Accessibility Testing is a subset of usability testing which is aimed at ensuring that people with disabilities can access the resources available to all.
Primarily discussed in the context of website usability testing, the accessibility testing should be designed to test the ease-of-use of the site itself, by persons with disabilities and at the same time, have a rigorous feedback mechanism which can enable changes in design, constant improvements, and enhancement of the user experience.
There is a need for accessibility testing, over and beyond to adhering regulatory norms, to be able to design formats that cater to everyone and is inclusive and non-discriminatory.
In this article, we will discuss in detail about accessibility testing and the scope of its implementation in various future projects. What’s the definition and requirement of accessibility testing?
Broadly, the testing is designed to aid people with speech, vision, motor, and cognitive difficulties as well as the elderly who may also find themselves at a disadvantage. Assistive technology such as speech recognition, screen reader, screen magnification, and special keyboards go a long way in enabling the use of software products by all.
While it is required that these tools be built into products, just like all other aspects of usability are repeatedly tested to ensure the user has the best experience, it becomes imperative that accessibility testing is made part of the routine testing cycle. It will ensure that these aids are built-in efficiently and continue to provide an enhanced experience, irrespective of the user.
The testing can be categorized into manual and automated; however, it is only when done together that there will be a better understanding of the problem and development of efficient solutions.
While Automated testing assists at a coding level, in identifying repeated issues which need to be fixed and facilitates effective maintenance, manual testing tackles it by prioritizing the user, allowing us to understand challenges from the user perspective and resolving it based on user insight and not merely at a code level.
Testing needs to be done early and as a continuous process because testing right at the end leads to it lacking in rigor and sometimes even omitted. Further, in terms of actual changes that need to be implemented, both from a cost as well as an efficiency perspective, it becomes easier to do it on an ongoing basis.
There is a need for clear testing requirements concerning regulatory norms that need to adhere to. For example, https://www.w3.org/WAI/policies/ provides information on legislation concerning accessibility requirements (country-wise), company policies for accessibility, customer policies which the company may have in place, and finally, marketing accessibility to customers and users.
While these external requirements need to be determined and worked towards, this should only set the floor regarding the overall efficiency of the product.
The goal should always be concerning maximizing accessibility, and the testing team has a responsibility to constantly raise additional accessibility concerns and ensure they are acknowledged as well as answered.
There is also a need to distinguish between these requirements and reports should be able to demarcate as well as indicate the level of adherence.
With this in mind, accessibility testing needs to be inherent to the process across designers, developers, and testers.
To ensure accessibility standards, one should be cognizant of the development environments and environment options across different devices while using specialized tools, automated testing tools, and assistive technology. Why we need Accessibility Testing?
While one may feel that accessibility testing is not important as it caters to only a very small section of people, but it reality that is not the case. Here are some reasons why accessibility testing is important.
Make it usable for disabled people
It must be noted here that there are close to 20% of people who suffer from one or the other kind of disability. These disabilities can include handicaps, blindness, deaf, and others. Any software that is rolled out to the market can not ignore this section of the people. This makes usability testing important.
Legal Requirement
Many countries have a law that makes it mandatory for software and IT products to be compliant with the usability needs of differently-abled people. Accessibility testing is mandatory to pass the legal requirements. Different countries have different laws to handle these like the Americans with Disabilities Act – 1990 (USA), Disability Act of 2005 (Ireland), and more.
Avoid Law Suits
There have been several cases in the past where big companies have been sued by people for not being user-friendly for differently-abled people. These companies were not only asked to pay not only monetary compensation but also forced to make their software compliant at a later stage. These companies include corporate giants like Amazon, Target, and AOL.
Usable for elderly people
Elderly people are another section of society just getting used to new technology and product innovations. Many times they find it difficult to use the software and applications. It is the responsibility of the companies to ensure their apps are usable by senior citizens also. They are a reasonably big portion of the market and should not be ignored for the success of the product. The Scope of Accessibility Testing
In this context, we should now look at what is the scope of accessibility testing. It has, so far, been discussed and mainly developed in terms of software and more specifically website usability testing, from an end-user perspective. The next logical extrapolation is, of course, to applications and web-based products and across different devices like computers, mobiles, tablets, etc.
Within a web site context itself, the importance of making the user interface accessible cannot be overstated. This then extends to applications on mobiles and tablets, as well.
An accessible interface at any point enables the user to seek other resources to access the same content in a more usable form. In keeping with this, one approach would be to ensure that the personas you build for developing user cases span a wide breadth and necessarily include people with different abilities.
One common mistake would be to assume that disabilities are interchangeable or demographics can be merged.
It is critical to be aware that every disability is different and unique and it is essential to tackle different demographics based on age, gender, etc. within each of them.
The wider the breadth of the user test cases, the more rigorous the accessibility is likely to be.
In keeping with this thinking, there needs to be two groups doing the testing – experts and users.
While the expert testing group handles the technological aspect of the product and uses dedicated testing tools, the user testing group is critical since they can reveal gaps in the usability and also within various types of users such as new users, familiar and expert users.
The feedback from the user testing needs to flow back into the expert testing group for evaluation and more importantly, action, in terms of making it more accessible.
More inclusive and non-discriminatory products and services are the need of the hour. Thus accessibility testing should be made part of any prototype being built or any new design.
While not every webpage and application will be evaluated by experts for accessibility, it is possible for website developers, at every stage, to learn about accessibility, build it into their design as well as development, ensure testing and use the feedback to enhance the next round of development.
There is a need to drive this as an essential process and also share this as a best practice across groups, thereby making accessibility testing as a critical part of usability testing.
The points covered in this article would have enlightened you with the fact about accessibility testing and the increasing demand for it. Accessibility Testing Checklist
Here are some points that are used to whether the application is a go or no-go from an accessibility point of view.
For every mouse, joystick, or windows operation, there must be a virtual keyboard displayed.
User Manual should be provided with the software or application in a simple and easy to understand language supported with pictures where ever deemed necessary.
The user should be able to move between controls and objects using the tab button. The movement should be sequential or logical with a seamless flow.
The user must be able to navigate through the application using the standard short cut keys, especially for menu items.
The application should support all or most commonly used operating systems.
The choice of images and pictures in the application should be appropriate and easily understandable for the users.
If there are audio and video options, then the users should be able to control them as well.
The user should be able to change the default fonts and audio as per his needs and requirements.
The color schema of the application is suitable and legible for all users.
Ensure the audio and video content is clear and understandable for people with disabilities.
While this list is not exhausted, it is still a starting point for your application accessibility testing. There may be more points to be added specifically to the application under test (AUT) Top 5 Accessibility Testing Tools
Accessibility is an important criterion for every application. Here we will discuss some of the most widely used tools in the market to help with accessibility testing.
Wave
It is a free tool that can be used to check the web page manually for a lot of aspects of accessibility. This tool can be used to check sensitive and password protected web pages as well. An advantage of this tool is the private and secure accessibility test reports.
TAW
TAW is a popular tool used to determine the accessibility of a web page. This tool assesses the web page as per the W3C accessibility guidelines and displays the issues that need attention. This tool allows you to check single and multiple pages as well on a website.
Accessibility Valet
This tool accesses your web pages against the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). The tool has provisions for detailed accessibility reports along with the scripting tools.
Quick Accessibility Page Tester
When you want a quick and efficient accessibility analysis for your web page, Quick Accessibility Page Tester is what you should use. It will perform a detailed analysis of your page, point out the issues, and gives you some awesome suggestions as well.
Accessibility Developer Tool
This is a Chrome extension that can be used to do an accessibility audit. This is widely used because of the ease of adding the extension to your browser and the frequent updates that are rolled out. After running an audit on your page you will have a fair idea of the accessibility rules violated by your page. This will help fix the issues in the early stages itself Conclusion
Hope you have understood the cardinal importance of accessibility testing and why it’s one of the catalyst for your app success.
Testing, the most integral part of Software Development Life Cycle is a crucial process. It helps a product to be exactly the way you have intended It to be and will make sure that survives in the competitive market.
Benefits of the testing process are not just limited to making your software robust and powerful. Although they are the prime, there are other benefits too.
Bugs can prove to be costly and deadly. Testing can be a solution to both
Only if you have an error-free product you can devise a perfect marketing strategy
Can enhance User Experience
Can promote the goodwill of a company
Software Testing Help
Testing is not just a process. It is a huge branch comprised of a lot of testing procedures and methodologies which can be used in accordance with product specification, functionalities, requirement, and issues. It is also a vast industry with a lot of career opportunities, responsibilities, and branches.
So let’s have a detailed view of this amazing process which has managed to save billions by pointing out flaws.
Best Practices For Software Testing
Automated software testing is valuable for different reasons however to get most extreme advantages out of automated testing. One needs to remember certain prescribed points before starting the real testing process:
There are few tests that are better done manually. Before allowing for automated testing, watch that the test is reasonable for automated testing. A risk-based strategy can be utilized to distinguish the most essential business cases and situations.
Configuration Tests Before Automating
Great test configuration helps in the classification of the majority of the defects. Thus, designing of tests ought to be finished with most extreme care and attention.
Test Early And Consistently
Begin testing at the earliest opportunity. Early testing takes into consideration early distinguishing of bugs, which is both less demanding and savvier to settle over the long haul.
Further, keeping in mind the end goal to have best outcomes, testing should be repeated consistently.
Select The Suitable Automated Testing Tool
As there are various automated testing tools accessible in the market, thus it is vital to pick the suitable automated testing device that best satisfies your general prerequisites.
Make Great Quality Test Data
For powerful utilization of an automated testing tool, it is basic that the testing apparatus can translate and emphasize the substance of the data records. Making test data for automated tests is monotonous, however, one needs to put time and endeavor into making very much organized data. This will facilitate the method of writing automated tests.
Utilize Test Strategies
Testing strategies, for example, state transition testing, equivalence partitioning, decision-tables, pairwise testing, boundary value analysis can be utilized for robotized testing.
Automate Just Stable Functionality
If a component is liable to change or rendered inapplicable because of changing business choices, the attempt of executing test automation will go waste. It is best to mechanize the functionality once it has been balanced out.
Process Involved In Software Testing
Planning and Control
Test Planning
Test arranging includes delivering a file that portrays a general approach and test goals. It includes investigating the test premise, recognizing the test conditions as per the examination of test things, designing the test environment, and writing test cases.
Exit or Completion criteria must be defined so that testers and team would know when testing (at any stage) is finished.
Control
This is the action of looking at real progress against the planning and reporting the status, including deviations from the plan. It includes taking activities important to meet the mission and targets of the undertaking.
Analysis and Design
The principal test process portrays this action as designing the test cases utilizing the systems chosen while you’re at the planning stage. For each test case, determine its target, the underlying condition of the product, the input series and the required result.
The particular can be considered as three separate errands:
Distinguish test conditions.
Configuration test cases – decide ‘how’ the distinguished test conditions will be worked out.
Construct test cases – execution of the experiments (data, scripts, and so forth.).
Usage and Execution
The motivation behind this action is to execute the greater part of the test cases (however not really all at once). This should be possible either with the utilization of a test execution automation tool or manually.
The most vital test cases ought to be executed first. Normally, the most essential test cases are the ones that are well on the way to locate the most genuine errors yet may likewise be those that focus on the most critical parts of the framework.
In case that numerous errors are found during an initial couple of tests, we may conclude that it does not merit executing others (at any rate until the flaws discovered so far have been settled). For this situation, it is especially imperative to have organized the test cases to guarantee that at least the most critical ones are executed.
Assessing Exit Criteria and Reporting
Assessing exit criteria is a procedure describing when to quit testing. It relies upon the scope of code, functionality or hazard. Fundamentally, it additionally relies upon business risk, time, and cost and differs from one project to another. Exit criteria are considered, when –
Most of the test cases are executed with a specific pass rate.
Bug rate falls beneath a specific level.
When we accomplish the due dates.
Assessing Exit Criteria Has The Accompanying Real Duties:
To evaluate if more tests are required or if the exit criteria indicated ought to be changed.
To compose a test review report for partners.
Test Closure Activity
This activity has the goal of checking the records against the completion criteria determined in the test design. Test conclusion activities are performed when the product is prepared to be released. In case that these criteria are not met, it will be important to backpedal to the detail stage to define more test cases to reach the completion criteria.
Test Completion Activity Has The Accompanying Significant Duties –
To check which planned expectations are really conveyed and to guarantee that every occurrence report has been settled.
To finish and archive testware, for example, test environments, scripts etc. for reusing later.
To handover the testware to the support team. They will offer help to the product.
To assess how the testing went and learn lessons for future launches and ventures.
Role of Testing in SDLC (Software Testing Life Cycle)
Testing is a procedure as opposed to a single action. This procedure begins with test planning then designing test cases, getting ready for execution and assessing status till the test conclusion. Thus, we can divide the practices inside the key test process into the accompanying essential steps:
Prerequisite Analysis
The initial phase in the SDLC is the Prerequisite Analysis stage. In this stage, the Testing or Quality Assurance group chooses what should be tested. There are two fundamental sorts of testing – functional and non-functional.
Functional testing incorporates tests to assess how the product is working: for instance, if a button – ‘Add product to the Shopping Cart’ really adds the product to the cart, or if while looking for a thing, say a blue dress in Large size, every single blue dress in Large size is shown.
Non-functional testing incorporates characteristics that are off camera, for example, execution and security.
Planning The Test
After a settlement is made with respect to what parts of testing should be finished, the following stage is planning how the test will be led. This incorporates deciding the resources as far as the number of hours it would take, cost and number of team members that ought to be committed to the testing stage, and the due dates by which the outcomes ought to be conveyed.
Building Up The Test Case
One of the essential phases of the Software Development Life Cycle is building up the test case. This incorporates writing out a well-ordered strategy on how the test ought to be executed, the expected outcomes, the genuine outcomes, and if the test was a pass or a fail.
Setting Up The Test Environment
After planning the tests, the following stage is to legitimately set up the test environment. The test environment ought to dependably be as great a reproduction of the end users’ environment as it can be. The financial plan can frequently be a constraint in installing up a compelling test environment and this ought to dependably be contemplated by the design team members.
Performing The Test
Subsequent to establishing up the of the test environment, the following stage is completing the tests. The product ought to be tested comprehensively in the test environment and the outcomes acquired ought to be accurately recorded.
In the event that the product does well in the tests, at that point it certainly is an indication of the great things to come. However, in the event that it fails to perform then the product ought to be sent back to the planning stage to resolve any defects that may have been discovered amid the tests.
The planning, designing, and achievement of the tests is a genuinely simple process when you have the correct sort of training and skill with you.
Final Reporting
After the testing of the software, the last step is to prepare the appropriate reports for the tests and to present those reports to the different partners and potential stockholders.
All these are the fundamental steps for a software developing life cycle. These should be taken as an essential structure for completing a software developing lifecycle. Also, these steps or even a portion of these can be done in a specific order contingent upon the prerequisites of the administration.
Types of Software Testing Tools Used, Their Advantages and Disadvantages
Here’s a review of the various and best software testing automation tools that help most efficiently all the product testing people out there. Selenium
It is the number one automation testing tool for all web application testing devices. Selenium can be executed in Operating Systems and various browsers. It is compatible with many programming languages and automation testing systems.
Advantages
Selenium can be coordinated with ANT or Maven sort of framework for source code collection.
It supports less RAM and CPU utilization for script execution.
Selenium can be combined with TestNG testing framework for creating reports and testing our applications.
Disadvantages
Selenium needs particularly mastery resources. The resources ought to likewise be extremely knowledgeable in framework architecture.
Selenium does not support built-in plug-ins.
Selenium does not give any built-in IDE to script production and it requires other IDE like Eclipse for script writing.
Testcomplete
Testcomplete is a robust and simple to-utilize functional test automation tool by SmartBear. It can mechanize tests across mobile, desktop, and web applications.
TestComplete supports numerous scripting languages like Python, VBScript, and JavaScript and in addition different testing methods, for example, data-driven testing, keyword-driven testing, distributing testing, and regression testing.
Advantages
With its record-and-replay trait and the powerful object recognizing engine, you can likewise make complex automated test scripts without writing a single code line.
Simple to sort out tests and group into functional tests that can be reutilized in Test cases.
Debugging the code by permitting breakpoint.
Disadvantages
The tool has to enhance the execution of its JavaScript code. This is presently a tremendous issue.
Certain times a recorded test can make the application crash when it is too large for the framework it’s running on.
Unfit to utilize variables inside Objects in Stores.
Apache JMeter
Apache JMeter is an open source Java desktop application intended for the load testing. It mostly centers around web applications. This device can likewise be utilized for limited functional testing and unit testing.
Advantages
JMeter is an open source software. This implies it can be downloaded free of charge. It is likewise a 100% pure Java application.
It comes prepared to use with default settings. It doesn’t expect you to have particular abilities or domain learning to utilize it.
JMeter supports diverse configurations for reporting like XML, text, HTML, and JSON.
Disadvantages
JMeter can assume heavy load and envision the test report. This may employ heaps of memory and can lead out of memory under substantial load.
It has constrained support for handling Ajax or JavaScript. This may influence the precision of the simulation.
It is not an appropriate tool for testing the desktop application.
TestRail
TestRail is a modern test administration tool with full a JIRA add-on incorporation.
Advantages
It is the only tool that incorporates with any JIRA edition and version, including JIRA Cloud.
This is a useful tool to oversee, track and organize testing endeavors.
Disadvantages
Manual test cases and automated tests are needed to keep in sync.
Automated test and manual test cases should be planned and performed.
Breeze
Breeze for JIRA provides a fully incorporated test management systems. In this, testing is incorporated into the project cycle which enables analyzer to track the product quality and take the go/no-go conclusions. The tool likewise permits rigorous procedure flow to be adaptable to roll out quicker improvements.
Advantages
Better traceability with the linkage between test cases, stories, and bugs in the test cycles.
Various test redundancies with numerous cycles can be made.
Conceivable to make customized filters.
Disadvantages
Not conceivable to send out all the test cases and results in a single file.
Reporting should be possible for just a single specific cycle of an iteration. A combined report can’t be created for all the test cycles of the iteration.
Test Case format is arranged and can’t be altered.
Robotium
Robotium is a famous automation testing tool for Android. It supports hybrid and native applications and lets writing automated black-box test cases simply. It additionally integrates flawlessly with Gradle, Maven, and Ant which runs test cases as persistent integration.
Advantages
You can build capable test cases, with the negligible learning of the application under test.
Least time required to write strong experiments.
It enables us to take screenshots anytime in the test (both for Device and Emulator) and save it to internal memory or SD Card of the device or Emulator.
Disadvantages
Attached to one application process.
It can’t run with various Applications on the test.
Tied to JUnit 3 Instrumentation on the gadget.
Telerik TestStudio
Telerik TestStudio is one answer for automating web, desktop, and mobile application testing including load, UI, and performance testing. It is a comprehensive test automation arrangement. It is appropriate for GUI, load, performance, and API testing.
Advantages
It doesn’t make you write code in many scenarios because of its good language support.
Testers can design, maintain and pass tests to developers via source control to help with more complicated, edge-case scenario.
It accompanies rich support with data-driven testing. All recorded test steps have information related features that enable you to tie them to a data source.
Disadvantages
It’s not free and also is a costly tool.
You can change all steps to code but can’t revert them.
You can’t utilize components of one venture to another. Hence, you have to make only one project and after a time it becomes heavy.
Katalon Studio
Katalon Studio is a capable test automation tool for Web, mobile and API testing. Also, it is totally free! It gives a thorough arrangement of traits for test automation, including making test cases, recording activities, producing test scripts, executing tests, reporting outcomes, and coordinating with numerous different tools in the product development lifecycle.
Katalon Studio operates on the Windows and MacOS both, supporting automated testing of Android and iOS applications, web applications on every modern browser, and API services.
Advantages
Katalon takes into account the need of non-programmers by giving record and playback benefit and scripting in manual mode for experiment creation.
It gives internal logging device and screenshot on failure trait.
The in-built frameworks, templates, coordination with Jira, Jenkins, Git and so on characteristics help in accelerating the test creation time.
Disadvantages
The script creation is constrained to only Java and Groovy.
There is no help for distributed testing.
It can’t mechanize desktop applications unlike to some authorized tools.
Appium
Appium test automation tool is basically expected for mobile applications. Fortunately, it is an open source tool. It is not at all difficult to install and utilize. It has developed tremendous reputation and resistance over a recent couple of years as compared to other mobile automation testing framework.
Advantages
Appium is Cross Platform.
It supports automation of native, hybrid, and mobile web applications.
Appium supports multiple languages like Ruby, Java, Python, JavaScript, C#, PHP.
Disadvantages
Appium does not give immediate support to android notification handling.
User can’t find pictures with Appium so as to find pictures user needed to work with screen coordinates.
It supports limited android versions.
Sikuli
Sikuli depends on image identification and has the ability of robotizing anything that we see on the screen. As of now, it underpins desktop applications which run on Mac, Windows, or Unix/Linux. This framework is great for recreating bugs rapidly and its users have revealed it to be exceptionally helpful when contrasted with different other tools when you will use an application that isn’t web-based.
Advantages
Sikuli is open source.
Sikuli IDE provides enough API’s to interface with desktop-based applications. Thus, we can utilize the greater part of the API’s of python scripting too.
We can without much of a stress perform Boundary values testing of an app, which relies upon the scripting.
Disadvantages
Sikuli IDE hangs frequently and some of the time doesn’t get opened until the point that we clear the registry.
Sikuli scripting is a platform reliant.
It is likewise dependent on the resolution.
Various Designation and Roles in Software Testing
All the software-based companies or IT companies have a different area of experts who have a certain role with the profile of software testing. Essentially, software testing is an examination which is directed to get some answers concerning the nature of the software or products being delivered or controlled by the organization. This lessens risks, enhance quality and subsequently prompt a more gainful state.
There are numerous job roles appointed for the procedure of software testing and the division takes a various hierarchical position approach. The accompanying is a detailed software testing work hierarchy:
Project Manager/Delivery Head:
The project manager or the delivery head has the highest position in the hierarchy of the product testing job profiles and is additionally in charge of the best possible running, arranging, usage and conveyance of testing results to the organization or different seniors. The project manager has numerous obligations, for example, supervision, resource management, automation framework development and automation architecture planning.
Key Responsibilities –
Administration of various portfolios, projects, and programs
Building and managing a substantial business unit of technically reliable individuals
Bringing solid innovative authority and raising quality criteria
Taking a shot at scope and cost of a delivery part of the task
Balancing desires of team and customers
Keeping himself/herself refreshed with most recent tools and technologies and settling on the best way to embrace the shift
Quality Head:
Quality Head is the second highest position in the software testing department. This job is a mixture of managerial and technical skills. This role is a consequence of years of practice along with proven track record of managing various teams and projects successfully.
Key Responsibilities –
Deals with various QA projects all the while with the detailed level of association
Heads the QA applications effectively by actualizing the greatest level of planning and coordination
Shows compelling initiative along with planning and management skills to accomplish designated objectives
Evaluates and shares the progress of venture through various measurements and procedures executed
Recommends changes in the venture, with applicable information, to partners
Profoundly skilled and have the capacity to control the team in following territories of testing, if necessary: test configuration, test execution, data analysis, defect administration, and reporting.
Has a noteworthy role in accomplishing and managing CMMi accreditation for the company, by keeping up quality benchmarks
Manager QA:
Manager QA is that person who is in charge of investigating the venture or testing methods and exhorting the task to prompt the adherence or the undertaking procedure and so forth.
Key Responsibilities –
Takes care of QA processes usage and execution in the company
Characterizes risks associated with particular tasks and aides in moving risks by QA activities
Takes interviews, recognizes and prepares relevant skilled individuals to be a part of the QA team
Assists in setting up the environment by adding fundamental tools and procedures to control the nature of the task
Reports partners on standard interim about the advancement of project and choices made or adjusted
Team Leader:
A team of software testers is utilized to bear on specific testing tasks and the experts who lead the team is known as the team leader who reports to the delivery head. He/she gives offshore and onshore coordination, assigns the tasks, executes test cases, reports results, and plays out various different obligations too.
Key Responsibilities –
Works with the team to evaluate testing assignments, the extent of each undertaking and important subtle elements
Settles on models which ought to be kept up with the goal that testing advancement can be successfully followed
Create a team of a variety of skilled individuals, who can make a beneficial team
Allocates tasks to colleagues and ensures that assignment pipeline for each colleague is sufficient enough
Audits automation system provided by senior testers and gives the review to make it successful
Senior Software Tester/Senior QA Engineer:
He/she is the master and experienced tester who does the vast majority of the technical work according to the financial plan and case necessities. He/she takes an interest in peer inspections and in addition lead surveys and furthermore develops the test design archives.
Key Responsibilities –
Inspecting quality particulars and technical design reports to give significant and timely input
Making comprehensive, detailed, and well-structured test designs and experiments
Assessing, organizing, planning and regulating quality testing exercises
Junior Software Tester/Junior QA Engineer:
The junior tester falls at the base of the hierarchy of the product testing work chain and might be the most unpracticed engineer out of the team. The junior software tester too is a member of the testing team and is in charge of manual testing of windows and web-based applications. He/she examines the useful particulars and writes manual experiments too.
He/she is a novice in this field who performs essential obligations yet is still in the learning stage and may take guidelines from seniors to complete testing related works.
Key Responsibilities –
The tester should comprehend the necessities and significant area of work, plan inquiry list and share it with Test lead
Additionally, he/she should think of evaluated endeavors required to finish the undertaking productively
In view of task characterized and modules relegated, the tester is anticipated to archive test cases for the same
A tester must know how particular tool operates and is assumed to report the detailed bug report.
Career Opportunity For Software Testing
Academic Qualification
The academic qualification for starting your profession in software testing ought to be in Computer Science.
A BTech/B.E., MCA, BSc-Computers, BCA, will find you a job immediately.
In case that you don’t hold any of these qualifications, at that point you should do a software testing certification like CSTE and ISTQB which enable you to learn Software Development/Test Life Cycle and other testing strategies.
Over the last decade, the career in software testing has endured huge changes. Testing has become a show-stopper for various application or software implementations. Companies have realized the value of structured testing of applications before launch.
Testing isn’t simple — there are frequently puzzles and issues to resolve. The job will probably bring something new consistently. In case that you incline toward an exhausting job where you don’t need to think excessively then don’t seek after a software testing profession. However, when you need an occupation that keeps you on your toes, anybody will reveal to you that software testing is an extremely awesome decision.
As mentioned job profiles above you can take many routes in software testing. Moreover, you can pick whether you need to go into automated testing, manual testing, performance testing, and so forth.
Manual testing is the most well-known part of the software testing. This can be a remunerating profession when you are detail oriented, have a characteristic interest and appreciate adapting new things.
In case that you consistently enhance your aptitudes, you can make a good career as a Manual Tester, and you can summon a premium when you have specific mastery in specific kinds of trending programs or top to bottom knowledge of certain industry verticals, similar to manufacturing, IT, or healthcare.
To climb in the QA manager following a couple of years of manual testing you can take after a technical way or a test management way.
In case that, you cherish testing and you have a skill for scripting and coding, think about learning automated, execution, mobile or potentially security testing. As you need to develop in a technical position, you should stay aware of the recent technologies in the field.
On the contrary, if you like driving a team and persuading individuals to put forth a valiant effort, consider being a Test Leader or Test Manager. Also, if you are a Talented QA Manager, you can climb to a Delivery Head or Senior Manager, Director or Senior Director. With the expanding ubiquity of software testing companies, more QA official positions are opening up at different levels. Senior-level positions regularly require advanced degrees like an MBA degree.
Thus, when you need a high growth, a lucrative career, software testing is the right path. As a product tester, you’ll generally be required and will discover no absence of leading organizations attempting their hardest to hire you, and there are continuous possibilities to develop in your profession to achieve to a managerial level.
Hence, as should be obvious, software testing gives great career development opportunities. While every role and designation accompany its own particular pattern of challenges, it is fundamentally the same as different vocations. Your obligation increments as your experience increments. One needs to update their insight and range of abilities as they desire to ascend the ladder of this career.
Salary of Various People Working in the Testing \Industry
As of now, the average Testing Technician salary is $51,239 per year, with a range usually between $44,095-$60,710. But, this can differ widely relying on various factors and different roles. Few of the salary range for different QA testing job profiles are as follows:
Average Junior Tester Salary – $48,960
Average Quality Assurance Tester Salary – $69,832 per year
Average Software Test Engineer Salary – $93,749
Average QA Project Manager/Delivery Head Salary – $82,426 per year
Average Team Leader Salary – $96,342 per year
Average Manager QA Salary – $105,237 per year
Average Senior QA Engineer Salary – $93,951
Average Quality Assurance Engineer Salary – $79,148 per year
Skills Required To Be a Software Tester
To Excel in any job or profession, one must have a noteworthy level of the passion for it. A product tester must have an enthusiasm for his/her field. But along with this, there are some other skills also important to become a software tester which are –
Non-Technical Skills
Eye For the Details
Having a decent eye for subtle elements is useful on the grounds that every scenario will be secured. This ability assists to abstain from additional expenses of mistakes that are discovered late in the cycle or after product discharge. Exhaustive comprehension of software from a business perspective and seeing how testing stage impacts a business is alluring.
Logical and Analytical Skills
A great QA ought to have sharp analytical aptitudes. Logical skills will help separate an unpredictable programming framework into smaller units to pick up a superior comprehension and make test cases.
Time Management and Organization Skills
Testing now and again could be a troublesome work particularly amid the release of code. A software inspector should productively control workload, have high efficiency, display ideal time management, and organization aptitudes.
Correspondence Ability
A good QA must have great verbal and written communication expertise. Testing procedures like test cases, plans, test systems, bug reports, etc. made by the software tester ought not to be difficult to read and understand. Managing with engineers (in case of bugs or some other issue) will require a shade of circumspection and strategy.
Extraordinary Attitude
To be a decent QA you should have a GREAT state of mind. An approach to detail orientation, eagerness to learn and propose process enhancements. In the software marketing, technologies advance with a mind-boggling speed, and a decent software tester should update his/her technical abilities with the evolving advances. Your attitude should mirror a specific level of freedom where you take responsibility for errand designated and finish it with the least direct supervision.
Technical Skills
Testing Tools and Techniques
It is essential for each software tester to know about various testing strategies and utilization of tools. Notwithstanding the domain and type of application, the information of various types of testing likes penetration testing, black box testing, security testing, unit testing, system testing, and so forth makes testers flexible, helping them chip away at any kind of venture.
Also, with the wide range of tools that have been accessible in the market such as bug tracking tools, GUI testing tools, test management tools, automation tools and much more, it is additionally vital for QA to get the skill of these devices to serve diverse complexities and prerequisites of the project.
Fundamental Learning of Database/SQL
Software Systems have a lot of information in the background. This information is saved in various sorts of databases like MySQL, Oracle, etc. in the backend. In this way, there will be circumstances when this data should be approved. All things considered, complex/simple SQL queries can be utilized to check whether appropriate data is put away in the backend databases.
Information of a Test Management Tool
Test Management is a critical part of Software testing. Test management is only dealing with your testing related irregularities. Without legitimate test management systems, product testing procedure will come up short.
Understanding of Linux commands
The majority of the product applications like Web-Services, Application Servers, Databases are disposed on Linux machines. So, it is pivotal for analyzers to know about Linux commands.
Test Planning and Documentation
Planning and documentation abilities for test cases are fundamental for each software tester as it helps in recognizing the correct prerequisites and make proper decisions. This expertise likewise helps track the variations in necessities, check test procedures and follow deviations and furthermore helps in revealing and logging of work.
A well-archived test process can help both individual software testers and in addition, companies to designate the correct budget plan and resources to a venture. This is the reason test planning and documentation expertise is one of the essential aptitudes that each QA must possess.
Future of Software Testing
The Domain of Software Testing is in a Condition of Outrageous Change.
Truth be told, the developments in progress presently are seemingly more impactful than any progressions the industry has ever observed. So, what’s behind these progressions? Also, more imperatively, what would testers be able to anticipate from software testing in future?
A Huge Surge in IOT Testing
As of now, the vast majority of the business tasks are receiving Internet of Things (IoT). IoT applications and devices are tested for performance, security, and ease of use. The majority of the clients depend on IoT testing before buying their items. All the IoT gadgets require Internet network subsequently defenseless against security deformities and dangers. This guarantees the requirement for IoT Testing.
The Ascent of Agile and DevOps
Agile and DevOps will overwhelm in the up and coming year. They administer the goal of quality and offer shorter delivery periods to everybody. Continuous Delivery and Continuous Integration are the principal parts of DevOps and these are in charge of the speedier delivery periods.
Digital Transformation is Digging in For the Long Haul
With a dominant part of the companies making a raid in the digital world, the requirement for digital change will require an immense move of focus towards digital testing. Vigorous systems for digital confirmation will be required for concentrating on the upgrading of useful testing all over the channels.
AI and Machine Learning Will Make a Major Shift
Numerous new innovations are flying up in the product testing world, especially AI and Machine Learning. These innovations will provide us an extra course of automation. They will wind up prescribed, they will develop testing and they will end up self-versatile.
Though these technologies have not yet completely developed, they are as of now affecting the product testing field by making it more complex, and that effect will just keep on growing.
Performance Engineering is Coming into The Limelight
Reliable execution all over different platforms, devices, and OSs characterizes the scope of a market a software can truly catch. The need to give the best experience to users is advancing companies to improve their technique. They are presently moving far from simply giving Performance tests to giving Performance engineering.
Testers Must Be Willing To Learn and Adjust to Change
The technological progressions in the software testing enterprise drive the software testers to enhance their aptitudes and quality altogether. It is a real test for the testers as well as for the whole team to address the technological and progression updates.
Since testing is continually advancing, in case you’re not developing with it, you’re presumably not benefitting as much as possible from what you could be doing. So, the testers should continually refresh their insight base to stay aware of what’s happening.
Since mobile testing involves testing the applications across different devices and platforms such as Android and iOS, the task can become quite hectic. Thankfully, there is way out of this, and that is to use the mobile automation tools. Though there are many mobile automation tools available at present, Appium proves to be the most effective and accessible.
Appium is flexible, feature-rich, scalable, and hugely helpful. And learning it would ease the job of every mobile tester. Well, if you are curious to know about Appium and its features, we can help you with that by providing necessary details.
Appium – The Open Source Mobile Application
Appium is just an open source mobile application for mobile automation. Appium supports native, hybrid, and web application automation test across physical devices including both an emulator and stimulator. It even enables cross-platform app testing where its real beauty lies.
Appium let the user write tests for multiple platforms including iOS, Android, and Windows Phone using the same API. It means that you could write a test for iOS and use the same test for Windows Phone and Android. It saves time and aids the software tester to reuse a large number of codes between different test suites.
Another great feature of Appium is that it has no dependency on Mobile device OS. It is because Appium has a framework or wrapper that could translate Selenium Webdriver commands to UIAutomation or UIAutomator commands based on the type of device. Furthermore, Appium supports almost all languages which have Selenium client libraries.
Appium even showcases a neat feature that can automate without recompiling the app. It means that the user doesn’t need to have access to the application code to work with Appium. Whereas, other mobile automation tools like Frank and Calabash demands the user to be aware of the app code to be able to work with it. Thus, you could test the same app which you will be going to submit to the app store.
A bonus comes along with the philosophy on which Appium is built. The theory follows four tenets which will be discussed below.
Appium Philosophy and the Four Tenets
No automation or recompiling your app – As we have read earlier, Appium doesn’t require an extra agent or an app code to work. Therefore, the user doesn’t have to recompile or modify the app to automate it.
No requirement of a specific language or framework – Appium supports all languages when it comes to writing tests. Ruby, Python, Java, Node.js, Objective, PHP and you name it. Users wouldn’t have to learn a new language to work with the tool.
No reinventing the wheel – A better tool for mobile application shouldn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to automation APIs. Appium uses WebDriver API, and so there is no hassle of reinventing the wheel by introducing an entirely new API.
A framework should be open source and practical – Appium is freely available to all the users and can be easily modified as per the user’s requirements. Furthermore, Appium is completely practical and real in spirit.
Appium and the Way It Works
Appium is an HTTP server written using a Node.js platform. It drives iOS and Android session using WebDriver JSON wire protocol. Once Appium is downloaded and installed on your device, a server is set up on the machine that gives REST API the required exposure. Later, it receives connection and command request from clients and takes necessary actions to execute the command.
Appium responds back using HTTP responses and uses mobile test automation frameworks to execute the request.
Prerequisites When Using Appium
Before you get started with Appium, you are required to install a few of the below-listed applications to work efficiently with Appium.
Android SDK
Java Development Kit
Eclipse
TestNG for Eclipse
Selenium Server
Appium Client Library
APK App Info on Google Play
Appium Desktop
Limitations of Using Appium
The most significant limiting factor of using Appium would be its inability to synchronise with AUT accurately. To put it simple words, while the automation tests are running, it may take some time for the action to complete. It may be waiting for some element to load or get ready so that the user can move forward to the next step. However, Appium doesn’t handle this situation diligently. One could put a “wait command” to overcome this delay. Nonetheless, this cannot act as a permanent solution and can turn your automation test to run slowly. Tools like Espresso and EarlyGrey could efficiently take care of situations like this.
Again, Appium is quite a tough tool to handle when you are a complete beginner in the process. You will also require a Mac system to run iOS tests, and iOS apps cannot be automated on Windows or Linux systems. This is due to the reason that Appium requires Xcode for iOS automation which is Mac-only at present.
Appium can again be a tough nut to crack when users look at it from the scalability perspective. Due to the technical limitations, users can only execute one test at a time Mac. This can be a great set back when buying Mac and buying multiple Macs to solve the situation can prove to be costly. Nonetheless, the only way to address this issue is to take aid from mobile cloud services such as SauceLabs.
Click on the below link to watch the tutorial for testing iOS apps with Appium. The video includes tutorials for setting up Appium on your device to writing the first test on OS X
Automating mobile application using Appium Selenium
Manual testing has become obsolete these days because it leads to more number of resources per task and increases cost per project. Automating regression and functional suites and tests with the help of Selenium and the WebDriver API is a good choice to reduce manual intervention and the cost associated. Selenium supports multiple programming languages like Java, Python, and Ruby and C #
Selenium has support of some of the largest browser vendors like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari. Thus, Selenium is considered as one of the most preferred open source tools for automation testing. Now, let us delve into more detail how the website and web apps can be automated using Selenium.
How To Start With Selenium
First, you need to analyze the application you want to automate. Next, you should know whether you want to do it with record and play or writing robust, browser-based regression automation suites and tests.
If you don’t need a full-fledged framework and if the tests which you want to automate are quite simple then you can go for record and play feature of Selenium IDE. It is implemented as Chrome and Firefox Extension. It has intelligent field selection which can identify an element using ID, Class and Xpath.
You can even debug and set breakpoints. You can put all test cases in single project file which contains all test cases and suites. It is very easy to learn as selenese commands are quite simple and the best thing is that you can do it easily without having any programming knowledge.
Selenium RC can also be used for writing automated web application tests. You can write test in any programming language against any HTTP website using any JavaScript enabled browser. It comes in two parts. One is the server which automatically launches the browser and kills them. It also acts as a HTTP Proxy for web request from them.
Second are the client libraries. It can be used for AJAX based web user interfaces and for some new browser which gets launched in market. It is getting deprecated with the advent of selenium Web driver which eliminated the need of the server which acts as an intermediate between Browser and Java Client.
Selenium Web Driver is the most powerful tool of Selenium. It is extended version of Selenium RC. Web driver has given its support to many browsers like Opera, Safari, Chrome and Internet Explorer. Unlike Selenium RC, it don’t need server to be started prior to the execution. Selenium RC + Web driver API is combined known as Selenium 2.0. It can handle dynamic Web Pages and Ajax calls. Web driver makes direct calls to the Browser and the entire test script is executed using browser’s support and capabilities. Its speed of executing test cases against any browser is very fast as compared to Selenium RC and IDE.
With Web Driver you can deal with complex type of web elements like check boxes, drop downs and alerts. It can handle ajax calls and can switch between windows.
Now we will see how we can get started with seven basic steps of automating one application or web app. Before that you should have downloaded selenium jars and add them into your project’s build path.
Creating WebDriver Instance:
You need to create Webdriver instance. You can make a reference of WebDriver and you can have child object of its implementation classes like GoogleChrome, Internet Explorer or others.
WebDriver driver= new FirefoxDriver();
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
WebDriver driver = new InternetExplorerDriver();
Also, keep in mind that if you are using ChromeDriver and InternetExplorerDriver then you need to set path for their executable file with the help of System.setproperty.
After making instance of webdriver now it is time to actually open the web application which you want to test. You can navigate to webdriver using get or navigate.to.URL() function.
driver. get(“URL”); // This will land you to our webpage which you want to test.
Locate an HTML Element on Webpage:
After you have landed on the webpage you can now interact with the webpage using HTML elements. There are many locators which you can use to find out the elements. They are name, class name, Xpath, CSS and ID. You can take help of firebug or developer tools to find out your desired element.
WebElement login = driver.findElement(By.id(“”)); // one example of locator
Perform an Action on WebElement :
When you have found web element, now comes turn to do some action on it. For example if it is username you can enter words from keyboard and if it is login button, you simply have to click on that.
username.sendKeys(“”); // for sending input from keyboard to username textbox
login.click(); // for clicking on login button
Anticipate The Browser Response to the Action:
Browser takes some time to actually load the page. You should have some default time wait for all the web elements till the life time of driver instance. This can be done by implicit wait in Selenium.
This time would be applicable for all web elements. But sometimes there is a situation when only one element takes longer time to load then in such cases you can use explicit wait.
You can have N number of conditions with wait object.
Close Browser Session
You can close the browser the required test is performed.
driver.close(); // will close the current session
Run Tests and Record Test Results Using a Test Framework
Whatever I have explained till now will help you to run a single test. You can even maintain a framework to run test suites with beautiful report generation. You can take help of Maven, POM and Test NG to make such a robust framework.
In this way, you will be able to run your test against any web application and web apps. Web Driver is very powerful amongst all selenium tools so, go for it. Learn some programming language and dwindle your manual efforts!!
Do you have to deal with your extremely slow application/server every day? Has your latest feature undergone a degradation or memory leak? The only way to verify whether your application is performing well or not is to do a regular check.
However, how do you know which tool to choose and which not to? Through this post, we will take a look at the leading open-source sources for load and performance testing.
Sauce Labs
Sauce Labs is pretty popular among these days and runs over a million cloud-based tests every day. This automated mobile app testing covers over 800 different browsers to ensure bug-free user environment. Furthermore, the testing cloud runs tests in parallel and isn’t time-consuming at all. It can accommodate even the largest testing volume within the shortest possible time.
TestComplete
With TestComplete, it is now possible to run repeated UI tests across native and hybrid mobile apps. TestComplete is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, and it is possible to create automated test scripts or choose from programming languages including Python, VBScript, and JavaScript.
Calabash
Calabash is used to perform automated functional testing for native mobile apps. It comes with two open-source libraries for both Android and iOS devices. It can also provide APIs for touch screening experiences and works well with Ruby, NET, Java, and many other programming languages.
WebLoad
WebLoad is currently available in around 50 virtual users and is 100% free to use. It enables you to do a stress test to let you know of the device’s performance. The tool also comes with an application that helps in recording scripts directly from a mobile device
Kobiton
Kobiton provides access to devices for running manual and automated test. This mobile device cloud platform is built on top of the Appium open-source framework and could be used to test across devices without script modifications. The main feature of the tool includes commands, screenshots, faster identification, and automatically generated activity logs.
SeeTest Continuous Testing Platform
The SeeTest Continuous Testing Platform enables continuous testing of mobile applications to boost release cycles and increase quality. The tool continuously tests all types of mobile apps under real end-user conditions. To provide rapid feedback, and to speed up the release cycles, the tests are run in parallel on numerous devices.
Appium Studio
This free toll benefits the user in a multitude of ways. The main benefits include the ease of writing and recording tests using device reflection, Object Spy, and unique XPath. The tool even features running tests outside your application including audio features, barcode scanning, TouchID, and more.
MonkeyTalk
MonkeyTalk is an open-source tool that is built out of three components – IDE, Scripts, and Agents. Everything from simple “Smoke Tests” to tough data-driven tests could be done using MonkeyTalk which works well on both Android and iOS devices.
UI Automator
This open-source run tests only across Android devices. The tests are run using automated functional test cases, and UI Automator framework is built using the scripts written in JavaScript.
iOS Driver
As the name suggests, the tool is compatible only with iOS devices. Previously, the tool used to run rather efficiently on emulators than devices. But the recent versions run on devices as well as a much slower rate than on emulators. There is no requirement to change the app code or load any additional app for testing your mobile device performance, as the tool comes with in-built applications.
Robotium
Robotium is yet another tool that works only on Android devices. The test automation framework does its job well on both native and hybrid apps. Alongside, the tool also allows the user to write function, test scenarios, and systems.
Selendroid
Explicitly designed for Selenium and Android UI testing, the open-source framework of this application interacts with emulators and multiple devices simultaneously. The test ought to be written via Selenium 2 client API, and the test code is based on Selenium 2 and WebDriver API.
KeepItFunctional
KeepItFunctional keeps your iOS device functional by running test to make sure that your device performs its best. The open-source framework allows amble automation testing of iOS apps.
Egg Plant
Developed by Test Plant, eggplant is a commercial GUI automation testing product used for both Android and iOS app testing. The tool is useful for image-based testing, network testing, mobile testing, and cross-browser testing.
Ranorex
Ranorex is used to test both web-based and mobile applications. Ranorex supports a wide array of tests including acceptance test, data-driven test, cross-device tests, automation tests, web tests and more. Nonetheless, Ranorex is mainly used to run functional tests on native iOS apps, and mobile apps.
Silk Mobile
This automated functional testing tool is the brainchild of Borland. The tool supports testing almost all operating systems including Android, iOS, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, and HTML 5. Silk Mobile also features a visual scripting and advanced scripting mode which can be altered based on the organisation’s requirements.
SOASTA TouchTest
Launched by SOASTA, this functional testing tool aids in continuous testing for both native and hybrid apps. The tool helps in boosting your device’s performance after speeding up the mobile testing on both open-source and commercial platforms.
Testdroid
Testdroid includes a set of mobile software development and testing products that are developed by Bitbar Technologies Limited. The tool helps in amble testing of mobile apps with automation and manual testing.
TestFairy
This Beta Testing platform for mobile apps helps to perform testing with an additional feature of video recording in case of both Android and iOS apps. TestFairy is a free mobile testing tool that comes with open-source plugins and API.
Frank
Frank is presently the only test framework that features integration of Cucumber and JSON. The tool helps the user to write structures acceptance tests and requirements. The tool makes it easy for the user to work with the tool without having to make any modification to the app code.
With so many choices, choosing the right mobile testing app for your device can be a hectic task. With the above list, you would be able to find the one tool that suits your need.
Testing is critical to every business function, but testing is a huge umbrella. One needs to understand the different types of testing available and then decide what is best suited for their application. One of the broadest classifications of testing is functional and non-functional testing. In this section, we will discuss more of these two types of testing and how they are different from one another. Context of the blog
1. what is functional testing?
Just as the name suggests, functional testing is done to verify the functionality of the Application Under Test (AUT). At the beginning of any software project, there is a stakeholder meeting to discuss the requirements of the application. These requirements are discussed, brainstormed, documented, and then signed off. This document then serves as a guideline for application development.
The main aim of any functional testing is to ensure, everything documented in the specifications document is implemented as expected. Quality in terms of functional testing is getting the expected result after every transaction. The accuracy of the result or output is the checkpoint for every functional test case. A detailed functional testing plan is driven by a testing matrix wherein each requirement is mapped to one or more functional test cases and verification points. 2. What is non-functional testing?
Non-functional testing concentrates on the aspects of testing that are not directly related to the functionality of the application. Some of the most points that are tested under non-functional testing are the usability of the application, the ease of navigation, time is taken to move between screens or pages, the performance of the application under load or stress.
Many people make the mistake of ignoring non-functional requirements, this can sometimes lead to the failure of the application or product as well. Instead, they should make it a point to capture and document these requirements as well. These are popularly known as the NFR’s (Non-Functional Requirements). Both functional and non-functional requirements are equally important and need to be thoroughly tested for the success of the application. 3. Types of Functional Testing White Box Testing: Includes testing the internal structure of the system code
Unit Testing: Identify bugs and errors right from the start of the development life cycle.
Smoke Testing and Sanity Testing: Compare the system with specifications to make sure it’s functioning accordingly
Integration Testing: Test individual software components to verify the interaction between various interfaces
Non-Functional Testing Involves Following Sub-Types of Testing’:
Compatibility Testing: Performed to ensure compatibility of a system, application, or website
Configuration Testing: Testing an application with multiple combinations of software and hardware to find out the optimal configurations
Load Testing: Determine a system’s behavior under both normal and anticipated peak load conditions.
Performance Testing: Evaluating the quality or capability of a product.
Recovery Testing: Determine how quickly the system can recover after it has gone through a system crash or hardware failure
Security Testing: Determine if an information system protects data and maintains functionality
Scalability Testing: Measure its capability to scale up or scale out in terms of any of its non-functional capability.
Stress Testing: Stretches software to its limits and checks its durability.
4. Functional Testing Strategies
For functional testing, the test strategies are attained using automated and manual tools. The widely used functional testing method includes black-box testing, where the tester isn’t required to test the internal source code, but validates the system using valid and invalid inputs.
All functional tests like, API testing, unit testing, Boundary value analysis, etc., have a specific output that has an expected output. After entering valid data, the system should work as intended. Functional tests are scripted with pass and fail criteria.
The tests conducted under this require more creativity and technical expertise compared to the functional ones. This is because you are developing a product keeping the end-user workflow in mind, rather than what input gives what output.
While some non-functional tests can be defined through fail and pass criteria, many tests are more objective and require the opinion of the testing team.
Therefore non-functional tests are written in measurable and quantifiable ways wherever needed. Having good communication and requirement gathering from the client is essential when you perform testing.
5. Difference Between Functional and non-functional Testing
S No.
Criterion
Functional Testing
Non Functional Testing
1
What is tested?
The functionality of the application is tested by verifying each of the functional requirements as documented in the SRS (Software Requirement Specification)
The NFR or the Non-Functional Requirements are tested here with more weightage on usability and ease of use for the customers.
2
How is it performed?
It can be done both manually and using automation tools
In most cases, we need a tool to simulate the scenarios for this type of testing
3
What is validated?
The functionality of the application is verified against the set guidelines
The performance of the application is validated under different situations.
4
Example
On the login screen, once the user enters his username and password, he should be able to successfully navigate to the next screen in the application
On the login screen, once the user enters his username and password, he should be able to successfully navigate to the next screen in the application within “X” seconds. This “X” should be documented in the NFR document. So, if X is 6 sec, the user being able to log in at the 7th second would be considered as a failure.
5
Sequence
Once the application development is completed, the functional testing can be module by module or even with respect to functionalities.
It is normally done after the functional testing is completed for the entire application. It can be done along with the integration testing also.
6
Types of testing
1. Unit Testing
2. Smoke Testing
3. Regression Testing
4. Integration Testing
5. User Acceptance Testing
It is done to validate the application and how it behaves
It is done to validate the performance of the application under different sets of conditions and scenarios
8
Source of the requirements
The functional requirements are provided by the app owners and signed off before the start of the development activity
Voice of Customer and the surveys related to how similar applications perform in the market are taken as the ballpark measure for the non-functional requirements
9
Ease of defining checkpoints
Functional testing checkpoints are easy to define. For example, if you have a login screen, you enter the correct credentials and hit the login button, it should take you to the next page.
The NFR checkpoints are difficult to describe. For example, in different instances login may take 4 sec, 6 sec, 8 sec, or 10 sec. It is difficult to decide which is the failure case in this.
10
Ease of execution
Functional tests are very straightforward and easy to execute. If there are well-defined test cases available, then in most cases even a non-tester would be able to perform the functional testing by following the test case document
Running the non-functional tests needs a deep understanding of the scenarios and how to set them up. It requires special skills and cannot be performed by non-testers
6. Conclusion
Both functional and non-functional testing is very important for rolling out a quality product or application to the market. It is the responsibility of the stakeholders to ensure both these types of testing are done exhaustively before the product or application reaches the customers.
The success of the application or software product is directly related to its quality. And the best quality can be achieved only by conducting both functional and non-functional testing.
Developers require load testing tools to promptly hunt down bugs and performance problems to make things operate easily. The tools guarantee an application performance is optimized and maximized during peak traffic and severe stress situations.
The Free and Commercial Top 23 Load Testing Tools are as follows:
1. Apache JMeter
A pure Java, open source application utilized to test performance on both dynamic and static resources.
Simulates heavy loads on groups of servers, individual servers, networks, or objects to examine the strength and analyze execution under various load types.
Applied to test web apps, FTP, SOAP & REST web services, databases etc.
Several commercial tools support JMeter
2. WebLOAD
The tool of choice for enterprises with heavy user load and complex testing requirements.
It’s flexible and easyto use.
Enable you to instantlyspecify the tests you require with features such as automatic correlation, DOM-based recording/playback, and JavaScript scripting language.
Supports technologies – from enterprise applications to web protocols.
Has built-in integration with Selenium, Jenkins, and many more.
3. Tsung
A free open source software launched under GPLv2 licensefor performance testing that works on multiple protocols.
Utilized to accentuate HTTP, WebDAV, LDAP, MySQL and various other servers.
Many IP addresses are opened on one device employing their OS IP Aliasing.
Response time can be estimated while loading by producing HTML reports.
4. NeoLoad
An innovative load testing tool created to 10X times faster automate test design, analysis, and maintenance for DevOps and Agile teams.
Integration with CI servers for motorized test runtime.
Analyses user paths to detect newer path versions to evade flaws.
5. Rational Performance Tester
Developed by IBM Corporation which is performance test production, and analysis tool.
Supports development team to approve the reliability and scalability of web-based platforms before deployment into the formulation.
Event and scheduled based testing.
No coding needed.
Real-time reporting for instant execution problem identification.
6. Loadster
A desktop-based high-level HTTP load testing tool.
The web browser can be utilized to record the easy to use scripts.
Using the GUI you can even transform the basic script with powerful variables to verify the response.
HTML report is created to analyze the performance of your application.
Best to detect the execution bottlenecks in the application.
7. Appvance
The first consolidated software test automation tool which reduces the redundancies built by old siloed QA tools that hinder DevOps teams.
Detects bugs the user would notice on their browsers and mobile applications.
Incorporates a different level of regularity in their record and perform script production.
Data-driven is possible for whatever language you use.
8. Cloud Test
A cloud-based load testing tool which fast-tracks load testing scenario and works with speed that is affordable and scalable.
Analyze and control the performance of mobile apps, web applications, and APIs.
Extricate the report in your preferred format to locate the system’s performance loopholes.
9. Load Impact
An on-demand and automatic performance testing tool for DevOps.
Fairly efficient for testing any protocol- a web app or API or mobile app or website.
Offers a powerful Lua scripting setting permitting you to generate complex or simple API scenarios.
Correlates you with performance trending analytics and reports via webhook
10. Grinder
A load testing system accessible under the BSD-style open-source license that too for free, operating on Java platform.
Simple to operate a distributed test which can be done by utilizing multiple load injector machines.
Pre-built Java libraries with a wide range of protocols and frameworks are possible.
Test scripts can be written in Jython and Clojure.
11. Load UI Pro
LoadUI Pro by Smartbear lets you instantly generate script-less complicated load tests, publish them on the cloud utilizing load agents and control server’s performance on increasing the load on them.
Enables reuse of subsisting SoapUI Pro functional tests.
Preconfigured test templates such as baseline, spike, stress, and smoke.
12. Httperf
An open Source HTTP load generator for regulating web server performance promoting the construction of both micro and macro- level benchmarks.
Creates and maintains server overloads.
Tests standard HTTP payload of the application.
13. Gatling
Open-source framework created using Scala, Akka&Netty.
Creates precise results that can be observed progressively and can be exported later for review.
Drastically diminishes the debugging time period.
14. WAPT
An affordable, simple-to-use stress and load testing tool.
Can test any website comprising of mobile sites, web portals, and business applications.
15. HPE Load Runner
An end-to-end framework performance to recognize and resolve problems before application launch.
Sustains wide array of applications to reduce skill and time.
Consolidates with development tools like jUnit, IDE etc.
16. Testing Anywhere
An automated testing tool with built-in intelligence to test the execution of any web application, website, or other objects.
