Software testing is a well-defined testing process that is aimed at delivering a high-quality software product or application by implementing different types of software testing. Depending upon the project scope and scenario, software testing types are used to identify bugs and defects and fix them appropriately. The testing team should be well-versed in all the testing activities. In this article, you will get to know the four levels of software testing.
It is a structured testing process that checks whether the software product or application that is being built meets all the functional and business requirements. Security testing method also ensures that the software product or application is free from defects, glitches and bugs. Manual or automation testing tools can be used to attain the testing goals. Functional testing and non-functional testing are the two important aspects of software testing.
Following are the four levels of software testing:
1. Unit testing: It is the first testing method that is conducted in the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) process. But, the order can be changed based on requirements. In this testing method, small pieces of code known as units are tested and validated. It finds that the unit is free of glitches, errors and bugs. It is performed by software developers during the development phase, wherein a section of code is isolated and verified whether it is correct or not.
It is a white box testing method, which means code can be altered but cannot be viewed. It is considered to be an important testing method. It is a type of functional testing.
2. Integration testing: In this testing method, two or more software modules or components are combined and then tested as a group. The objective is to know how well the integrated modules/components behave or perform as a group. There will be many scenarios in the software development phase wherein multiple programmers will be involved in coding various modules.
Hence, the objective of the testing process is to expose potential bugs or defects that may be found between the various modules. This phase may also be referred to as string testing or thread testing.
3. System testing: This testing method verifies the system's compliance to know whether it is in accordance with system specific requirements. Components like security, reliability, load and performance are inspected by system testing with the goal of assessing the end-to-end system specifications.
Professional testers will implement system testing on the final software product before it is released into the marketplace. It should be tested in a specific environment that is aligned with the user's needs.
4. Acceptance testing: It is conducted at the final stages of the software development process to ascertain whether the software product or application meets users expectations and is ready for release. During the software testing life cycle process, there will be instances where the change in requirements can be misinterpreted in a way that does not meet the user's intended needs.
In this testing method, end-users will be testing the software product or application in a real-time environment. Post-testing, the team will gather valuable feedback from users to know where the software product or application stands in terms of user experience, usability, performance and functionality.
*Is manual testing dying? *
Certainly not, because there will always be many testing scenarios wherein the strategic use of manual testing needs to be implemented by manual testers. Though automation and other advanced technologies may compute a huge chunk of testing activities, but, there will still be scenarios where manual testing would only be considered as a feasible option.
Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing software testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a premium software testing services company that will provide professional consultation and support on developing a crystal-clear testing strategy that is in line with your project specific requirements.
Top comments (1)
Great article! I found your breakdown of the four levels of software testing to be really helpful. It's important for every software development team to have a solid understanding of these levels and their purpose. Starting with unit testing, where individual components are tested in isolation, ensures that the building blocks of the software are functioning correctly.
Overall, your explanation of these levels provides a clear roadmap for software testing. Keep up the good work!