JNTU MCA 2019 SOFTWARE TESTING METHODOLOGIES Previous Question Paper (December - 2019 - R15)

Testing is performed for the following primary reasons:

• Defect Detection: To identify bugs, errors, and omissions in the software before it reaches the end user.
• Quality Assurance: To ensure the software meets the specified functional and non-functional requirements.
• Risk Mitigation: To reduce the probability of system failure in production by uncovering critical vulnerabilities.
• Validation and Verification: To verify that the system is built correctly (conforms to specifications) and to validate that the correct system is built (meets user needs).
• Confidence Building: To provide stakeholders with evidence regarding the reliability and performance of the application.

Dataflow testing is a structural testing strategy that focuses on the points at which variables receive values and the points at which those values are used. It examines the lifecycle of data within a program to identify anomalies such as uninitialized variables or unused definitions.

Applications include:

• Detecting data-related errors like undefined variables or redundant assignments.
• Assisting in the selection of test paths based on variable definitions and usages (def-use chains).
• Improving code coverage beyond simple control flow by analyzing data dependencies.
• Identifying potential logic errors where variables are used before they are properly initialized.