Different levels of software testing and their major task

In beta testing, a sample of the intended audience tests the application. Beta testing is also known as pre-release testing. Beta test versions of software are ideally distributed to a wide audience on the Web, partly to give the program a "real-world" test and partly to provide a preview of the next release. Getting the feedback, the project team can fix the problems before releasing the software to the actual users. The more issues you fix that solve real user problems, the higher the quality of your application will be.

Having a higher-quality application when you release it to the general public will increase customer satisfaction. This section is based upon testing an application from its non-functional attributes. Non-functional testing involves testing a software from the requirements which are nonfunctional in nature but important such as performance, security, user interface, etc.

It is mostly used to identify any bottlenecks or performance issues rather than finding bugs in a software. Performance testing can be either qualitative or quantitative and can be divided into different sub-types such as Load testing and Stress testing. It is a process of testing the behavior of a software by applying maximum load in terms of software accessing and manipulating large input data.

It can be done at both normal and peak load conditions. This type of testing identifies the maximum capacity of software and its behavior at peak time. Virtual users VUsers are defined in the automated testing tool and the script is executed to verify the load testing for the software.

The number of users can be increased or decreased concurrently or incrementally based upon the requirements. Stress testing includes testing the behavior of a software under abnormal conditions. For example, it may include taking away some resources or applying a load beyond the actual load limit. The aim of stress testing is to test the software by applying the load to the system and taking over the resources used by the software to identify the breaking point.

Usability testing is a black-box technique and is used to identify any error s and improvements in the software by observing the users through their usage and operation.

According to Nielsen, usability can be defined in terms of five factors, i. According to him, the usability of a product will be good and the system is usable if it possesses the above factors. Nigel Bevan and Macleod considered that usability is the quality requirement that can be measured as the outcome of interactions with a computer system.

This requirement can be fulfilled and the end-user will be satisfied if the intended goals are achieved effectively with the use of proper resources. Molich in stated that a user-friendly system should fulfill the following five goals, i. UI testing ensures that the GUI functions according to the requirements and tested in terms of color, alignment, size, and other properties.

On the other hand, usability testing ensures a good and user-friendly GUI that can be easily handled. UI testing can be considered as a sub-part of usability testing. Security testing involves testing a software in order to identify any flaws and gaps from security and vulnerability point of view. Portability testing includes testing a software with the aim to ensure its reusability and that it can be moved from another software as well.

Software techniques can be majorly classified into two categories:. Skip to content. Change Language. Related Articles. Table of Contents. Improve Article. Save Article. Like Article. Previous Types of Software Testing. Next Software Engineering Seven Principles of software testing. Recommended Articles. Article Contributed By :. Easy Normal Medium Hard Expert.

There are also various legal and contractual reasons why acceptance testing has to be carried out. These four types of testing cannot be applied haphazardly during development. There is a logical sequence that should be adhered to in order to minimise the risk of bugs cropping up just before the launch date.

By progressively testing the simpler components of the system and moving on the bigger, more complex groupings, the testers can rest assured they are thoroughly examining the software in the most efficient way possible. Note however that later does not imply that acceptance testing is done only after say 6 months of development work. In a more agile approach, acceptance testing can be carried out as often as every weeks, as a part of the sprint demo.

In an organization working more traditionally it is quite typical to have releases per year, each following the cycle described here. By adopting an attitude of constant alertness and scrutiny in all your projects, as well as a systematic approach to testing, the tester can pinpoint any faults in the system sooner, which translates in less time and money wasted later on.

Detecting software errors early is important since it more effort is needed to fix bugs when the system is nearing launch, and — due to the interactive nature of components in the system — one small bug in a particular component hidden deep within layers of code can result in an effect that is magnified several times over on a system-level.

Excel has come a long way since its first use within the world, however, there are still some pitfalls in using it. In a day and age where we have almost every bit of information available at our fingertips, why then do we still primarily use redundant systems? The program itself is easily accessible and, as such, many companies continue to use it. Excel is also a cost-effective standard program that most people can understand.

Email falls into a similar Many people look at requirements management as the key phase for dealing with project requirements. This is necessary for setting up the stage for a successful project. The success of any project often comes down to planning and requirements management. With proper requirements planning, the outcome and process of the project will run a whole lot smoother.

This helps you to better achieve the desired end goal while creating a more There are many disadvantages of Ms. Excel for requirements handling. In this article, we detail out 7 reasons why you should not use Excel for requirements handling. Technology is ever-evolving and innovation is common then why is it that more people are not taking advantage of these innovations? We have become used to using low-cost general-purpose tools for projects that need more advanced tools.