Software Testing

Software Process Model

 Contents

• Why do we do testing?
• What is testing?
• Who does testing?
• What are levels of testing?
• What are different methods/techniques of testing?
• How to test a software?
 Common software problems!

• What are the problems you encounter as software users?

• Incorrect calculation
• Incorrect data edits & ineffective data edits
• Incorrect matching and merging of data
• Data searches that yield incorrect results
• Incorrect processing of data relationship
• Incorrect coding/processing of business rules
• Inadequate software performance
• Confusing or misleading data
• Inconsistent processing
• Unreliable results or performance
• Incorrect or inadequate interfaces with other systems
• Incorrect file handling
Who is responsible for testing?
 Objectives of a software tester

• Find bugs as early as possible and make sure they get fixed
• To understand the application well
• Study the functionality in detail to find where the bugs are likely to
occur.
• Study the code to ensure that each and every line of code is tested.
• Create test cases in such a way that testing is done to uncover the
hidden bugs and also ensure that the software is usable and reliable
 Objectives of testing

• Executing a program with the intent of finding an error

• To check if the system meets the requirements and be executed
successfully in the Intended environment
• To check if the system is “ Fit for purpose”
• To check if the system does what it is expected to do
• A good test case is one that has a probability of finding an as yet
undiscovered error
• A good test is not redundant
• A good test should neither be too simple nor too complex
 Confusing but related!!!

• Verification (Are the algorithms coded correctly?)

– The set of activities that ensure that software correctly implements a
specific function or algorithm
– Involves reviews and meeting to evaluate documents, plans, code,
requirements, and specifications.
– Usually done with checklists, issues lists, walkthroughs, and inspection
meeting.

• Validation (Does it meet user requirements?)

– The set of activities that ensure that the software that has been
built is traceable to customer requirements
– Involves actual testing and takes place after verifications are completed.

• Validation and Verification process continue in a cycle till the

software becomes defects free.
 S/W Testing lifecycle phases

• Requirements study
• Analysis and planning
• Test Case Design and Development
• Test Execution
• Test Closure
• Test Process Analysis
 Requirements study
• Testing Cycle starts with the study of client’s requirements.
• Understanding of the requirements is very essential for testing the
product – Why?.
 Analysis & Planning
• Test objective and coverage
• Overall schedule
• Standards and Methodologies
• Resources required, including necessary training
• Roles and responsibilities of the team members
• Tools used
 Test Case Design and Development

• Component Identification
• Test Specification Design
• Test Specification Review
 Test Execution

• Code Review
• Test execution and evaluation
• Performance and simulation
 Test Closure

• Test summary report

• Project De-brief
• Project Documentation
 Test Process Analysis

• On the reports
• To improve the application’s performance by implementing new
technology and additional features
A Strategy for Testing Conventional
Software

System Testing

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 Testing levels

• Unit testing
• Integration testing
• System testing
• Acceptance testing
 Unit testing

• The most ‘micro’ scale of testing.

• Tests done on particular functions or code modules.
• Requires knowledge of the internal program design and code.
• Done by Programmers (not by testers).
 Unit Testing
Objectives  To test the function of a program or unit of code such as a program or
module
 To test internal logic
 To verify internal design
 To test path & conditions coverage
 To test exception conditions & error handling
When  After modules are coded
Input  Internal Application Design
 Master Test Plan
 Unit Test Plan
Output  Unit Test Report
Who  Developer
Methods  White box testing techniques
Tools  Debug
 Re-structure
 Code Analyzers
 Path/statement coverage tools
Education  Testing Methodology
 Effective use of tools
 Incremental integration testing

• Continuous testing of an application as and when a new functionality

is added.
• Application’s functionality aspects are required to be independent
enough to work separately before completion of development.
• Done by programmers or testers.
 Integration Testing

• Testing of combined parts of an application to determine their

functional correctness.
• ‘Parts’ can be
– code modules
– individual applications
– client/server applications on a network.
 Integration Testing
Objectives  To technically verify proper interfacing between modules, and within
sub-systems
When  After modules are unit tested
Input  Internal & External Application Design
 Master Test Plan
 Integration Test Plan
Output  Integration Test report
Who  Developers / Testers
Methods  White and Black Box techniques
 Problem / Configuration Management
Tools  Debug
 Re-structure
 Code Analyzers
Education  Testing Methodology
 Effective use of tools
 System Testing

Objectives  To verify that the system components perform control functions

 To perform inter-system test
 To demonstrate that the system performs both functionally and
operationally as specified
 To perform appropriate types of tests relating to Transaction Flow,
Installation, Reliability, Regression etc.
When  After Integration Testing
Input  Detailed Requirements & External Application Design
 Master Test Plan
 System Test Plan
Output  System Test Report
Who  Development team and users
Methods  Problem / Configuration management
Tools  Depends
Education  Testing methodology
 Systems Integration Testing
Objectives  To test the co-existence of products and applications that are required to
perform together in the production-like operational environment
(hardware, software, network)
 To ensure that the system functions together with all the components of
its environment as a total system
 To ensure that the system releases can be deployed in the current
environment
When  After system testing
 Often performed outside of project life-cycle
Input  Test Strategy
 Master Test Plan
 Systems Integration Test Plan
Output  Systems Integration Test report
Who  System testers
Methods  White and black box techniques
Tools  Depends
Education  Testing methodology
 Acceptance Testing

Objectives  To verify that the system meets the user requirements

When  After System Testing
Input  Business Needs & Detailed Requirements
 Master Test Plan
 User Acceptance Test Plan
Output  User Acceptance Test report
Who  Users/End users
Method  Black box techniques
Tools  Compare, keystroke capture & playback, regression testing
Education  Testing methodology
 Effective use of tools
 Product knowledge
 Business release strategy
 Summary

• Software testing
– Why do we do testing?
– When it is done?
– Who does it?
• Software testing process / phases in software testing
• Levels of testing