The meaning of software testing has evolved over the years. Earlier, software testing meant checking whether all the functionalities of a software works or not. But these days, this definition no longer holds true.
This is because it assumes that the software is completely ready for usage before it leaves the testing stage, but with the advent of technologies like virtualization and containerization and tools like Docker and Kubernetes it has become possible to deploy software before its finalized. In reality, most of us use software that has undergone little to no testing, initially.
So if you thought testing was just running your application and checking to see if everything worked, then you are mistaken. Today, testing is a much more extensive field that has numerous aspects other than just functionalities of an application at its core. There are so many ways to test software and testing a large and complex software requires a team of software testers.
What is Software Testing?
Software testing is a scientific approach that aims to find bugs in software, which includes many different techniques. The processes helps to ensure the software performs as per user expectations and lets you know whether a given set of specifications has been implemented correctly or not.
It is the process of evaluating, thoroughly checking, and probing a software package by using or simulating the use of the software. The goal is to find and fix errors, especially those related to functionality and performance, and eventually to improve and enhance efficiency. With the increasing complexity of the software we use in our daily lives, we need to ensure that systems continue to deliver what we want and expect from them, and the best way to ensure that is by software testing.
Why Do We Need Software Testing?
Software testing is one of the most important stages in the software development lifecycle. Irrespective of the software development methodology (SDLC) involved, testing software is mandatory. It plays a particularly important role in ensuring interoperability and completeness of the delivered system, which is why nowadays organizations are increasingly interested in testing software to the level of automated tests so that they can deliver high-quality solutions at low costs.
It is a process that involves using special techniques and procedures to check the performance, quality, limits, and so on of software before its release. The main goal of testing is to find and fix all the bugs and errors and thereby ensure that the application works properly or even better once launched.
What are Types of Software Testing?
It is the process of evaluating the features and function of a software program. The goal is to make sure that an application or website meets the needs of its users. There are many different types of software testing. Each type has its own purpose, process, tools, and techniques. Below you will learn more about each type of testing in brief.
1. Manual Testing
Manual testing is one of the most popular forms of software testing. It is also called n-tier testing. Anyone who has a working knowledge of the application can carry out manual testing on the same. But, at the same time, it is also considered the most effective form of software testing mainly because it provides testers with the flexibility to try out multiple ways of accessing an application or system.
However, the effort and time required to do manual testing depend on the complexity of the application. Manual testing is the process of testing the software with the help of knowledge of computer systems, software, user interfaces, and so on.
2. Automation Testing
Automation testing corresponds to testing that requires little to no human intervention. It is a set of tools and techniques to help simulate user actions and test the behavior of an application. It has been widely used by many IT companies to generate more accurate, cost-effective, and efficient testing results.
Many automation testing tools have been developed over time. These help to see how well-built your application or website is from a technical perspective. While some testing tools automate testing for mobile apps, others are dedicated to performing automation testing on desktop apps. Still, some others offer the best of both worlds.
Automation is a process of software application testing where the test procedure is written by the software developer for general testing across multiple platforms (operating systems). It includes both white-box and black-box regression tests. Automation testing saves time and cost, as it is more efficient than system testing with manual efforts.
Benefits of Software Testing
Following are some of the key benefits of software testing:
1. Saves Money
All businesses, big or small, expect their IT systems to work flawlessly. All that is (not) needed is just one crisis to shake the confidence of the customers and potential clients, which, in turn, will affect the reputation of your business. Software testing helps to avoid this. Through testing, the system becomes more reliable and it saves you money by preventing costly bugs from occurring.
2. Improves Consumer Confidence and Satisfaction
Testing is the process to ensure that the application meets its requirements. It helps to meet business needs. Also, it helps to create a clean environment, free of bugs and errors.
The software testing process carries out a number of test cases to ensure that an application or a technology meets its predefined business requirement(s). This eliminates bugs and errors to improve the quality of the software. Hence. the product becomes bug-free, error-free, and cost-effective for the business.
3. Security
Most companies today have many employees running a variety of software programs. As a business owner, software testing can protect your assets and mission-critical files by serving as a backup system.
With proper testing, you’ll be able to ensure that all your current and potential employees are accessing the information they need to do their jobs without jeopardizing data or the functioning of any other programs.
In addition, assessing software regularly will keep your systems efficient at all times. It is one of the most efficient procedures to analyze the program behavior properly, inspect them thoroughly, and identify all unexpected errors or glitches.
Conclusion
The purpose of this blog was to provide information on testing and its various types, namely automated and manual testing. We also looked at the benefits of the same. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you will have a better understanding of what software testing is and why it is important for the successful development of software applications.
Succeeding in testing requires candidates to have the knowledge and be imaginative. There are so many forms and approaches to testing. Choosing the right tools and techniques to test a software is also a desirable skill. To know what options you have, you need experience. And for that, you have to start doing it. So, all the best!
Aditya is a seasoned JavaScript developer with extensive experience in MEAN stack development. He also has solid knowledge of various programming tools and technologies, including .NET and Java. His hobbies include reading comics, playing games, and camping.