Department of Computer Science

Software Quality, Software Quality

Attributes, Quality Engineering
Course : Software Quality Engineering
Instructor: Ahsan Ali [email protected]
Software Quality
• Software quality engineering is the practice of integrating quality
checks throughout the development cycle of software tools and
applications.
• Its purpose is to ensure the software development team is efficiently
testing for quality throughout the product development cycle.
• To do this, software quality engineers must closely study existing
development processes so that it can integrate the quality checks,
rather than add them on top.
• Software quality engineers are responsible for the design,
development and maintenance of the policies and procedures used
for improving the efficiency of quality assurance.
Software quality engineering vs software quality
analysis
• Software quality engineers and software quality analysts both aim to
ensure a high-quality final product but have distinctive roles.
• Software quality analysts work to develop and implement quality
standards during the product's design stage.
• They typically create the environments for testing and may carry out the
quality tests themselves.
• Software quality engineers, however, focus on improving the efficiency of
quality assurance. They begin their work after the software quality analysts
complete their work and submit the quality assurance requirements.
Software engineers may perform tasks such as automating tests,
identifying repeated tests and identifying issues that arise from testing
procedures.
Software quality engineering practices

• Software quality engineers use several practices to ensure a high-

quality product. Some of these practices include:
Peer review
• Peer review is when the software developers share their code with
one another. Having programmers review each other's code provides
two major benefits. First, it makes it more likely that they will spot
any errors by giving each piece of code additional reviewing. Second,
it allows the programmers to learn from one another.
• Programmers can share advice or suggestions to help improve the
software's code, which ultimately leads to a better product.
Software quality engineering practices
Code analysis
• Software quality engineers integrate analysis tools directly into a
programmers coding environment.
• Through these tools, the programmer gains real-time feedback about
their work, ensuring that it conforms to pre-defined quality
standards.
• This real-time code analysis saves the development team time by
eliminating problems before they become ingrained within the
program.
Software quality engineering practices
Testing
• There are several testing practices that software quality engineers
use. One example is functional testing, which tests the user interface
of an application to ensure it conforms to the predefined protocols.
• Along with testing out the core functions of the program, functional
testing also analyzes the performance of features such as menus and
the installation process.
• Another testing procedure software quality engineers use is user
performance testing. This aims to test the speed of a product under
different circumstances. By doing this, engineers can ensure the
program meets customer expectations.
 Why is software quality engineering important?

• Software development teams use software quality engineers because they

can provide the following benefits:
Better final product
• By checking for quality throughout the development process, software
quality engineering ensures a better final product. It handles more problems
and inefficiencies during the development process so that there are fewer
when it comes time to deliver the product to the customer.
• Software quality engineering also promotes collaboration among
developers, who can then share ideas for improvement. This encourages an
environment where the developers can find the best ideas and implement
them.
Why is software quality engineering important?

Faster delivery speed

• Through practices such as automation and the use of artificial
intelligence, software quality engineering significantly reduces the
amount of time spent on testing. Because of this, developers can
finish the software faster and deliver it to the customer sooner.
• In software development, delivering a high-quality product to the
customer in a timely fashion is one of the most important attributes
of any development company.
• Therefore, the faster the company can deliver a product, without
sacrificing quality, the better.
Why is software quality engineering important?

More adaptable
• When developing software, you may face unexpected challenges. For
example, a client may request major changes to the product in the
middle of development.
• Software quality engineers help their businesses implement what is
known as agile development practices.
• These allow development teams to quickly and efficiently make
changes during the process, ultimately saving time and resources.
Software Quality Attributes
• Software Quality Attributes (SQAs) are non-functional requirements
that define the overall characteristics and performance of a software
system.
• They play a crucial role in determining the system's effectiveness,
efficiency, and user satisfaction.
• In Software Quality Engineering, understanding and addressing these
attributes ensures that the software meets both user expectations
and business goals.
Software Quality Attributes
Key Software Quality Attributes
1. Performance
• Definition: Refers to how quickly and efficiently a software system
responds to user actions and processes data.
• Key Aspects:
• Response Time
• Throughput
• Resource Utilization
• Importance: Ensures the system operates smoothly under expected
workloads, providing a satisfactory user experience.
Software Quality Attributes
2. Reliability
• Definition: The ability of the software to function correctly over time
without failure.
• Key Aspects:
• Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
• Fault Tolerance
• Recovery Time
• Importance: Critical for systems where failures can have significant
consequences, such as in healthcare or finance.
Software Quality Attributes
3. Usability
• Definition: The ease with which users can learn, operate, and interact
with the software.
• Key Aspects:
• User Interface Design
• Accessibility
• User Documentation
• Importance: Enhances user satisfaction and reduces training costs by
making the software intuitive and easy to use.
Software Quality Attributes
4. Maintainability
• Definition: The ease with which the software can be modified to
correct defects, improve performance, or adapt to a changed
environment.
• Key Aspects:
• Code Modularity
• Documentation Quality
• Testability
• Importance: Reduces long-term costs and allows for quick updates
and improvements.
Software Quality Attributes
5. Scalability
• Definition: The capability of the software to handle increased loads
without compromising performance.
• Key Aspects:
• Horizontal and Vertical Scaling
• Load Balancing
• Resource Management
• Importance: Ensures the software can grow with the user base and
data volume, maintaining performance standards.
Software Quality Attributes
6. Security
• Definition: The protection of software against unauthorized access,
data breaches, and other security threats.
• Key Aspects:
• Authentication and Authorization
• Data Encryption
• Vulnerability Management
• Importance: Protects sensitive data and maintains user trust,
especially important in applications handling personal or financial
information.
Software Quality Attributes
7. Portability
• Definition: The ease with which software can be transferred from one
environment to another.
• Key Aspects:
• Platform Independence
• Installation Process
• Compatibility
• Importance: Facilitates deployment across different hardware and
software environments, increasing the software’s market reach.
Software Quality Attributes
8. Interoperability
• Definition: The ability of the software to interact with other systems
or products without special effort from the user.
• Key Aspects:
• Standardized Interfaces
• Data Exchange Formats
• API Integration
• Importance: Enhances the software’s functionality by allowing it to
work seamlessly with other systems and services.
Software Quality Attributes
9. Extensibility
• Definition: The ease with which new features or functionalities can
be added to the software.
• Key Aspects:
• Modular Architecture
• Plug-in Support
• Flexible Design
• Importance: Ensures the software can evolve to meet changing user
needs and technological advancements.
Quality Engineering
• Quality Engineering (QE) in Software Quality Engineering is a systematic
approach to ensuring the quality of software products and processes
throughout the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC).
• Unlike traditional quality assurance, which primarily focuses on testing
after development, Quality Engineering integrates quality into every phase
of development.
• It involves proactive practices, tools, methodologies, and continuous
improvements to prevent defects rather than just identifying them.
• Here’s an overview of how Quality Engineering contributes to Software
Quality Engineering and its significance in modern software development:
Key Aspects of Quality Engineering in Software
Development
• Shift-Left Approach
• Quality Engineering emphasizes identifying and addressing potential issues
early in the development process, sometimes as early as the requirements
gathering phase. This approach, known as "Shift Left," involves embedding
quality checks and validations in the initial stages of SDLC to prevent issues
later.
• Benefits: Reduces time and cost by catching defects early, enhances
collaboration between teams, and improves product quality.
ey Aspects of Quality Engineering in Software
Development
Test Automation
• Automation plays a significant role in Quality Engineering,
especially for repetitive, time-consuming tasks such as regression
testing.
• Automated tests, integrated into continuous
integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, help
maintain consistent quality and allow for rapid feedback.
• Benefits: Increases testing efficiency, speeds up release cycles, and
reduces human error.
Key Aspects of Quality Engineering in Software
Development
• Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
• CI/CD practices are central to QE, enabling automated building,
testing, and deployment.
• With these practices, quality checkpoints are embedded in the
deployment pipeline, facilitating faster releases and ensuring that
each iteration meets the required standards.
• Benefits: Ensures quick identification and resolution of defects,
reduces manual intervention, and promotes a continuous flow of
high-quality releases.
Key Aspects of Quality Engineering in Software
Development
Performance Engineering
• Unlike traditional performance testing, which occurs post-
development, Performance Engineering involves continuous
monitoring and optimization of system performance throughout the
SDLC. QE professionals work closely with developers to ensure that
applications meet performance requirements from the start.
• Benefits: Improves scalability, ensures system reliability under load,
and prevents performance bottlenecks.
Key Aspects of Quality Engineering in Software
Development
• Security Engineering
• Quality Engineering incorporates security practices from the early
stages of development to safeguard software against vulnerabilities.
Techniques like threat modeling, code reviews for security
vulnerabilities, and security testing are integrated into the
development cycle.
• Benefits: Reduces security risks, ensures compliance with standards,
and protects user data.
Key Aspects of Quality Engineering in Software
Development
• Test-Driven Development (TDD) and Behavior-Driven Development
(BDD)
• Quality Engineering promotes TDD and BDD practices, where tests are
written before or alongside the code. This approach aligns
development with quality standards by ensuring that each piece of
code is validated as it is created.
• Benefits: Improves code quality, facilitates collaboration between
developers and testers, and ensures requirements are met effectively.
Key Roles and Responsibilities in Quality
Engineering
• Quality Engineers: Design, develop, and execute automated and
manual tests, ensuring that systems meet the set quality standards.
• Performance Engineers: Focus on performance requirements,
monitoring, and optimization of systems to ensure they perform
efficiently under various loads.
• Security Engineers: Integrate security practices, conduct vulnerability
assessments, and implement security controls within the
development process.
Key Roles and Responsibilities in Quality
Engineering
• Automation Engineers: Create and maintain automated test scripts,
integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines, and ensure efficient
test execution.
• DevOps and Release Engineers: Oversee the deployment pipeline,
manage release cycles, and collaborate with QE to ensure a smooth,
high-quality delivery process.
Tools and Techniques in Quality Engineering

• Quality Engineering leverages a variety of tools and techniques across

different stages of the software development lifecycle. Some widely
used tools include:
• Test Automation: Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, Cypress
• Performance Testing: Apache JMeter, Gatling, LoadRunner
• Security Testing: OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, Snyk
• CI/CD: Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, CircleCI
• Infrastructure Management: Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform (for IaC)
• Code Quality and Analysis: SonarQube, CodeClimate
Benefits of Quality Engineering in Software
Development
• Higher Quality and Reliability: Embedding quality throughout the SDLC
results in more robust, reliable, and stable software.
• Reduced Defects and Rework Costs: Early defect detection minimizes the
time and costs associated with fixing issues after release.
• Faster Time-to-Market: Continuous integration and test automation
accelerate the development cycle, allowing faster releases without
sacrificing quality.
• Enhanced Collaboration: QE promotes better communication between
development, testing, and operations teams, aligning everyone towards
quality objectives.
• Increased Customer Satisfaction: By delivering secure, performant, and
reliable software, organizations enhance user satisfaction and loyalty.