FitNesse Testing vs Selenium Testing, Which is Better & Why?

Posted on November 1, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Programming and development of a software product is not an end of the entire task.
It is rather the beginning of the journey that concludes with the delivery of the best quality product.
Although, innovations and improvisations continue to occur even after the delivery, there is one step that certainly forms to be an integral part of all these steps – testing.
Testing or software testing is one such step that helps ensure that the product developed and delivered in the market is as per to the set quality standards.
It can be done in a number of ways based on the product’s requirements, type and other specifications.
Two of the most commonly used ones are FitNesse testing and Selenium testing.
FitNesse Testing
FitNesse is a commonly used and accepted testing framework that allows testers, developers and customers to join together to create the test cases.

This type of testing allows testers to use their preferred software’s functionality to create test cases.
The test cases created can then be documented in the form of testable code so as to run the tests as well as get results.
Comparing the actual functionality of the software with customer requirements makes it easier to ensure the delivery of better performing software.
The best aspect of this type of testing is that it can be used easily even by a non-technical professional.
The installation of FitNesse testing framework is easy. If required, one can also write and execute FitNesse tests via the browser.
This framework is available with its own version control and can be shared among multiple team members.
An active developer and user community make it easier to use this open source tool.
One can also design automated test cases that provide ease of maintenance. The framework is also highly flexible as it allows one to use other testing tools such as GUI drivers.
Selenium Testing
Selenium is a popular open-source web automation framework, which is used to test only web-based applications. This framework can record the inputs entered by the user and automating a web browser using a script code.

Also Read: Selenium 4: New Features and Updates

Selenium can be used easily by anyone who possesses a basic knowledge and understanding of Java or any other object-oriented language. This framework is capable of functioning across different web browsers and operating systems (OS).
Selenium consists of four major parts that include:

Selenium Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Implemented as a Firefox extension, Selenium IDE allows the testers to record, test and debug the tests.
Selenium Remote Control (RC): Capable of creating more complex tasks using programming languages such as Java, C# and PHP, Selenium RC allows the execution of more than simple browser actions.
Selenium WebDriver: A substitute of Selenium RC, Selenium WebDriver sends the commands directly to the web browser as well as retrieve results. Selenium-WebDriver can better support dynamic web pages even when the elements of a particular page change without the page itself being reloaded.
Selenium Grid: This is, in fact, the best tool available to execute testing in minimum span of time. Using Selenium Grid allows the testers to execute multiple tests in parallel across different machines and browsers, hence, in turn, resulting in minimum execution time.

Making a choice between FitNesse and Selenium Testing
Using FitNesse or Selenium framework is recommended in different scenarios.
One is advised to use Selenium framework for testing when the customers have not yet got involved in the testing process or the codes written can only be understood by the developer or tester engaged in writing the these cases.
FitNesse framework should be used when the individuals involved in automation testing have limited technical knowledge.
It should also be preferred over Selenium when the main focus is on creating such test cases that are easy to comprehend.
Some other situations when FitNesse should be used are when the team is on a lookout of receiving immediate feedback from end user or the test cases are to be presented in a user-friendly manner such as table.

At times, it is also recommended to use both the technologies in a combined manner. For instance, using FitNesse to present the data in tabular form and then, connecting the same to the Selenium using another bridge technology called Selenesse.
Conclusion
At the end, it is apt to say that there is no one framework that one should rely upon. While Selenium is suitable to be used for automating the web user interface, FitNesse allows one to create such test cases that can be easily understood by the customers.
There is no technology to rely upon as each of these is significant. Choosing the best on the basis of the current situation is what allows one to make the best use of these technologies.

What’s the Difference Between Alpha and Beta Testing: When to use them?

Posted on September 19, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Alpha and beta testing might be confusing when it comes to explaining it, but the clear distance would be

Alpha testing is done before product release to find out issues it can have once it reaches the user. It’s a kind of user acceptance testing where a group of people will be given access to an early version and their reaction to the software will be recorded via video and questionnaire

Beta Testing on the other hand is testing the software after deployment. The Beta version of the software will be released in the AppStore itself and limited users who have signed up for beta testing will get access to the app.

Phases of Alpha and Beta Testing

Phases of Alpha testing

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma tests are usually done for product-oriented companies.

Pre-Alpha:- During this phase the software is in a prototype form. Though the UI is complete, all other features might still be incomplete.
Alpha: During this phase, the Software is close to the development, and internal testing for bugs and flaws begins.
Beta: During this phase, the software is released to a certain user base known as beta testers to collect their reviews and feedback and then Amend the software based on that feedback.
Gamma: After Beta Testing the changes are made to the software and the software is tested for any bugs or flaws. No major changes are made in the functionality of the software during this phase, rather software is checked for bugs and they are corrected.
Release: If everything goes well, the software is released to the public.

Alpha Testing

Alpha testing is a type of internal testing performed for Commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) by a highly-skilled group of testers and engineers at the developing site to find bugs that were initially not found.

This dedicated team observes the behavior and notes the product down the differences.

It usually involves testing the product by imitating the real user environment by carrying out tasks that an actual user might perform.

Once the software passes the alpha test, it is considered fit to be used for the next phase, i.e. beta testing.

The term ‘alpha’ can be differentiated based on the projects it is used for.

In the case of a web application, alpha testing can be interpreted as an online application that has access via personal invitation, to gather initial feedback from the users for improvement and bugs.

Pros of Alpha Testing

Primarily used as usability testing which is done by internal developers who develop the app or by the testers
Critical issues or fixes can be addressed by developers immediately in Alpha testing
This is one of the fast ways of getting approval from the customer before proceeding with the process of delivery
Any major or minor changes, which might have been missed in the requirement gathering phase, can be fixed at this stage itself

Cons of Alpha Testing

Data presented by the customer usually doesn’t represent the actual data. Data created by testers/team might need a pre-approval from the customer
Since alpha testing is just the usability testing, reliability and security are not performed
The key users of the system deployed by the customer might not be the actual system users in reality and may be unaware of the working of it

Beta Testing

Beta-testing basically deals with imitating the end-users input to ensure release readiness.

It’s considered the last stage of testing and includes distributing the products to beta test sites and individual users.

Some other tests may also include testing a free trial of the product downloaded from the internet.

The product is then tested by users in real-time to find bugs that are left to be fixed. It is also used to determine the quality of the product.

Beta testing also includes many sub-tests if required, for some software, particularly for PC games.

These tests are known as Open beta tests and closed beta tests.

The closed beta test is followed immediately after the alpha test ends and is limited to only a few selected beta testers.

The latter which includes testing by the general public is then known as the open test.

Pros of beta testing

This testing helps in identifying the gaps between the actual implementation and the requirement gathering. This may add/remove a few requirements
Any requirement which may not have been captured initially in the contract is worked upon thereby reducing the product failure risk via customer validation
The Beta test ensures the application runs in a real business environment with live data
The after-sales service requirements may be identified in beta testing. Any support required for future implementation can be understood and arranged accordingly

Cons of Beta testing

Finding the correct beta tester or a group of testers can sometimes be difficult
Since the testing is carried out in a real-time environment, you cannot have any control over the testing mechanism

Gamma Testing
Many of us have been turning around the term ‘Gamma’ thinking about its importance.

It is the third and final testing phase just before the release of the app.

Since being the final phase of the testing, Gamma does not include any enhancements and changes to be made to the product, only the part of the code that is wicked or tends to affect the performance of the product can be changed.

It validates the performance and functionality of the product making sure the product is completely ready for use by the end-user.

Pros of Gamma testing

You can be assured of the safety and functionality of your application just before its market release. It does not bring any chance of modification and changes unless the identified bug is of high importance.
This testing is done directly without any in-house testing being repeated. Hence, saves a lot of time
You can be well sure about the readiness of the application, fulfilling all the requirements stated by the customer

Cons of Gamma testing

There is very limited scope for the team to update or change the code, and if there is any, it might hamper the performance of the application
Due to heavy deadlines, increasing pressure, and shorter development cycles, many organizations tend to skip the Gamma testing phase

Phases of Testing

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma tests are usually done for product-oriented companies.

Pre-Alpha:- During this phase the software is in a prototype form. Though the UI is complete, all other features might still be incomplete.
Alpha: During this phase, the Software is close to the development, and internal testing for bugs and flaws begins.
Beta: During this phase, the software is released to a certain user base known as beta testers to collect their reviews and feedback and then Amend the software based on that feedback.
Gamma: After Beta Testing the changes are made to the software and the software is tested for any bugs or flaws. No major changes are made in the functionality of the software during this phase, rather the software is checked for bugs and they are corrected.
Release: If everything goes well, the software is released to the public.

Difference Between Alpha Testing And Gamma Testing

	Alpha	Beta	Gamma
Why is it done	End to end testing of the software, make sure the software is ready for beta testing	Beta Testing is done to ensure that the software is ready to be released to the market	Gamma testing test the software for some particular requirements
When is it done	Alpha Testing is done at the end of the development phase	Beta Testing is done after Alpha Testing	Gamma testing is done after Beta Testing
Who does it	In house development or testing team	Beta testers who are a group of end-users conduct Beta testing	Gamma testing is done by a limited number of end-users with limited features and use
Result	Alpha Testing detects the bugs, flaws, missing features in the software	It is done to improve the functionality, usability, and compatibility of the software	It gives assurance to the software that all specified requirements are met
Next step	Beta Testing	Gamma Testing	Final release

Care to see an infographic about the difference between alpha and beta testing?
Entry and exit criteria for Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Testing
Entry Criteria for Alpha testing:

Software requirements document
Complete list of Test Cases
Testing Team
Test Lab environment setup
Ready QA Build
Test Management tool
Traceability Matrix

Exit Criteria for Alpha testing:

Execution of all the test cases and their pass status.
Completed Test summary report
Severity issues fixed and closed
Sign off document

Entry Criteria for Beta Testing:

Alpha Testing Sign off document
Completed Beta version of the software
Test Environment for Beta testers
Real-time fault catching tools
A team of Beta testers

Exit Criteria for Beta Testing:

All issues should be fixed
Beta tester’s Feedback report
Beta testing summary report

Entry Criteria for Gamma Testing:

Beta testing summary report
Software is ready for public release
Software fulfills all its requirements for the Public Release

Exit Criteria for Gamma Testing

Software is ready for market release
No critical bug is detected in the software
Software fulfills all the specified requirements

Conclusion

Alpha and beta testing are very important when it comes to software engineering. So next time, don’t forget to do your homework about alpha, beta, and gamma testing for improved software quality.

Difference Between Selenium RC and Webdriver

Posted on August 29, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Testing is an integral part of any product’s development. Therefore, it is important for every organization to have a stringent quality testing strategy and framework that helps it ensure the best quality of its products. While a number of software are already present in different frameworks in the market, Selenium is one of the most preferred one.

Selenium is defined as a portable software-testing framework that can be used for web applications. It can be used for authoring tests without the need to learn scripting language Selenium IDE and test domain-Selenese to write tests in a number of popular programming languages, including C#, Groovy, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby and Scala. These tests can used to execute against different-or latest web browsers.
A user can use selenium on Windows, Linux, and OS X platforms as well. It is an open-source software, released under the Apache 2.0 license and is available for free for downloading.

Selenium includes a number of components and each of these have a specific function to perform development of web application test automation. Some of the common components are Selenium IDE (integrated development environment), Selenium client API, Selenium RC (Remote Control), Selenium WebDriver and Selenium Grid.
Difference Between Selenium RC and Webdriver
While it is true that Selenium WebDriver python test automation framework is a successor of Selenium RC, there are still a number of similarities as well as differences between the two. This article can help you develop a better understanding about the same and help you avoid any sort of confusion between the two.

Browsers

Both these tools can be used on different browsers such as, Firefox, IE, Chrome, Safari, Opera and others.

Recording and playback

Whether a user is using RC or WebDriver, it is possible for him/her to record as well as playback the execution of a test.

Executing test script

While RC requires one to start server again before executing the test script, the same is not a mandate in case of WebDriver.

Type of program

RC is a separate java program that allow a user execute HTML test suites. Whereas WebDriver is a programming interface which is available in multiple languages.

Platform for interaction

RC server executes the test as JavaScript commands whereas WebDriver performs on Selenium commands and a browser.

API

The API (Application Programming Interface) of RC is easy and small. But these contain a lot of redundancies and a lot of confusing commands. Various browsers interpret commands differently.
On the other hand, the API of WebDriver is large and a bit complex. These are also simple to comprehend and do not contain any sort of redundancy or confusing commands.

Object-oriented

Selenium RC’s are not much object-oriented whereas Selenium WebDriver’s are completely object-oriented

App testing

One cannot test any sort of iPhone or Android application on Selenium RC whereas the same can be done using WebDriver.

XPath attachment

Selenium RC requires one to attach complete XPath whereas the same is not mandatory in case of WebDriver.

Implementation of listeners

It is not possible to implant listeners in Selenium RC whereas one can do the same with a WebDriver.

Execution speed

As compared to Selenium RC, WebDriver is faster in its execution as it is directly connected with the browser. The use of JavaScript program called Selenium Core slows down the Selenium RC’s speed.

Syntax

While the syntax of RC is quite complex, the same is simple and easy to understand in case of WebDriver.
The basic purpose behind introducing Selenium WebDriver test automation framework in the market was to deal with the problem areas of Selenium RC as well as increase the scope of testing.

It is recommended to make use of Selenium WebDriver test automation framework for testing purposes however, the same depends on one’s choice as well the requirements.

Key Differences between Test Plan, Test Scenario, Test Case, Test Strategy, Test Condition, Test Script

Posted on August 11, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Seeming and sounding so very similar to each other, below are the most commonly used terms in the software testing parlance along with their differences. All in an attempt to clarify doubts concerning these technical terms, the details of these testing techniques come under their respective headings; pairing one term with another.

Let us now look at the pairs along with the differences between them.
Test Plan and Test Strategy
First and foremost, let us focus on defining the two closely resembling terms; Test Plan and Test Strategy.
What is a Test Plan?
A test plan is a deliverable, enlisting all the activities that make up a complete Quality Assurance project. It is a plan that is chalked out by a testing lead or test manager. The plan is a record of the various testing activities supported by their schedules. Included in this exhaustive document are all the details which answer questions centering around “what”, “when”, “how” and “who”.
The Test Plan which emerges as part of the Software Requirement Specification (SRS), clearly indicates what should be tested, when should the test be run, how should the test be conducted and who will be the tester responsible to carry out the test.
Components of a Test Plan:

Every test comes with a unique ID. The test plan is a super document that defines the Test Plan ID
Indicating the type of test environment that is required to run certain tests, a test plan clearly spells out such details along with a list of all the features that will and won’t be tested
The test plan clearly indicates when to start a test and the point at which a test should be abandoned. Specifying the entry and exit criteria, these details help testers to deliver their testing duties as per plan
The test plan clearly point to the status of the test; whether a test case has passed or failed or not tested. Along with the results, a detailed reasoning for the same is documented
Allowing new testers to join the existing workforce, a test plan through its concise preface and introduction gives a clear “behind the scenes” picture.

What makes up a Test Strategy?
While the word plan and strategy are used interchangeably, there is a difference between them when it concerns the process of testing. While both are tagged as methods to achieve a pre-defined goal, a test plan is different from a test strategy.
A test strategy is a rough draft of the testing approach. Identified as a subset of the Test Plan, a test strategy is a high-level and static document that highlights the method of testing that will be implemented. This is derived from the Business Requirement Specification (BRS).
Components of a Test Strategy:

A test strategy enlists the scope and objectives of the test, before the actual testing procedure begins
Addressing business issues, the test strategy throws light on the budgeting requirements of the project. Clearly citing the time required for testing, the strategy highlights workforce requirements
Enlists all the various documents that should be delivered by the testing team and the manner in which the testing cycles should be conducted
The inclusion of a defect tracking tool along with the manner in which the testing team will interact with the development team is another segment of a test strategy
Training requirements concerning the use of a new or complex tool are indicated along with the details of the trainer who is ordained to conduct the training sessions
In the event the project demands automation testing, a test strategy throws light on the scripting language, the different tools that can be employed along with the reporting and coding practices that should follow

What about Test Scenario and Test Condition?
Simply put, a test scenario is a method in which an application can be tested. On the flip side, a test condition enlists all the specifications a tester should adhere to, as part of testing an application or functionality. That means, there can be multiple test conditions in a single test scenario.

If you are keen to understand the difference between these two terms, the following explanation clarifies all your doubts.

A test scenario enlists all the ways in which an application can be tested. A test condition, on the other hand is a description of the specifications that need to be followed by you as a tester of an application
A test scenario can be a collection of test cases or a single test case. Speaking of a test condition, it is the goal of a test case; a segment of a functionality that you wish to test
A test scenario comes into play when you are hard pressed for time and you are keen on testing a functionality of an application. A test condition is a part of the system that can be tested by a single test case or multiple test cases
Compartmentalizing the various aspects of a functionality can pave way for an effective test scenario. A favorable “bug-free” situation is the outcome of a good test condition
A test scenario delves on numerous possibilities. On the flip side, a test condition is all about enlisting specific details concerning testing

Test Script and Test Case
Test Script – The Detailed Story
The word “script” can be linked to a story which narrates a descriptive account of all the incidents that take place between different characters. So is the case with a test script. Tagged as a detailed description of a test, the test script includes a series of minute details of all the various actions along with data requirements that are essential to carry out the test. Typically presented in the form of a “line-by-line” description, the test script is a step-wise documentation of the manner in which the software program can be used. Details about which buttons to tap and their serial order to be able to perform a pre-defined function are enlisted.

Coming as a leading light, a test script to a new tester is a handy tool that will help him understand the product details better while also introducing him to business domain specifics. Allowing you to follow all the instructions, it is through a test script that you will be able to meet all the specifications of the test idea to complete the testing procedure.
Test Case
A test case describes a specific functionality that should be tested. It is also important to note that the test case does not include a detailed explanation of the various steps that need to be taken or the information that will come handy to complete the test. Without enlisting any mandatory pre-requisites, a test case certainly gives you a free hand. Allowing you to apply your instincts, it is through this discretion that you will be in total control of what exactly needs to be done to complete the test.
However, this freedom can be of utmost help to the testers who are conversant with the details of the software along with the risks that come with its functionalities. If a tester lacks this basic understanding, a test case may prove to be dysfunctional.