Software

Types of Software Testing. A Complete Overview

• By Admin
• Posted on 28/08/2024

Software testing is a procedure of bug fixation in a software. Its principal objective is to assess the software or product to ensure it functions properly and satisfies the client's necessities. 
This blog post is basically about types of software testing, but besides that, we will also cover other important topics.

Learn Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) In a Single Go

STLC is a procedure for testing a product multiple times to ensure its quality and efficiency. It covers the various stages including: 

• Phase 1, 2, and 3: Planning, Analysis, and Designing of Test
• Phase 4: Test Environment set up
• Phase 5: Test Execution
• Phase 6: Identification of Defect
• Phase 7: Test closure

You can learn more about these phases at a certified software testing training center.

Different Levels of Software Testing

Software testing involves comprehensive testing of software plans by following different levels such as:

1. Unit Testing

Purpose: To see whether the individual units or modules in the software are working properly. Functions, methods, classes, etc. are introduced in this phase.
Tools used: JUnit (for Java), NUnit (for C#), 
Result: Reduces software development time by finding problems at an early stage.

2. Integration Testing

Purpose: To test whether the coordination or integration of different modules or units is working properly. 
Integration Procedures:

• Big Bang Integration
• Top-Down Integration
• Bottom-Up Integration

Tools used: Selenium, Postman, SoapUI.
Result: Finds problems that arise when modules work together.

3. System Testing

Purpose: To test the entire system of software as a unit. 
Tools used: Selenium, QTP/UFT, TestComplete.
Result: Efficiently find errors that affect the working of the software.

4. Acceptance Testing

Purpose: To ensure that the software meets the requirements of the end users. This testing is usually performed by the users.
Types of Acceptance Testing:

• User Acceptance Testing, or UAT 
• Operational Acceptance Testing, or OAT

Tools used: TestRail, Zephyr.
Result: Ensures software meets user requirements.

5. Regression Testing

Purpose: To see if old functionality is affected by new changes or updates to the software.
Tools used: Selenium, JUnit, TestNG.
Outcome: Ensuring that new changes do not break existing functionality.

Types of Software Testing: A Brief

Software testing is divided into different types.  Each type has special advantages.

Functional Testing

Purpose: To check whether the application functions perfectly.

Types:

• Smoke Testing: Performed to guarantee that the core functionalities of the software are working accurately. 
• Sanity Testing: To check the functionality of the software after minor changes or bug fixation.
• Regression Testing: Tests conducted to determine whether old functionality is affected by new changes.

To learn more about Functional Testing with real-time projects, you can connect with Askme Training. They are a leading software testing training institution in Delhi / NCR.

2. Non-Functional Testing

Purpose: To examine non-functional attributes of software, i.e. performance, security, user experience, etc.
Types: 

• Performance Testing: Examining speed, stability, and scalability of a product or software. 
• Load Testing: Evaluation of performance and stability of a software system under heavy user loads. 
• Stress testing: Test software under extreme conditions to assess its maximum capacity, stability, and performance limits. 
• Scalability testing: Evaluation of software to check if it functions correctly across a diverse range of users or resources.
• Usability Testing: Check whether the software is easily accessible or not. 
• Compatibility Testing: Verifying the compatibility of the product across different browsers, devices, and OS.
• Security Testing: Security testing is the process of software evaluation. It is used to check the security measures of the software. Also, with security checking you can ensure that the software is properly implemented or not. 
• Penetration testing: is a security exercise in which a cyber security officer tries to find bugs and errors. 
• Vulnerability Scanning: Automatic identification of system flaws.

3. Maintenance Testing

Purpose: Tests performed to ensure that the system functions properly after software updates, bug fixes, and changes.

Types:

• Regression Testing: To test whether old functionality is affected after modification or error resolution.
• Re-testing: Performed to see if old bugs have returned.
• Confirmation Testing: Verification of the repetitive issue after being fixed.

Software Testing Based on Approach

Manual Testing

• Nature: This test is completely conducted by humans.
• Objectives: To detect errors and defects in software.
• Pros: Intuitive, creative testing.
• Cons: Time-consuming, prone to human error.

Automated Testing

• Nature: This test is performed with special tools and techniques
• Objectives: Reduce time for repeated tests.
• Advantages: Quick error removal without human interaction.
• Disadvantages: High initial cost, experience required. 

Software Testing Based on the Scope

Based on scope, software testing can be divided into three main types: 

• Black-Box Testing
• White-Box Testing 
• Gray-Box Testing

 Let's discuss these in detail:

Black-Box Testing:

Here, testing is done without knowing the internal structure of the code. User requirements and functionality are tested based on output alone.

How to perform?

• Equivalence Partitioning: Dividing the inputs into equal groups for testing. Afterward, select one or two test cases from each group.
• Boundary Value Analysis: Checking test inputs at the boundaries of code.
• Decision Table Testing: Analyzing outputs for various input combinations
• State Transition Testing: Check whether the software works as per expectation during state transition.   

White-Box Testing: Testing is done based on the internal structure, logic, and performance of the code. A developer should have a thorough understanding of the code.
Ways:

• Statement Coverage: Every statement in the code is executed and tested at least once.
• Branch Coverage: Testing branches at each decision point.
• Path Coverage: Testing all possible paths in the code.

Gray-Box Testing: It is a hybrid form of Black-Box and White-Box Testing. Here the internal structure of the code is somewhat familiar but not fully understood. It provides mutual benefits and coordination between the developer and the tester.

Through these three types of testing, it becomes easy to identify and solve all the problems in the software comprehensively.

Specialized Testing : Outside of general testing, there are special testing modules for some specific needs. These are mainly used to test sensitive and special features of the software. Let's explain these specific types of testing:

1. Alpha Testing: The developer and QA teams handle the alpha testing in the final stage of software development. In general, it is used to ensure that user requirements and design specifications are properly implemented.
2. Beta Testing: It is tested by external users before the product is released in the market. Beta testing is maintained by real users and they can make changes to the software based on end-user feedback.
3. End-to-End Testing: This testing is used to check the performance and information flow of the complete system. 
4. Localization Testing: It is conducted to see if the software correctly implements all language preferences and factors such as local time, currency, and date format.
5. Mobile Testing: Testing unique features in mobile applications. This is to see if the application works properly with different devices and OS versions. To learn more about it, join the software testing course in Noida.

Emerging Trends in Software Testing 

The field of software testing is constantly evolving. Latest trends play a vital role in improving the quality of software: 

• Agile & DevOps Testing
• AI and Machine Learning (AI & ML) Testing
• Containerization Testing

Conclusion

The scope of software testing is very high.  If you also want to make a career in this field, join the software-testing course in Noida at Askme Training.