Error – Handling Testing Technique :

Back ground	§ Pre determination of Error handling features is the basic difference between Automated and manual systems. § Manual System: can deal with problems as they occur. § Automated Systems: Must pre program error handling.
Usage	§ It determines the ability of applications system to process the incorrect transactions properly § Errors encompass all unexpected conditions. § In some system approx. 50% of programming effort will be devoted to handling error condition.
Objectives	§ Determine: § Application system recognizes all expected error conditions. § Accountability of processing errors has been assigned and procedures provide a high probability that errors will be properly corrected. § During correction process reasonable control is maintained over errors.
How to Use	§ A group of knowledgeable people is required to anticipate what can go wrong in the application system. § It is needed that all the application knowledgeable people assemble to integrate their knowledge of user area, auditing and error tracking. § Then logical test error conditions should be created based on this assimilated information. § The error handling testing technique should test – - Error - Processing of error - Control condition - Reentry of condition is proper or not. § The iterative process should be used where first the errors in the system trapped should be corrected and then the corrected system should be re-tested to check the authenticity of application operation and to complete the error handling testing cycle. § Tester should think negatively to trap errors. § Testers should determine how the system should fail so that they can test to determine if the software can properly process the erroneous data.
When to use	§ Throughout SDLC § Impact from errors should be identified and should be corrected to reduce the errors to acceptable level. § Used to assist in error management process of system development and maintenance.
Example	§ Create a set of erroneous transactions and enter them into the application system then find out whether the system is able to identify the problems. § Using iterative testing enters transactions and trap errors. Correct them. Then enter transactions with errors, which were not present in the system earlier.