Software Testing - Functional Testing

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Software testing is performed to check if the software is working as per the functional and non-functional requirements of the software. Functional testing is testing technique adopted to verify if the software is developed as per its functional specifications, and requirements.

What is Software Functional Testing?

The software functional testing is performed to test if the software works as per all the specifications given by the customers. It involves simulation of the actual software usage but does not incorporate any structural, and source code verifications. It can be done either manually or through automation.

Each feature in the software is tested with the correct set of inputs, and their corresponding outputs. Once this process is completed, the comparison between the actual and expected outputs are done, to detect all the possible errors. This kind of testing also includes validations of the user interfaces, software features, APIs, databases, client-server architecture etc.

Purpose of Software Functional Testing

The purposes of the software functional testing are listed below −

• The software functional testing is performed to verify every functionalities of the software by providing the correct input data and comparing the expected and actual outcomes with respect to the requirements.
• The software functional testing is done to check every feature of the software along with its entry, and exit criterias.
• The software functional testing tests the graphical user interface of the software so that the user can navigate through the entire software.

Tested as a Part of Software Functional Testing

The items that are tested as a part of the software functional testing are listed below −

• The software functional testing ensures that the software is usable, accessible and the users can navigate through all the pages or screens.
• The software functional testing includes verification of the critical features and functionalities of the software.
• The software functional testing validates if the correct error messages are generated as a part of negative testing.

Process of Software Functional Testing

The process of the software functional testing consists of the steps listed below −

Step 1 − Identify the features of the software which will be the part of testing.

Step 2 − Create the test cases, and the input data pertaining to the functionalities of the software and evaluate the outputs based on the requirements.

Step 3 − Execute the test cases then the results are analyzed and recorded.

Step 4 − Compare the expected and actual outcomes and report the defects wherever there are deviations.

Different Types of Software Functional Testing

The different types of the software functional testing are listed below −

• Unit Testing
• Integration Testing
• Smoke Testing
• User Acceptance Testing
• Interface Testing
• Usability Testing
• System Testing
• Regression Testing
• Sanity Testing
• White Box Testing
• Black Box Testing
• Database Testing
• Adhoc Testing
• Recovery Testing
• Static Testing
• Grey Box Testing

Differences between Software Functional and Non-Functional Testing

The differences between software functional and non-functional testing are listed below −

Different Software Functional Testing Tools

The different software functional testing tools are listed below −

• Selenium
• UFT
• JUnit
• SoapUI
• Cucumber

Best Practices of Software Functional Testing

The best practices of the software functional testing are listed below −

• Efforts should be made to automate the software functional testing process as far as possible. The manual execution of the functional test cases may be tedious, and time-consuming, hence automating them brings a good return on investment, and provides faster feedback.
• A devoted automation team having the required automation skills and knowledge should be allocated for the automation.
• The functional test cases should be designed from the very early stages of the software development life cycle(SDLC).
• It is not possible to achieve 100% automation for the functional test cases. The tests which are lengthy, repetitive, consume a lot of time for execution, and prone to human error should be selected for automation.
• The high priority functionalities should be first to be taken up for the functional test case design.
• There should be a specific test strategy adopted for the execution of the automated functional tests.

Advantages of Software Functional Testing

The advantages of the software functional testing are listed below −

• The software functional testing detects defects from the early stages in the SDLC, and improves the overall quality of the software.
• The software functional testing ensures that all the requirements, and specifications of the software are met, and it is able to meet the expectations of customers.
• The software functional testing verifies if the software is working properly as per the requirements.
• The software functional testing tests if the software is secure, reliable, and safe to be used.

Disadvantages of Software Functional Testing

The disadvantages of the software functional testing are listed below −

• Some of the crucial and logical defects may be missed while performing the software functional testing.
• There can be redundant test cases as a part of the software functional testing.
• It is not possible to start the software functional testing process with inadequate, and ambiguous requirements.

Conclusion

This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Functional Testing. Weve started with describing what is software functional testing, what is the purpose of the software functional testing, what are tested as a part of the software functional testing, what is the process of the software functional testing, what are the different types of the software functional testing, what are the differences between the software functional and non-functional testing, what are the different software functional testing tools, what are the best practices of software functional testing, what are the advantages of the software functional testing, and what are the disadvantages of the software functional testing. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Functional 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.