Why testing? Testing is the most importance phase of software development life Cycle. It is often said that the phase that starts before the development process, remains throughout the development process and end with the delivery is nothing but testing. This indicates the importance of testing in any software development life cycle. Industry understands this and never neglects the power of testers in their application development. Moreover, testers are treated as the fate line of any software application or product; because, they determines the quality and reliability of any application or product. Any application or product can never be an industry standard reliable and quality oriented unless until it has undergone extensive testing. Hence there is always a tremendous demand for testers in the industry. Today we will discuss about the different phases of testing life cycle for an application or product, in other words, we can say how testing works?
Requirement analysis: This is the first and most important phase of software testing. In this process the tester needs to gather all the information and data for the testing process to be executed. Here he need to check if everything is Ok for the testing or not, if anything missing he needs to collect it at the earliest. For this stage you need to have that curiosity within you to prepare yourself well for the future.
Test Planning: Now, the tester needs to plan his future work in ahead. He needs to imagine what can be the different parts of his testing methodologies. Here he has to understand what he needs to find out and how. Planning makes it easy to test an application. So, he must give maximum emphasize on planning with his prior experience and expertise in the field.
Test case development: Now, the actual testing starts here. The automation tester needs to write his test case as per the planning made before. He must ensure that the test case has adequate scope for better testing. The test cases should be extremely powerful and accurate so that in future you need not worry about the output. So You as a good automation tester should apply all your efforts for this creative phase so that you will get an awesome output.
Environment set up: Well this is something peripheral requirement of the process. When we deal with various web application projects, we have to consider about the set up for the testing like internet connectivity, server condition, Client condition and network set up etc. Though it seems to be an optional phase for the tester and it is expected to be done by the system admin; but, a good tester never takes any risk and he always comes ahead to test all these availability voluntarily.
Test Execution: Now, everything is in their place. Just perform the testing. Make sure all the modules are tested properly. Don’t forget to test the whole application at once to make sure the application is working pretty well from every aspect.
Test Reporting: Finally, you have to report the bugs if any to the developer to fix it. If there is no bug, it’s time to move ahead for the production stage. Mindfire is an application software testing company with 100% certified testers for immediate project requirements.
We provide QA testing services. If you would like to hire software quality assurance tester, please get in touch with us. We would be glad to assist.
Why testing: Testing is an integral part of software development life cycle. Its necessity starts with the beginning of a project and ends at the end of the development process. It always works in a parallel manner with the development process so that a quality output will be achieved. Hence there is a stupendous demand of testers in the industry. Moreover many big software farms give more priority to testing in their projects because they know that testing is the key to success for any application development or product development. Hence testers are also known as quality assurance professionals; because they help the developers in achieving quality end product at the end of the course. Hence there is a fabulous future potential for the testers in the IT industry. Well testers perform the testing operation in three different manners i.e., manual testing, automation testing and hybrid testing. Let us discuss about these testing methodologies in brief.
Manual testing- the primitive way of testing: This is the most primitive way of testing an application or product. Here the tester applies his experience, skill and expertise to test an application. There are millions of manual testers in the industry who has been providing support for different types of projects and application development in the industry. Since it is performed by a person so there is always a chance of human errors while testing an application. Moreover it is not an efficient way of testing because it needs more effort, resource and time to test an application. To add this, it becomes even tougher to test a big data application by a tester manually. So it is losing its popularity in the industry with time due to its short comings. To overcome all these issues there is a better way of testing which is performed by the software tools known as automation testing tools. Let us have a brief discussion over automation testing technology.
Automation Testing: This is the new era testing approach for modern applications. This will eliminate all the shortcomings of manual testing through its advanced features and efficiency in a parallel way. The modern applications are developed keeping multiple devices in mind. These devices can be smart phones, tablets or regular PC for the application. To test the compatibility of an application for all these wide range of devices we must rely on a software tool i.e., automation testing tool. The automation tester writes testcases for his application and these testcases can be projected to the application environment to test different functionalities of the application. Moreover the automation tester can iterate the process several times depending upon the requirement of the application. Hence it becomes an easier process of testing without compromising the quality of testing for your application.
Hybrid testing: This is the mix of both manual testing as well as automation testing. Many experts believe that this is the best way of testing an application; because it has the advantage of brain power of the tester as well as the efficiency of the software testing tool. Hence the industry is recommending for hybrid testing to all big applications where you need both experience as well as efficiency for a better output. Mindfire is an application software testing company with 100% certified testers for immediate project requirements.
We provide QA testing services. If you would like to hire software quality assurance tester, please get in touch with us. We would be glad to assist.
One thing that is often not even considered by developers and in fact quite under-estimated is testing. However, it is a key element in any application development; without this pillar no developer can put the developed software or application on market. Through proper evaluation the quality is determined which in turn consists of several dimensions like features, adjustability as well as engineering.There are several kinds of tests that are carried out to determine the quality such as platform compatibility tests, functional tests, usability tests, scalability tests, performance tests, robustness tests, etc. One thing that must be remembered in this respect is to assign the job to an actual specific tester with distinct test roles; here the role of a developer and a tester is poles apart. While testing, to yield the best possible results here are some practices that you must follow. 1. Planning ahead- When a software or application is being tested, the undertaking is important as well as costly which might require careful execution. For that purpose it always helps if as a tester you can plan ahead. A careful planning as well as execution ahead of the evaluation phase ensures the success as well as usefulness of tests. In the planning phase you must consider the five essential steps which are establishing baselines, establishing expectations as well as goals, understanding the challenges that might come with the evaluation procedure, getting ample help as well opinions from the client, operations as well as development team and early involvement of third parties. 2. Building a solid strategy for application evaluation- Building a solid strategy ensures that the best procedures are followed from the word go. For effective strategies you must include exploratory, automated as well as manual tests so that the risks can be reduced efficiently and release cycles tightened. In this respect there are three kinds of test approaches that can be followed- integration which exercises entire subsystems while ensuring that sets of components fit as well as interact nicely; unit which helps in validating of the system’s smallest components so that known outputs and inputs can be handled correctly; and functional that helps in verification of end-to-end scenarios which might engage your users. In essence, functional tests can affect the entire system, but still unit as well as integration testing is important due to recovery speed as well as test performance. Functional test is always slow in running too. 3. Staggering the user number- Applications have to support a large number of users at the same time; so one of the scenarios to consider is its performance capability when handling a load due to a vast number of users. The best way of analyzing this properly is to increase the number in an ascending manner. If you start all the test drivers simultaneously then the results might not be very accurate since some time should be given to the system so that it can warm up a bit and prepare for a heavy load. 4. Experienced as well as informed management- Experience certainly counts a big deal, especially for something as crucial as evaluation it is best to go with experience. On top of that the management must ensure that all tiers involved with the application are informed about its aspects so that the best possible solution and insights are achieved. 5. Including early feedback- This starts in the development process itself where test engineers can be included. They can provide feedback on the sustainable development, feature scope too as architecture which can lead to an all-round well developed application. These days, a software project is far more complex that what it used to be even sometime back. With the rapid changes in the methods and procedures, it is best to keep an open eye and establish some ground rules before beginning any work. The same is applicable for testing too since knowing what to do and what to avoid will help in the long run. When you hire testing software companies, you must ensure that the team has proven experience in handling medium and large sized testing projects over a long period. We provide software application testing services. All of our testers have cleared industry certifications in testing. If you would like to hire software testers from us, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.
In the software industry, the terms testing and quality assurance (QA) are used interchangeably. Many organizations even deploy a team of dedicated testers, and name it QA department. While considering software QA as a separate process, most organizations undervalue its significance as a significant and ongoing process. In nutshell, software quality assurance can be defined as the methods used to ensure quality by monitoring different software engineering processes constantly. However, the methods of QA can vary according to the nature and requirement of the software development approach. Along with adopting ISO 9000 standards, an organization can further ensure quality by adopting CMMI model. But each organization must consider QA as an integral part of the overall software development process, instead of isolating it as a distinct department.
Why Organizations Must Consider Quality Assurance as a Key Process?
1. Easy to Adopt Agile Processes: A constant increase is noted in the number of organizations adopting Agile methods to iterate software development projects. Along with making it easier to incorporate changed during different stages of development, the methodology further emphasizes on delivering high quality. With companies constantly exploring options to reduce project cost and time to market, it has become essential to ensure quality from the initial stages of the project. So organizations must integrate QA in each development process to avail the many advantages of Agile methods.
2. Address Different Changes: While developing a software application, the company has to address both technical and business quality issues. As the application needs to be developed rapidly within a stipulated timeframe, there are always chances the defects may naturally creep into the software. Similarly, the constant changes in end-user requirements results in several business quality issues. These issues must be addresses during each stage of development to deliver rich user experience. Thus, QA must be integrated into the development processes from the initial stages to handle different quality issues without putting any extra time.
3. Meet Exact Needs of a Business: The enterprise software applications are developed to solve specific business problems efficiently. So there must not be any gap between the end user requirements and the software delivered by development. The software also needs to be evaluated at various stages of development according to the requirements of the client. Further, there are chances that the client will want new features and functionalities to be included in the software during development. So QA must be integrated seamlessly with each development process to ensure that the product is meeting end user requirements exactly.
4. Save Both Time and Resources: Most business software applications, nowadays, need to be integrated with third-party solutions and services to deliver rich user experience. Further, the complex and complicated nature of the applications makes it a daunting task to complete the project on time. The extremely tight deadline also does not allow organizations to take additional time to evaluate the software’s efficiency and performance. When an organization considers QA as a distinct department, the testing professionals evaluate the software once the development is over. So many organizations are adopting test-based software development model to save both time and resources.
5. Facilitates Distributed Development: Within a short span of time, distributed software development has becomes widely popular among companies as a medium to curtail project cost. Many organizations deploy seasoned software developers and QA engineers who work in different regions. When a software program is being developed in a distributed environment, it becomes essential for the organization to integrate quality assurance in each process. When software testing is conducted at the end of development, there are always chances that the developers have to rework. But the gap between the end user requirements and software developed in a distributed environment can be eliminated by adopting QA as an integral part of the overall development process.
As an ongoing process, software quality assurance further makes it easier for enterprises to beat competition. Along with reducing time to market, the process will further make the software application popular by delivering flawless user experience. If you are planning to hire testing software companies, you must evaluate them to see if they are sufficiently agile or not!
We provide QA and testing services. If you would like to hire software testing engineer for your software projects, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.
When production process is being undergone for consumer products or goods, quality control along with testing are being conducted at each manufacturing stage. If during any of the stages any flaw comes to the forefront, the product is often sent back for reworking and correction or it is discarded completely. This is almost the same in case of software manufacturing as well. Even if the programmer is excellent he is bound to make some mistake or the other; there must be at least 1-3 flaws on each hundred statement. So testing forms a very important stage, consuming almost half of work along with time for the production of a functional program.
In fact early detection of software bugs result in saving of a lot of energy, time and money. So you have to employ good techniques to detect flaws early on. There can be many ways of approaching evaluation. The three most effective testing techniques for quick software bug detection are discussed here.
Using soap opera tests along with cases
The focus of soap opera testing is on the software's role. The product cannot be considered just as a bundle full of features; the consideration should rather be on the accomplishments that humans can achieve with this tool's help. These tests may almost seem hypothetical as well as crazy but informal, speedy estimate can be provided of the quality of the product. This method will help you check the software's functionality at the very beginning, avoiding many expensive defects. This technique is much loved by business clients since real life scenarios are replicated or at least tried to. This kind of testing is often performed involving the clients and as part of requirement analysis. However, this test is quite complicated and involves a lot of details which can prove to be quite overwhelming for the testing team as well as the users. Due to the complicated nature of these tests, occurrence of a single error results in wastage of a lot of time, merely for the isolation of the error source. This evaluation helps in finding functional errors in the early stages and it is just that- a simple as well as fast way to find out some functional errors.
Quick attacks
In situations where you have no idea regarding the software's functionalities along with requirements, it will not be helpful to use the conventional technique to transform the requirements into tests. Instead you should be attacking the application; enter the wrong info to confuse it. This works by keeping a field blank in a form to be filled. If you are asked to maintain work flow then a different path should be taken. In an input field supporting only digits, letters should be written; you can also make a very long number so that it cannot be processed by the system. This kind of random attacking will help you check scenarios unexpected by the programmers. This system helps in the evaluation of the software's functionalities and that too within a very limited time. After the test is completed, you will have some fair idea regarding the application. However, though bugs can be detected, sometimes those flaws do not hold much importance; this system is not very focused.
Common failure modes
During the development of some specific variety of software, some classic errors come up. This evaluation method functions by helping you to find recurring errors. Thereby the programmers can be trained what not to do so that progress is made and this kind of issue does not crop up with applications that are of similar type. Common problems of some platform can be detected with the help of this method; you can then work on those so that the mistakes are not repeated. But using this technique too much makes it even more vulnerable. This is not a very dependable technique; it just helps you detect errors early on.
For quick detection of some basic errors the above mentioned methods are good solutions. For more errors that are deep rooted you will be requiring a testing method that is more thorough and may be a little more complicated; evaluating thoroughly and continuously will help make the software error-free.
We provide QA testing services. If you would like to hire software testing companies for help on your projects, we would be glad to assist you at Mindfire Solutions.
The procedure of completion of the testing stages from the point the product idea is conceived to the time the software is launched to the users, goes through a plethora of phases. Some organizations hire specialized teams excelling in each testing phase while others have a single testing team catering to all the phases. The different stages usually follow a particular order; however, some phases may concurrently run once the risk is adequately analyzed, thereby saving on the time to market. Whatever the case may be, software testing almost always involves a verification and validation procedure.
The process of verification ensures that the product meets the conditions set at the beginning of the development phase while validation guarantees that the product caters to the particular requirements towards the end of the development stage. Here we bring to you different kinds of software testing that can be considered. But before that, let’s have a peek into the basics.
Software Testing Basics
The basics of software testing boil down to Black box testing and White box Testing. Black box testing is the technique that overlooks the system’s internal mechanism and concentrates on the output obtained against any kind of system execution or input. Also called functional testing, Black box testing is mostly utilized for validation. White box testing, also known as glass box testing or structural testing, is the technique that takes into consideration the system’s internal mechanism. It is frequently used for verification.
Kinds of Testing to be considered
- Unit Testing: A component of white box testing, unit testing pertains to an individual unit or a set of related units. It helps the programmer to test whether the implemented unit is generating the desired output against a given input.
- System Testing: It is a kind of testing that guarantees the usability of the software in diverse environments. Done within comprehensive environments and complete system implementation, system testing falls under the category of black box testing.
- Functional Testing: This ensures that the particular functionality needed within the system is in a workable condition. It is considered within black box testing.
- Stress Testing: Used for the evaluation of system behavior with respect to unfavorable conditions, stress testing is carried out beyond the specification limits. It is a component of black box testing.
- Integration Testing: In this kind of testing, a set of components join together to produce an output. Moreover, the interaction between hardware and software is also tested in this case if any relation exists between the hardware and software components. Integration testing may be a part of both black box testing as well as white box testing.
- Acceptance Testing: This is performed by the client to make sure that the final product that has been delivered is in line with the requirements and works as per client expectations. Acceptance testing is a part of black box testing.
- Software Performance Testing: This refers to the testing done to evaluate the effectiveness and speed of the system and to ensure that the results are generated within the stipulated time as per the performance requirements. Performance testing is considered under black box testing.
- Usability Testing: This is used in order to estimate the user-friendliness of the GUI and to judge the convenience with which the client can learn. A component of black box testing, usability testing also judges the performance proficiency of the client.
- Regression Testing: This testing follows once a component, system or set of related units are modified, to ensure that the performed modification is done correctly and is not influencing other modules to come up with abrupt results. It is a kind of black box testing.
- Beta Testing: This testing is carried out by end users, a team external to development, or publicly, launching complete pre-version of the product called beta version. Categorized under black box testing, beta testing aims to cover unforeseen errors.
Carrying out the right testing for your software makes room for understanding whether the application or product is capable of meeting the expectations.
We provide qa and software testing services. If you would like to talk to one of our expert software testers, please get in touch with us at Mindfire Solutions.
