to aggregate and synthesize results across studies. We propose mitigation actions that encourage the consistent use of theories and emphasize the measurement of key constructs.
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| 10. |
- da Mota Silveira Neto, Paulo Anselmo, et al.
(författare)
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Testing software product lines
- 2011
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Ingår i: IEEE Software. - 0740-7459. ; 28:5, s. 16-20
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Two studies of testing practices for software product lines identify gaps between required techniques and existing approaches in the available literature. This Web extra offers extra details for the main article (specifically, the bibliography for the two studies described).
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