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Software testing follows processes that verify the functionality of a software application or system. It uses methods and tools including software testing models, software testing tools, and software testing techniques.
This blog post discusses different types of software testing for your consumption.
Understanding the Nature of Testing
Software testing is an important process in the software development life cycle. It is a process that has to do with using different means (types of software testing) of assessing software applications to identify and rectify defects.
The aim of software testing is to ensure that the product meets user requirements. Software testing can be functional and non functional.
It is important to have good knowledge of software testing and different types of software testing. This will help you to get a good understanding on how it works and its importance in building robust and reliable software systems.
There are three important things to not leave out of your list for software softing. They are;
The types of software testing
Basically, software testing techniques can be categorized into functional and no functional testing types. You need to do research to know which one is best for your needs.
Quality Assurance (QA)
Another thing to not leave out is the quality assurance aspect. You must understand that software testing is an integral part of QA.
QA involves processes that ensure the quality of the final product. It also ensures that the testing techniques towards achieving high quality are strictly adhered to.
Software Testing Purpose
This is the main reason why you want to test your software. The primary purpose of software testing is usually around finding and fixing errors, bugs, and vulnerabilities.
The purpose of your software testing will help you to choose the right types of software testing, the duration of the test, and the expected outcomes.
3 Different Types of Software Testing
- Functional type of software testing
- Non-function type of software testing
- Performance types of software testing
1. Functional testing
This is one of the types of software testing that focuses on the verification of functions. It verifies the functionality of a software application. What functional testing does is to thoroughly examine the system under test to check for correct operation of the system’s components. It also checks for interactions between them.
Functional testing comprises these Software testing techniques;
,
- Unit testing
- Integration Testing
- Regression Testing
- System Testing
- User- acceptance testing
- System Testing
System testing
This type of software testing is excellent for checking the functionality of a software system. It tests the system’s performance, response time, and stability.
User acceptance testing
This type of testing checks the usability of a software application. It tests the system for user acceptance.
Regression testing
This type of testing checks for regression errors in a software application. It tests the system to ensure that it has not changed since the last time it was tested.
Unit testing
Unit testing is a method of verifying the functionality of a software component or system by testing individual units of code. This is done by executing the code under test in a controlled environment.
Unit testing is an essential part of software development, and it is one of the most effective software testing techniques to find and fix software defects.
System testing
System testing is one of the most important types of testing because it checks to make sure the entire system works well. It includes testing the software’s hardware, software, and networking.
Integration testing
This involves checking the correct working order of the different parts of a software application by using genuine user data. It’s one of the most important software testing techniques in the software development life cycle.
It is significant for also testing changes in software codes..
There are Two types of software integration testing. They are;
Integrated Testing from the Top Down
From top down, high-level modules are tested first, followed by low-level modules. Then finally integration from low-level modules to a high-level module to ensure the framework is performing as planned.
When a module isn’t prepared for integration testing, stubs are used as a replacement module.
Integrated Testing from the Bottom Up
The most basic module is generated initially in the bottom-up integration testing approach. Many modules that contribute to the ‘main’ program are coordinated and tested individually. This is usually administered by the testers.
Non Functional Testing
Non-functional type of software testing is important if you need a testing tool to focus on testing the non-functional aspects of your app. This includes performance, reliability, usability, security, and other non-functional aspects of a software application.
Unlike functional testing, non-functional testing assesses how well the software performs in various conditions and situations
Here are some key categories of non-functional testing:
Types of Non-functional testing
- Recovery Testing
- Stress Testing
- Smoke Testing
- Storage Testing
- Usability Testing
- Alpha Testing
- Beta Testing
- Gamma Testing
- Mobile Testing
Recovery Testing
Recovery testing is the software testing technique that determines if the framework can continue with the task after a crash.
Smoke Tests
This is a software testing technique for testing the critical components of a software system to ensure that they function properly. This is performed after a product has been completely built.
Storage Testing
This form of software testing ensures that the program under test keeps important data and information in the correct directories. It also ensures that they are safe and secure.
Usability Testing
This is a testing technique that tests the user-friendliness of a graphical user interface. The test is performed from the user’s perspective for best results.
Alpha Testing
This is a form of validation and acceptability testing. It is a type of acceptability testing performed before the product’s release to the market.
The goal of this type of testing is to identify any potential flaws or vulnerabilities before distributing the product to the consumers.
Beta Testing
When it comes to beta testing, the target is the end user. This type of software testing is for a completely built product but not yet released for a wide audience.
It is released to a limited group of users for testing and endorsement. When they approve the software, the testing is complete. If not, the dev teams go back to their drawing board.
Gamma Testing
When a product is ready to market with certain requirements, the gamma testing process comes to play. It is usually performed from the customer’s location.
Performance Testing
Performance testing is a type of software testing that focuses on system performance under a certain load. Performance testing provides developers with the diagnostic information they need to identify weaknesses.
Types of Software Testing in Performance Testing
Load testing
Load testing assesses system performance as workload rises. This burden might include concurrent users or transactions. When workload rises, the system is evaluated to determine reaction time and system staying power.
This workload is within the bounds of regular working circumstances.
Stress testing
Unlike load testing, stress testing — also known as fatigue testing — is aimed at examining system performance outside of the boundaries of regular operating settings.
The program can manage additional users or transactions. Stress testing is used to determine the stability of software. When does software fail, and how does it recover from failure?
The Spike Testing
Spike testing is a sort of stress testing that assesses software performance while workloads are rapidly and frequently increased.
During brief periods of time, the workload exceeds conventional expectations.
Endurance testing
Endurance testing is an assessment of how software operates under regular workload conditions over a lengthy period of time. The purpose of this testing is to check for system issues, including memory leaks.
Scalability testing
Scalability testing verifies whether software can handle rising workloads adequately. This test involves the increase in the user load or data volume while monitoring system performance.
Volume testing
Volume testing examines how well software functions with high expected volumes of data. Because the test floods the system with data, it is also known as flood testing.
Other Types of Software Testing
Exploratory testing
This technique is for the domain experts who can explore the apps’ functionality. They do testing just by exploring the application’s functionality, without understanding the requirements.
Regression testing
This is the repetition of a series of testing after program modification to identify any problems created. It also checks for changes in the software program that is under test.
Sanity testing
Sanity testing is excellent in the release process. It aims at verifying the application’s key functionality without delving too far. Because of release time limits, extensive regression testing on the build cannot always be performed; instead, sanity testing checks the core features.
Dynamic testing
Code execution is a component of dynamic testing. It verifies the output by comparing it to the expected result.
Accessibility Testing
Accessibility testing goal is to determine how readily persons with disabilities (such as visual impairments, physical impairments, hearing impairments, cognitive impairments, and learning difficulties) can utilize a system.
Compatibility testing
It is to deploy and verify that the application functions as planned in various combinations of environmental components.
Configuration testing
Configuration testing tests an application with each of the supported hardware and software configurations. The purpose is to see if the program works properly.
Localization Testing
By including regional or language-specific components, localization is the act of modifying globalization software for a particular area or language. Localisation testing therefore, evaluates how the settings work in different regions for users.
Globalization Testing
Globalization testing checks how easy it will be to modify a software program to other languages and countries.
Positive Testing
This is a testing technique that determines whether or not the application justifies the requirements.
Negative testing
Its purpose is to establish what the system is not meant to perform. It aids in the discovery of software flaws.
Security testing
Security testing is the process of determining if a system secures data and functions as intended.
Penetration Testing
Penetration testing checks the system’s security.
Database testing
Database testing is for ensuring that the data in the UI matches the data in the database. It entails inspecting the database’s structure, tables, triggers, and so on.
Bucket Testing
Bucket testing is a technique for comparing two versions of an application to see which performs better.
Reliability Testing
It is for conducting continuous testing on the application for a lengthy period of time to ensure the application’s stability.
Interface Testing
Interface testing is used to determine if two planned modules appropriately pass data and communicate.
Testing for concurrency
Concurrency testing entails numerous users accessing the program at the same time to assure system stability. This is mostly for discovering deadlock situations.
Testing for Fuzz
Fuzz testing is for finding code faults and security flaws in an application. In order to determine if anything breaks in the program, a vast amount of random data is fed into the system in an attempt to cause it to crash.
API testing
API testing is a sort of software testing that entails testing APIs with tools such as SOAPUI and PostMan.
Agile Testing
Agile testing is a sort of testing that adheres to the concepts of agile software development process. Instead of being limited to a certain phase, agile testing lasts throughout the lifespan of the project.
Exploratory Testing vs Scripted Testing: Choosing the Right Path
There are two essential types of software testing techniques that are also important: exploratory testing and scripted testing.
These software testing techniques are approaches to quality assurance. They play distinct roles in ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of software products.
Let’s delve into the differences, strengths, and best use cases for each of these fundamental testing methods.
Exploratory Testing
Exploratory testing is the free spirit of the software testing world. In this approach, testers act as detectives, navigating through the software without predefined scripts.
Instead, they rely on their intuition, creativity, and domain knowledge to explore the application, actively seeking out defects and issues.
One of the primary strengths of exploratory testing is its ability to uncover unexpected defects. Since testers approach the software with an open mind, they are more likely to identify issues that scripted tests might miss.
This method is particularly valuable for capturing the user experience and ensuring that the software functions as expected in real-world scenarios.
Exploratory testing thrives in dynamic environments, making it an ideal choice for agile development projects. It can quickly adapt to changing requirements and priorities, providing fast feedback to development teams.
This adaptability is crucial in today’s fast-paced software development landscape.
Scripted Testing
Scripted testing, in contrast, is the embodiment of precision and structure. Testers follow predefined test cases with meticulously scripted steps and expected outcomes.
Every action is planned and documented, ensuring that the testing process is highly controlled and repeatable.
One of the key strengths of scripted testing is its ability to deliver precise and reproducible results. This makes it ideal for regression testing, where it’s crucial to ensure that new changes or updates do not negatively impact existing functionality.
Scripted tests are also valuable when specific requirements must be validated consistently.
Furthermore, scripted testing provides clear documentation of the testing process. Test cases serve as blueprints, making it easy to reproduce tests, track test coverage, and share test scenarios across teams or projects. This level of documentation is essential for compliance in regulated industries.
Exploratory testing vs Scripted Types of Software Testing : Choosing the Right Path
While exploratory testing and scripted testing may appear as opposites, they are not in competition. Instead, they are complementary testing techniques that serve different purposes and excel in specific scenarios.
The key to effective software testing lies in understanding when to use each approach. Starting with scripted tests can establish a robust baseline and ensure that fundamental requirements are met.
Once this foundation is in place, exploratory testing can be employed to venture into uncharted territories, searching for elusive bugs and enhancing the user experience.
In practice, many testing strategies involve a blend of both exploratory and scripted testing.
This hybrid approach allows organizations to harness the strengths of each technique, adapting to the unique needs of their projects and products.
