Types of Software Testing – Why Is Testing Important?

Usually, we don’t think about how much effort developers should put into providing users with a high-quality product. Programmers are not the only individuals who participate in the software development. For correct functioning, the program must be tested. And this job falls on the shoulders of QA engineers. What methods do they use for good, proper, basic testing? Let’s consider this issue!

Common software testing types

If you order a new website or mobile app from a software development company, for example, testing services are included in the development process by default. But how does it occur? As a rule, the first QA engineers perform a Requirement analysis. It allows testers to understand what the app should do and how to avoid bugs.

Then QA engineers start applying various types of testing to specific software. These types include the following:

Acceptance testing. Testers verify whether software meets all acceptance criteria. Then it is up to the customer to make a decision whether the software will be sent for revision or will be accepted.

Smoke testing. It is similar to acceptance testing. At this stage, QA engineers make a short cycle of tests to check how the new product performs its functions, how it works, and how it is launched.

Regression testing. It is applicable if during the development process some changes in source code are made. But if we need specific functionality to work properly, the operation may not work after certain changes. So regression testing allows specialists to find out whether required functionality works properly and as well as it used to.

Sanity testing. It is a focused testing oriented for confirmation that one function or another is working according to requirements stated in the specification. It is a subset of regression testing.

UI testing. The tester verifies whether the software meets requirements of graphic user interface, and whether it is made in a single style. It implies testing with different screen resolutions, compatibility with various Internet browsers, as well as the testing of localized versions – translation accuracy and the name length of interface elements.

Permission testing. That is where QA engineers should check how the permission system is functioning in the software that’s being tested. For example, you are an ordinary user, and it would have been very strange if you had access to the administrator’s access rights, wouldn’t it? And testers want to make sure that everything is working properly.

Usability testing. QA engineers must understand how to make the final product user-friendly. So they put themselves in the shoes of common users – they need to test the software’s usability, and find out if it is easy-to-use or not.

Advanced testing types – why are they necessary?

In most cases, all testing types considered above can help specialists to make good testing. But if your product is non-standard, the necessity in advanced testing may arise. Advanced testing includes the following:

Sprint 0 activity. It means that QA specialists start testing even before the software is finished. It makes it possible to avoid bugs at an early stage.

Automated Functional and Regression testing. Automation makes it possible to get quick results and to fix all bugs as soon as possible. Also, this testing type allows you to launch the test with various parameters: a few versions of input and expected data.

Compatibility testing. It is important to understand how the product is compatible with system elements and other apps.

Interrupt testing. Everything is simple here – an understanding of how the product will work after an unexpected interruption.

Load testing. What will happen to your app if too many users start using it simultaneously? That is what testers must find out and then create the maximal load for the software.

Security testing. Testing for protection from possible web attacks.

Conclusion

We can see that the testing process is not easier than the development. There are many important issues to be considered and a serious development company should pay attention to them. If you don’t want to lose your users, you shouldn’t skip on quality assurance. Apart from basic testing, advanced testing can also be conducted for a really good final product.