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The software systems industry continues to grow rapidly and, especially over the last two decades, exponentially. Market requirements and a growing appetite for exciting new challenges have fuelled the development of new software technologies. These new opportunities affect almost everyone on our planet and reach us primarily via the internet and, subsequently, via smart devices and technologies.

The need for software that is easy to create and maintain has caused many key industries—such as health, automotive, defense, and finance— to open up and become visible to the world via applications and/or web interfaces. Alongside these traditional domains, new types of services (such as social media and e-commerce) have appeared and thrived on the global market. The rapid growth and enormous demands involved in introducing new software-based products that greatly impact our lifestyles and our wellbeing require new and faster ways of producing software solutions.

This situation has created a market in which multiple companies compete for market share with extremely similar products. Such competition is beneficial to consumers (i.e., software users) and, as a result, software-based products have started to become commoditized. Software manufacturers have begun to think more economically, generating increased revenues using fewer resources (i.e., doing more with less). Continual introduction of new products into our daily lives has given rise to the “agile” design and production ethos—driving a cultural change in the tradition software development life cycle, as well as pushing forward the necessity of more and early automatic tests (e.g. as driven by the DevOps movement)—that is increasingly commonplace in today’s software industry, while the business leaders behind software-based products have understood that the world is becoming smaller and that competition is getting fiercer all the time. An increasingly short time to market is essential not only for generating revenue, but also simply to survive in today’s market. Successful and innovative companies understand that they need to put the customer first if they want to maintain product quality, generate brand loyalty, and increase their market share. In other words, the software industry has understood the importance of the customer to the overall product life cycle.

We in the software testing business have always known the importance of quality to the customer, because part of our job is to represent the customer’s point of view. The challenges we face have grown with the complexity of software products, and we sometimes still find ourselves having to justify the necessity for software testing, even if it has become a largely standard practice within the software industry. Recently, the rise of software-based artificial intelligence (AI)—such as software enhancement in robots and autonomous devices—has created a whole new set of challenges.

Software testing is an extremely important factor in the industry. Alongside controlling costs and quality, the main issue is customer focus. Preserving a healthy balance between cost and quality is an essential customer requirement, making it critical to have well-trained and highly professional people assigned to quality and software testing roles. Recruiting skilled professionals is the key to success. The primary factors we look for when recruiting are related to a person’s knowledge and skills. We look at the degree to which a person is aligned with the software testing profession, and with the required technology and industry domain (such as web, mobile, medical devices, finance, automotive, and so on). We also have to ask ourselves whether a person is suited to work in the product domain itself (for example, when candidates come from competitors). Communications and soft skills that fit in with the team/group/company are important too. In the case of industry newcomers, we have to consider how much potential a person has. This book teaches the fundamentals of software testing and provides a solid basis for enhancing your knowledge and experience through constant learning from external sources, your own personal experience, and from others.

When reading an educational book, I expect it to be sequentially structured and easy to understand. This book is based on the Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) syllabus, which is part of the ISTQB® (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) education program. The ISTQB® has created a well-organized and systematic training program that is designed to teach and qualify software testers in a variety of roles and domains. One of the primary objectives of the ISTQB® program is to create professional and internationally accepted terminology based on knowledge and experience. The chapters in the book are designed to take you on that journey and provide you with the established and cutting-edge fundamentals necessary to becoming a successful tester. They combine comprehensive theory with detailed practical examples and side notes that will enhance and broaden your view of software systems and how to test them. This book provides a great way to learn more about software testing for anyone who is studying the subject, thinking about joining the software testing profession, or for newcomers to the field.

For those who already have a role in software testing, the practical examples provided (based on a case study and corresponding side notes) are sure to help you learn. They provide a great basis for comparison with and application to your own real-world projects. This book contains a wealth of great ideas that will help you to build and improve your own software testing skills. The new, revised edition is based on the latest (2018) ISTQB® CTFL, which has been updated to cover agile processes and experience gained from changes that have taken place within the industry over the last few years. It also includes references to the other syllabi and professional content upon which it is based, and an updated version of the case study introduced in earlier editions. The case study is based on a multilayer solution that includes both specific and general technical aspects of software system architecture. The case study in this edition is based on a new-generation version of the system detailed in previous editions, thus enabling you to learn from a practical, project-based viewpoint.

The world is changing fast every day. Some of the technologies that we use today will become obsolete within a few years and the products we build will probably become obsolete even sooner. Software is an integral and essential part of virtually all the technology that surrounds us. Along with growth and expansion in the artificial intelligence (AI) arena and other new technologies that have yet to be introduced, this continual change offers new and exciting opportunities for the software testing profession. We are sure to find ourselves tuning our knowledge and experience in various ways, and we may even find ourselves teaching and coaching not only humans but also machines and systems that test products for us.

The fundamental knowledge, grass-roots experience, and practical examples provided by this book will prepare you for the ever-changing world and will shape your knowledge to enable you to test better and, in the future, perhaps pass on your knowledge to others.

I wish you satisfying and fruitful reading.

Yaron Tsubery

Former ISTQB® President

President ITCB®