Testing is the process which is done with the aim of finding errors in a program. It is done so to avoid any type of malfunctioning when actual use of software in process. By doing this we can make the program error free. There are different principles of testing. Some of them are as follows –
- Testing done should be able to meet customer requirements.
- Test conducted should be well-planned before their implementation.
- It will be done through two entities – one being the Developer side itself and other some third-party vendor
- 20% of the components generates 80% of the errors. Also called as Pareto Rule.
- Testing should always start from small components and then moved to larger ones.
Types of Testing
According to the different methods and techniques involved, testing is further classified into various types. Let us look at them in detail –
Black Box Testing – This technique states that “Testing should be performed in such a way that the internal structure, design and implementation of the software are not visible to the tester. Just like nothing can be seen inside a black box, one cannot see through code of the program. Its aims to find errors in following categories :
- Missing or incorrect functions
- Performance or behavioral errors (and that is why it is often called as Behavioral testing)
- Errors related to database and data structures.
White Box Testing – In this the program structure is examined and test data is derived from the program logic and code. It is often referred to as structural testing, path driven testing or logic driven testing. Some of the perks of this testing are:
- Forces the developer to implement the code with best programming practices.
- Easy to spot the dead code and other related issues. It also has some basic disadvantages like it is expensive to carry out and lines of code are ought to be missed while testing
Alpha Testing – This is the most-commonly used strategy to test software products especially by product development organizations. This test is taken by the developer after observing the users and noting their problems. It is performed when the development of any application or product is about to complete. If any error is found, minimal changes can be carried out at the code level before final release. It has two phases :
- First phase considers testing of the application by the in-house developers. Some software such as debugger and hardware-assistance are used to catch bugs quickly
- In the second phase, software is handed out to a group called testers and some third-party vendors in order to do the trial and error method.
Beta Testing – Also known as field testing, it involves testing at customer’s site. Software is released for the real-world users to install and test. It can also be considered a pre-release version of software
- Feedback can be achieved from actual users and can be implemented over the code
Integration Testing – To test software compatibility, this type of testing tests integration or interfaces between operating systems, file system or hardware. The different components used are termed as modules.
These are the different testing in use currently. Many other methods and process are in development that could enhance the quality of testing and software released.