Exploring Software Testing: Understanding Myers' Rule 10
Just as cars undergo safety tests and food is assessed for quality before reaching the market, software systems also require rigorous evaluations. In an era where technology permeates every aspect of our lives, the reliability and quality of software systems are vital.
In this context, software testing plays a crucial role, ensuring that each functionality is thoroughly examined to provide a seamless experience to the end user, resulting in the reliability of the final product.
Why should I test my application?
Consider the following scenario: after delivering a part of the system, the client identifies several errors in the production environment. However, by conducting software testing during the development process, developers have the ability to anticipate such issues, significantly reducing the likelihood of the client encountering errors in the system. Therefore, it is essential that the software testing process be integrated into the development cycle of each system feature, and cannot be neglected.
If we choose not to test the application, we are potentially increasing the accumulation of technical debt. Each bug found is typically added to the backlog, and eventually someone will have to interrupt the creation of new features to fix it. In a development process that does not prioritize testing, there is unlikely to be enough time to fix bugs, implement all planned features, and deliver the final product within the established deadline. If you are still not convinced of the importance of software testing, let's address Myers' Rule 10.
Myers' Rule 10
This rule, coined by Glenford Myers, one of the pioneers in the field of software testing, highlights the exponential growth of the cost of fixing defects as time progresses. Fixing a defect after it has been discovered in production is considerably more costly than identifying it during analysis or development.
The graph below illustrates this progressive cost increase. In the requirements gathering phase, the cost for correction is practically insignificant. During system development, the cost increases tenfold compared to the previous phase. In unit and integration testing, the cost is multiplied by one hundred. During system testing, the cost rises to one thousand times the initial cost. Acceptance testing incurs a cost of ten thousand times, and when the software is in production, fixing a flaw can cost up to one hundred thousand times more than if it were fixed in the requirements phase.
In addition to the financial costs, there are risks of damaging the client relationship, facing legal proceedings, or even reverting to the initial stage of development, resulting in project delivery delays and generating even higher costs.
Conclusion
Software testing is essential to ensure product quality. Even if some team members are not accustomed to performing them, it is important for everyone to contribute to this stage. Testing not only helps identify flaws but also increases software reliability. The more we test, the better the final result will be!