After completing this chapter, you may have decided that testing a specification is a very subjective process. High-level review techniques will flush out oversights and omissions, and low-level techniques help assure that all the details are defined. But, these techniques aren't really step-by-step processes to follow, for two reasons:
If you're interested in pursuing more advanced techniques for reviewing specifications, do some research on the work of Michael Fagan. While at IBM, Mr. Fagan pioneered a detailed and methodical approach called software inspections that many companies use, especially companies creating mission-critical software, to formally review their software specifications and code. You can find more information on his website: www.mfagan.com. |