What are the best practices for testing software with multiple inputs and outputs?

1 Define test cases

Before you start testing, you need to define the test cases that cover the different scenarios, inputs, outputs, and expected results of your software. Test cases should be clear, concise, and consistent, and follow a standard format. You can use tools like Excel, Google Sheets, or TestRail to document and manage your test cases. You should also prioritize your test cases based on their importance, complexity, and risk.

3 Apply test design techniques

Test design techniques are methods or strategies that enable you to create effective and efficient test cases. Equivalence partitioning is one such technique, which divides the input domain into equivalent classes with the same behavior or output. For example, if a software accepts a number between 1 and 100, you can create three equivalence classes: valid (1-100), invalid below the range (<1), and invalid above the range (>100). Boundary value analysis is another technique, which focuses on testing the boundary values of the input domain, as they are more likely to cause errors. For instance, if your software accepts a number between 1 and 100, you can test the boundary values of 0, 1, 100, and 101. Lastly, decision table testing uses a table to represent the combinations of inputs and outputs based on the logical conditions or rules of the software. For instance, if your software calculates the discount for a customer based on their age and loyalty status, you can create a decision table with four columns: age, loyalty status, discount, and output. Each row of this table represents a test case with different input and output values.

4 Perform exploratory testing

Exploratory testing is a type of testing that involves learning, experimenting, and discovering new aspects of the software without following a predefined plan or script. Exploratory testing can help you find hidden bugs, usability issues, or edge cases that may not be covered by your test cases. You can use tools like Postman, SoapUI, or Fiddler to test the inputs and outputs of your software's APIs, web services, or databases. You can also use tools like Chrome DevTools, Firefox Developer Tools, or Safari Web Inspector to test the inputs and outputs of your software's user interface, performance, or security.

5 Review and report test results

After you run your tests, you need to review and report the test results to evaluate the quality and reliability of your software. You should analyze the test results to identify the root causes of the failures, errors, or defects, and provide feedback and recommendations for improvement. You should also document and communicate the test results to the relevant stakeholders, such as developers, managers, or clients. You can use tools like Jira, Bugzilla, or Mantis to track and manage your issues and defects. You can also use tools like Allure, ReportPortal, or TestRail to generate and share your test reports.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?