Basic Testing Methodology
- Unit Testing—The programmers conduct unit testing during the development phase. Programmers can test their specific functionality individually or with other units. However, unit testing is designed to test small pieces of functionality rather than the system as a whole. This allows the programmers to conduct the first round of testing to eliminate bugs before they reach the testing staff.
- Integration Testing—Incremental integration testing involves continuous testing of an application as new functionality is added. This requires that aspects of an application’s functionality be able to work separately before all parts of the application are completed. Full integration testing tests combined parts of an application to determine if they function together correctly.
- System Testing—The system is tested as a complete, integrated system. System testing first occurs in the development environment but eventually is conducted in the production environment. Dedicated testers, project managers, or other key project staff performs system testing. Functionality and performance testing are designed to catch bugs in the system, unexpected results, or other ways in which the system does not meet the stated requirements. The testers create detailed scenarios to test the strength and limits of the system, trying to break it if possible. Editorial reviews not only correct typographical and grammatical errors, but also improve the system’s overall usability by ensuring that on-screen language is clear and helpful to users. Accessibility reviews ensure that the system is accessible to users with disabilities.
- Acceptance Testing—The software is assessed against the requirements defined in the system requirements document. The user or client conducts the testing in the production environment. Successful acceptance testing is required before submitting to the client for approval.
Software Testing Types:
- Black box testing – Internal system design is not considered in this type of testing. Tests are based on requirements and functionality.
- White box testing – This testing is based on knowledge of the internal logic of an application’s code. Also known as Glass box Testing. Internal software and code working should be known for this type of testing. Tests are based on coverage of code statements, branches, paths, conditions.
- Unit testing – Testing of individual software components or modules. Typically done by the programmer and not by testers, as it requires detailed knowledge of the internal program design and code. May require developing test driver modules or test harnesses.
- Incremental integration testing – Bottom up approach for testing i.e continuous testing of an application as new functionality is added; Application functionality and modules should be independent enough to test separately done by programmers or by testers.
- Integration testing – Testing of integrated modules to verify combined functionality after integration. Modules are typically code modules, individual applications, client and server applications on a network, etc. This type of testing is especially relevant to client/server and distributed systems.
- Functional testing – This type of testing ignores the internal parts and focus on the output is as per requirement or not. Black-box type testing geared to functional requirements of an application.
- System testing – Entire system is tested as per the requirements. Black-box type testing that is based on overall requirements specifications, covers all combined parts of a system.
- End-to-end testing – Similar to system testing, involves testing of a complete application environment in a situation that mimics real-world use, such as interacting with a database, using network communications, or interacting with other hardware, applications, or systems if appropriate.
- Sanity testing - Testing to determine if a new software version is performing well enough to accept it for a major testing effort. If application is crashing for initial use then system is not stable enough for further testing and build or application is assigned to fix.
- Regression testing – Testing the application as a whole for the modification in any module or functionality. Difficult to cover all the system in regression testing so typically automation tools are used for these testing types.
- Acceptance testing -Normally this type of testing is done to verify if system meets the customer specified requirements. User or customer do this testing to determine whether to accept application.
- Load testing – Its a performance testing to check system behavior under load. Testing an application under heavy loads, such as testing of a web site under a range of loads to determine at what point the system’s response time degrades or fails.
- Stress testing – System is stressed beyond its specifications to check how and when it fails. Performed under heavy load like putting large number beyond storage capacity, complex database queries, continuous input to system or database load.
- Performance testing – Term often used interchangeably with ’stress’ and ‘load’ testing. To check whether system meets performance requirements. Used different performance and load tools to do this.
- Usability testing – User-friendliness check. Application flow is tested, Can new user understand the application easily, Proper help documented whenever user stuck at any point. Basically system navigation is checked in this testing.
- Install/uninstall testing - Tested for full, partial, or upgrade install/uninstall processes on different operating systems under different hardware, software environment.
- Recovery testing – Testing how well a system recovers from crashes, hardware failures, or other catastrophic problems.
- Security testing – Can system be penetrated by any hacking way? Testing how well the system protects against unauthorized internal or external access. Checked if system, database is safe from external attacks.
- Compatibility testing – Testing how well software performs in a particular hardware/software/operating system/network environment and different combination s of above.
- Comparison testing – Comparison of product strengths and weaknesses with previous versions or other similar products.
- Alpha testing – In house virtual user environment can be created for this type of testing. Testing is done at the end of development. Still minor design changes may be made as a result of such testing.
- Beta testing – Testing typically done by end-users or others. Final testing before releasing application for commercial purpose.
- Gray Box Testing - Grey box testing is the combination of black box and white box testing. Intention of this testing is to find out defects related to bad design or bad implementation of the system. In gray box testing, test engineer is equipped with the knowledge of system and designs test cases or test data based on system knowledge.
For example, consider a hypothetical case wherein you have to test a web application. Functionality of this web application is very simple, you just need to enter your personal details like email and field of interest on the web form and submit this form. Server will get this details, and based on the field of interest pick some articles and mail it to the given email. Email validation is happening at the client side using Java Scripts.
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