DEV Community: Pavithra

Manual Testing

Pavithra — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 09:30:14 +0000

Manual Testing is one of the software testing technique in which a set of predefined test cases are executed by the testers to validate the functionality and features of an application.

Manual Testing is carried out in all the applications before the test cases are automated. Manual testing does not require prior knowledge of any testing tools.

Why Manual testing is required?

Manual testing is often utilized to ensure that team is delivering an error free , stable application to customer based on the requirement
Manual testing aids the tester to design the test case optimally after understanding the entire application's end to end flow.
Manual testing ensures that defects are rectified by the developers before the test cases are being automated or the code being deployed to higher environment
Majority of key features of the application are validated during manual testing phase , hence the defects are reported at early stage to developers

Steps involved in Manual Testing:
Requirement analysis: It is the initial phase of testing where the analysis of the requirement document of SDLC takes places. In depth analysis of requirement takes place based on the functional requirement document and specifications provided by the customer after which planning occurs.
Test planning : It is a crucial phase of STLC and in this phase the testers determines the estimated efforts and cost of the application testing. Identification of resources , tools , machines , team formation , preparation of test plan , reviews of test plan , test plan signoff are the sub-tasks involved in the planning phase.
Test Design: In the design phase testers determines the test data to develop the test cases. Test requirement traceability matric is created along with test scenarios and test cases.
Test Execution: In the test execution phase features are tested in the designated environment using the test cases designed. Testers compares the actual result against the expected result during test case execution.
Defect /Bug reporting: Defect reporting is carried out throughout the testing phase. Detailed defect reports are created , tracked and reported to developers using the defect management tool.
Test Closure: It is the final phase of end to end testing process of STLC. Test closure involves the assurance of product quality and the documentation of entire testing process.

Advantages of Manual Testing :
No prior knowledge required over tool : Only product knowledge is required to carry out black box testing. Any tester can easily pick the task.
No environment limitation : Testers are not limited to any environment , browsers ,devices or OS .Testers can execute the testcases in multiple environment , device and OS.
Optimized test cases planning : After performing black box testing manual testers can plan for an optimized test case planning that can be automated.
High possibility of exploratory testing : Exploratory testing is totally dependent on the testers experience to perform Ad-hoc testing and explore the defects in the developed software.
Effective for frequently changing requirement and GUI designs : For a dynamically changing software , manual testing is highly recommended as automation requires time to change the code.
Less expensive: It does not require any tools or specific requirement to perform manual testing for a developed software.

Limitations of Manual testing :
Time Consuming : Manual testing consumes more time to execute the test cases based on the size of the project.
Less accurate : Highly prone to human errors. So it is less accurate compared to automation testing.
No Reusability : Every regression testing requires a tester to re-execute the entire testing again. Manual testing or the report from manual testing can not be reused.
Less Reliable : After every deployment there would be a change introduced in code , so until manual testing is carried out the application is not reliable.

Illustration of Manual testing:
Validating a steam car wash booking application along with payment gateway and notification process .
Test case 1 : Validate that user is able to login and create an account for booking a slot for steam car wash in the application
Test case 2: Validate that user is able to book a slot on Saturday 11 am for steam car wash with available members in team to clean
Test case 3: Validate that user is able to make payment fir the selected slot in available payment methods (UPI , Cards and EMI)
Test case 4: Validate that application is sending a confirmation message and mail to the registered email and phone number.

Functional and Non Functional testing

Pavithra — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 11:02:42 +0000

Testing is performed to obtain a better quality software application by reducing the errors ,the defects and the requirement gaps.
Testing can be majorly classified into two types:

Functional Testing
Non - Functional Testing

Functional Testing :

1.Functional testing majorly concentrates on the black box testing which verifies the functionality of the software application.
2.Functional testing covers the validation of user interface , APIs and Data base by providing appropriate input and verifying the expected output as a net outcome.
3.The Main purpose of the Functional testing is to cover each and every unit of the software , all the Entry points and exit points of the software and finally the end to end flow check for the entire application.

Functional Testing is classified into various types , where a few important once are listed below:

Unit testing
Integration testing
Interface testing
Regression testing
User Acceptance testing

Unit testing : Unit testing is the first initial level of testing. Unit testing is performed to validate the individual unit or component of software separately. It isolates the section of code and finds the bugs at early stage of development by testing against the requirement and reduces the cost.

Illustration : Validation of Display picture upload functionality in Linked in application.
Uploading a picture to the profile is one of the testing component in the entire Linked in application.
Test case 1 : Validate that user is signed in to the linked in application successfully
Test case 2 : Validate that user is able to navigate to profile setting menu
Test case 3: Validate that user is able to click on profile picture edit menu
Test case 4: Validate that user is able to upload a PNG and a JPEG file under 4 Mb
Test case 5: Validate that user is displayed with a validation message "File can not be greater than 4 Mb" if size is greater and "File type should be PNG or JPEG" if file is of different format.
Test case 6: Validate that user is able to upload the picture successfully and save the changes

Integration testing: Integration testing is performed to validate the integration and data flow between components or units of the software. It ensures the compatibility of the component and the accurate data flow between components.

Illustration: Validation of ignition and exhaust system of a car. Ignition is a separate unit and exhaust is a separate unit but integrally we are testing both system of car.
Test case 1:Validate that user is able to ignite the car by starting the engine
Test case 2:Validate that user is able to start the car and shift the gear from neutral to one using gear rod
Test case 3:Validate that user is able to move the car after the shift of gear and by accelerating
Test case 4:Validate that fuel consumption is done for the short distance covered
Test case 5:Validate that exhaust is functioning well by calculating the fuel consumption for the total distance travelled

Interface testing: Interface testing mainly focuses on the interface of components based on the requirements and the specifications. It is crucial if the components of the software communicate with one another.

Illustration: Validation of the ATM Machine's Withdrawal portal and the balance enquiry portal. Both the portals are interdependent and should communicate after each transaction.
Test case 1:Validate that user is able to check the balance before withdrawal . Let us assume that total account balance is 1000.
Test case 2:Validate that user is able to withdraw 300 from the account balance.
Test case 3:Validate that user is able to again check the balance after withdrawal of money. Account's current balance should be 700.

Regression Testing: Regression testing is performed to ensure that newly introduced or deployed code is not breaking the existing functionality of the software. Often Regression is performed after every new code change deployment, enhancement and bug fixes.

Illustration: Validation of password update functionality in a banking login portal that already contains numeric input password and now it has been upgraded along with biometric option of password to login the site. Both should work individually without breaking each other functionality
Test case 1:Validate that user is able to view the login page containing two options for password : one is the Numeric text input field and other one is the biometric (fingerprint)
Test case 2:Validate that user is able to set both numeric password and biometric password in the profile security setting menu.
Test case 3:Validate that both credential input ways are working as expected without breaking one another.

User Acceptance Testing: UAT is the final phase of testing which is conducted after the completion of development .It is a kind of end user testing , where the entire software is tested against the requirement and business flow before entering the production use.
Illustration: Validation of Hardware parts of the mobile device which include power button, volume button , fingerprint login sensor , speakers and touch screen.
Test case 1:Validate that device is switching on and off on click of power button
Test case 2:Validate that device volume is controlled using volume buttons based on which the speakers of the device is tested in the integrated manner
Test case 3:Validate that device is waking up while using the finger print sensor for login
Test case 4:Validate that device is touch screen is responsive for every touch , tap and scroll of fingers over the screen

Non - Functional Testing:
1.Non - Functional testing is carried out to test the non- functional behavior of the software as per requirement.
2.Non-Functional testing validates the usability , efficiency , optimization of installation to reduce the production risk and cost.
3.Non-Functional testing is equally important to Functional testing.

Non - Functional Testing is classified into various types , where a few important once are listed below:

Documentation Testing
Installation Testing
Performance Testing
Reliability Testing
Security Testing

Documentation Testing:Documentation testing involves the review and validation of the requirement document , user manual and design specification documents throughout the testing phase. It verifies the correctness and completeness of the document.

Illustration:Validation of a User manual of fan.
Test case 1:Validate that requirement document contains all the data to check the hardware parts and functional working of the fan
Test case 2:Validate that user manual document aids the user for installation of fan.
Test case 3:Validate that user manual document contains step by step instruction to check the oscillation , speed control and disassembling of fan.
Test case 4:Validate that user is able to operate the fan using the user manual guide.

Installation Testing:Installation testing ensures that the software is installed in various system without any flaw irrespective of the configurations. Mainly it concentrates on the installation of system without disturbing the functionality of the system to improve user experience and enhance the quality and compatibility of the software application.

*Illustration: * Validation of customer feedback UI form in various devices , various Operating system and different browsers.
Test case 1:Validate that UI customer feedback form is loading and opening in all the browsers
Test case 2:Validate that No UI aspect in disturbed in different device screen resolution , hence the customer feed back form should be responsive to the screen without latency.
Test case 3:Validate that Customer feedback UI is compatible in multiple operating system.

Performance Testing: Perform testing concentrates over the performance, reliability and speed and scalability of the software. Sub category of performance testing also includes Load test , Stress test and scalability testing. It is conducted during later stages of development.
Illustration: Validate that an shopping kart application is able to load the page within a few seconds though it has multiples components in UI and more that 10000 users are using the application.
Test case 1: Validate that application is launching its home page within few seconds though multiple users are logged in
Test case 2:Validate that application is not crashing due to over usage of the server by multi user
Test case 3:Validate that software application is responsive without any latency.

Reliability Testing: Reliability testing is performed to verify the ability of the application to perform consistently and accurately overtime. It is performed to identify and rectify the issues caused due to prolonged usage , data corruption and few unexpected behavior.

Illustration: Validation of the power button of an induction stove.
Test case 1:Validate that on and off functionality of induction stove is consistently working even after testing it over 300 on and off of the switch.

Security Testing: Security testing is carried at the last phase of development. It is to verify that software is secure against the malicious actors and potential threats.

Illustration: Validation of Banking portal login page.
Test case 1:Validate that user is able to login page using credential and the password is encrypted and has a pattern.
Test case 2:Validate that on click of cancel or sudden hang of page after login takes user back to login page (It should not leak the login credentials)
Test case 3:Validate that in the inspect window no user credentials are stored or sent in API calls.

Software Testing and the relevance of software testing

Pavithra — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 09:37:47 +0000

Software testing:
Software testing is a process of examining and evaluating the entire functionality of the software application in order to cover the requirement gaps and errors which may indirectly affect the Software's functionality , usability and performance
Types of software testing :
Software testing is broadly classified into two type:

Manual Testing
Automation Testing

Software testing is further classified into three type:

White Box Testing
Black Box Testing : Functional and Non-Functional
Grey Box Testing

Functional Testing : Unit testing , Integration testing , System testing and User Acceptance testing
Non-Functional Testing:Compatibility testing , Performance testing and Usability testing

White box testing : White box testing helps to cover the internal logic , flow and structure of the software code to meet the specific requirement.
Black box testing : Black box testing helps to cover the functionality of the software
Grey box testing: Grey box testing is a combination of white box and black box testing where the tester partially knows the internal logic and structure of code and does a specific coverage of functional testing to the system behavior.

Unit testing: Unit testing divided the software code into smaller units and covers the functionality unit by unit.
Integration testing: Integration testing tests the whole software module if the system contains multiple modules in it combinedly it is tested in the integration phase.
System testing: Overall functionality and performance of the system is covered in the system testing
User Acceptance testing:The final stage of software testing is the UAT before going live. The real world scenarios are covered in this phase considering the testers themselves as an end user.

Software Test Life Cycle:

Requirement analysis :Team Analyses the entire requirement from product owners , identifies the gaps in requirement , identifies the risks in testing process , identifies the ambiguities of the requirement after reading the software requirement document
Test Planning :Planning is most effective phase of STLC where the cost estimation and the detailed well-organized testing plans are decided after the completion of the requirement gathering phase
Test case development :In this phase the in-depth test cases are written along with the test data for testing which are reviewed by the Quality assurance team. It is started only after completion of planning phase.
Test Environment setup :It is a stand alone phase and it is majorly decided by the developers or customer .It is basically the decision made on the stable test environment to carry out the testing process
Test Execution :It is a phase after test case development and test environment setup. The prepared test data are utilized for executing the test cases in this phase.
Test Closure :Closure is the final phase of the software testing life cycle .In this phase all the testing activities are completed and documented. Test Summary Report , Test environment clean up and Test defect closures are provided at the end of this phase by the testing team

Relevance of Software testing :

Cost effective
Customer satisfaction
Bug-free Quality product
Low Failure and More Security
Early defect detection

Testing Techniques with Examples

Pavithra — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 07:42:41 +0000

1. Boundary Value Analysis:
Boundary value analysis always checks for the Minimum value , Maximum value , Just above maximum value , Just below minimum value and the values accepted between the boundary values.
Example : Warranty period of a vegetable chopper is 6 months from the purchase date. The product was purchased on 01-01-2023.So we have to validate and test the Boundary values for warranty period of the vegetable chopper using Boundary Value Analysis.
Test case 1: Minimum value - Check whether the warranty is active on 01-01-2023 , It should be active
Test case 2: Maximum value - Check whether the warranty is active on 30-06-2023 , It should be active
Test case 3: Just above maximum value - Check whether the warranty is active above 30-06-2023(01-07-2023),It should not be active
Test case 4: Just below minimum value - Check whether the warranty
is active below 01-01-2023(31-12-2022),It should not be active
Test case 5: Nominal value Check whether the warranty is active on 03-04-2023 , It should be active
2. Decision Table testing:
Complex logical relationships are tested using Decision table testing by passing required conditions and required actions. Various logical input combinations are tested in the form of True "T" and False "F".
Example: Testing the login access of an user to the Netflix application to access the video

3. User Case Testing:
User case testing is a type of an end to end black box functional testing which covers the entire system.
Example:A Food Delivery application is taken under consideration for User Case Testing. Given that 2 Different orders are places by 2 different users ,where user 1 has subscribed for Zero delivery charges benefit and user 2 is a normal user with no added benefits.
Test case 1:User 1 and User 2 should be able to login the food delivery application using their login credentials
Test case 2:Both the users should be able to place the order from the respective restaurants.
Test case 3:User 1 should not be charged for delivery fees and user 2 should be charged for delivery fee.
Test case 4:User 1 and User 2 should be redirected to payment gate way with the respective charges.
Test case 5:User 1 and user 2 should be notified via message for successful completion of order along delivery tracking link.

4. LCSAJ Testing:
Line Code Sequence and Jump testing is a kind of white box testing which majorly focus on the thorough testing of the different control flow paths present in the program.
Example:Finding the greatest of 3 given numbers.n1 is 20, n2 is 30 and n3 is 10.
Below are the code conditions :
step1:Assigning the numbers for variable n1=20,n2=30 and n3=10.
step2:Check n1 > n2 and n1 > n3 , So n1 is the greatest
step3:Check n2 > n1 and n2 > n3 , So n2 is the greatest
step4:Check n3 > n1 and n3 > n2 , So n3 is the greatest
In the above portrayed example complete code coverage testing is done.