6 Types of Software Testing

6 Types of Software Testing

Alexis van Schalkwyk
January 9, 2023
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6 Types of Software Testing

The thought of ‘testing’ used to bring back terrible high school memories for me, of sitting anxiously in a class so quiet you could hear the buzzing of a fly’s wings. However, when it comes to software testing, I find I’m always filled with a burning anticipation as I experiment and play with many of the most innovative software products, way before they hit the shelves.

The role of software testing is not all fun and games though, it’s actually one of the most essential steps in the software development process, an intricate and advanced process that helps ensure that all the software developed is approved for launch and thereafter ensures that products are constantly running smoothly whilst in use.

There are different steps in testing and each have their own specific times of application, testing different facets of the software. Below I’ve listed a few of the testing methods applied to help develop many of those favourite apps you use everyday.

BLACK BOX TESTING

As a quality assurance tester, I use Black Box Testing. This means that my main focus is what the code creates more so than the code itself. Black box testing is also known as Behavioural Testing, in other terms, it tests the way the code reacts through viewing the elements seen on a screen of a device.

INTEGRATION TESTING

This is done during the development phase and comes before an entire system test. Integration Testing helps to ensure functionality of elements in an application and to find if there are any weak points in the interfaces and elements between integrated components or systems that will cause it to crash.

SYSTEM TESTING

System Testing is done on a full product once every element of a system/application is done being developed. It is done before the launch of the product, and ensures that it will work as a whole across multiple platforms.

USABILITY TESTING

Usability Testing explores how a customer or client would experience the design of an application/system. It helps ensure that the entire system is up to standards and also helps to predict the success of a product. If a product is too difficult/complicated to use, then there is a chance that the product will not be very popular. This can lead to changes in how the system works.

STRESS TESTING

There’s always a possibility that a system could crash, particularly under the pressure of millions of users simultaneously functioning the application. To avoid this, a software product undergoes a Stress Test to evaluate how the system will act under unfavourable conditions. The information gained from this test gives developers more information as to how the system can be improved to reduce and in best cases completely avoid a crash.

FEATURE TESTING

There is always room to improve on any product, this leads to updates and new features being added to a product while it’s in market. Before any new features can be added, they need to be tested to ensure that they won’t cause the existing system to crash or cause the existing features to become faulty.

Software testing ensures that only products with the highest quality are released to market. It’s about reducing risk and ensuring that the end-user has an overall positive experience with the given application.

As seen on FOX, Digital journal, NCN, Market Watch, Bezinga and more