Software Testing - How To Go About For Beginners

This article is dedicated to those people who are new to the testing field, and do not know anything about the same. Also it should be my last simplified article for Software Testing beginners before I start writing articles with increasing complexity.
Comments on article "Software Testing - How To Go About For Beginners"
Name Views and CommentsDate
chandrashekhar Is there scope for software testing in the future? 10/24/2009
rekha i finish my m.c.a degree.now i like go to the field in testing.what i ave to prepare specific language in c ,c++,java. 10/21/2009
mradula can any body please suggest me which book should i refer for test plan,test design and its specification,test cases and its specification and also bug life cycle in detail 9/10/2009
venkatesh i am complited my engineering in computer science,i am intrested in software testing, but i m fresher, how can i learn about testing? 9/10/2009
Martin Sorry but this is a poorly written article with quite bad advice that does nothing to assist a beginner tester.

The world is filling up with people who are "self trained" testers following advice such as this and the simple fact is that these people are not good testers and do not advance their careers.

Good advice for someone wanting to get into testing would be to seek out companies with a strong testing methodology and take a junior position there. There is zero subsitute for experience gained in a methodological environment.
4/27/2009
Thamaha Hello this is my favourate website but there is one thing i want to know that did not be clarified. where is the software comes from and who is the first software engineer and why he or she decide to develop software(program) in which year?
thanks
3/23/2009
priya is this field useful for engineers 2/24/2009
firoz khan All write 7/29/2008
gurunath Excellent piece of knowledge script from experts in testing 7/15/2008
harish how to know about software testing ...then how to learn 4/16/2008
Satish hi Beginners

i want ot help u
Iam Satish working on manual testing from 1 year.
Add me to ur messengers
yahoo id: satish_157
gmail: 157.satish
3/17/2008
satish Iam Satish working on manual testing from 1 year.
Add me
my yahooID: satish_157
gmail: 157.satish
3/17/2008
satish Iam Satish working on manual testing from 1 year.
Very good articals

3/17/2008
Satish Hi..Every body..!

Iam Satish working on manual testing from 1 year.





Thanks
3/17/2008
Satish It's Really Very Good!

Thanks
3/17/2008
santosh i want to join software testing course as i am Beginner which course i should do and what is the minumum requirement for testing, so please can u explain me its urgent........ 3/15/2008
ravi its very good stuff for beginners. thanx a lot. 3/14/2008
parekhnileshp Hi Upinder,
If you have 10 years of good experience in accounting ... and if you have good understanding of financial sector ... then I think you should try to get into consulting ...
Try obtaining Oracle Financial or SAP Financial training and get into software industry as a functional consultant for Financial Domain! This will bring you a lot of money and success!

Hope you understand my point.

Regards,
Nilesh Parekh
2/28/2008
Upinder I want to become a software tester. Please guide. I am an accountant by profession and spent 10 years in this line. Now I want to move towards the testing field. How do I go about it? 2/24/2008
Emily if some one could answere urgently Alevels u no please 12/11/2007
Emily I could you explain to me in the waterfall life cycle what varification means 12/11/2007
Mithila Hi Nil, I m in the software industry for a while now and planning a carrer path change from development to testing. But would like to know more about the testing industry in todays world n future and its oppurtunities abroad.
It wuld be great if i could chat with you incase you have any idea, my id would be 'mithillai gmail com'
6/15/2007
parekhnileshp Hi Niki,
My apology if the terms I used were too vague for you to understand (or for anyone for that matter). I simply meant by the terms Software Engineering concept, General Computer field terms and Computer Applications: as understanding of procedures and methodologies followed in software engineering field, which can be methodologies such as various Software Development Life Cycles, Mitigation Cycles for Software Development projects etc., various definitions/terms used in software field (sorry but this is really going to be same as there are so many terms right from what is a software, what is a floppy disk to any sophisticated term such as token parsing, regular expression building logic etc. used in software field).

If need any book that can help you acquire a fair understanding of software field … then please go through the following books (just for your understanding):
a) Software Engineering A Practitioner’s Approach by Roger S. Pressman
b) Computer Concepts: An Introduction by Knowlton Stephen Collings

Along with the books mentioned above … there are many sites which can help you go through the Computer Concepts and software engineering concepts.

If you are not satisfied with the answer and need more clarification or more specific information please contact me at catchnilu at rediffmail, but please do not forget to add a subject line as: BUZZLE REF: your name (e.g. BUZZLE REF: Nilesh Parekh)

Hope this helps.
Nilesh Parekh
5/27/2007
Niki Hi Nilesh,

This is a great article for a beginner to software testing field.

I have a question related to ur answer to Cecila:
"..First of all ... as you said that you don't have no experience of computer field ... you need to learn basics ... such as ... concepts of software engineering, general computer field terms, computer applications etc..."

When you say basics, concepts of computer engg, general computer field terms, computer applications etc...
It is a very vague statement for a beginner to follow.

I would really appreciate if you or someone can be more specific.
I know and I totally understand that the knowledge to be acquired is vast.. But for a beginner, it would be helpful if it was a little more specific.

Help appreciated
Thanks much!
5/27/2007
parekhnileshp Hi prabakar,
Yes ... degree is something different than knowledge ... but then degree is a proof of "YOU KNOW THE SUBJECT IN DEPTH"! Isn't it?

Its just like ... no one is going to believe your words if you say I know mechanical engineering and I know how machines work ... so let me work on the machine ... but if you show your degree certificate ... it will surely help you by proving your statement!

Regards,
Nilesh Parekh
4/22/2007
prabakar Sir,
ther are many engineers without knowing computer and software
they having degree.
degree is somthing different from knowledge.
tell me
4/20/2007
prabakar good practical thinking

by
prabakar
junior tester
4/20/2007
Cecilia Thank You very much for your sugestion, I will start right now to do some researches on software testing and related articles,and I hope I wil do fine.
Thanks a bunch, Loved your article on "How to go about for Beginners"
4/6/2007
parekhnileshp Hi Cecilia,
Sky is the only limit for those who have passion to fly ...
First of all ... as you said that you don't have no experience of computer field ... you need to learn basics ... such as ... concepts of software engineering, general computer field terms, computer applications etc.
Once you are familier with computer field ... you need to start learning software testing concepts ... so you should start with Terms and definitions used in software testing field, you need to know what are software testing is all about ... there are many books availabe in market which can help you in gathering the required knowledge. If possible join a course of software testing ... that should help you catapult yourself in this field.

Hope this helps ...
Nilesh Parekh
4/6/2007
Cecilia Hello,
I have no experience or background in computer, I know the basics. I would like to work in the software testing field, what do I need? I already have a great deal of passion for computers and great attitude towards learning. I also am a fast learner. I appeciate any thoughts!
Thanks
4/4/2007
parekhnileshp Hi MK,
I just can't help you, its the way I am ... hope you were not so irritating in your behaviour.

Regards,
Nilesh Parekh
3/31/2007
MK Take your photo off ! It's very irritating ! 3/28/2007
Pallavi "Software Testing - How To Go About For Beginners" by Nilesh is a good article for beginners...... 2/13/2007
Muhammad Naeem nice article for new users.Good effort for beginners to resolve their queries 2/2/2007
priya very good and helpful article!! 11/7/2006
Ramesh I went through ur suggestion got cleared about what is software testing albout.But still i am a system admin in one MNC.At the sametime i am very much interest to learn software tool.Can u guide me which is the best institute in bangalore.
10/25/2006
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