In today’s digital era, technological development influences almost all aspects of our lives. Students, who are one of the most progressive and active parts of our society, use various technologies every day for studying, working, and personal activities. The proper understanding of different digital processes is a must-have not only for IT students. That’s why we’d like to introduce to you this short guide on what software testing is and what its key tools and techniques are.
What Is Software Testing?
Software testing is a multistep process that involves evaluating a software application or system to detect and correct any errors, defects, or discrepancies between the expected and actual results. The main goal of such testing is to make sure that the particular software meets all the required criteria, works properly, and delivers a high level of reliability and quality.
Effective and thorough software testing is essential for delivering reliable and high-quality software products, enhancing user satisfaction, and preventing problems that could lead to system failures or security issues. It is a responsible process that involves collaboration among development, testing, and other relevant teams to ensure that software meets both functional and non-functional requirements.
Best Tools for Software Testing
If you are just starting your journey to software testing, it’s crucial to know more about key tools that can help you with this process. There are various types of such instruments depending on the specific requirements of the project, the type of testing needed, and the preferences of the testing team. Below, you can find a list of tools that may come in handy:
- Test Automation
Such a type of tool helps conduct testing processes without human activities and spends less time and effort.
- Selenium – a commonly used open-source framework for automating web applications. It supports multiple browsers and programming languages.
- Cucumber – a behavior-driven development tool that supports the creation of executable specifications written in plain language.
- Appium – an open-source instrument for automating mobile applications on iOS and Android platforms. It supports native, hybrid, and mobile web programs.
- Performance Testing
Tools for performance testing help to check such software features like scalability, stability, performance, speed, etc.
- Apache JMeter – an open-source instrument dedicated to performance testing and load testing of web apps.
- WebLOAD – a tool that combines scalability, performance, and integrity as a united process for the verification of web and mobile apps.
- LoadRunner – a testing tool from Micro Focus that simulates user activity to evaluate the scalability and performance of applications.
- Test Management
These instruments assist with storing information about the conduction of testing activities, planning tests, and reporting the status of QA activities.
- Jira – a tool used by many users for bug and different issue tracking, and quick and effective project management.
- Zephyr – a test management instrument that integrates with Jira, providing real-time reporting, traceability, and collaboration features.
- TestRail – a web-based tool that helps organize and manage various test cases, track test results, and generate reports.
- Security Testing
Security testing tools are designed to detect any vulnerabilities in a system and prevent it from malicious attacks.
- NetSparker – a security tool that helps to scan all your web pages for potential threats and vulnerabilities.
- Burp Suite – a testing instrument that aids in finding different security issues like SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
- Nessus – a vulnerability scanner that helps detect security issues, misconfigurations, and malware.
All these software tools are the most popular and widely used instruments that help students, and IT specialists conduct proper testing activities. The choice of tools depends on the particular needs of your project, your skill set, and your team’s integration requirements with other instruments in your workflow.
The easiest tool a student without any technical skills can use in their studying life is SafeAssign Checker. This instrument is designed to ensure that your assignment is unique and has no signs of plagiarism. An easy-to-use and quick instrument that will definitely help in students’ stressful studying activities.
Software Testing – Main Techniques to Know
To ensure the stability, high quality, and reliability of software applications, specialists may use various techniques, both manual and automated. We have prepared a short list of the most commonly used techniques that students may use in their studying and working activities.
Manual Testing Techniques:
- Black box testing
Assesses the functionality of a software application, its response time, data, and memory usage without knowing the internal code structure. Specialists focus on inputs and outputs to check if the system works as expected.
- White box testing
It is a crucial type of testing technique that ensures the detection of real-world issues during the creation process of software applications. Testers are acquainted with the application’s internal code and use this data to design test cases.
- Exploratory testing
Testers simultaneously design and conduct testing cases based on their exploration of the application. It is often used to find defects and various vulnerabilities quickly.
- User acceptance testing
This type of software testing technique involves end-users checking the software to ensure it meets their expectations before it is deployed. It aims to confirm that the system meets the initial requirements.
Automated Testing Techniques:
- Integration testing
Integration testing ensures all the interrelated units of a software application are connected properly. This technique is created to validate the software’s functionality by comparing its expected behavior with the actual one. It confirms that the software meets specified requirements and functions as it needs to be.
- Regression testing
Regression testing involves additional tests on changed or updated applications to make sure that modifications made earlier to the software do not create new bugs in the system or negatively affect the existing functionality.
- Performance testing
Performance testing technique is designed to verify how well software performs when used in the context of an integrated system. It is absorbed into the system to assess the efficiency and speed of the program. It includes load, stress, and scalability testing.
- Smoke testing
Testers execute smoke testing to ensure that the software application that underwent checking is all set for advanced levels of testing. For example, if the project has two modules, the testing team must make sure that module 1 is working properly and does not clash.
These are just some of the main techniques that are usually used by software testers in different combinations. By getting acquainted with the common software testing tools and techniques, students and employees can facilitate their workflow and ensure the high quality of their working results.