The first thing I do when testing a new release is to ensure that I can successfully install the softare on a clean PC. By clean PC, I mean a PC that has nothing else on it but the initial installation of Windows.
My software runs on Windows XP and Windows Vista. I use virtual PCs with clean installations of Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Vista Ultimate. the idea behind using a clean environment is that I can be sure there aren't any DLLs hidden away on available include paths that I am unaware of.
Initially I check I can install and uninstall the new release. I then check I can upgrade previously installed releases of software, e.g. can I upgrade 1.3.2 to 1.4? If 1.3.2 was unlocked, i.e. a valid unlock had been entered, then is 1.4 still unlocked when it is installed over 1.3.2.
As part of the upgrade tests I check that all totals are the same in 1.4 as they were in 1.3.2, e.g. if there were 10 invoices, do they still have the same totals. I do similar tests with credit notes, quotes, customer statements and sales reports.
After these basic tests I then do the application tests - trying out the features of the application as you do.
After I've done this initial round of test I give it to my partner (who isn't a developer) and she tests/ uses the software. By this stage things usually work well - we don't normally see crashes for example - but my partner is good at spotting silly mistakes and evaluating features for ease of use and so on.
After this we do a round of beta testing. The beta test phase is unscripted but I always ask for a report of what's been done. I then talk to the beta testers and agree a further round of test if needed.
by ML
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