Software Testing Life Cycle

Manual Software Testing

Manual Testing is a process of finding out the defects, bugs in a software program. A tester performs the end-user role and verifies if all the features are working properly or not. Tester manually executes the test cases. Manual testing is the process of using the features of an application as an end-user. With manual testing, a tester manually conducts tests on the software. This process is carried out to find defects/bugs. Manual Testing is a basic type of testing in the application under test.

Software testing process flow

Requirement (SRS Review/Analysis)

A software requirements specification (SRS) is a document that contains a complete description of how the system is expected to perform. After completing, it is signed off at the end of the requirements. SRS review is nothing but going through the functional requirements specification document and trying to understand what the target application is going to be like.

Challenges

• We cannot gather all information at one time
• Lots of discussions needed
• Sometimes the speed of discussion would be too fast or too slow to understand

Best Practice

• We should pay attention and listen carefully
• Keep note book or laptop for writing notes
• Draw diagram or rough block code for better understanding and for reference

Test Plan Creation

It’s a document developed by the test manager. It is a set of ideas that guide and is created to inform all the managers, testers, developers about the testing process.

Challenges

• Strategy is not the thing which can be changed frequently
• It has very high importance

Best Practice

• Make list of different environment where applications can be deployed
• Make a list of all the third party tools needed for application
• List of all Operating system like Win 7, Win 10, Win Server

Test plan contains detailed understanding of workflow. It consist test templates which has introduction, scope, test strategy, environment requirements, test schedule, functions to be tested, resources and responsibilities, deliverables, suspension/ exit criteria, resumption criteria, dependencies, risks, tools, documentation and approvals.

Challenges

• Success or failure will depend upon how the test is been carried out. This phase is important in testing software life cycle.

Best Practice

• Create a matrix environment where the software can be tested in all environments.
• Configure the test setups for Win 7, Win 8, Win 10 and Android
• Keep the databases (MySQL, Oracle, SQLServer) in the test matrix in such a way that they are too integrated with some test.

Actual Testing

In this phase, the application build is ready and out to find bugs. Actual testing is done and bugs are reported. Testing is done in many ways like Functional (Unit testing, Integration testing, Smoke, Localization), Non-Functional (Performance, volume, Load), Maintenance (Regression).

Challenges

Testing is a heavy process which itself is error regrettable! One finds many challenges while testing an application.

Best Practice

• Follow navigation path of software (AUT)
• Ask doubt to developer before going to product owner
• Take help of developer when required

Before Release

Before releasing the software in the market, quality of product is ensured. Once a software is built, it is tested several times.

Challenges

• Software should be tested carefully in many parameters i.e. functional, behavioural, performance and scalability.

Best Practice

• All the features on all platform should be tested
• Highlight the data which is not tested
• Application health card should be present to stakeholder

Steps in Requirements to Release

SRS Review

SRS is a description of a software system to be developed. It contains functional and non-functional requirements.

Objectives

Objectives are set for major and minor releases.

Target Date

Target date is the date in which the build is released

Detailed Project Plan

Detailed Project Plan is nothing but the project build, it includes design and decision specifications

Develop Test Plan

Develop Test Plan is based on design specifications

Test Plan

This includes objectives, testing schedule, the methodology adopted while testing, features to be and not to be tested, multi-platform support risk criteria, and the resource allocation for testing.

Test Specifications

Test Specifications document includes technical details (software requirements) required prior to testing.

Writing of Test Cases

Test cases are of different types like smoke test cases, sanity test case, regression tests cases, negative test cases

Development

In the development phase modules are developed one by one

Installers Binding

It is used for building individual product

Build procedure

A build includes Installers of the available products – multiple platforms.

Testing

Testing of new features. Cross browser and cross platform testing. Stress testing and memory leakage testing

Test summary report

Test report, bug and other report are created in Test summary report

Code freezing

In Code freezing no more lines of code can be added

Decision to release the product

Here decision is made to release or postponed release of the product

Conclusion

The existence of both manual testing and automation testing forces us to think about our choice of tools, their cost, and the benefit they will provide. There is a time and place for both methods of testing. Manual testing helps us understand the entire problem and explore other angles of tests with flexibility. Automated testing helps save time in the long run by accomplishing a large number of surface level tests in a short time. It’s up to you to determine when and where each method of testing is used.

What’s best for ESDS?

ESDS is involved in manual testing since 2 years including functional testing, smoke testing, regression testing, sanity testing, unit testing, integration testing and system testing.

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Abhishek Desai

Software Tester at ESDS Software Solutions Limited

Abhishek has over 2.5+ years of experience in Quality Assurance (Automation/ Manual). He has completed his MCA and is C-DAC certified. He is an experienced software tester, his experience include working on tools like Junit, testNG, Sikuli, Autoit, Selenium Builder, BDD (cucumber and specflow) and Appium. Abhishek has worked on various projects from verticals like Banking, Health Insurance, Pharmaceutical and many more. He is passionate about designing Automation Frameworks that are effective and easy to maintain using Selenium Java.

Latest posts by Abhishek Desai (see all)

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