The Four Ws of System Testing (What, When, Why, Who)
What is System Testing?
Software Testing is a method of determining whether the actual software product meets the expected requirements and ensuring that the software product is free of defects. It entails running software/system components through their paces using manual or automated tools to evaluate one or more properties of interest.
When a software development project is going on, you need to know that errors may appear in any phase of the software development life cycle. There are high chances that the final code has errors of functionality and design. For the identification of the issues before the occurrence in the critical environment, it is a prerequisite to performing the testing of software.
?Software Testing is an integral part of the software development life cycle. However, it involves a huge cut off from the pocket. Nevertheless, you need to keep in mind that the price owing to the failure of the software can be really high.
When System Testing is needed?
Humans make mistakes all the time. Human errors can cause a defect or failure at any stage of the software development life cycle. A defect can arise due to the following reasons:
When do defects in software testing arise?
To understand the impact of a defect introduced during the software development life cycle, we will show four scenarios:
Scenario 1:
We can see that Requirement is implemented correctly. We understood the customer’s requirement, designed correctly to meet that requirement, built correctly to meet the design, and so deliver that requirement with the right functional attributes (it does what it is supposed to do) and it also has the right non-functional attributes (it is fast enough, easy to understand, etc.).
Scenario 2:
In this scenario we can see Requirement is fine until the software is coded, when we make some mistakes and introduce defects. Probably, these are easily spotted and corrected during testing, because we can see the product does not meet its design specification.
Scenario 3:
In this scenario we can see the defects introduced in Requirement are harder to deal with; we built exactly what we were told to but unfortunately the designer made some mistakes so there are defects in the design. Unless we check against the requirements definition, we will not spot those defects during testing. When we do notice them they will be hard to fix because design changes will be required.
Scenario 4:
In this scenario we can see the defects in Requirement were introduced during the definition of the requirements; the product has been designed and built to meet that flawed requirements definition. If we test the product meets its requirements and design, it will pass its tests but may be rejected by the user or customer. Defects reported by the customer in acceptance tests or live use can be very costly.
Testing's contribution to the Success
Let's have a look at how the testing can contribute to the success of the overall project:
Involving testers during the requirement phase ensures identification of some of the requirement defects even before their implementation. It significantly reduces the fixing cost. Also, the tester gains significant project insight at this stage. Which, in turn, helps him in the execution phase of the project.
It will increase their understanding of each part of the design. Additionally, it will help in reducing the risk of fundamental design flaws and allows the identification of errors at an early stage. Moreover, it also improves the quality of integration scenarios and results in a better quality of defects.
When testers work closely with developers, it enhances their understanding of each part of the code. It further enables testers to do more efficient testing against customer requirements. Thereby reducing the risk of defect slippage. Testers also become aware of areas that are considered risky by the developer so they can adjust their priorities accordingly. Additionally, developers also get the tester's insight. This helps in reproducing the bugs there and then, without going through a lengthy defect management process.
This helps in detecting errors that otherwise may have gone unnoticed, and supports the process of eliminating the defects that caused the failures. The execution of tests at various levels increases the likelihood that the software will have fewer errors and also meet the customer's needs.
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Why is Testing Necessary?
The testing of software has a wide array of benefits, the delivery of an optimal quality software product that has unique and innovative features has always been the priority of the software industry worldwide. However, there are other several reasons which clearly tell us why Software Testing is important and what are the major things that we should consider while testing any product or application.
The cost-effectiveness of the project happens to be one of the top reasons why companies go for software testing services. In case you find any bug in the early phases, fixing them costs a reduced amount of money. Hence, it is a prerequisite that you should get the testing done in no time.?
It is considered to be the most vulnerable and sensitive part. There are a bunch of situations in which the information and details of the users are stolen and they are used for the benefits. It is considered to be the reason why people look for well tested and reliable products.
Products should be serving the user in one way or the other. It is a must that it is going to bring value, as per the promise. Hence, it should function in a complete manner for ensuring an effective customer experience. For instance, in case you are planning to launch an application, it is a must to check the compatibility of the same in a wide array of operating systems and devices.
Earning the trust of the client is certainly not an easy task, primarily in case the product is found to be functioning and glitching every time or the other. The first impression is really important and if you fail to give the same, users are going to find another product which will accomplish all the requirements. If the customer does not find the testing organization reliable or is not satisfied with the quality of the deliverable, then they may switch to a competitor organization.? In the case of a product organization or startup which has only one product, poor quality of software may result in lack of adoption of the product and this may result in losses which the business may not recover from.
Sometimes contracts may also include monetary penalties with respect to the timeline and quality of the product. In such cases, proper software testing may also prevent monetary losses.
Software tests help developers find errors and scenarios to reproduce the error, which in turn helps them to fix it quickly. Besides, software testers can work in parallel with the development team, thus understanding the design, risk areas, etc. in detail. This knowledge exchange between testers and developers accelerates the entire development process.
The more interconnected and older the code, the more difficult it is to change. Tests counteract this calcification tendency by allowing developers to confidently add new features. As a new developer, changing older parts of your codebase can be terrifying, but with tests, you’ll at least know if you’ve broken anything important. This helps in making your software stand ahead in the market, and beat the competition. High quality products typically have fewer defects and require less maintenance effort, which in turn means reduced costs.
If you find software or application that has low or reduced performance, you will find that it brings your reputation down in the market. Thus, software testing is considered to be an easy option as it helps in the determination of the performance of the software.
Who is a System Tester?
Software testers have all sorts of different personalities, but, there are characteristics that make a good software tester though, which are more easily identified:
A tester will question everything. Why was this designed this way? What is the implementation? How do you expect it to work? Why does the application respond this way when I do this? What can I do to expose faults in this product?
Testers will see something happen in a program and intuitively know that there is something that warrants additional investigation in that area. Or know that, based on the implementation of an application, there will be a certain class of prevalent bug in that area.
Testers want to see a product with no bugs, and feel responsible when a bug makes it out to the public. The pragmatic part comes in as you realize you can't possibly find all the bugs, and a certain number are going to sneak by.
Testers want to improve their product, themselves, the operations of their team, the software development process. There's always something that can be made or done better.
It helps to overcome critical problems easily. You can understand problems easily, document better and convince effectively. A great tester has excellent communication skills and uses it to ask questions, to present his opinions and to discuss critical scenarios/impact thoroughly.
Being a team player is a must for every job but it takes on a whole new dimension because we have to deliver bad news. To do this well, you have to be understanding and giving. Don’t play the blame-game. Stay positive.
Conclusion
To conclude, the importance of software testing is imperative. Software testing is a crucial component of software product development because it improves consistency and performance. The main benefit of testing is the identification and subsequent removal of the errors. However, testing also helps developers and testers to compare actual and expected results in order to improve quality. If the software production happens without testing it, it could be useless or sometimes dangerous for customers. So, a tester should wear a unique hat that protects the reliability of the software and makes it safe to use in real-life scenarios.