Software Testing - Exhaustive Testing

Software testing is the process of verifying the software so that it meets all the requirements. The testers put a lot of effort in creating and execution of the test cases just to ensure that there are no defect leakage in the production. However, in spite of doing all these, there is no guarantee that the software is totally defect free. Thus a software undergoes an exhaustive testing process covering all possible inputs, scenarios, and use cases just to ensure that it is secure, reliable, scalable, maintainable, robust, and has zero defects while it is actually used by the end users.

What is Software Exhaustive Testing?

The exhaustive testing is a technique in which every possible combination of data, scenarios, use cases, functionalities etc are verified. It is a time taking process, but the end result of it brings the desired results on the software.

The software exhaustive testing is the one in which everything is validated from the top to the bottom, touching all the scenarios so that there are no crashes, failures or other issues impacting the external features of software. It enhances its performance, works appropriately at every situation, and minimizes the probability of finding defects in the production.

The entire software exhaustive testing is a myth, and is impossible to achieve. In reality, the testers make an effort to cover as many scenarios as possible. In the process, the software may have very minor defects which have a very negligible impact on its functionalities. The effective testing, and exhaustive testing are two different concepts altogether.

Example of Exhaustive Testing

Let us take an example of a software which has an input field that accepts 5 possible combinations of input data in 3 varied ways. It implies that a user is allowed to input data of length five with three various combinations. For the testers, there are 3 /\ 5 possible data combinations for this requirement. Thus it would take a lot of time to verify all these input data. In reality, it is impossible to cover a big number of inputs which have no practical importance.

To test the above scenario partially, the testers segregate the use cases depending on the technical, and business risks. This also helps to identify all potential risks of the software. The exhaustive testing demands huge amounts of effort, time, and resources, hence not adopted while actually testing the software.

Why is Exhaustive Software Testing Impossible?

It is not possible to perform the software exhaustive testing due to the reasons listed below −

• The software exhaustive testing requires a lot of time for its completion. It is impossible to cover a large number of data sets, and to manually verify every possible scenario, and use cases.
• The software exhaustive testing is a complicated process as it involves verification with a huge number of input data, and scenarios.
• The project time constraint prevents adaptation of the software exhaustive testing.
• It is impossible to verify the input combinations depending on the type of the users.
• It is also not possible to have all the input data sets ready to generate all the possible sets of outputs.
• The software exhaustive testing should not be done manually.

Strategies for Software Exhaustive Testing

The strategies for the software exhaustive testing are listed below −

• The software exhaustive testing should be driven by the test cases which are refreshed regularly, as the same tests are incapable of detecting defects in the software.
• The software exhaustive testing should be driven by the test cases which are simple, direct, and solely focuses on verifying the test scenarios.
• The software exhaustive testing should be performed after taking feedback from developers, co-testers, business analysts, managers, product owners etc.
• The exhaustive testing should be done on an adhoc basis, and is conducted after splitting the software into smaller components.
• The exhaustive testing should concentrate on the modules which are more prone to defects.

Difference between Software Exhaustive and Effective Testing

The difference between software exhaustive and effective testing are listed below −

Advantages of Software Exhaustive Testing

The advantages of the software exhaustive testing are listed below −

• The exhaustive testing ensures that the software is defect free.
• The exhaustive testing confirms that the software is robust, and has the desired performance.
• The exhaustive testing ensures that the software is able to build the customers confidence, trust, and solves their problems.
• The software exhaustive testing reduces the effort of manual testing.
• The software exhaustive testing prioritizes the various risks in the software.

Disadvantages of Software Exhaustive Testing

The disadvantages of the software exhaustive testing are listed below −

• The software exhaustive testing is practically not feasible and is considered as one of the myths of the software testing.
• If the exhaustive test cases are not automated, it would require an enormous amount of time, effort and resources.
• The software exhaustive testing tests the limit of the testers.

Conclusion

This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Exhaustive Testing. Weve started with describing what is software exhaustive testing, example of exhaustive testing, why it is not possible to perform the software exhaustive testing, what are the strategies for the software exhaustive testing, what are the differences between the software exhaustive and effective testing, what are the advantages of software exhaustive testing, and what are the disadvantages of software exhaustive testing. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Exhaustive Testing. It is wise to keep practicing what youve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.