Software Testing - Root Cause
Software testing is done with the primary objective of finding defects in the software. If those defects remain undetected, it proves to be very expensive in the long run and it prevents the development of reliable, and dependable software.
What are the Software Defects?
The defects refer to the loopholes, and problems in the software which leads to the alteration from the user requirements or specifications. The defects can be detected from both the functional and non-functional requirements. They are also called bugs, errors, issues, failures, mistakes etc and can be identified at any phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC).
What is Known as the Root Cause Analysis?
The root cause analysis are the strategies taken up to conclude the reason for errors in the software. They are performed with the only intent of determining the root cause of a particular bug, and to prevent it from happening once again. Thus it detects the primary cause of a failure, gathers information around it, and involves usage of various procedures and tools to identify the cause of failures.
Why is the Root Cause Analysis Important?
The root cause analysis is important for the reasons listed below −
- The root cause analysis is done to prevent the recurrences of defects in the subsequent releases.
- The root cause analysis identifies the real cause of the problems, and to process them.
- The root cause analysis prevents defects from occurring again in the later stages of the SDLC, hence reduces the overall cost of fixing defects in the later stages.
- The root cause analysis enhances the customer involvement in the software, and brings back their confidence.
Root Causes for Software Defects
The root cause for software defects are listed below −
1. Requirements Related
The root cause of the software defects are mainly due to unclear, missing or ambiguous requirements. If the requirements are ill documented, then the developers comprehend them in a wrong way leading to rework in the later stages. Besides, the requirements keep getting updated regularly for some projects. It paves way for confusions among the developers and inaccurate implementations in the software development process.
2. Design Related
The root cause of the software defects are mainly due to inaccurate design and architecture causing bad performance, maintenance bottlenecks, scalability and security problems in the software. Besides, inadequate design reviews affect the complete development, and implementation process.
3. Coding Related
The root cause of the software defects are mainly due to inefficient, and nonuniform coding. The coding should be as per the standards, and checklists to ensure that developers can build code which is simple, easily understandable, extended, and can be effortlessly debugged. Besides, inadequate code reviews lead to the missing requirements, and introduction of defects in the software.
4. Testing Related
The root cause of the software defects are mainly due to inadequate test coverage. Besides, if automation testing is not adopted, it leads to the exposure of the software to human errors.
5. Human Related
The root cause of the software defects are mainly due to the presence of inexperienced developers in the team. It leads to bad and error prone coding as they are unaware of the good coding practices, and do not have the required expertise. Besides, lack of communication between the various stakeholders in the projects causes confusion in the software development process.
How to Prevent Software Defects?
The defects can be prevented by following the ways listed below −
1. Improved Requirement Gathering and Analysis
The level of documentation maintained in the software development process should have high standards. There should be a detailed outline of scopes. Moreover, all the stakeholders should actively participate in the requirements gathering phase and ensure that all the relevant, minor, and delicate information have been collected
2. Improved Design Principles
The design and architecture practices followed in the software development process should be appropriate and suitable. Those practices should be as per the latest changes which will be applicable to the software. In addition to this, there should be regular design and architecture reviews conducted within the team.
3. Improved Coding Practices
The coding practices should be as per the conventions, standards, and checklists determined during the development process. In addition to this, there should be regular code reviews, to receive feedback and suggestions on improvements.
4. Improved Testing Principles
The testing principles should be such that they include all the testing levels such as unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing. Extensive testing should be performed to cover the majority of the scenarios. Automated testing should be adopted wherever possible to eliminate human errors, provide faster feedback, and improve the return on investment.
Conclusion
This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Root Cause. Weve started with describing what are the software defects, what is known as the root cause analysis, why is the root cause analysis important, what are the root causes for software defects, and how to prevent the software defects. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Root Cause. It is wise to keep practicing what youve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.