Good job!!!
Actually, I'm now tortured by system test

. And I would like to share my feeling with you guys
First, how to make your test process automatically is quite important, and it's also the most efficient way to do that. Totally agree with you

Actually it's a job of how to batch your test points into script. Based on my experience, especially for the complicated test action, such as boundaries test, condition test, and so on, system test trully depends on the maturity of API provided by the application you want to test.A set of API with good test and well documentation will speed your test process. Absolutely!
Second is about the execute of system test. Do you agree with me that system test may bring high risk to project? I mean it's easy to run system test, but it's difficult to solve the issue found by system test. For example, after test, the DB server is down.OK, you may tell me to check the datasource_access code and make sure no connection leak.But how about system core dump. Memory leaking? Thread concurrency? These bugs are trully hard to clear.Actually, I'm responsible for the system test of one project. If I say tortured, I mean we only got the binary package for system test and the scripts with few comments embedded. If we got the error such as "core dump", it's hard to follow. All we could do is keeping check the suspicious code. So I just wonder any technology or methodology could apply to design system test, and help us locate the trouble code more easily. Sorry, let me focus on the execution of system test. About this, I do quite appreciate the words from Martin Flower.System test and integration test should be tried after each iteration of construction. It means to discover the potential bug as early as possible.Risk Mitigation, hmmm,make sense
Third is about the design of system test. I think Dave has said so much. But where is the complete issue list we should pay attention to when we are expected to do that?
Good job, Dave, thank you again.
[ February 19, 2004: Message edited by: Porky Liu ]