Software testing is vital to the success of any software project. It ensures that your product is ready to be shipped and that the software performs as expected.
But how do you test your product? There are two basic types of testing: automated and manual. Automated testing uses a computer program to run tests on your application. And manual testing requires a human being to perform tasks by hand.
This article discusses the processes involved in both types of testing. It helps you decide which procedure is right for your business.
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Automated Testing Processes
We need to have an understanding of what automated testing is, to identify and fix defects quickly and efficiently for reliable software releases. Automation testing uses computer programs to run tests with no human intervention. The goal is to ensure that the software performs as expected and has no bugs or errors.
The automated testing process involves:
Determining The Scope Of Test Automation
The first step is determining which parts of your application are worth testing. If you want to automate all tests, that’s fine—but it can be much work and require many resources. Automated testing is better suited for repetitive tasks, and hiring skilled software testers can streamline this process, ensuring comprehensive coverage and efficient execution of test automation.
Selecting The Right Tool For Automation
After identifying the application parts worth testing, select an automated testing tool. There are many options out there. So, ensure you choose one that is well-supported by its developers. Otherwise, your team will have trouble finding answers when problems arise.
Test Plan + Test Design + Test Strategy
Once you’ve selected a tool, you’ll need to write a test plan. This document outlines your testing effort’s scope. It includes what needs to be tested and how you will do it. You can use existing documentation as part of your test plan. Or you can create new documents for this purpose.
Setting Up The Test Environment
Now that you have a test plan, it’s time to set up your testing environment. This includes installing the software and configuring it to work together correctly. You may also need to create test data for your application if none exists yet (this is often called “data mining”).
Automation Test Script Development + Execution
Once your test environment is set up and ready, it’s time to write and execute your automated tests. Writing tests involves defining the scenarios or steps. These steps must be taken for a particular feature of your application to work correctly. This usually involves documenting what information needs to be entered.
Analysis + Generation Of Test Reports
Once your tests have been written and executed, it’s time to analyze the results. This involves checking the output of your program against what you expected it to do. It identifies any errors or failures that occurred during execution. You’ll also need to generate a test report. The report documents these findings for future reference.
Manual Testing Processes
In manual testing, a human being sits in front of the application and performs each test step by hand. This is time-intensive and error-prone. But it’s also necessary for certain types of testing where automation isn’t possible.
The manual testing process involves:
Requirement Gathering
The first step in manual testing is gathering your application’s requirements. This includes any documentation or specifications provided by the developers. It also includes any additional information you find during the design stage.
Sharing and Discussion
Once you’ve gathered all the requirements, it’s time to share them with your team. You should discuss what each requirement means and how best to test it. The goal is that everyone understands what they will work on before the test.
Test Environment and Resources Setup
After gathering requirements and discussing them with your team, set up your test environment. This includes installing any software or hardware necessary for testing. Then configure any tools you will use during the manual testing process.
Creating Test Scenarios and Test Cases
After the test environment is set up, it’s time to create your test scenarios and cases. The goal is that these documents will help you understand your application. It will help you know how the application should behave in different situations.
Test Execution and Defect Reporting
Next, you can execute your test cases against the application. This will help you determine if any defects are present in the software. If there are, then they should be documented and reported on. This way, they can be addressed by developers or quality assurance teams.
Defect Retesting and Closure
After the defects have been fixed, you can retest your application. This ensures it’s working correctly. You can execute test cases against the software again. You can also perform other testing procedures.
Feedback and Recommendation
After completing the testing process, you can provide feedback to developers. This feedback explains how they can fix problems and make improvements. This should include recommendations on improving your application and making it more stable.
Eleggible’s Final Words
Automated and manual testing processes are different. They can be used together to ensure that your software is stable and effective. Manual testing allows you to perform exploratory tests. It checks the functionality of your application. And automated testing lets you run pre-defined scripts that verify different software aspects.
