Software Testing is perhaps the most important stage of the Software Development Lifecycle before software is released into the market.
Ordinarily, no individual or company in their right senses would ever release a software product to their prospects before testing. But even if they do, the customer feedback could make or break the reputation of that business.
What is Software testing?
Software testing is simply when you run your developed software with the sole purpose of identifying bugs, inefficiencies, inadequacies, errors and anomalies in the processes and executions.
So, in general terms, software testing validates the very presence of that particular software. This is because it informs whether the software is fit for the intended purpose or not. Software testing is the ultimate test for any software.
Software Testing Focus points
- Does the software deliver accurate responses to all queries?
- Does the software deliver responses in the stipulated time?
- Does the software pass the laid-down compliance measures as stipulated by law?
- Does the software run just as the developer intended?
- Is the software user-friendly?
Due to the gravity of what software malfunctions could cause, software testing is all about detecting bugs in the software, malfunctions, design gaps and compliance issues.
Software testing Methodologies
In this article, we shall look at eight software testing methodologies. These are some of the ways how developers or quality assurance professionals use to validate new software before they are released into the market.
Black-box Testing: This is one of the basic software tests. It is concerned mostly with the functionality of the app. It tests whether the various inputs in software deliver the exact output they should be giving out.
White-box Testing: This type of testing is a little different from the black-box testing in that it tests the features that are hidden from the user. Ordinarily, it deals with the structural elements of the software and how they coordinate the entire functioning of the software.
Grey-box Testing: This method of software testing works at the black-box level (User-level) to determine how efficient the data structures and the algorithms work. It sets out to check whether the software is properly coordinated to run as intended.
Adhoc Testing: As the name suggests, this software testing methodology has no specific intention that is formally written down. It also has no expected results or the Yes/No results. It is used to test random combinations with the aim to break the software basic functionalities.
Agile Testing: Agile software Testing follows the agile software development principle of having the test become an iterative part of the development process. It usually tests the smarter features of the software as opposed to the basic functionalities.
Static Testing: This software testing method involves the general proofreading and analysis of the syntax and code structure and flow. With this testing methodology, you get to test the software without actually executing it.
Dynamic Testing: This testing methodology is designed to test whether the software conforms to the basic business requirements. This it does by exposing the software to relevant use cases from a business analyst or a software specialist.
Non-functional Testing: This software Testing methodology focuses on those aspects involving how the software operates. These could be performance, endurance, usability, security, compatibility and load testing.
Conclusion
There are a number of software testing methodologies that developers and software experts use to evaluate how valuable and usable new software is. The various methods also happen to be focused on different test aspects of the software programs.
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