This is the era of techies and digital marketing. The chance of getting all the information with the help of advanced AI enables us to stay updated with current trends. If we look into something deep, there is the helping hand of testers and developers. Whether it’s small or enterprise-sized, they need some kind of software to maintain day-to-day activities. And we all know that this software will get updated daily and we should keep up with those new waves. How do we do that? Who does that?
Come let us take you through a deep dive into tech jargon.
Software Testing- We all know what it is!!!!!
No need for much explanation, as the term itself states the purpose. In a nutshell, the process involves testing certain software and making sure that it aligns with the core purpose of existence. If we need to make sure that something is working properly then we have to test it, and if that comes under software then boom, Software Testing. Software testing is a critical component of the software development life cycle. Without it, app-breaking flaws that might harm the bottom line may go undiscovered. As applications get increasingly complicated, software testing operations have expanded to include numerous new methodologies and approaches.
Why do we test software?
When I was a kid, my parents used to ask me to check if the TV remote was working fine or not. As a kid, what do I know more about? I just take the remote, beat it, and say that it works!! But actually, it did not. That poor kid realized it when his parents came to watch TV and took control of the remote. They tried to on TV, but it did not work as the remote was not working. This quick story of my childhood conveys the message of the importance of testing (well, at least that testing was based on hardware called remotes, LOL).
Software development is a rough path, and products are constantly prone to errors and flaws. Software must be tested to make sure it functions as intended before being made available to the public. Software testing is essential because it finds errors and problems in the written code so that it may be corrected before the software product is released. When it comes to customer appeal, delivering a quality product is an important metric to consider.
If you ask me to explain the importance of testing in layman’s language, then I could say that it saves us money, Prevents Catastrophic Corporate Emergencies, Client confidence, the best UI experience, and more money making, and Promotes Organization, Productivity, and Efficiency. I won’t be giving more Bla- Blah as you all know what are its importance.
Types of Software Testing
I really don’t like to patronize things, but some point of time we need to take on the role of educator and share the wisdom. Again, you know the drill as these are the basic things that a tester or QA should know, but I really like to refresh things up,so here you go readers:
There is a lot of software testing, but I would like to highlight the main four. They are Unit testing, Integration testing, System testing, and Acceptance testing.
Testing the smallest working bit of code is known as unit testing. Software testing is a crucial component of software development that aids in ensuring code quality. Writing software into compact, functional units and then creating a unit test for each code unit is a recommended method in software development. An example of a real-world scenario of a unit test is checking that your car door can be opened, where you test that the door is unlocked using your car key, but it is not unlocked using your house key, garage door remote, or your neighbor’s (who happen to have the same car as you) key. And this can be a lame example but I think this is more relatable to understand the idea.
One sort of software testing called integration testing involves progressively integrating the program’s components before testing them as a cohesive unit. These parts often function well on their own, but when combined with other parts, they might malfunction. If you want to test some software components that enable integration between many different applications, for example, integrating JIRA with QA Touch or Asana with other tools, you need a special kind of testing to ensure that the integration is going smoothly.
System testing looks at each and every part of a program to ensure that it functions as a cohesive whole. System testing is usually carried out by a quality assurance team subsequent to the functional or user story testing of individual modules and integration testing of each component. System testing is done to make sure a system satisfies its specifications and any non-functional needs (such as throughout and stability) that have been decided upon by the system’s users.
Through acceptance testing, a company may involve end users in the testing process and obtain their input to share with engineers. This input assists QA in finding errors that it could have overlooked in unit and functional testing, among other development-stage tests. For instance, acceptance testing will be performed on your website to make sure that all required elements are there and functioning properly if you are drafting a contract for a website. Additionally, there shouldn’t be any mistakes, as these may cause problems down the road.
How do you test?
Now after going through the main testing types under the software testing umbrella, it’s high time to figure out how you are going to test. When I was a child and doing my 8th grade, I was my mom’s taste checker. She used my taste buds to make sure that the dish was perfect for the inferno. So how did I testhat? Sounds funny right? But how many of you will believe that these childhood instances have curated almost all the software testing basics? Enough of my personal story; now let’s see how we test.
Now there is a very big huddle happening between experts who state that tests can be done only manually and that automation is a way to do manual testing easily. As the name implies, manual testing is a procedure where a quality assurance specialist examines the software program by hand in order to find errors. To do this, QAs adhere to a documented test plan that outlines a number of distinct test scenarios. Depending on your expertise level and background, learning software manual testing might have different levels of complexity. It could be simpler for you to understand the ideas and methods involved in manual testing if you have a solid background in software and technology. You will be responsible for manually testing new software at both the pre-and post-release stages of the development lifecycle as a Manual QA Tester. You search for flaws and bugs in the system that users could run into and assist developers in fixing the problems.
Automated testing is a software testing methodology that streamlines the process of verifying software functionality and compliance with requirements prior to commercial release. An organisation may conduct targeted software tests more quickly and without the need for human testers by using automated testing. Creating automation scripts to execute software tests using automation technologies is known as QA Automation, also known as Automation Testing. It makes advantage of recurrently run automation routines. In essence, repetitive testing jobs that were formerly completed by testers manually are now handled by QA automation technologies.
Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)
Now that we know the type of testing, it’s time for us to delve into the life cycle of testing. Everybody has a life cycle, right? So in the same way, software too has one. To make sure that the goals for software quality are reached, a series of precise steps known as the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) are carried out during the testing process. Validation and verification are also part of the STLC.
Software testing Life Cycle starts with Requirement Analysis– Finding the requirements and expectations for a new product is done through a process called requirements analysis or requirements engineering. It entails regular communication to clarify expectations, settle disputes, and record all essential needs with the product’s stakeholders and end consumers.
After analyzing the requirements, A test plan is created. A Test Plan is a thorough document that lists the test methodologies, objectives, timeline, estimates, deadlines, and resources needed to execute the project. Consider it a template for executing the tests required to guarantee the program is operating properly, – Managed by test managers.
Once the test plan is ready, the tester will write the test cases. A test case is the set of actions necessary to verify a given feature or capability in software testing. The test case describes the procedures, data, prerequisites, and postconditions required to validate a feature.
Once software tests have been created, they require an interface to be performed. This interface is known as the Test Environment. It is developed by merging hardware, software, suitable network setups, and the data required to execute tests.
After deciding on the test environment, the expert will move into the phase where execution happens for the created test cases. Test execution is the process of running test cases to find flaws, mistakes, and other potential issues that your product may have. Here is the main process by which bug hunting happens.
The final phase is the closure, where you evaluate the results and outcomes of the testing process, document the lessons learned, and identify the improvement areas and action items for future projects.
Models
Now, after having a thorough understanding of STLC, the next step is an abstract representation of the software development process. Models define the steps and sequence of a process. So think of this as a depiction of the process’s actions and the order in which they are done. It’s that simple and powerful.
Waterfall model: The waterfall model applies a logical progression of SDLC processes to a project, analogous to how water falls over the brink of a cliff. It establishes different endpoints or objectives for each stage of growth. These endpoints or goals cannot be revisited once completed. It’s the same as how a waterfall works, a huge niagra falls linearly to the earth, and it’s so nice to see how nature is depicted in the software scenario. Everything is connected.
V Model: an SDLC paradigm in which test execution is organized hierarchically. The execution procedure forms a V shape. It is also known as a verification and validation model, and it manages the testing process for each development step.
Agile model: Agile testing is software testing that adheres to the best practices of the Agile development methodology. Agile development employs an incremental approach to development. Similarly, Agile testing uses an incremental approach to testing. This method of software testing tests features as they are developed.
Spiral Model: a risk management technique that blends the iterative development process model with Waterfall model features. Software developers employ the spiral model, which is preferred for big, expensive, and complex projects.
Testing Excellence: Examining Key Features in Top Software Testing Tools
Although creating a tool involves a great deal of technical know-how and continuous internal maintenance, the team has complete control over the functionality of the final product. Purchasing a tool is easier, and even if there isn’t as much customization options, the seller has already undertaken all of the labor-intensive construction and upkeep of the tool, so the testing team just needs to choose the best one.
1)Appium:
An open-source framework called Appium enables QAs to carry out automated app testing on many operating systems, including Windows, iOS, and Android. Testing for Native Mobile Applications created using iOS, Android, or Windows SDKs is automated.To run tests on Appium, we don’t need to install any libraries or create any source code. Appium supports the majority of languages that use the Selenium client library, in addition to the standard languages like C#, PHP, Python, Java, Ruby, JavaScript with Node.js, etc.The learning curve of Appium is quite simple and easy. It employs the remote WebDriver protocol and supports various languages and frameworks.
2)Watir:
Watir, short for Web Application Testing in Ruby (pronounced “water”), is an open-source tool for automated web application testing.It is a RubyGems gem that runs Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari.[2][3] The main developers of Watir were Paul Rogers and Bret Pettichord.
3)Tosca:
Software testing tools like Tricentis Tosca are made to automate continuous, end-to-end testing of software applications. Any test scenario can benefit from its flexible test automation. Programming knowledge is not necessary to build and run automated test cases with Tricentis Tosca. Numerous testing methodologies, including system, exploratory, user acceptability, regression, and integration testing, are supported by the application.
4)Testsigma:
Testsigma is a robust open-source test automation tool that can be used straight out of the box. It allows you to quickly create tests for web apps, mobile apps, and APIs. creating automation tests is just as easy as creating manual tests because it doesn’t require any coding or tool expertise.
5)Selenium:
The open-source Selenium project serves as the hub for several tools and modules designed to facilitate browser automation. It offers a playback tool so that functional tests may be written for the majority of contemporary web browsers without requiring knowledge of test scripting languages. Selenium’s robust capabilities and broad compatibility with many browsers have made it the most widely used web testing framework in the world. Using Selenium Grid, you can run automated testing scripts in many languages against local browsers, a device cloud, or a lab of browsers and devices.
6)QA Touch:
QA Touch is a communal Test Management solution designed to help QA teams streamline their testing processes. Companies who do not currently have test management in place or that employ traditional testing techniques might consider QA Touch. This will boost team productivity, save time, and improve how your teams communicate throughout product development. QA Touch includes all of the functionality you need to develop, organize, and run user tests. However, for the same price as many standalone testing systems, you also receive the tools required to manage the project’s requirements and scope, as well as monitor any flaws discovered during test execution. The QA Touch interface is designed to make the powerful tool simple to use. This is further enhanced by our numerous two-way connection options, which guarantee that the tool adapts to you rather than the other way around.
7)Katalon Platform:
Katalon, Inc. developed the Katalon Platform, a software platform for automated testing. The program is built on the open-source automation frameworks Selenium and Appium, with a specialized IDE interface for online, API, mobile, and desktop application testing. The Katalon Platform is designed with its users — the testers — in mind; testers are not programmers. Katalon’s short learning curve makes it ideal for QA professionals looking to get started with automation and exploit it efficiently with no coding abilities.
Final Words
Providing clients with the greatest product available is a responsibility that no business can undervalue. Additionally, the list never ends and the types of testing never stop changing. You can use several testing methods, depending on the type and extent of your items. The deliverable is prepared for release onto the market after the testing team gets the all-clear. However, businesses must continue to remember that earning a customer’s confidence is a difficult task. You must deliver dependable, consistent items if you want to gain the trust of your customers. Testing is therefore a crucial step in the software development life cycle.
