What Is Software Testing? An Easy Explanation For Beginners

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What is Software Testing

What Is Software Testing : Human beings are prone to mistakes because of inattention, incorrect assumptions, carelessness, or inadequate system knowledge. This very nature of humans makes software vulnerable to bugs, defects, and errors (we will get to know these terms in detail in later posts). To prevent and correct these issues, we need testing.

Traditionally, software testing was done in a single phase, and that too only once the implementation or coding was completed. But the increasing complexity of software applications led to the evolution of testing.

So, testing techniques have evolved over time, and testing activities are no longer confined to a single phase. Instead, these are integrated with the different phases of the software development life cycle.

In this blog post, we will walk you through the nitty-gritty of software testing.

What is Software Testing?

Software testing is the process of evaluating a system with the intent of finding bugs. It is performed to check if the system satisfies its specified requirements and quality standards. It evaluates the system to validate its functionality.

Testing measures the system’s overall quality in terms of correctness, completeness, usability, performance, and other functional and non-functional attributes.

Software testing is not only associated with uncovering potential bugs or defects. It also involves finding measures to improve the system’s efficiency and accuracy.

Basically, software testing is the combination of verification and validation.

Verification

Verification is a static process that does not involve code execution. It validates documents, design, and code against specified requirements and answers the question:

“Are we building the product right?”

Validation

Validation is a dynamic process that involves code execution. It checks software for reliability, usability, and functionality. It answers the question:

“Are we building the right product?”

Why is Software Testing Important?

Software testing is an indispensable activity in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) because it helps identify defects early before the product reaches the end users.

Importance of Software Testing:

Provides assurance to stakeholders that the product works as intended
Prevents damage to company reputation due to faulty software
Builds confidence in product quality
Reduces cost by detecting defects early
Offers an independent perspective through the testing team
Prevents business failures caused by faulty software
Avoids life-threatening risks caused by software failures

Real-World Examples:

Starbucks’ POS system glitches caused 60% of stores in the US and Canada to shut down temporarily
F-35 fighter aircraft software bugs affected target detection
China Airlines Airbus A300 crash due to a software bug resulted in 264 deaths
Military satellite launch failure due to software bug cost $1.2 billion
A major US bank mistakenly credited $920 million to customers

Who Conducts Software Testing?

Software testing is performed by different stakeholders throughout the development process:

Developers – Conduct unit testing
Testers – Perform functional, performance, and automation testing
Test Managers/Leads/Architects – Define testing strategies and plans
End Users – Conduct User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

How is Software Testing Done? Types of Testing

Testing can be conducted manually or using automation tools.

Manual Testing

Manual testing involves executing test cases without automation tools. It includes:

Requirement verification
Test planning and strategy
Test case creation and execution
Defect reporting and retesting
Test reporting

Manual testing focuses on understanding end-user behavior and identifying unexpected issues.

Automation Testing

Automation testing uses tools such as Selenium, Katalon Studio, and QTP to execute test scripts.

Benefits include:

Faster execution
Increased test coverage
Improved accuracy
Reduced time and cost

Functional Testing

Ensures the application behaves as expected.

Unit testing
Integration testing
System testing
Acceptance testing
Smoke testing
Regression testing
Sanity testing

Non-Functional Testing

Evaluates performance, security, and usability.

Performance testing
Load testing
Stress testing
Endurance testing
Volume testing
Security testing
Recovery testing

Levels of Software Testing

1. Unit Testing

Tests individual modules or components, typically performed by developers.

2. Integration Testing

Verifies interaction between combined components.

3. System Testing

Tests the entire system against defined requirements.

4. Acceptance Testing

Ensures the system meets user expectations before release.

When Do We Start Software Testing?

Testing should begin early in the SDLC and can start even before development begins.

Mapping of Development and Testing Phases

Development Phase	Testing Activity
Requirement Designing	Acceptance test creation
Functional Specification	Test case creation
Implementation/Coding	Unit test case creation
Code Complete	Test case execution

When to Stop Testing?

Testing can be concluded based on:

Required test case pass percentage achieved
Successful completion of a full test cycle
Deadlines met with no critical defects
Acceptable Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)

Challenges in Software Testing

Communication Issues

Requirement misunderstandings
Unclear documentation
Poor collaboration

Resource Constraints

Limited time and budget
Skill and domain knowledge gaps

Change Management

Frequent requirement changes
Last-minute updates

Technical Challenges

Unstable environments
Compatibility across platforms

Best Practices in Software Testing

Start testing early
Define clear objectives
Understand requirements thoroughly
Use requirement traceability matrix
Prioritize high-risk areas
Test in production-like environments
Review test cases regularly
Promote continuous improvement

Conclusion

Software testing is a critical phase of software development that ensures quality, reliability, and performance. By identifying defects early and validating system functionality, testing helps deliver robust and user-friendly software products.