Ch 1 Introduction to Software Testing

What is Software Testing?

Software testing is an important process in the software development lifecycle . It involves
verifying and validating that a software application is free of bugs, meets the technical
requirements set by its design and development , and satisfies user requirements
efficiently and effectively.

● The purpose of software testing is to identify the errors, faults, or missing

requirements in contrast to actual requirements.
● It mainly aims at measuring the specification, functionality, and performance of a
software program or application.
Benefits of Software Testing
1. Finds Bugs: Helps catch and fix errors before users see them.

2. Improves Quality: Ensures the software works as expected.

3. Boosts Security: Protects against hackers and data breaches.

4. Speeds Performance: Makes sure the software runs smoothly.

5. Builds Trust: Gives users confidence in the product.

6. Saves Money: Fixing issues early is cheaper than fixing them later.

7. Ensures Standards: Keeps the software compliant with rules and regulations.

8. Enhances Usability: Makes the software user-friendly and easy to use.

9. Prevents Failures: Avoids major problems that could damage the company’s reputation.

10. Supports Updates: Simplifies adding new features in the future

Testing Roles and Responsibilities
1. Test Manager/Lead
● Responsibilities:
○ Plan and oversee the testing process.
○ Define the test strategy and test plan.
○ Allocate resources and set timelines.
○ Coordinate with development teams and stakeholders.
○ Monitor progress and resolve issues in the testing phase.

2. Test Analyst
● Responsibilities:
○ Analyze requirements and create test cases.
○ Define test objectives and design test scenarios.
○ Identify potential risks in the software.
○ Ensure all functional requirements are tested.
3. Test Engineer/Tester
● Responsibilities:
○ Execute test cases and document results.
○ Report bugs and track their resolution.
○ Perform functional, regression, and integration testing.
○ Collaborate with developers to understand the software.

4. Automation Test Engineer

● Responsibilities:
○ Design and develop automated test scripts.
○ Maintain and update test automation frameworks.
○ Execute automated tests and analyze results.
○ Identify opportunities to improve test automation.
5. Performance Tester
● Responsibilities:
○ Conduct performance, load, and stress testing.
○ Analyze system behavior under different conditions.
○ Identify performance bottlenecks and suggest improvements.

6. Security Tester
● Responsibilities:
○ Identify vulnerabilities in the software.
○ Test for potential threats like data breaches or unauthorized access.
○ Ensure compliance with security standards.
○ Simulate attacks to evaluate software resilience.
7. Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer
● Responsibilities:
○ Ensure that testing processes align with organizational quality standards.
○ Monitor the overall software quality throughout the lifecycle.
○ Review and refine test plans and cases.
○ Facilitate communication between teams.

8. User Acceptance Tester (UAT Tester)

● Responsibilities:
○ Validate that the software meets user needs and expectations.
○ Conduct end-to-end testing from a user perspective.
○ Provide feedback for final adjustments before release.
Goals of software testing

Immediate Goals
1. Detect Bugs Early: Find and report defects as soon as possible.
2. Validate Functionality: Ensure all features work as expected.
3. Ensure Stability: Confirm that the software is stable during development.
4. Verify Requirements: Validate that the software meets specified
requirements.
5. Facilitate Development: Provide quick feedback to developers for issue
resolution.
Long-Term Goals
1. Improve Quality: Build a robust and reliable product.
2. Optimize Performance: Ensure the software handles expected loads and
stresses effectively.
3. Enhance Security: Identify vulnerabilities to create a secure application.
4. Support Scalability: Verify that the software can grow with user demands.
5. Reduce Costs: Minimize the need for costly fixes after deployment through
thorough testing.
Post-Implementation Goals
1. Monitor Performance: Track the application in real-world scenarios to ensure
smooth operation.
2. Address User Feedback: Gather and resolve any user-reported issues.
3. Ensure Compatibility: Test for continued compatibility with updates to
operating systems or other software.
4. Maintain Security: Perform regular security testing to address new threats.
5. Support Continuous Improvement: Use testing data to enhance the product
over time.
Testing Classification
1.Functional Testing

2. Non-Functional Testing

3.Maintainace (Regression & Maintenance)

Maintenance Testing Classified into Two Categories
1.Confirmation Testing

2. Regression Testing
Software Testing Strategies

1. Unit testing – Tests individual units or components of the software to ensure they are
functioning as intended.
2. Integration testing – Tests the integration of different components of the software to
ensure they work together as a system.
3. System testing – Tests the complete software system to ensure it meets the specified
requirements.
4. Performance testing – Tests the software to determine its performance characteristics
such as speed, scalability, and stability.
Fault,Errors & Failure
What is Error ?

The Problem in code leads to errors, which means that a mistake

can occur due to the developer's coding error as the developer
misunderstood the requirement or the requirement was not defined
correctly. The developers use the term error.
What is Fault?

The fault may occur in software because it has not added the code for fault
tolerance, making an application act up.
A fault may happen in a program because of the following reasons:

○ Lack of resources
○ An invalid step
○ Inappropriate data definition
What is Failure?

Many defects lead to the software's failure, which means that a loss specifies a fatal
issue in software/ application or in its module, which makes the system unresponsive or
broken.
In other words, we can say that if an end-user detects an issue in the product, then that
particular issue is called a failure.
Possibilities are there one defect that might lead to one failure or several failures.
For example, in a bank application if the Amount Transfer module is not working for
end-users when the end-user tries to transfer money, submit button is not working.
Hence, this is a failure.
Testing Objectives
1. Detect Defects
● Identify bugs, errors, and flaws in the software before release.

2. Validate Functionality
● Confirm that the software performs as per the specified requirements.

3. Ensure Reliability
● Verify that the software functions consistently under various conditions.

4. Improve Quality
● Enhance the overall quality of the software by ensuring it meets user expectations.
5. Ensure Security

● Identify and address vulnerabilities to protect the software from threats.

6. Optimize Performance

● Confirm that the software can handle expected workloads efficiently.

7. Validate Compatibility

● Ensure the software works across different devices, platforms, and environments.

8. Prevent Failures

● Avoid costly and reputation-damaging errors after deployment.

Testing and Debugging
Testing Metrics and Measurement

Test metrics and Measurement are essential in determining the software’s

quality and performance. Developers may use the right software testing
metrics to improve their productivity.
Types of Software Testing Metrics:
Software testing metrics are divided into three categories:
1. Process Metrics: A project’s characteristics and execution are defined by process
metrics. These features are critical to the SDLC process’s improvement and
maintenance (Software Development Life Cycle).
2. Product Metrics: A product’s size, design, performance, quality, and complexity are
defined by product metrics. Developers can improve the quality of their software
development by utilizing these features.
3. Project Metrics: Project Metrics are used to assess a project’s overall quality. It is used
to estimate a project’s resources and deliverables, as well as to determine costs,
productivity, and errors.
Verification and Validation in Software Engineering

Verification: Are we building the product right?

Validation: Are we building the right product?

Verification
Verification is the process of checking that software achieves its goal without any
bugs. It is the process to ensure whether the product that is developed is right or not
Verification is simply known as Static Testing.
Validation

Validation is the process of checking whether the software product is up to the mark
It is the process of checking the validation of the product i.e. it checks what we are
developing is the right product.

Validation is simply known as Dynamic Testing.

Waterfall Model For Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)
The Waterfall Model is a sequential software development approach that progresses
through well-defined stages in a linear flow. In the context of the Software Testing
Lifecycle (STLC), the Waterfall model involves executing each phase only after the
previous phase has been completed. Here's how the testing lifecycle aligns with the
Waterfall model:

1. Requirement Analysis
● Objective: Understand the testing requirements from the software requirements
document.
● Activities:
○ Analyze functional and non-functional requirements.
○ Identify testing needs, tools, and resources.
2. Test Planning
● Objective: Plan the testing process and set goals.
● Activities:
○ Develop a test strategy and test plan document.
○ Estimate effort, costs, and schedule.
○ Identify risks

3. Test Case Development

● Objective: Write detailed test cases based on requirements.
● Activities:
○ Design test cases and scripts.
○ Create test data for execution.
○ Review test cases to ensure they cover all requirements.
4. Test Environment Setup
● Objective: Prepare the environment where tests will run.
● Activities:
○ Set up hardware, software, and network configurations.
○ Install testing tools.
○ Verify the readiness of the environment.

5. Test Execution
● Objective: Execute test cases and identify defects.
● Activities:
○ Run test cases as per the plan.
○ Log defects in a defect tracking system.
○ Retest after defects are fixed.
6. Test Closure
● Objective: Wrap up the testing process and evaluate the outcomes.
● Activities:
○ Ensure all planned test cases are executed.
○ Analyze test metrics and prepare the test closure report.
○ Archive test artifacts for future use.