Testing is Tricky Business

Actually, testing can tricky if your customer doesn't know what they want. You can't base real requirements on "Test this!". You say OK, you look at all the inputs and outputs and test them, you test the circuits behind the interfaces as best as possible. You even tell them in advance what you're going to test, they say "that looks good" (you keep all the e-mail transactions) .

You go to the test set sell off and you get the conversation "That's not what we wanted". "Well...What did you want", "I don't know, but when I see it, I'll know it". That's not how it really goes because after the "That's not what we wanted" you start cussing (in your head) and discussing what they signed up for and what they say they signed up for.

Again, this is the need for the good requirements up front so that they understand what they will be getting and you understand what they want.

Recent experiences have shown that the above discussion happens more in testing than the good requirements.

Good luck on getting through the cussing and discussing part. It's never easy.