Introduction
Welcome to the first post in my “How To” series on software testing. If you’ve ever been curious about diving into the world of testing, you’ve come to the right place. This initial post aims to lay the foundation by covering the basics of testing, which is crucial for anyone looking to make a career in this field. Understanding these basics of testing sets the stage for everything else you’ll learn and do as a tester.
What is Testing?
What exactly is software testing? In simple terms, it’s the process of evaluating a software application to find any errors, gaps, or missing requirements. The primary goals of testing are threefold: to ensure the software meets its requirements, works as expected, and is of high quality. While there are various types of testing—Manual, Automated, Functional, and Non-Functional—to name a few, this series will focus primarily on manual testing.
Importance of Testing
Understanding the importance of testing is key to being effective in this role. Testing is integral to assuring the quality of a product. It helps ensure that the software is free of defects and works as intended. Moreover, testing can identify issues early in the development cycle, helping to mitigate risks and potentially saving both time and money. A well-tested product is also likely to meet user expectations, leading to higher customer satisfaction.
The Testing Process
The testing process itself is a multi-step endeavor. It starts with planning, where you define the scope of testing, select the testing tools, and allocate resources. Then comes the design phase, where you create your test cases. A good test case should be simple, effective, and easy to execute. Once your test cases are ready, you proceed to execute them on the software.
Each test case should have expected outcomes, which are compared against the actual outcomes. After execution, the test results are analyzed to identify defects and areas for improvement. While the concept of bug reporting will be covered in detail in a later post, it’s essential to know that any defects found should be reported for fixing.
Key Terminology
In the world of testing, certain terms are used frequently. A ‘test case’ is a set of conditions or variables under which a tester determines whether an application is working correctly. The terms ‘bug’ and ‘defect’ are often used interchangeably. A ‘test suite’ is a collection of test cases intended to test a behavior or set of behaviors of an application. ‘Regression testing,’ a term we’ll explore in more detail in later posts, is the process of testing changes to ensure that the new code does not adversely affect the existing functionalities.
Common Tools
There are several tools available that make the life of a tester easier. Test management tools like Jira, TestRail, and Zephyr are commonly used for managing test cases. For bug tracking, tools like Jira and Bugzilla are popular choices. You’ll also encounter project management tools like Microsoft Azure and IBM Engineering Workflow Management, formerly known as IBM Team Concert.
Conclusion
In summary, I covered the what, why, and how of the basics of testing, from planning to execution. The next post in this series will delve into boundary testing and input validation. If you’re excited to start your journey in software testing, stay tuned for the next post, and feel free to ask any questions in the comments below. Go check out some of the LinkedIn groups for further reading as well.