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Dr. Boris Beizer is an American software engineer who literally wrote the book on software testing. His name was much more well known in the eighties, when his work was becoming noticed on a larger scale; though, his books are still prominent on the subject of software testing.
Software testing is the process of locating and correcting errors in programming. These tests are run in order to determine the quality of a product. This allows users of the software to know what risks and problems present when utilizing a new software. Boris Beizer did a lot of this type of work before writing his books.
Boris Beizer holds a PhD in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania and has written 12 books. He has spoken at many software testing and engineering conferences and runs seminars geared toward testing functions. He is still somewhat active in the programming world and is a highly respected expert on the subjects he writes about.
The book that Boris Beizer is most known for is Software Testing Techniques, which is often cited in computer programming courses. It provides a collection of helpful information and processes that will help to identify errors in programming software. The book gives both basic definitions and more in-depth strategies that programmers use to this day. Boris Beizer writes the book specifically for software engineers looking to improve their software testing skills.
In his books, Boris Beizer clearly illustrates the difference between software testing and debugging and why the processes should remain separate. Software testing is first used to identify bugs and debugging is executed to locate and fix these bugs. Another important distinction Boris Beizer makes is the difference between functional and structural testing. Functional testing is when the program is tested from the user’s point of view. The tester inputs information into the system to see if the output is accurate. Structural testing focuses on how the program is implemented, especially in terms of style and design.
The most recent book by Boris Beizer is Black-Box Testing. “Black Box Testing” are testing methods which treats the software as a blank slate, having no knowledge of internal implimentation. This differs from “White Box Testing” which is when the tester has access to the internal data structures and algorithms. Boris Beizer discusses the methods of black box testing (including equivalance partitioning, boundary value analysis, and fuzz testing) and how these can be used to improve the effectiveness of your testing practices.
Boris Beizer is known for his strong support of code coverage. He believed that this process was a big deal and should not be overlooked. Many programmers in the eighties, and still today, relied primarily on exploratory and risk-based testing which he found to be problematic.
Overall, Boris Beizer and his books are important to know about if you are interested in software testing. The books are very often cited as “must-reads” and can greatly improve your software testing abilities. Definitely check them out if you are curious about software engineering.
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