Software Testing - Test Approach
Software testing undergoes multiple stages to ensure that the software is working as per the requirements given by the customers, and there are zero defects. A software is developed by following the principles of the software development life cycle (SDLC). Testing forms an important part of the SDLC. It enhances the overall quality of software, and also identifies the areas wherever there are gaps observed in the requirements. There are multiple kinds of software testing approaches available which can be adopted to verify the software at the various stages of the SDLC.
What is Software Testing?
The testing is the technique of verifying and validating the various features, and functionalities of the software. It ensures the developed software is built as per the business and user requirements. It guarantees that the software follows all the quality standards, and compliances.
The testing is done to confirm that the software functions without any deviations or problems. It verifies the correctness, completeness and the quality of the software. It also validates whether the software works as per the business specifications.
Thus the fundamental objective of the testing is to detect issues in the software so that those are resolved before being released to the market. It is performed at multiple phases to lower the probability of finding defects at the production. It is less costly to detect and fix bugs in the early stages of the SDLC, rather than in the later stages.
Various Approaches Taken up for Software Testing
The various approaches taken up for the software testing are listed below −
#1) Unit Testing − It is carried out by the developers themselves to verify whether the modules or the units that they have themselves developed are working properly.
#2) Integration Testing − It is carried out after the unit testing to check if there are interface and other issues once multiple modules of the software have been integrated.
#3) System Testing − It is carried out after the integration testing to check if the complete software is working fine as per the functional requirements and non-functional requirements.
#4) Acceptance Testing − It is carried out after the integration testing to check if the software works as per the customer requirements. It is carried out both by the customers and by an internal team of testers.
#5) Performance Testing − It is carried out to verify if the software is working as per the performance requirements such as load, stress, scalability etc.
#6) Security Testing − It is carried out to verify whether the software is secure, and protected from all the security vulnerabilities. It also includes penetration testing.
#7) Compatibility Testing − It is carried out to verify whether the software can work in a particular environment without encountering any issues. It includes both the hardware and software compatibility.
#8) Regression Testing − It is carried out to verify whether any new code changes have impacted the existing functionalities of the software.
#9) Beta Testing − It is carried out by releasing the software to a handful of end users to gather their feedback. It is performed at the later phases of the SDLC.
#10) Usability Testing − It is carried out to verify whether the software is user-friendly and can be navigated very easily.
How to Select from Various Test Approaches?
The selection from various test approaches depend on the factors listed below −
- It is dependent on the kind of software that is developed.
- It is dependent on the development process adopted.
- It is dependent on the total count of available resources.
- It is dependent on the project timelines.
- It is dependent on the potential risks.
- It is dependent on the identified test objectives.
- It is dependent on the potential end users.
Conclusion
This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Test Approach. Weve started with describing what is software testing, what are the various approaches taken up for the software testing, and wow to select from various test approaches. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Test Approach. It is wise to keep practicing what youve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.