4 Major Software Testing Strategies

Many developers have come to realize that the process of software testing is not necessarily meant to be approached using a singular strategy. In broader terms, software testing alludes to a series of assessments used to check software and ascertain whether or not it is functioning as it should or as it would have if a real-life situation is at hand. On a fundamental level, software testing is set in place to make sure that every software and hardware component of a system is working, either collectively or individually, for the smooth running of the device.

There are a myriad of strategies used to carry out software testing. These strategies, as a whole, are crucial in helping to solve real issues and provide solutions to pressing problems, as software is usually meant to do. For this reason, one may refer to the process as solution testing. 

Generally, software testing methodologies refer to the variety of approaches applied during conducting an assessment on an application in a bid to ensure that it is in tip-top shape in terms of functionality and effectiveness. Everything is encapsulated in this concept, from the unit and system testing to front and back-end testing. In this article, we will be highlighting several software testing techniques that professionals in the quality assurance field are currently using.

Unit Testing

To begin with, this is a basic approach of software testing that the programmer or software developer uses to evaluate the program in its unit form/code. By doing so, the developer can ascertain whether or not the unit of the code written for the application is working as it should.

Integration Testing

Here, the primary focus is on how the software is crafted and designed. It is a test used to determine if the units, after being integrated, are working perfectly fine and without unnecessary hassle.

System Testing

The system testing entails the compilation of the software as an entity, with all the units and integrated units put together. After this, the software is tested as a whole. It centers on evaluating your software's security, portability, functionality, user-friendliness, and an assortment of features expected of a fully functional software program.

Acceptance Testing

In this testing stage, the software is tested for the ultimate time to check and see that there is no hassle when it is put out into the open for customer use. Here, the quality of user interaction and responses are tested thoroughly before the software is published. It is a crucial stage in the sense that the software may have ticked all the boxes and matched every user requirement, but in the end, the user may not fancy the feel or mode of operation of the software and refuse to acquire it. It goes in two stages. To start with, alpha testing is first done on it. The developers’ team takes it upon themselves to make use of the software as it would typically have been applied in a work setting, putting themselves in the user's shoes. In doing this, they can mimic how the user would respond to certain features that accompany the software and observe the system to see its responses to inputs fed into the program.

On the other hand, beta testing entails handing it over to a select few users to test the application in a production environment — this is not necessarily full-blown usage as it is done only for testing. The whole essence of this is for the users to bring tiny details that were overlooked to the knowledge of the software developers.