Thursday 29 October 2015

The need to Hire Software Testing Experts for your Application


Software testing industry is one of the fastest growing parts of the IT sectors. As the organizations are steadily learning about the importance of the software testing procedure as the governing factor of the popularity of the software, they are paying closer attention to the software testers who will be able to test the various aspects of the developed software in order to provide a detailed report to the developers so that they can rectify the probable causes which could end up in customers’ dislike. This will ultimately help the organization create a product which is of superior quality and will be well accepted by the customers.
While most organizations are novice at the software testing game, they are of the opinion that the software developers are capable enough to test the software to detect and rectify the possible flaws and bugs related to the functionality, performance and security of the software. But in reality the scenario is quite different. Software testing is not merely a job. It is a whole new mindset which requires a varying set of skills to accomplish the desired results.
  1. A software testing expert is a skilled individual who is capable of detecting which kind of tests are required by particular software and where to check to find probable bugs and hence make the software as flawless as possible.
  2. They will be able to utilize their knowledge to check the software under variety of conditions in order to maximize the test coverage and allow a problem free performance in almost any situations possible.
  3.  One of the main tasks of the software testing procedure is the documentation of the reports in a detailed manner so as to ease the job of the developers in rectifying the flaws and software testing experts are well trained to do so.
  4. The software testing experts act as the representative of your customers and are well versed in what they need or look for in a software and will test your software accordingly to ensure that your customers remain loyal to your product.
  5.  The software testing experts are trained to have a flexible mindset which allows them to adapt to testing situations based on the requirements of the software being tested.
  6. They have superb knowledge about the various tests that are available and are continuously updating themselves on the same. Also they have a fairly good programming knowledge in order to understand the software well.
  7.   Once you have provided them with software, they know which parts of the software are more important compared to the others and hence they prioritize their software testing methods accordingly.
  8.  They are well aware of the need of your organizations business aspect and use methods which will deliver most to those needs so that you ultimately gain a humongous profit from the good quality product.


Now that you are aware of the basic qualities of a software testing expert, you will be able to differentiate between the tester and the developer which will help you understand clearly, the reasons as to why you absolutely must hire a software testing expert for your application in order to gain customer satisfaction which will lead to the profit of your organization.

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Software Testing Life Cycle - The Process


Software Testing Life Cycle or STLC is the process by which the quality of the product is checked using specific steps in a chronological manner to ensure that the desired result is met. Software Testing Life Cycle consists of various phases which needs to be done in a systematic manner to ensure the right end result. Various companies have different Software Testing Life Cycle methods, although the end result remains same.
Following are the steps of STLC:
  1.     Requirements phase: Requirement phase is a lot of brain storming with the rest of the group and also with other research and development teams to check if the tests are even practical. You can also check the requirements of the tests and the strategy to be followed to gain the test results.
  2.     Planning Phase: This is the first practical step of the test. It allows you to plan all the various activities that are needed to achieve the desired test results and which will allow you to test every aspect of the software. You get to analyse the risk and strategise the process.
  3.      Analysis phase: In the analysis phase of Software Testing Life Cycle, you get to analyse the various parts of the testing so that you can decide the depth, complexity, risks and the software development process involved in the process. You also get to analyse the strength of your team and the stakeholders available.
  4.     Design Phase: Design phase allows you to actually design the Software Testing Life Cycle. You have to decide the criteria based on which the test is to be conducted. The environment in which the test is to be conducted, the procedures to be followed and the limits of the test as well.
  5.    Implementation Phase:This is the phase where you have to balance the pros and cons of implementing the tests on your Software Testing Life Cycle so as to make sure that the actual execution would be flawless. You also have to detect the automation procedures in this phase.
  6.     Execution Phase: Execution phase is the one in which the tests of the Software Testing Life Cycle are actually done. You get to do the tests, collect the data and statistically check the progress you have made over a period of time. However, before starting the phase, make sure that the criteria are met.
  7.      Conclusion Phase: Conclusion phase deals with the report preparation of the tests conducted so as to show to your stakeholders. Depending on who you send the report, you will have to include or exclude the various technical aspects of your test results. You will also get to deal with the time gap of the test results, weekly, quarterly or monthly.
  8.      Closure Phase: Closure phase is the last and final phase of the testing where you get to check if you have completed the procedure or not. You get to fix the glitches and record all the things you have learned in the whole process. You also get to record all the lessons for future use.


So, this in short describes the whole process of Software Testing Life Cycle. We hope you have understood the various steps and are now capable of designing your own Software Testing Life Cycle.

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Myths about Automated Mobile UI Testing


Automated mobile UI testing is very important when it comes to the success of the application. However there are certain myths prevailing to the automated testing procedures which slogs the process and makes people afraid of the procedure. However, these myths are not true on any account as they are superficial. A deep look on the automated testing process will make them disappear.
  1.  Speed: It is a common myth of most of the people related to the IT industry that automated testing takes up a lot more time than manual testing. On one hand this fact is true to some extent manual testing does produce faster results when testing mobile UI but only in the initial stages. With repeated testing you either need to add more testing features or diminish the quality of testing. Whereas with automated testing you get to run the same level of testing every time, ultimately saving time on the long run.
  2. Coverage: Newer android devices are being released almost every single day in the current days. Hence the number of apps of these operating systems is outstanding. Including this there are more operating systems like the iOS which has even more apps which are being made for daily use. Maintaining a hand load of tools for manual testing of all these apps becomes very difficult and supplying them to the testers whenever and wherever needed becomes a headache. However in case of automated testing only maintaining a cloud server would suffice. With the help of automated testing complete test coverage of apps is possible.
  3.  Cost: Yes! Automated testing of apps costs much more than manual testing. But this fact holds true only when the tests are kept to the bare essentials of the app. As and when the environment of the app gets complicated and as does the software itself, manual testing becomes much more expensive as you need more sophisticated tools for the optimum test results. Also with more sophisticated tools for the testing you need an advanced staff who can manage these tools and it will need training them to do so. Thus manual testing ultimately becomes costlier compared to automated one.
  4. Consistency: In case of manual testing there is always room for perception which varies from tester to tester and depends hugely on the test that is being considered as well as the app and the environment along with the operating system which the application is based on. When you are applying manual tests on the software there is room for holes through which some bugs may pass out and it is only good enough to detect the basic bugs. Automated testing on the other hand runs on scripts with no room for perception which makes it a full proof one.
  5. Reluctance: Automated testing replaces human. Not True! Automated testing only helps in betterment of the manual testers. Automated tests do provide automated results time after time with maximum accuracy, why do you need a human? But automated testing to requires writing of scripts and planning the whole test procedures. This in turn requires human. Automated testing procedure helps in saving time as well as money so that you can utilize these resources for the betterment of the manual testing procedures or to develop better tools and to advance the already existing automated testing procedures.

These are some of the most persistent myths that prevail in the automated testing industry which needs to be busted as soon as possible in order for the betterment of the automated testing of mobile UI.

Monday 26 October 2015

What is the Need for Software Performance Tests?


If you are a software developer, you will be well aware of the fact that you can’t deliver a full proof and good software to your customers without the involvement of software testing procedure. The success of a particular software is hugely dependent on the various software testing procedures which helps in development of a better software by rectification of the glitches that are detected during the software testing procedure.
Performance testing is one of the major parts of the whole software testing procedure which is to be implemented during the software development life cycle. In performance testing, the software is checked for the various flaws that may affect the performance of the software and hence cause problems when the customers are going to use it.
Performance testing complies of a number of various testing procedures which checks the performance of the whole software as well as the different small parts of the software which are integrated together to make the whole software. Performance tests are also performed to check how the software is reacting in case of normal conditions as well as when excess load is applied to the system or during other unfavorable conditions that may crop up during real time use of the software. Performance testing also helps in checking how the software will react during the unfavorable conditions. It provides the testers with a detailed report of the various results that are produced by the tests so that these results can be utilized for producing a better software by mending the flaws which may appear during the various software tests.
Today’s world is solely depended on speed and people have a lack of time. So they want applications which load fast and produce faster results under any and every circumstances. Performance testing ensures that the software under test performs with the desired speed under the various loads that may be applied on it in the real world. It also helps in testing whether the software produces the desired effect under pressurized conditions or not. Another main reason to perform the software testing is to see whether the software can spring back to its original self or not even after it has been malfunctioning or has hung up.
As the results of performance testing of the software will solely depend on the product being tested, hence you have to take the build up of the software as well as the desired effects that it is to produce while planning the various test procedure of the software so that you get the best possible results of the testing procedure which will be precise and accurate. You further development of the software will depend on these test results. You also have to maintain a log of all the reports so that you can keep a track of the mistakes that occur multiple time hence you will be able to pay special attention to rectify them. You also need to check the performance of the various elements of the software as well as the whole package.

Now that you have a fair idea of all the benefits of performance testing of a software and its need in the success of the software in real world, we hope you will be introducing the tests as early as possible in the development life cycle of your software in order to ensure that quality product is being delivered to your customers so that they are fully satisfied with your product and recommend it to other people which in turn will ensure the popularity of the same.

Sunday 25 October 2015

What Do We Know About Regression Testing?


When it comes to software development process, even a small change can bring forth major unexpected changes in the functionality of the whole system. Here comes the role of the regression testing. Regression testing is done to check if the existing functionality is rendered unaltered even by the tweaks made to abolish the bugs. It also provides with proof that the eradicated bugs are not brought to life again.
Regression testing is done whenever any kind of changes are applied to the system, so as to check if the system is working properly as desired. Bigger the changes made, bigger will be the possibility of the software functionality to be affected. Basically regression testing has two steps:
1.    Conducting the already performed tests.
2.    Checking the results of the tests with the previously available results to check if the system is up and running and what new bugs have developed which needs to be eradicated to make the software function well.
The regression tests are performed from time to time in patches to save both time and money on the testing process by preventing the errors to pile up at the end.
Various software testers take different approaches towards the regression testing of software available to them. While a part of the tester prefers testing the whole system after a certain amount of development is done, another set prefers testing the software every time a small change is made in the source code. In a way the later method is better as particular software is capable of showing completely surprising changes in the system which can be sparsely related to the changes made to the system. Luckily, (thanks to the technology available these days) testers can now create a library of various tests with the previously available data from functional tests, unit tests, integration tests, build verification tests or any other tests which helps in verifying that the system is performing as desired.
With the advent of automatic testing of software, regression testing has been made easier. Now a days a set of tests can be scripted with the help of codes and with just a few clicks of the mouse, these tests can be performed on the software under examination to check the validity of the system and the status of the abolished bugs. Although this automation helps in stress removal from the testers, it has some shortcomings too. When you are performing the same test over and over again, there are chances that the regression test system will become a standstill. At times it may also happen that the developers trick the automated regression test system to overlook certain errors and in this way your system will end up overlooking most of the errors. So, even if the automation saves a lot of time and energy, from time to time, manual inputs are needed to keep the system up and running.

In order to get the most out of regression testing of software, testers have to strike a balance in between the automation of the process and the manual aspect of the test. Also, regression testing should be introduced at an early stage of the software development life cycle so that maximum test coverage of the software can be achieved and piling up of the system can be avoided. 

Tuesday 20 October 2015

Common mistakes to avoid during Load Testing


For any organization that is arranging another framework execution or redesign, load tests are basic to carry out. These tests approve and provide a fair base of whether a framework can handle the normal future load needed to bolster the organization's developing business needs. While there are numerous assets that detail how to perform load tests.
Many people imagine that the most critical criteria for an effective burden test venture is whether focused on key execution markers Key Performance indicators (KPIs) are met. In any case, another critical rule is the manner by which you handle the arrangement of framework and coding advancement proposals that the heap test yields — a variable which can likewise influence how well you meet your KPIs. In the event that legitimately understood and actualized, these proposals are effective instruments to guarantee strong, long haul performance inside of the generation framework.
But many a times, focusing on the most important of aspects make an individual forget about the petty ones and this is where the organization or an individual commits very common mistakes while load testing. Thus below are a few very common mistakes that are made by the load testers. If avoided can yield output and utmost efficiency.
In order to get the best out of any specific load testing. Planning and preparation are the key. Without the two the execution cannot be carried out effectively. Thus, before starting a venture one needs to build a team of owners, functional experts, SAP technology experts as well as performance experts. This team runs after the performance and load testing process. They assume complete responsibility of carrying out a proper execution and can be trusted with the work.
Now, although an individual has assigned a great bit of a professional team. He must not forget the basic ground works. And thus we look deeper into the process and see how it can be avoided:
Not determining the scope of test: Now before anyone starts testing the load at initial place. It’s quite mandatory for the host to go through the scope. A proper study must be conducted before including into the process. The mistake can be corrected if the scope of the test is determined as it will help an organization to know and serve the very purpose of the test.
Sorting out testing process: There is an enormous amount of testing takes place in every section. For a load testing or a testing as a matter, one needs to know that which processes needs testing and which doesn’t and accordingly the load testing is to be put to use.
Determining the time frame: When cannot allot the testing time forever. It needs to be efficient and less time consuming and thus a proper time frame is required to be set to evaluate the Key Performance Indicators.
Identifying a data: Before conducting a load test. It’s quite important that one studies the type of data that is to be loaded in the test system. A data must be properly examined before being processed. As it will help the tester to save time and unproductive work.

Differentiating set-up: One of the most prominent step is differentiating the type of set-up and putting it to proper use. Whether an organization wants to set up a unit testing or single user testing is to be decided by them to derive the most effective output.

Monday 19 October 2015

Why Strategize Before Testing Software?


Software testing is a very important part of the software development life cycle and holds a critical role in the process of customer satisfaction as it helps in delivering software with the minimal amount of bugs. The process saves a lot of money too, as the errors of the software can be detected and rectified before sending the system into mass production or before shipping the same. If you are planning to leave the process till the end of the developmental process, you might be making a mistake. Starting the testing procedure along with the development of the software is the best method as it prevents piling up of the errors and also helps with the maximum amount of test coverage. Although most companies think that developers will do the job of a tester, it is a huge misconception. Software testers are a whole different breed who has a hang of detecting errors in coding.
However, testing a software is a pretty tough job as a lot is riding on the process and hence requires extensive planning to achieve the best possible results. Following are some of the reasons why you need to strategize your software testing.
  1.     It is a well known fact that a compact product is made up of various modules which compile together to form the whole product. These modules need to be tested individually to ensure that the modules are working perfectly on their own.
  2.    While compiling the software together, the individual modules now have to work in collaboration with each other. Software testing has to be done to check if they work properly with one another and how they depend on each other.
  3.    The performance of the software in various situations has to be checked to see if it delivers optimum results in various situations or not.
  4.     The software also has to be checked for performances at various stress levels to see how the software holds on or to see how quickly it recovers from an unexpected shutdown.
  5.      The software also has to be tested to check how fast the updates get installed in the software.
  6.     Another important factor which needs to be tested is the user friendliness of the software to check the ease with which the end users can handle the software you have developed.
  7.     You also have to check whether the software is providing you with the desired output when a suitable input is provided to it.
  8.     The software also has to be checked for security issues to check how easy or difficult it is to hack the system and plunder the data of the customers.


These are just some of the processes which you have to deal with when you are testing a software. Software testing is an extensive process which lasts throughout the whole developmental process and such a vast process requires extensive strategy so that each step is chronologically set one after another in order to achieve maximum test coverage. It is best to leave it in the hands of the professional software testers who have a detailed knowledge of the whole procedure and would plan it so that all the steps are followed according to order and the testing process yields maximum results so that you can provide your customers with a high quality product.

Sunday 18 October 2015

Software Testing and Why is it Important in SDLC


The world is heavily hung on technology today. This leads to the development of newer or upgraded versions of the software of the various gadgets so that your customers are at par with all the developments and get the benefits of cutting edge facilities. But with the increased amount of software developers, you get only little time to form a better version of your software (i.e. upgrade it) and deliver them to the customer. This continuous upgradation often causes the bugs to pile up, which is not desirable. People these days have a huge array of similar software to choose from and they will not hesitate to switch on to a better, cleaner and more efficient product. To ensure that your customers remain loyal to you, you have to make sure that they get bug free updates which are efficient and fast. Thus comes the software testing procedure which shows you the flaws of the developed software so that you can change it before providing the product to your customers.
SDLC or software development life cycle is the whole procedure of the development and testing comprises of an important part of the process. Usually when a software gets released and bugs are detected, they get rectified in the next update. But this may cause dissatisfaction among the customers. Hence, software testing is one to avoid such bugs. It is best to bring forth software testing during the early phase of SDLC so that you can keep cleaning and rectifying the bugs and as when it appears. This will prevent the piling up of the bugs and make sure that his SDLC process is completed within a short period of time. In this way you can provide customers with the latest versions fast and keep them happy and satisfied, in turn ensuring their loyalty to your product. Following are the importance of software testing in SDLC:
1.       When you are testing in SDLC, it shows whether the changes made in the software have been rightly installed or not.
2.       Once the software has been deployed, the cost of fixing becomes very high and it also hampers the reputation of the software. Testing in SDLC ensures that all the problems or bugs are detected and fixed before launching and hence the cost is reduced.
3.       SDLC testing ensures that the software delivers what it is made for. It sees to it that the software is up to mark when it comes to the environmental, sociology and performance specifications.
4.       SDLC testing shows you whether the various components of the software are working properly or not, both individually and in collaboration with one another.
5.       Testing of a product in SDLC always enhances the performance issues as you can tweak the shortcomings to turn them into their strengths.

At the end of it, the software popularity depends solely on the users or in other word, your customers. So you have to do everything to keep them happy and testing your software is a vital part of this process. This helps you to prep your software for various environments or stress levels that your customers may be using your software in. These changes are easily made during the development process or SDLC before the software goes into actual production procedure. 

Thursday 15 October 2015

Software Testing and Its Need for the Banking Industry


When it comes to software, banks probably have the most complex lot of them all. These systems need to be up to date and have a high level of security due to all the monetary transactions that are being conducted through them round the year. What makes these systems even more complex is the multi tier facility and integration of the system with many other systems. Banking systems also have to support a huge number of transactions at any point of time and are used by a large number of people. The banking systems also need to be ever ready to solve customer problems and keep a track of a huge database and everyday transactions. Disaster management is another aspect of the banking software system.
Thus, when it comes to software systems of the banking industry, it needs to be upgraded and of high quality, both in performance and security grounds. This is why banking industry needs software testing of their system to make them bug free and in order to have high quality product which are unreachable by most. Software testing is absolutely essential for the banking software system so that the complex workflow that the system encounters never crashes.
Software testing is the branch of software development life cycle, which helps to keep the system in good shape. It checks the system of bugs, performance and security issues, user friendliness and other issues that may make the software problematic to the end user and cause trouble in delivering the desired results. It starts off with the feasibility tests which detects the plausibility of the existence of the software (which starts before the development of the software) and ends with the beta testing of the software (which occurs after the developmental process has been completed). Basically, the better the testing, the more powerful and workable software.
As the software of the bank is one which requires to be working nearly 24 x 7, hence the quality of product used in these places should be the finest. Also, one of the primary criteria of such systems is the security issues. This is why software testing of these software’s is an absolute must. The various types of software testing techniques that are available in the market will be able to convert the software used in banking industry one of the strongest systems around which are capable of handling the great load and will not snap due to an excess load which it may face from time to time. The testing will also ensure that the system springs back to its former self, even if it snaps. Testing will also ensure that the software is smoothly compatible with other systems which may require depending on it, like the payment gateways and billing desks as well as integration of the various tiers of which the banking software system is made up of. These systems have to maintain as well as constantly update a huge database of transaction which can be made full proof only by the testing procedures.

This is just a gist of the entire scenario to give you a glimpse as to why the software systems used by the banking industry are in dire need of software testing which should be of high quality.

Wednesday 14 October 2015

BEST PRACTICES IN LOAD TESTING


Load testing is a process where through a load tester a product development is tested. Various practices have their individual unique experience in the process. But the outcome expected is all the same. Thus, it is very essential that the practices that are carried out during the process and in turn the right ones in order to determine the most accurate output.
Every tester looks forward to conduct a test through the testing apparatus and then provide the best possible conclusion. Thus, there are general under lining strategies that are required to be followed to make your effort more successful. So let’s breeze through it in quick time.
Their best practice to conduct a successful load testing involves:
Planning: Planning the expectations must be pretty realistic. One must not expect a gigantic outcome which isn’t possible. Newbie’s must realize that a reasonably accurate result right now is much more worth than an accurate one. Slowly and steadily the cost factor starts to increase and thus the project becomes expensive. But the smaller the investment, the less complex the project turns out to be and easier to solve if there arises any problems.
A successful Planning involves thinking about all the aspects and forthcoming questions in order to deal with it. A prediction about the analysis should be done and realistic results are expected to be required.
Configuration: Configuration involves the proper configuration of the planned ideas. Successful configuration involves asking successful questions at the right time. Like what was predicted in the planning stage needs to be met appropriately. Configuration is the most important aspect when it comes to a successful load testing. For a configuration to work efficiently, it is essential to carry out the test in a controlled environment.
Dedicated servers and good configurations are pretty much essential to derive an optimum result. It is quite important for a tester to have a ready access to those things so that he can reproduce the current project whenever the need to access it arises in future.
Scripting: Scripting follows configuration. While configuration takes a look at everything is going as per planned. Scripting just about gives life to the planning and configuration part. Various scenarios are developed in Scripting and are played with. Selection of scenarios is done, the configuration is done, and the scenario done through scripting is tested. It is runned for a few times more to check the accuracy.
Scripting is one of the most challenging aspects when it comes to testing and especially when the test scenario is long, it becomes considerably difficult for the scriptwriter to script the following. But overall without proper scripting the effective load testing cannot take place.
Execution: Execution is one of the final strings in the tale where for is it any idea or concept, for it to be experienced in reality, its need to be executed. One cannot simply have a foresight or just a plan to experience and outcome. An outcome is when the execution of the plan takes place.
A proper execution brings about distinctive and efficient result. Proper execution is the key to a successful load testing and thus it forms an important part of good practice that is required to conduct a successful test.
Analysis: Analysis is the final phase of the testing process where before starting the process there, is a run in, through which the test is seen as an opportunity to understand the site performance and thus remove any constraints, if there exists any.

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Factors Behind the Rise in Web App Security Testing


When you are set to creating a web based application, you need to make sure that the application is completely full proof in terms of security. The smallest loopholes will be used by the hackers to enter and access the database of the web application. With advanced technologies, the hackers are becoming more potent which has caused a rise in the web app security testing.
  1.    Invalidated Input: In most cases the information fed to the web applications is often not validated. This makes the information vulnerable to the attack of the hackers and this calls for increased security testing parameters for the web based apps that are being used.
  2.     Broken Access Control: In most of the web applications that are developed, the amount of work that an authenticated user may do in the so called software is not well defined. This provides the hackers with an opportunity to breach the security system of the applications.
  3.     Broken Authentication and Session Management: These are some of the top factors which are used by hackers to breach the security system and are exactly why the web app security testing is very important. Passwords, keys, session cookies are some of the factors which the hackers compromises in order to enter the system.
  4.     Cross Site Scripting (XSS) Flaws: Cross Site Scripting (XSS) Flaws refers to the system by which the hackers’ breaks into the particular web based application in order to enter the system of the end user where in they can create spoof content to fool the users or access the database of the user.
  5.     Buffer Overflows: Web applications can be crashed into due to the fact that some of the languages in which he code of the application has been written do not get validated prominently leaving the system open to attack by the hackers. CGI, libraries, drivers are some of the components that are included.
  6.    Injection Flaws: As far as local operating systems or external systems are concerned, web applications often pass parameters which can be breached by the various hackers by injecting their own commands into these passes which will be executed by the external system on behalf of the web applications.
  7.       Improper Error Handling: Mishandling of the web application often leaves it vulnerable to the attack of the hackers. If the hacker can insert a system which is not properly handled by the application, then it may lead to the release of vital information from the database of the software under considerations.
  8.       Insecure Storage: In order to store and protect the client information, the web application often uses cryptographic functions. These functions are rather difficult to create and integrate with the other codes of the web application which often reduces the software protection process leaving it open to the attack of the hackers.
  9.     Denial of Service: An advanced hacker who is a pro at his job is apt enough to crack into a system to an extent where the real user can no longer gain access into the system. This causes the web application to fail.
  10.       Insecure Configuration Management: In order to ensure a strong security system for your web applications, you need to have a strong server on which the web application is based. When your server is weak it often leaves your web application open to various attacks by the hackers which cause security breaches.

These are some of the major factors as to why there is a sudden rise in the web app security testing in the current era.

Monday 12 October 2015

The Different Types of Functional Testing


Software testing is an important part of the software development life cycle and should be done with utmost care in order to ensure the success of the software. Functional testing is a part of the software testing procedure which renders perfectly functioning software to the users.
People often have the misconception that functional testing of the software just deals with testing the software’s functionality to check that it provides the right output when fed with a particular input. But in reality functional testing deals with a lot more than just testing how the software functions. Software testing is classified into various types which are discussed in this article. These various tests are very important to ensure software which will be equipped to handle any kind of scenario or stress load.
  1. Function Based Testing: Of the various types of functional tests that can be performed, this is probably the easiest one which is possible. It just takes the individual modules of the software and checks if it works properly. You check the component with various scenarios. You check it both individually and also you test the components functionality when they are working with each other as a whole system.
  2. Scenario Based Testing: This type of functional testing can be a tad bit complex. Ultimately the software that is being developed is going to be used by the end users. In the real world, the software will be facing scenarios which are both simple and complex. Successful software is one which can smoothly perform in both the situations with equal ease. It is the job of the software tester to check the software’s functionality in such situations. The detected defects should be reported along with the scenarios in which they were tested so that it can be rectified.
  3. Negative Testing: When the software is being used by the end users, there are numerable numbers of ways in which the users may handle the software in a wrong way. Negative testing checks the functionality of the software in such negative situations. These tests check how well the software handles these negative situations. The negative testing also ensures that no permanent damage or loss of data occurs when the software is going through the negative situations.
  4. Long Range Testing: Long range testing checks the software for prolonged working period. There are situations in which the software may have to be up and working for a long period of time. In such situations, chances are that the software may crash due to the long working periods. Long period testing ensures that the software keeps running with similar ease for the entire period of time. It also detects the flaws that may appear in the software for the long working periods i.e. due to over loading. The functionality of the software in situations like long file processing is checked in long range testing.

Yes! We accept that some of the tests which are mentioned under the category of fictional testing may appear to be similar and overlapping. However each of the tests are important for the detection of the defects that may appear on the functional front of the software and must be performed for delivering a quality product to the customers or end users.

Sunday 11 October 2015

How to come up with a Developer Friendly Bug Report?



One of the major jobs that the software testers have to do is prepare a bug report for the developers to fix. Now, a bug report is basically a bunch of mistakes that makes the software work in a funny way which it is not meant to do. I think all of us will accept the fact that we hate it when someone points out our mistakes! The same law applies to the developers. They will loathe you for pointing out their mistakes. However, you could make them hate you less by creating a developer friendly bug report.
  1.  While testing software, it is very obvious that you will come across loads of bugs, which will keep increasing as more and more modules are added to the system. The best way to deal with these bugs is to report them right away, so that the developers can fix them as soon as possible before further complications arises with the system and it becomes harder for them to fix it.
  2.  While you are creating a report, make sure that each issue of your report covers a single bug at a time. This will help the developers tackle less and easier for them to fix. Even if you get multiple bugs in an issue, try breaking them down. Piling up all the bugs together will complicate things and make it tougher to resolve.
  3. Try to be as descriptive as possible. Describing the bug you faced while testing in a short lot will keep the developers hanging and they will be at a loss of information, thus making it harder for them to fix the bug. A detailed report, on the contrary will allow them to understand the problem easily and they will be able to come up with a solution in a shorter period of time without much hassle.
  4.  Another way to ease up the fixing job for the developers and making your bug report developer friendly is by making it clear. While you are writing up a report, make sure you use simple language that can be easily understood and dealt with. You are not writing a novel, hence you don’t need to use fancy languages.
  5. While the idea of incorporation of your thoughts and ideas about the tested software may be very tempting, try not to do it. Your report is meant to help the developers to fix the bugs and nothing will help them more than the actual facts that your test results have supplied you with. Stick to the facts and it will make your report a developer friendly one.
  6. Your report should have a clear cut instruction of what you expect the developers to achieve with the help of the bug report you have supplied them with. It should also have a crystal clear image of what outcome you are expecting from the fixing that the developers are about to do.
  7. Keep a section in your bug report which will have the methods that you used to detect the bug so that the developers can get a hang of the methods you have used which will give them a better understanding of the bug that they are about to fix.

We hope that these pointers will help you create a bug report, which will be well accepted by the developer.


Thursday 8 October 2015

Common Myths Striving Around Testing Automation


We as humans are closely related with myths where with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, we start to assume things which we believe are in fact true. Such is the case with Automation testing.
In the age of technology where human physical efforts are being replaced by the mental ones. The process of technological usage has come under scrutiny. As it has enhanced automation.

What is Automation?

Automation is a process whereby the human manual efforts are limited by the introduction & implementation of various technological tools. As the name suggests, Automation focuses on reducing unnecessary human effort which drains them mentally and physically.
But there are various myths that are fitted into the human minds when they initially come across the process of Automation. And thus there exists common myths that strive around Automation testing. Those myths are attached to the mentality of the tester by a vendor. Such as:
§  Automation replaces Manual work: Many testers believe that Automation completely uproots the Manual process. But that’s not true. Automation can work optimally and thus provide better output. But one needs to remember that it was the Manual effort which led to Automation. So in no way can it overtake manual work. The best form of work is where both manual efforts and automated process are blended together.
 §  Automation can be done by anyone: Majority of the vendors pin point their task of convincing the end users to get the product. They make it look so easy that an individual feels that the process of Automation is peanuts. But in reality it isn't. Automation requires strategies, scripting & testing process which cannot be done by anyone.
§  Automation is simply record & Playback: It's amusing how people think that Automation is as easy as recording and playing the recorded effort. But they aren’t aware about the whole process that comes to play in order to get a desired output.
 §  Automation cannot automate every test process: Many people believe that Automation can completely control the output arena, but that’s not true, as somewhere or the other the Manual process is needed.This is as Automation cannot cover that up, no matter how advance the strategy or planning may be.
§  Automation finds more bugs: This is the one most common myth striving in the minds of people. Fed by vendors or assumption they believe that Automation finds more bugs. It’s not Automation that finds bugs, but in turn the Manual tester who designed the actual test case. It’s the test case that finds the bug not the test script.
 §  Automation is one time investment: If you believe that is going to be the case and you jump in. You shall be ready to get frustrated. Because Automation isn’t a one time investment. It isn’t a onetime investment, but it requires timely maintenance to keep it fine. One has to bear the cost which pertains to its quality code.
 §  Automation doesn't need planning: Any process without a proper plan is doomed to be a failure. Automation requires the same. Proper planning with appropriate strategies and selection of tools is essential to keep the ball rolling. If not, the result an individual is expected to get is terrible.

 Conclusion:

Automation undoubtedly is one of the most amazing creations through manual effort. But it cannot over run the Manual work and neither can replace it. Both need to work hand in hand to derive amazing results. Automation isn’t as easy as it seems but once known about is not that hard either.
Proper execution is essential which initially starts off with the rightful selection of tools. If put to effective use it can do a lot of wonders, if not, then you are left to blame yourself. Thus, people need to get over these aforementioned myths that are striving around automated testing and use these myths as an advantage.

Wednesday 7 October 2015

Testing e-Commerce Sites - Some Guidelines

With the commencement of internet, one of the fastest developing phases of the same are the e-commerce platforms which help people buy anything and everything they want, sitting right on their couch. However, with the massive advantages provided by the e-commerce sites come various risks and problems which can cause havoc if not dealt with on time. This is why it is absolutely important to test these sites before they are released for public use.
Security Tests: When a person is buying something online, in most cases they tend to pay with the help of their credit or debit card or with the help of a net banking procedure. While they do it, they trust the particular e-commerce site with the details of their banks and hence it is absolutely important that their details are protected by the admin of the site. Hence security testing becomes very important in case of such sites to make sure that breaching he parameters are next to impossible
Usability Tests: The prime purpose of the e-commerce sites is to provide the customers with desirable product which they can add to their cart and shop. Hence the sites must be easily uploaded with new products in order to keep the customers updated with the latest items as well as the old ones that were available previously. Thus the usability testing is to be performed regularly on such websites.
User Friendly Interface Test: No one will waste their time on understanding the complicated work structure of the e-commerce site and hence will move on to a site with a simpler interface. Thus, as and when the features of the e-commerce sites are being upgraded, tests must be conducted to check that the user interface is still simple and it can be handled with utmost ease.
Performance Tests: The traffic on an e-commerce platform on a particular day is completely unpredictable. Hence the sites should be prepared for zero traffic as well as a huge surge of customers trying to buy products concurrently at the same time. This makes performance testing along with stress testing an absolute vital part of the software testing life cycle when it comes to the e-commerce sites.
The following tests can be conducted in order to make sure that the e-commerce sites are up and running at all times and are providing the customers with a superior experience while using the same.
  1.    The accelerated functional test cycle should be conducted with QA strategies and various business process libraries which can be customized according to organizational needs, paying special heed to reusable test scenarios.
  2.      With the help of performance modelling frameworks, performance-critical business flows and Service Level Agreement (SLA)-based performance reporting, the improvement in the performance issues should be checked.
  3.     Features of the e-commerce sites like data security testing, legal compliance checks, and compliance with Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) should be thoroughly tested with the help of Effective Test Data Management services.
  4.      As the customers are capable of using various types of browsers as well as different devices and OS to access a particular e-commerce site, hence the compatibility of the site with these features must be checked.
  5.      In-house solutions like Functional Test Case Generator should be used to form test cases from customised libraries.

New Trends to Watch Out for in QA Testing


Be it population or globalization or cutting age technology, business is facing a major change almost every year and QA testing is no different. Over a mere few years, QA testing has undergone major changes. It is showing certain trends which will further alter it in the near future. The following are a list of such trends which are steadily gaining importance in the QA testing industry.
  1. Integrating QA through Agility and TCoE: Testing Centers of Excellence (TCoE) along with agile testing is going to play an important role in incorporating the QA department as one of the major part of the business. Companies are investing money in QA to avoid after cost production and enhance customer satisfaction.
  2.  Greater Focus on New Technology: Although there has been a sharp rise in the mobile app development from 31% to 55%, yet when it comes to testing the mobile software, organizations are at a loss of skilled testers. Cloud computing has made advancement, but security and performance is still an issue and is going to be the focus of IT industry in the near future.
  3.  Higher Automation Levels: As agile testing keeps reducing the time required for the testing procedure, organizations are opting for automated testing facilities to save time as well as money. The automatic testing facilities have made a marked progress in the field of development and will continue to do so in the future. It is exerting its importance in the regression testing, unit testing and load testing.
  4.   Greater Focus on Security: With the emergence and growing importance of cloud computing, security has appeared to be a major issue. Organizations are putting in stress to increase the security features of the cloud computing as well as mobile facilities to stop security breaches so that testing facilities can be safely moved to clouds and accessed at all times.
  5. Context Driven Testing: With the increased amount of mobility as well as social media, the whole world seems to be integrated with the help of software. Business owners are now looking for a method to increase the test coverage to a maximum level in order to prevent central hubs of hardware, middleware and test environments. Context driven testing provides the businessmen with the power to do so.
  6.  Continuous Integration Testing: Continuous integration testing ensures that the software is being tested of bugs, performance and security issues right from the beginning of the developmental phase in short intervals. This ensures that the defects do not pile up at the end of the process and reduces the load on the developers. This is trending a lot in current days as it saves both time and hassle of the developers
  7.  Independent Software Testing: As the importance of QA testing is becoming clearer day by day, companies are now seeking the help of individual organizations which are experts in the QA testing jobs. Many organizations are popping up which are emphasising on hiring individuals with great skills for testers and are focused in the QA testing of software only.
These are some of the most noticeable trends of the QA testing industry, which is going to be of major importance in the future and will be changing the course of software testing industry.

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Automated testing – The future of software testing


Transformation is the most trending word in today’s time. Almost everything is undergoing transformation the inventions, thoughts behind it as well as the outcome. The methods of testing are efficiently experiencing a shift in curve like the every usual transformation from manual to automatic.
The process of manual testing of products and software are long gone, but not totally erased from the process. On the contrary the automated testing has risen to great prominence in the past decade or two. There are automated processes rising up in every sector. Since modern man is currently shifting towards mental outlook than the physical one.
The automated process is way more effective than the usual manual process. Not only is the test efficient enough, but it is also very less time consuming. It provides maximum output, which is accurate in minimum amount of time, which isn’t possible through manual testing as it is more error prone, since humans are bound to commit mistakes.
The process of automation does not need human intervention, but the planning of the process needs so. Since the process itself is a human creation. There are various reasons due to which automated testing is our future- it is here and here to stay for a long time.
The selection of tools under automation testing is the primary feature of the following as it offers the most effective tool. Every test is conducted with some or the other kind of tool. The test tool is required to be specific; with automated testing it has become pretty easy to define that which test selection tool will be needed to conduct a specific test.
Unlike manual testing, under automation not only is the scope of the testing decided but automation as a whole process is put under assessment. In order to avoid any mishap, various steps are taken to define the goals and scope of automation. This is the very reason why everyone prefers an automated test over a manual one.
Although the manual testing is fading away slowly from the mainstream testing process it acts as a base for the automated testing. The future is all about automated testing, but manual testing needs to be present in somewhere as without it, automation cannot be carried out productively.
Thus, though the process of automation saves us time and money, it is still reliant on manpower. Furthermore, the automated design undergoes various steps such as planning, design and development of a software or product. Now under that, almost each and every aspect is covered. The testers are required to just worry about the overview and not the entire process itself as it becomes the duty of the automated testing.
Finally, after all the deep study of the process and its know-how the test is finally executed. This makes the automated testing the most complete form of testing. Although the organization spends hours on studying the process ultimately they aren’t required to waste their time on energy on the process itself.
The businesses are growing, dynamic these days. It is pretty much impossible for a human mind or an organization to employ so much of workforce to derive output. Thus, automated testing is the future – as with each passing session, the process will only enhance and improve itself.