Software Testing - Compatibility Testing

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Software testing includes the verification of both the functional and non-functional requirements. All these are required to enhance the overall quality of the software. The compatibility testing is a concept under the non-functional testing to check if the software is compatible with multiple environments, and circumstances.

What is Software Compatibility Testing?

Software compatibility testing is a concept in which the compatibility of the software is verified against various platforms. It is only performed once the software is stable. Thus the compatibility testing is done to verify if the software is working fine under different circumstances namely, hardware, software, browsers, connectivities etc. It is a very important type of testing that is performed before the software moves to production. It lowers the possibility of encountering the compatibility issues in the software in future.

Different Types of Software Compatibility Testing

The different types of software compatibility testing are listed below −

Software

It is used to verify the compatibility of the software in various platforms namely the Windows, Mac, Linux etc, and multiple databases namely Oracle SQL Server, Mango DB Server, etc. It also includes verifying the compatibility in multiple devices like mobiles, tablets, phones etc.

There are multiple types of compatibility testing based on the versions listed below −

Forward Compatibility Testing

The hardware, software, and other characteristics of the software are verified against the latest version of the software.

Backward Compatibility Testing

The hardware, software, and other characteristics of the software are verified against the previous versions of the software. At the time of backward compatibility testing, the testers examine the multiple features of the software namely data migration, working of APIs, GUI, features, security, and other parameters.

Hardware

It is used to verify the compatibility of the software against the parameters listed below −

• RAM
• ROM
• Graphics Card
• Memory Card
• Hard Disk
• Processor

Smartphones

It is used to verify the compatibility of the software against the multiple mobile platforms namely, blackberry, iOS, Android etc.

Network

It is used to verify the compatibility of the software against the different bandwidths, speed, and capacity.

Browser Compatibility

It is used to verify the compatibility of the software against the multiple browsers, and its various versions.

Perform the Software Compatibility Testing

The software compatibility can be checked in a particular environment but in multiple versions. For example, we can test the compatibility of a particular version of an e-commerce application in multiple Android versions.

The software compatibility can be checked in a particular version but in multiple environments. For example, we can test the compatibility of a version of an e-commerce application in one Android version, and then check the compatibility of the higher version of it in the same Android version.

Why is Software Compatibility Testing Performed?

The software compatibility testing is done for the reasons listed below −

• It confirms end to end satisfaction of the customers while using the software.
• It extends support across more than one operating system.
• It detects defects at the time of development.

Examples of Software Compatibility Testing Defects

Some of the examples of software compatibility testing defects are listed below −

• Variations in graphical user interface.
• Ambiguities in font size of the characters
• Alignment problems in the text on the web page.
• Overlapping text on the web page.
• Existence of broken frames on the web page.

Conclusion

This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Compatibility Testing. We’ve started with describing what is a software compatibility testing, what are the different types of software compatibility testing, how to perform the software compatibility testing, why the software compatibility testing is performed, and what are some of the examples of software compatibility testing defects. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Compatibility Testing. It is wise to keep practicing what you’ve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.