Software Testing and Quality Control

Condition testing is a white-box technique that specifically targets logical conditions (compound boolean expressions, if statements, loops) within program code. It ensures all possible combinations of conditions in decision points are tested to reveal potential logic flaws in conditional statements.

Data flow testing selects test paths based on how variables are defined, used, and killed throughout the program. It tracks the flow of data from assignment points to usage points, ensuring that all definition-use pairs are tested and uncovering errors in how data propagates through the code.

Black-box testing can detect incorrect or missing functions by comparing actual behavior against requirements. It reveals interface errors through invalid input/output testing and can identify performance errors by testing system response times and resource usage under various conditions.

Fault-based testing (also called mutation testing) deliberately introduces small faults to test effectiveness of test cases. Since it's computationally expensive, it's strategically reserved for critical operations where failures are costly or for suspect code sections that have had defects or complex logic requiring extra scrutiny.

Equivalence partitioning reduces test cases by grouping input data into classes that should be processed similarly. The technique divides test data into valid and invalid equivalence classes, then tests representative values from each class rather than every possible input, making testing more efficient while maintaining coverage.

Testable software exhibits observability (you can see what's happening internally), simplicity (clear, understandable design), and stability (consistent behavior). These characteristics make it easier to design effective test cases, identify failures, and maintain test suites over time.

Statement coverage is a white-box testing metric that ensures every executable statement in the code is executed at least once during testing. It's the most basic form of code coverage, measuring what percentage of statements have been executed by the test suite.

WcfTestClient.exe is the official WCF service testing tool provided with Visual Studio. It allows testing service operations without writing client code. The other options are fictitious tool names that do not exist in the .NET Framework.

TFS supports four out-of-box check-in policies: Code Analysis (requires code analysis rules to pass), Testing (requires associated tests to pass), Build (requires build to succeed), and Work Items (requires work items to be linked/associated). The 'work items' option completes the set - options A, B, and C incorrectly list 'Inspections', 'Process flow', and 'Review' which are not standard policies.

Microsoft Test Manager 2010 (MTM) is the primary interface for testers. It provides comprehensive test management: creating and organizing test cases, managing test plans and suites, running tests and tracking results, and filing bugs with rich diagnostic information (intellitrace, video capture). Test Runner is a lightweight execution tool within MTM, Lab Manager manages test environments, and Visual Studio is the IDE.

Gated check-ins is the TFS feature that allows testing check-ins before building completes. When a developer submits a gated check-in, the build system shelves the changes, builds the project, runs tests, and only commits the changes if everything passes. This prevents broken builds from entering the repository.

Intellitrace (formerly Historical Debugger) is the VS 2010 feature that enables historical debugging. It records events and method calls during execution, allowing developers to step backward and forward through code execution history to diagnose bugs that are difficult to reproduce.

TamperIE modifies requests to test input validation. CookieMonitor examines cookie data for security issues. SQL Profiler helps analyze SQL injection vulnerabilities. All three are legitimate security testing tools.

Penetration testing actively exploits vulnerabilities. Vulnerability testing identifies security weaknesses. Risk assessment evaluates potential impact and likelihood. Security testing encompasses all these activities.