black and white box explaination

[unwashed potato!]

got homework to do where we have to make a user documentation for someone building a new pc and installing win xp. one of the things we need to include are black and white box testing methods but i haven't a clue what these are, if for hardware or software.

i have googled them, checked wiki and not understanding one bit about them.

What im hoping is if someone could just give me like a 1/2 sentence explaination of what they are so i can understand what i need to write about.

thanks

 

[semi-pro waster]

I've just had a quick look and I don't think that white box sounds particularly appropriate to a task such as this unless there is something you've omitted. It seems more appropriate for code testing since you have to essentially step through following all possible paths. That would be rather complicated for an XP based system I'd have thought.

Black box seems to be where you don't concern yourself greatly with the internal workings but you need to create inputs (I have built the PC and put the power on) the expected results (it starts up) and the actual output (PC doesn't start, I didn't put in the additional power lead).

At the risk of getting a 'duh' can you not just ask your teacher/lecturer to clarify since to my inexpert eye neither seems particularly appropriate and you'd have to hash them about to get it to work.

 

[unwashed potato!]

ah now i see, thanks for the semi-pro waster. I have actualy already wrote about this but i havent mentioned the black box in it but i can see how i will add it to the work.

thanks

p.s i have asked the teacher before but got completely useless answers so i don't bother no more and find it easier to ask someone who knows what they are doing