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What Is Software Testing: Definition, Basics & Concepts
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Praise Iwuh
December 16, 2022
INTRODUCTION
The underlying software determines the functionality of machines in today's technological environment.
We can finally rest easy knowing that our computers will behave exactly as we intend, thanks to the existence of software testing.
It doesn't matter how much of a perfectionist you are.
Every business has an ultimate objective, and with that objective comes a particular set of standards. When actual results closely parallel those predicted, that's a good sign for various enterprises.
However, to get where they're going, every business must first deal with the fallout from human error.
When delivering a product, no company can blame human error. A system must be in place to detect mistakes to guarantee a high-quality result. Companies in the software development industry cannot afford to ignore software testing to fix this issue.
Here’s an outline of what was covered in this article:
- What Is Software Testing?
- Importance of Software Testing
- Types Of Software Testing
- Principles Of Software Testing
- Life Cycle of Software Testing (STLC)
- Software Testing Best Practices
WHAT IS SOFTWARE TESTING?
Software testing can be defined as the procedure of confirming and validating whether software or an application is bug-free, satisfies technical requirements as determined by its design and development, and effectively and efficiently satisfies user requirements by handling all exceptional and boundary cases.
A software program's functionality is evaluated through this technique. Before the program is deployed and made available to the public, the process verifies that it is free of faults and gaps and that the application's results align with expectations.
In addition to identifying flaws in the software already in use, the process of software testing looks for ways to increase the product's effectiveness, accuracy, and usability.
A software program's specification, functionality, and performance are primarily measured.
There are two phases to software testing:
- Verification is a set of tasks to confirm that the software correctly implements a specific function.
- Validation refers to a distinct collection of tasks that verify that the software developed can be traced back to customer requirements.
IMPORTANCE OF SOFTWARE TESTING
A company's expansion is determined by the success rate of its software program. As a result, it plays a significant part in creating software applications and products. The following explains why we require software testing:
Product Quality :
To realise your product's vision, it must function as intended. Therefore, adherence to the product specifications is essential since doing so enables you to achieve the desired outcomes.
Customer Satisfaction :
A product owner's ultimate objective is excellent customer satisfaction.
To provide the best possible user experience, software should be tested.
Being the most incredible product in this oversaturated market will allow you to get loyal customers, which will have long-lasting impacts.
Early detection of flaws :
Errors may occur while developing sophisticated applications. Therefore, software testing is essential because it identifies any bugs and defects in the written code so they can be corrected before the software product is released.
Enhanced product quality :
Delivering a high-quality product is crucial to consider when attracting customers.
The only way to deliver an amazing product is to conduct thorough testing before release. Software testing enables the product to pass quality assurance (QA) and meet the requirements and specifications established by the users.
Enhances consumer happiness and trust :
Testing a product throughout its development lifetime reveals its strengths and weaknesses, increasing customer confidence and satisfaction. By the time the product reaches the buyer, it has through various tests and has shown its quality.
Security flaws are identified :
This is the most fragile and sensitive aspect of software testing. Users are consistently searching for dependable products. It aids in eliminating problems and dangers in advance.
Insecure application code may introduce vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.
Since most applications are online today, they can serve as a primary vector for cyber threats and should be rigorously tested at various stages of application development.
Facilitates scalability :
Scalability testing is a sort of nonfunctional software testing that measures how effectively an application grows with rising workloads, including user traffic, data volume, and transaction counts.
It can also indicate the point at which an application may cease to function and the underlying causes, including achieving or exceeding a given threshold, such as the total number of concurrent app users.
Cost savings :
Software development concerns that go undetected owing to a lack of software testing can later cost enterprises more money.
In addition, after an application has been released, it may be more challenging to identify and resolve bugs, as software patching is typically more costly than testing during the development phase.
TYPES OF SOFTWARE TESTING
Dynamic testing and static testing are the two primary methods of software testing.
Dynamic testing is an evaluation performed while the program runs, whereas static testing investigates the program's source code and documentation.
Dynamic and static methods are frequently used in tandem.
As businesses have implemented agile testing and DevOps work environments, software testing has significantly transformed over the years.
This has provided quicker and more collaborative software testing methodologies.
The primary types of software testing methodologies include:
Manual testing :
This entails testing software manually, i.e., without using automation tools or scripts.
In this testing, the tester assumes the role of an end user and examines the software for any unexpected behaviour or bugs.
There are various manual testing phases, including unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and user acceptability testing.
Testers utilise test plans, cases, and scenarios while testing software to verify its thoroughness. Exploratory testing is also a component of manual testing, where testers navigate the software in search of bugs.
Automation Testing:
Automation testing, also known as Test Automation, is when a tester writes scripts and uses different software to test a product. This procedure involves automating a manual process. Automation Testing is used to swiftly and repeatedly re-execute test scenarios manually executed during manual testing.
In addition to regression testing, automation testing is used to test the application's load, performance, and stress. As a result, it increases test coverage, improves test correctness, and saves time and money compared to manual testing.
Other levels of software testing include:
Unit Testing
In this stage of the software testing procedure, individual units/components of a software/system are tested.
The objective is to verify that each software component operates as intended.
Integration Testing
The phase of the software testing procedure in which individual modules are joined and tested together. This level of testing is designed to identify flaws in the interaction between integrated units.
System Testing
This refers to the phase of the software testing process in which a whole, integrated system/software is examined.
This test assesses the system's conformance with the defined requirements.
Acceptance Testing
The phase of the software testing process in which a system's acceptability is evaluated. This test is designed to assess the system's compliance with business requirements and determine if it is suitable for delivery.
Compatibility Testing
This focuses on ensuring that a software application or system functions correctly and effectively across various computing environments, configurations, operating systems, web browsers, hardware devices, or network setups. Compatibility testing verifies if the software is compatible with the target environment and meets the requirements of different platforms or software combinations. It helps identify potential issues that may arise due to platform-specific variations, hardware limitations, or software dependencies.
PRINCIPLES OF SOFTWARE TESTING
Software testers must use a high degree of ingenuity and intellect. There are a few guiding principles that a software tester should keep in mind at all times when working on a software or application testing project.
Here are some of the guiding principles of software testing:
Software testing is reliant on context
The context in which a software product is being tested significantly determines the testing strategy and methodology employed.
Compared to a simple game or piece of utility software, a health-related app, for instance, requires more thorough testing and input from medical professionals.
Faults in software can be found through testing
Developers may or may not catch all of the bugs in a program until it has been thoroughly tested. However, software testing alone is not enough to guarantee that your finished product or program is bug-free. Therefore, creating test cases and discovering as many bugs as possible is crucial.
Testing with effectiveness is impossible
It is hard to do successful testing unless the project or application being tested has a simple structure with minimal input. This means it cannot thoroughly examine and test all conceivable data sets, modules, and situations.
Prior testing
Beginning the testing process early in the lifecycle of a project or piece of software can help you make the most efficient use of the available time.
Defect in clustering
During testing, you may see that a few modules inside your program or system account for most of the reported flaws or issues.
It is a fallacy that software can be created without errors or bugs
Despite a lack of bugs being found during testing, that doesn't mean your app is ready for release.
SOFTWARE TESTING LIFE CYCLE (STLC)
Software testers must use a high degree of ingenuity and intellect. There are a few guiding principles that a software tester should keep in mind at all times when working on a software or application testing project.
Here are some of the guiding principles of software testing:
Faults in software can be found through testing
Developers may or may not catch all of the bugs in a program until it has been thoroughly tested. However, software testing alone is not enough to guarantee that your finished product or program is bug-free. Therefore, creating test cases and discovering as many bugs as possible is crucial.
Testing with effectiveness is impossible
It is hard to do successful testing unless the project or application being tested has a simple structure with minimal input. This means it cannot thoroughly examine and test all conceivable data sets, modules, and situations.
Prior testing
Beginning the testing process early in the lifecycle of a project or piece of software can help you make the most efficient use of the available time.
Defect in clustering
During testing, you may see that a few modules inside your program or system account for most of the reported flaws or issues.
It is a fallacy that software can be created without errors or bugs
Despite a lack of bugs being found during testing, that doesn't mean your app is ready for release.
SOFTWARE TESTING BEST PRACTICES
Software testing goes beyond simply performing a series of tests. Methodically conducting these tests requires a targeted approach and a streamlined procedure.
Always using software industry best practices is an excellent method to boost the efficiency and usefulness of your app or product.
What follows are some guidelines to follow to improve your chances of having a successful software testing project:
Test with an emphasis on safety
The nature of the risks we face in terms of security is ever-changing.
Therefore, security-focused tests and standard software testing should be performed to safeguard software products from cybercrime.
In addition, organizations may benefit from assessing their software's security with penetration testing or ethical hacking.
Get the users involved
Since end users are the most qualified software critics, developers must constantly dialogue with them.
Testing from the user's perspective is aided by asking open-ended questions, such as what problems users encounter and what enhancements they would like to see.
Including user feedback is essential for effective software testing, and one method to do it is by providing them with test accounts in live production systems that mimic their experience.
Have an eye on the long term
Any new product released into the market must be able to scale and adapt to the ever-evolving technological landscape. When designing a product, it's essential to consider how it might be used in the future and how flexible it can be.
The architecture and programming of the system can guarantee this. It is not enough to test a product for security flaws and usability issues if it is meant to be used in the future.
It is not recommended that programmers create tests. In most cases, testing comes first, followed by actual coding.
Programmers should avoid designing those tests to prevent prejudice against their code or missing other innovative aspects in the test sets.
Create in-depth reports
Completeness in bug reporting facilitates understanding by those tasked with resolving the issues.
A well-rounded report considers the gravity of problems, ranks repairs in order of importance, and offers preventative measures to ensure that the same errors don't crop up again.
Separate tests into manageable pieces
Smaller tests are preferable in high-testing situations, where time and money are at a premium. In addition, teams can analyze each test more effectively if they divide them into smaller chunks, such as user interface testing, function testing, user experience testing, and security testing.
Never neglect to conduct regression tests
It would be best if you didn't ignore regression testing because it's a crucial stage before releasing your program to the public. Since most of the testing is complete before regression testing, it is encouraged that the whole application is validated.
CONCLUSION
Software testing is a broad topic, but we hope this article serves as a guide to help you better understand and decide which is best suited for your platform.
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