Testing and Communication in Programming Efforts

Testing and Communication in Programming Efforts
Student Name:
Institution:
Testing and Communication in Programming Efforts
Software is tested in order to gauge whether it accurately performs the work that it was designed to do. Testing is performed to ensure quality, to verify and validate a program, or to judge the reliability of the program (Jiantao, 1999). However, insufficient knowledge among computer scientists about the laws governing software interaction means that software testing does not provide an entirely reliable means of ensuring that programs work according to design. Two key functions of testing are to measure correctness and estimate the reliability of the program.
Software bugs can lead to catastrophic disasters. Some computer systems control sensitive equipment or facilities that operate on a very narrow margin of error. Such equipment may include nuclear reactor cooling systems, which rely on computers to precisely control radiation in the core in order to avoid meltdown. Failure of the program controlling the reactor core due to a bug would lead to an environmental disaster. Testing for quality ensures that the program performs as to the design specifications which take into consideration the situation in which the program will operate (Jiantao, 1999).
Testing can be used to provide a standard of measurement during verification and validation of programs (Jiantao, 1999). This is done in order to provide a comparison between different programs designed for the same function. Testing in this sense may be done in order to determine the best design and also to establish a benchmark for quality.
Communication among those involved in a programming project is crucial. According to Curtis et al, lack of effective communication plays a large part in hindering the success of programming endeavors (1988). Two-way communication between the parties involved in developing and testing a program will facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge between them enhancing their efforts to produce reliable software that deliv...