TPS report
A TPS report is a document used in software engineering, in particular by a Software Quality Assurance group or individual, that describes the testing procedures and the testing process.
The official definition and creation is provided by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as follows:
- IEEE 829 - Test Procedure Specification
- The Test Procedures are developed from both the Test Design and the Test Case Specification. The document describes how the tester will physically run the test, the physical set-up required, and the procedure steps that need to be followed. The standard defines ten procedure steps that may be applied when running a test.'
"TPS Reports" are also used in many banks to report activity on the "Transaction Processing System" that is used on mainframe computers to process financial transactions. In database administration, engineering, and benchmarking, it may also refer to "Transactions Per Second."
In popular culture
TPS report has come to denote pointless mindless paperwork after its use in the comedy film Office Space. In the story, a primary character is reprimanded by several of his superiors for forgetting to put the new cover sheet on his TPS report. In one of the popular Terry Tate: Office Linebacker commercials, Terry Tate body slams a co-worker for forgetting a cover sheet on his TPS report. They can also be seen in Lost: Season 1, Episode 4, when Locke is asked by his boss to finish his TPS report in a flashback scene. In the Valve video game Counter Strike: Source, TPS reports can been seen on a shelf in the map 'cs_office', as well as on one of the computer's screens in the same map. The game F.E.A.R. also features TPS reports throughout the Armacham corporate facilities.