Teasy: A domain-specific language to reduce time and facilitate the creation of tests in web applications

Software testing automation is one of the most challenging activities in Software Engineering scenarios. Moden-Based Testing (MBT) is a feasible strategy to alleviate efforts on automating testing activities. Trough a model that specifies the behavior of the Software Under Testing (SUT), MBT approaches are useful strategies to generate test cases and run them. However, some domains such as, web applications require extra efforts on applying MBT approaches. Due to this, in this study we propose and validate Teasy a Domain Specification Language (DSL) that makes MBT feasible for web application. Through the conduction of a Proof-of-Concept on testing a real-world web application, we noticed Teasy has potential to evolve to effectively support software development environments. Using a real-world application and projects with manually seeded faults, Teasy testing scenarios have detected 78,57% of the functional inconsistencies.

A Social Network Scrum Framework for Software Development under COVID-19 Pandemic

This research proposes a framework for social network scrum meeting that serves as an alternate means for work continuation under the COVID-19 pandemic. Conventional agile and scrum methods that require in-person meeting on daily basis, as well as scrum process become impractical under stringent ‘social lockdown’ mandates. To prevent any disruptive discontinuity, the proposed framework sets up an online meeting to replace the in-person stand-up meeting and scrum. Some supporting practices are also established to adjust both agile and scrum event flows that suit this online encounter. They are production development setup and social network meeting. The former offers industrial practices that are well entrenched and proven, while the latter has been used extensively in this digital age. The proposed method is tested with computer science student’s projects. Students are able to continue their meeting, discussion, and some outputs rather than being isolated with no fruitful outcome. The proposed method does establish some ground work to be explored for future software development environments that will suit to the imminent digital technological advancement.

Team Characteristics Moderating Effect on Software Project Completion Time

This study highlights the importance of human factors in software projects developed in capability maturity model (CMM) level software development environments. While software process initiatives help streamline the development process, people factors can influence project outcomes. Using data procured from the International Software Benchmarking Standard Group, the effects of team turnover, team heterogeneity, and team member work experience were examined as they moderate project elapsed time for software projects developed in CMM level software development environments. Team member work experience and team functional heterogeneity were found to have significant moderating effects on project elapsed time to completion. The turnover of members on the team did not have a significant moderating effect on project elapsed time to completion. Previous studies have examined the benefits of raising the level of maturity as identified by the capability maturity model. This study identifies the importance of human factors as they moderate project success.

Continuous-learning work environment: A study with developers in software development organizations

In today’s economy of knowledge, knowledge is considered as the most important element in the processes related to products and services in most organizations including software development organizations (SDOs). It is essential for SDOs to create a work environment that supports continuous learning in order to deal with the challenges of the new economy and remain competitive in the market. This study aims to perceive how the work environment in SDOs supports continuous learning in multiple ways. The specific objectives are to understand and describe the characteristics of the SDOs’ work environment which demonstrate the occurrence of continuous learning and to understand how developers apply the resources and structures available in this environment for their learning. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from the subjects involved in the software development process. Seven common characteristics were identified in all the participants’ organizations, which are also typical in a work environment conducive to continuous learning: continuous learning as a responsibility and a competitive advantage; emphasis on innovation and competition; an open and error tolerant environment; supporting structures and resources; reward and recognition systems; leader support and peer support. Based on the result, this paper proposes a continuous learning model in software development environments.