Method and apparatus for evaluating software

• US 20040031021A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Hunt, Charles B., Jamieson, Harry D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,735,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3668 Software testing software testing in telephone exchanges H04M3/242, testing of hardware G06F11/22

Abstract

A method and system for evaluating software includes generating a test deck (310), where the test deck is formulated to test the software for compliance with delivery system operation procedures (315), processing the test deck with the software, and grading the performance of the software for compliance with delivery system operation procedures (320).

Claims

1. A method for evaluating software comprising:

generating a test deck, wherein the test deck is formulated to test the software for compliance with delivery system operation procedures;

processing the test deck with the software; and

grading the performance of the software for compliance with delivery system operation procedures.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a test deck further comprises:

selecting at least one delivery system operation procedure with which to test the software for compliance;

selecting a test deck programming module with which to generate the test deck, the test deck programming module formulated to generate the test deck to test the software for compliance with the at least one delivery system operation procedure; and

creating the test deck using the test deck programming module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the test deck further comprises:

executing the software using at least the test deck as input; and

providing the output of the software to the delivery system operator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein grading the performance of the software further comprises:

selecting a grading programming module formulated to grade the software for compliance with at least one delivery system operation procedure; and

generating a grade using the grading programming module.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein addresses comprising the test deck comprise geographical segment codes chosen at random.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the geographical segment code comprises at least one of the following:

a United States Postal Service ZIP code, and a United States Postal Service ZIP+4 code.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the test deck comprises addresses and addresses within the test deck are sorted by street address.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein grading the performance of the software further comprises reporting infractions of the delivery system operation procedures.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising grading the compliance of at least one of the following:

presort qualification reports, postage statements, and container labels.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the geographical segment code comprises at least one of the following:

a United States Postal Service ZIP code, and a United States Postal Service ZIP+4 code.

10. A system for evaluating software comprising:

a component for generating a test deck, wherein the test deck is formulated to test the software for compliance with delivery system operation procedures;

a component for processing the test deck with the software; and

a component for grading the performance of the software for compliance with delivery system operation procedures.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the component for generating a test deck further comprises:

a component for selecting at least one delivery system operation procedure with which to test the software for compliance;

a component for selecting a test deck programming module with which to generate the test deck, the test deck programming module formulated to generate the test deck to test the software for compliance with the at least one delivery system operation procedure; and

a component for creating a test deck using the test deck programming module.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the component for processing the test deck further comprises:

a component for executing the software using at least the test deck as input; and

a component for providing the output of the software to the delivery system operator.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the component for grading the performance of the software further comprises:

a component for selecting a grading programming module formulated to grade the software for compliance with at least one delivery system operation procedure; and

a component for generating a grade using the grading programming module.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein addresses comprising the test deck comprise geographical segment codes chosen at random.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the geographical segment code comprises at least one of the following:

a United States Postal Service ZIP code, and a United States Postal Service ZIP+4 code.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the test deck comprises addresses and addresses within the test deck are sorted by street address.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising a component for reporting infractions of the delivery system operation procedures.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising a component for grading the compliance of at least one of the following:

presort qualification reports, postage statements, and container labels.

19. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a set of instructions for evaluating software, which when executed perform stages comprising:

generating a test deck, wherein the test deck is formulated to test the software for compliance with delivery system operation procedures;

processing the test deck with the software; and

grading the performance of the software for compliance with delivery system operation procedures.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein generating a test deck further comprises:

selecting at least one delivery system operation procedure with which to test the software for compliance;

selecting a test deck programming module with which to generate the test deck, the test deck programming module formulated to generate the test deck to test the software for compliance with the at least one delivery system operation procedure; and

creating the test deck using the test deck programming module.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein processing the test deck further comprises:

executing the software using at least the test deck as input; and

providing the output of the software to the delivery system operator.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein grading the performance of the software further comprises:

selecting a grading programming module formulated to grade the software for compliance with at least one delivery system operation procedure; and

generating a grade using the grading programming module.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein addresses comprising the test deck comprise geographical segment codes chosen at random.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the test deck comprises addresses and addresses within the test deck are sorted by street address.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein grading the performance of the software further comprises reporting infractions of the delivery system operation procedures.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising grading the compliance of at least one of the following:

presort qualification reports, postage statements, and container labels.

28. A method for evaluating software comprising:

selecting at least one delivery system operation procedure with which to test the software for compliance;

selecting a test deck programming module with which to generate a test deck, the test deck programming module formulated to generate the test deck to test the software for compliance with the at least one delivery system operation procedure;

creating the test deck using the test deck programming module, wherein addresses comprising the test deck comprise geographical segment codes chosen at random, the geographical segment code comprises at least one of the following;

a United States Postal Service ZIP code, and a United States Postal Service ZIP+4 code, and wherein addresses comprising the test deck are sorted by street address;

executing the software using at least the test deck as input;

providing the output of the software to the delivery system operator;

selecting a grading programming module formulated to grade the software for compliance with at least one delivery system operation procedure;

generating a grade using the grading programming module;

grading the compliance of at least one of the following;

presort qualification reports, postage statements, and container labels; and

reporting infractions of the delivery system operation procedures.