Testbytes Software

What is Integration Testing? Example included

Posted on February 3, 2016 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Integration testing is a part of software testing in which individual units are combined together and then tested as a group. It is usually done after unit testing. Integration testing is usually done to rectify the faults that occurred in interfaces and integrated units. Test drivers and test stubs can be used to assist in integration testing.

What is Integration Testing?
Integration testing is a software testing type to test the logically integrated software modules as a complete group. When software is developed it consists of various independent software modules that might be developed by different developers.
These modules might work well without any defect as an independent unit. But when they are integrated there are changes that bugs can arise while they interact with each other.
In short, their integration with one another may lead to new bugs that were otherwise not present in independent units. To detect such bugs integration testing is conducted.
The process focuses on the communication of data among different modules and is also known as ‘String Testing’, ‘I & T’ (Integration and Testing), or ‘Thread Testing’.
Examples of Integration Test Case
Integration test cases focus on interfaces & flow of data between the test modules. The focus here is integration links testing than testing module functionalities.
Let us take a website with ‘Login Page’, ‘Mailbox’ and ‘Delete emails’. Considering its testing the independent units here are integrated logically.
Let’s not focus on individual module testing rather will focus on the integration of each module with one and another.

Test Case ID	Test Case Objective	Test Case Description	Expected Result
1	Validate Login and Mailbox module interface link	Enter the required login credentials and click the Login button	Control transferred to Mail Box
2	Validate Mailbox and Delete Mails Module interface link	Select an email from the mailbox and click on delete	Chosen email sent to Deleted/Trash folder

How to do Integration testing?
We have already read about different integration testing strategies, here is how to execute integration:

Make a Tests Plan for your integration testing
Prepare Test Scenarios, Cases, and Scripts.
Execute the test Cases
Prepare a report and tell the defects to the developers.
Track and retest the defects.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 till Integration testing is successful.

Brief Description of Integration Test Plans:
The integration test plan should include:

Scopes and Out of Scopes Items.
Roles and Responsibilities of the team.
Pre-requisites if any.
Testing environment.
Risk and Mitigation Plans.

Entry and Exit Criteria of Integration Testing
Entry and exit criteria are very important
Here are they
Entry Criteria:

Unit Tested Modules
High prioritized bugs fixed and closed
complete coding and integration of all modules successfully.
Documentation of integration tests Plan, test case, scenarios.
Test Environment

Exit Criteria:

Successful execution of integration Testing
Document of executed Test Cases
High prioritized bugs fixed and closed
Technical documents
Release note

Method of Integration Testing:

Black box testing, white box testing and gray box testing methods can be used for integration testing.

Black box testing is also known as behavioral testing. In this design, the internal structure and implementation of the item being tested are not known to the tester. Such tests can be functional or non-functional. Functional testing is the most used one.
White box testing is also known as transparent box testing, code-based testing, structural testing, open box testing, clear box testing or glass box testing. In this method, design, internal structure and implementation of the item being tested are known to the tester.
Gray box testing is a type of software testing which is a combination of black-box testing and white box testing.

Read Also: Popular Software Testing Misconceptions

Approaches in Integration Testing Services:

Big Bang Approach

In this approach, all the units are combined together and tested at one go. It is usually done when the testing team receives the software as a bundle. Big Bang integration testing tests only the faults in interaction between the units.

It is usually done when the testing team receives the software as a bundle. Big Bang integration testing tests only the faults in interaction between the units.

Advantages:

More convenient for small systems

Disadvantages:

It is difficult for fault localization
Some interface link can be easily neglected
The testing team will get only less time for execution
As all modules are tested together, there will be no separate priority given for highly risky critical modules and peripheral modules

2. Incremental Approaches

Logically related two or more modules are joined together and tested.

An incremental approach can be done in two methods:

a. top-down

b. bottom-up

a. Top-Down Approach

In this approach, top-level units are tested first and then lower-level units are tested step by step. In order to stimulate lower-level units test stubs can be added. Test stubs may not be available during the initial phases.

Advantage:

Easier fault localization
The prototype can be obtained early
Design flaws of critical modules can be found and fixed

Disadvantage:

Need for several stubs
Lower level modules are tested badly

b. Bottom-up approach

Here bottom levels are tested first and then top levels are tested step by step. Here testers stimulate higher-level units which may not be available during the initial phases.

Advantage:

Easier fault localization
No time wasted for unnecessary testing of all modules

Disadvantage:

Higher probability for defect as they test critical modules at the very last moment
No possibility for an early prototype

3. Sandwich or Hybrid Approach

This approach is an integration of bottom-up and top-down approaches. Hence the advantages of top-down and bottom-up approaches can be applied here also.

You May also Like: 6 Automation Tools for iOS App Testing

Procedures to be followed for integration testing:

a. Develop the integration test plan

b. Cases, scripts and test scenarios are to be designed

c. Test cases are executed and reporting the defects

d. Defects are tracked and re-tested

e. Repeat step 3 and step 4 after the successful completion of integration testing services

Best practices for integration testing services:

Determine an acceptable integration test strategy and develop test cases and accordingly test data

Analyze the application’s architecture design and identify the critical module.

Interface design can be obtained from the architectural team and you can create test cases to verify all of the interfaces. Interface to external hardware, software application and interface to application must be tested thoroughly.

After completing the test case, the next task is to test data

While executing test cases, it is advisable not to select test data

Integration testing is one of the easiest types of software testing and is one of the crucial steps in the software development life cycle.

6 Automation Tools for iOS App Testing

Posted on January 25, 2016 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Developing application for iOS is not similar to developing an application for Android Operating System. Apple has certain guidelines that could stop the development efforts. And it will become a balancing act of developing an appropriate app and getting the Apple’s approval. There are so many advantages in developing iOS platform rather than developing the android platform. There are six iOS app testing tools that are to be mentioned if one need to know about mobile automation testing.

Below follows the top six automation tools for iOS app testing:

XCTest

One can use the framework called XCTest for the purpose of unit testing. This framework is provided by Apple. They can also maintain a good integration with integrated data environment in order to write test, run test and doing test-driven development work-flow. XCTest is the recommended testing framework when the use of Xcode5 and OCUnit got depreciated.

Read Also: 8 Must-Know iOS Testing Tips

2. User Interface Automation

There is User Interface Automation, especially for the more typical functional test or black box tests where the user is going to write code that stimulates end user navigating the app. User Interface Automation is also by Apple and is one of the apple sanctioned way of carrying out iOS app testing. For using User Interface Automation, there is the need of instruments that comes as one of the tools of Xcode. The only disadvantage of using User Interface Automation is that tests are written in Javascript which is entirely different from iOS code written in Objective-C or Swift.

3. Ocmock

It is a typical mock framework that acts like a code that leverages in a remote application program interface just like a web service. We can also use Ocmock for code which relies on user interface objects that you can’t easily represent by yourself through unit tests.

4. KIF (keep it functional)

One of the better alternatives for User Interface Automation is a tool called KIF. KIF is an abbreviation for keeping it functional. It is an open source and better than User Interface Automation. It mostly relies on accessibility labels just like User Interface Automation. While defining the application, it should be made sure that the app is accessible to people who are visually impaired. When compared to User Interface automation, KIF has certain benefits that are, one can write a test in Objective-C which supports Swift. This is not possible for User Interface automation. Also, KIF tests are executed in the same way as unit tests. Graphical User Interface based tests are much easier to execute with the help of KIF.

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5. FBSnapshotTestCase

As the name suggests, it is indeed created and maintained by Facebook. The basic function of this tool is that it allows to verify one’s User Interface code by doing visual differences between saved screenshots. One can do it in a granular level than the full screenshot. You can take little User Interface view where you will get widget on the screen. One can isolate the snapshot text case to the User interface subclass view to change anything.

6. FRANK- Behavior Driven Development for iOS

For doing end-to-end testing and to use behavior driven development and cucumber ( written using a ruby programming language), it is better to use the tool called Frank. It allows us to create acceptance tests and requirements using cucumber. Frank helps to run behavior driven development tests against our iOS app testing.

In almost every testing process, automated tests are used. Automated testing can help to exclude errors and can thus take care of omission in the test that takes place at the time of execution caused by humans. Each of the above automation tools is unique and possess certain characteristics.

Checklist for Windows Application Testing

Posted on January 14, 2016 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Software testing came to the scene in the application development industry very recently. But organizations have already realized the worth of testing and picked it up as one of the major steps amidst the entire process.

Testing is a job that requires highly talented professionals. Apps should be tested in a variety of devices that are being used at present and are still emerging in the market.

Windows App Testing focuses primarily on testing six major areas: functionality, performance, security, compatibility, regression and usability.

User interface/GUI testing: This testing ensures user –friendliness of your application.

Colors- Check whether the colors used for background, warning messages etc. are appropriate.
Graphics- Ensure the images are displayed properly. Check for alignment and size issues.
Text- The content should be error free. Check for grammar, spelling and font errors.
Instruction- On instructions, specific actions should be carried out. If you click help, the app should direct you to the help menu.
Usability- System navigation should be correct. Loading time, display sequence, broken pages etc. should be tested.

Read Also: 5 Types of Testing to Make Your Mobile Apps User Friendly

Functionality testing: Here, the app is tested whether or not it fulfills the functionality specifications.

Forms- Check the field types (numeric only, date field, e-mail specific, pop-downs etc.). Check if all mandatory fields are marked with an asterisk and errors are shown in red. There should be maximum character limits set.
Confirmation messages- Check if confirmation messages are displayed for actions such as delete, update and close.
Other Functions- Test time-out, sorting, e-mail and other available functions. Test for redirection to an error page, if any.

Performance testing: This testing ensures if the product complies with the required performance. Performance testing is not done manually but with the help of performance testing tools.

Security testing: It is performed to find out if there is any security vulnerability in your app.

Authentication- Prevent data breaches by allowing access permission only to registered users. Ask for strong username and password. Repeated failed login should trigger the alert mechanisms. Old password should not be allowed to process login.
Access permissions- There should be access permissions set to edit the software specific data stored. This will prevent unintentional security threats or data loss. The “view source code” option should be disabled.
Session management- Ensure randomly generated session IDs only are used for all authentications and there is proper session expiration.
Data transmission security- Verify whether sensitive data such as passwords, account numbers etc. are transferred under proper security protocols that promises maximum security. Ensure that the personal data as well as password of the customer is collected in the encrypted format by default.
Malicious command injection- Check for malicious SQL and XSS injection vulnerabilities and rectify them.

Recommended Read: Why Is Independent Testing Necessary?

Compatibility Testing: It is used to determine whether your windows application is compatible with the hardware, software and other elements that it should function with.

Hardware/software compatibility- You should manually test your application in various windows devices to ensure that it doesn’t showcase any compatibility problem. Ensure that all graphics, designs and functions work well.

Regression Testing: This test confirms that a recent change or modification in an existing program or code has not adversely affected any of its features. For regression testing, automation is better, since manual testing can be expensive and time-consuming.

Windows App Testing or for that matter any other mobile app testing is a daunting task as there are billions of mobile devices worldwide, featuring distinct screen sizes, network operators etc. Methodical and careful evaluation is the key to successful Windows App Testing.

The What, Why and How of Mobile Game Testing [Overview]

Posted on January 6, 2016 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

When hearing about mobile game testing, one of the immediate questions that come to your mind is, why is there such a distinction And how is mobile game testing different from a regular mobile application testing? This article will help answer some of these questions that you may have.
What is Game Testing?
Game testing is similar to a software testing process and is done for quality control of video games. The primary objective behind game testing is the detection and documentation of bugs in the game codes. A game tester needs key skills such as programming expertise, advanced problem-solving ability, a keen eye for detail and patience.
Why is it so Important?
Right from the point your prototype video game is out after production, the testing phase begins. The game developer’s role becomes reliant upon the requirements and suggestions supplied by the game tester. The job responsibilities for a game tester are mainly divided into two sections: Firstly, detection and reporting of the game defects, and then helping with its analysis and verification.
A gamer downloads your game on the first impression that it gives- either the description was so catchy or maybe there was a new irresistible element or a new way of approach being offered in your game. Once the gamer has decided to give it a try, an observant critic is also shaped within. If your game doesn’t keep the gamers spirits high as promised, it is definitely going to get thrown out. Besides uninstalling, maybe the user could give you negative ratings and reviews. So it is important that your game is tested rigorously.

With increasing number of mobile games being developed all over the world, the standards are going up continuously. There is no limit to the choices that a gamer can make. In order to compete and thrive in the market, you should take up the struggle of delivering the best possible quality products.
A good mobile game tester should also be a good mobile game player. They can use their experience in gaming to envision the perspective of other players, thus being able to rate the game better, and decide what’s best for its success.

Read Also: Is Testing Important for the Mobile Gaming Industry?

What is the Difference between Game Testing and a Regular Application Testing?
You can play a game and find out bugs, even if you are not an expert, unlike app testing but to reign over the industry, professional knowledge is inevitable. Untrained testers are just part of testing the alpha and beta releases and open user testing, which supplements the end phase testing. A game tester should master the discipline of testing in general, but at the same time should also have expertise in game testing as a separate stream.
Though there are similarities in the methods and procedures of mobile game and mobile app testing, the motives and goals behind testing both are entirely different. Mobile game testing must include both manual and automation processes. General categorization will involve the black and white box testing.
Black box testing: Black box testing is done to ensure the quality of functional aspects of the game. In this type of testing, there is no attempt to look into the internal structural elements of the game. For black box testing in games, major areas of focus under testing includes GUI, audio functionality, animations, realistic effects etc.
White box testing: White box testing is strictly the opposite of black box testing in terms of its role. The method here is used to test the appropriateness and efficiency of the internal structural elements of the game. The importance lies on testing the architectural and integration features.
Mobile Game Testing- Various Methods
The different spheres of game testing are very similar to that of application testing. Those notable in the field of game testing are the following.
Functional testing: This is undoubtedly the most common form of game testing performed. Mostly done manually, it requires you to play the game during the test process. A game tester should have a sound knowledge of game programming and game environments in order to discover the discrepancies associated with the performance. Automation is also a viable possibility in several areas of functional testing.
Performance testing: Testing tools are used in performance testing. As the name suggests, this test is carried out to ensure quality game performance. During performance testing, the key attributes tested are – speed, scalability, stability and reliability. Performance testing is usually divided into four- load testing, stress testing, soak testing and spike testing of which, load testing is more prominent for testing mobile games.
Game performance varies with the device interfaces in use. An extensive testing including all the popular mobile devices is important in confirming the success of your game among a wider audience. Poorly performing games doesn’t guarantee fluid experience for its users. Performance testing encompasses multiplayer testing, memory consumption testing, maximum load support testing etc. These tests can be automated with the help of test script simulations or real-world content.
Compatibility testing: Compatibility testing is done to test whether the game is compatible with the various device platforms and configurations. It is commonly done in two sections during the early and late beta time period of the game to reduce cost. Nevertheless, it is advised that you carry out the testing during the whole phases of development since this provides better insights into the compatibility issues that have crept within, if any.
Localization testing: This kind of testing is only applicable if your games are developed targeting the global market or other language users. Text in games such as titles, instructions etc. should be translated, reviewed and corrected by employing localized testers who have mastery over the local language where it is to be released. These tests are also done automatically but testers should be employed to proofread to ensure the accuracy and quality of the text.

Regression testing: Every time you make a change in your mobile game, another type of testing needs to be done, namely regression testing. Regression testing is really important where a client-server interaction is present and continuous changes are put into effect. Developers must confirm that these changes don’t interfere with the normal working of the game. Regression tests are only done as an automated testing.

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Some key areas to focus in game testing
During game testing you must make sure that the following areas are covered under your testing methods.
User Interface and Functionality: User interface testing ensures user –friendliness of your mobile game and the functionality testing tests whether your game fulfills the functionality specifications.
An appealing user interface is the first thing any mobile game should focus on since it is from this that the user gets the first impression about the game. It directly determines the success of your game. Even when your game upholds a great idea with effective responses, if it fails to deliver a clean and sturdy UI, the game will have a hard time hitting the mark.

Testing user interface includes checking
colors and backgrounds
menu structure and functions
screen orientation and screen resolution adjustments
proper instruction execution
usability
system navigation such as loading time and display sequences
animations and audio elements apt for your game
textual matter such as instructions and dialogue messages
font and alignment errors etc.

The functionality testing checks from elements such as the ones you find in the pop-down menus, confirmation messages and other functions such as time-out and sorting.
Graphics Performance: Graphics testing should bound testing game performance over a large number of real devices and noting the respective abnormalities. Battery consumption needs to be optimum over long hours and game responses should be satisfactory under heavy loads across all the different devices. This test helps to determine your potential game responses when working on a real device platform.
Usability, User Experience and Fun-factor: Usability and user experience testing are common to all kinds of application testing. What makes game testing different is the fun-factor testing. The motive behind playing game is purely for entertainment reasons. Therefore your games are expected to provide entertainment along with great user experience.
Assessing fun-factor needs some aesthetic sense and critical thinking. Entertainment is delivered only if all other aspects of the game work together correctly and it takes good effort to accomplish. A loading lag or frequent interruptions can badly affect the user’s experience.
Multi-Player Games: Nowadays, numerous games are multi-player oriented and includes features that promote team play. These teams may include real or virtual characters. Testing multi-player features are more challenging than testing single-player elements. In multi-player games, connectivity to the server and synchronization of game status are two new important areas that need to be addressed. There are a number of issues that demands attention with respect to multi-player gaming.
Social Integrations: This encompasses the various types of testing specifically done to games that offer social integration. Social integration is included to provide users with rich gaming experiences. It allows new features such as game status updates, friend invitations, premium gift sharing etc. Testing involves ensuring problem-free working of these features.
Security Risks: Third party codes are often used to support the general functions in a game during mobile game development to reduce the work load. But these codes can compromise security and allow data breach. Identification and rectification of open source component vulnerabilities are necessary for a risk-free gaming experience.
Maintaining Balance: Creating a balance throughout the entire game is unavoidable for its logical integrity. There should be balance in the different levels of the game. For example, levels should be arranged in increasing order of difficulty or there should be opportunities to unlock more powers in the upper levels. Ensuring balance requires knowledge of the entire game design.
Levels in the Game: In game level testing, each of the levels in your game is tested for any working problem. This is a complex and time-consuming process especially if the world is vast and 3 dimensional. Complexity increases proportionately with increase in the levels. There are automation tools available where tester bots are allowed to roam randomly throughout the world and thereby any world level defects are detected.
AI for Game Opponents: Artificial intelligence refers to the computer-controlled counterparts in your games. This is a complicated task and it requires the tester to understand what activates the system for a particular response. Chess is a typical example where an artificially intelligent counterpart is employed.
Physics Engines: Real-time physics engines are widely used in games, especially in 3-dimensional video games to simulate the physical phenomenon, interactions and dynamics of physical entities. The simulation needs to be only approximate which gives a perceptually real representation of an object or a movement rather than being physically accurate. A bullet shot or a combat should show the likeness of a real world happening.

Nowadays, soft body dynamics and fluid dynamics are used in games to give effect to clothes, leaves, fluid motion and the like apart from using rigid body dynamics for objects like rocks and building. Testers working with physics engines must have a basic idea of the physical attributes of different objects and the various dynamics in the physical world.

Realistic Games: With the progress in various mobile device performance delivered by high power processors and better quality graphics hardware, video games now tends towards being more of real-world representations. Racing games features models of original cars and there are other games where characters are more life-like with minute details given to even the movement of hair.

Apart from graphics quality, realism is achieved by providing the right perceptional approximations, cause and effect relationship, right emotional expressions to characters etc.

Testing virtual reality requires hard work and subject knowledge. An understanding of the respective field is important for the game tester, for e.g. weapon techniques, component specific operations, vehicle controls, animal behaviors and instincts etc.

Mobile gaming testing is a vast area, and as mobile gaming becomes more mainstream, proper testing can make or break your fortune. So, try to find the right game testers for your mobile gaming app.

Popular Software Testing Misconceptions

Posted on December 3, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Software Testing is an important and inevitable part of the software industry. Even then, it is a field that is filled with myths, misconceptions, and a whole lot of false beliefs. These myths are about Software Testing and Software Tester as a whole. Every person in the industry, including a Software Tester, believes in a few things that are not actually true. When these misconceptions start spreading among the management, it becomes a serious issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

A number of expectations are put on a Software Tester, and a number of them are not actually realisable. Moreover, they are not given the due respect and importance they deserve. Here are a few common myths and misconceptions regarding the field of Software Testing Services that need to be get rid of:

Software Testing Requires no Brains

Yes, many people do actually believe that software testing is a mundane and no brainer job that can be taken up by any person. Well, the irony is that even testers feel this at times. Testing is a job that can get too boring, monotonous, and mechanical, but only if you are not doing it right! People believe that they are doing the same things over and over again, and start getting bored with their testing job. Well, it is just a belief.
If you consider Software Testing to be boring, then every other job like web designing, programming, accounting, banking, analysis, and everything else would be boring right? Why jobs, even daily tasks like eating, sleeping, and socialising are boring. If you consider the part of repetition, then this holds true for everything you do in life. But we do not stop at that, right. We do continue eating and sleeping the same way all through our lives.
A good Software Tester has the ability to look at his job in a creative manner. He finds it a way to gather information through activities done to explore and discover answers to questions that no one has ever asked before. His job is not just finding bugs and flaws in the software. The software in hand needs to be studied, explored, observed, and analyzed completely for you to be able to evaluate it. This is definitely not boring!
The job of a Software Tester is not boring. You just need to change the way you are testing. An all new approach to test, think, and devise test ideas will make you love your job once again. Give it a try.

A Tester can test Anything

A tester will be able to test everything in hand only if you provide the resources, infrastructure, time, budget, and everything else indefinitely. It is totally foolish on your part if you expect a Software Tester or a Software Testing team to be able to test all the test scenarios with a limited amount of resources in the given time frame. A good tester makes it a point to prioritise the requirements and build test scenarios that are critical at present. But, testing all these test scenarios is not a possible task. The myth that testing will deliver a 100% bug free software product is what needs to be debunked.
There are several reasons as to why a tester cannot yield 100% accurate results. The lack of infrastructure, lack of resources, limited time frames, the vastness of the permutation and combination for a product, and so on are just a few of the many reasons. Testing can only show you that bugs do exist; it can never guarantee that bugs do not exist.
This can be proven with a simple example. Life-critical systems that are used in fields like medicine, spaceships, and airplanes do go through really critical and stringent testing procedures before they are actually used practically to make sure they function effectively. Even then, it is not possible for a tester to predict accurately and test the actual altitude, air pressure, number of crew members and passengers, the wind speed, total load on the flight, temperature, and so on given a particular day. The simulator is not able to create any random day’s environmental and other variable conditions. As such, you never know what exactly the flight will have to endure once it is put in to use.

Read Also: How Usability Testing Benefits the End User

The job of a tester is to find bugs

There are a huge number of people who believe in this. Well, you cannot be blamed if you also do. It is easy, especially for a person who has just started working as a Software Tester. He could get confused about his job and role in the industry. As such, many believe that their job is to just find out the bugs in the software and report them.
Well, an important part of the job of a Software Tester is finding bugs, but not limited to it alone. There are further roles that come with it. Apart from digging out bugs, testers need to analyze the requirements, review the architecture of the product, give his reviews and feedback to improve the product and make it more user friendly, validate the help documents for the product, and perform a number of other related tasks.

Testers are of no value to the software

People usually believe that the role of a software tester is just limited, and this adds to value to the software product. Well, this is absolutely an insult to the whole field of Software Testing Services. A good and skilled software tester is an expert of the software product under test. The programmers usually spend time working on specific areas, modules, functions, or components in the software. But, the tester is someone who has overall knowledge about the whole product. He analyzes and understands the working of the entire system from an end to end standpoint. A tester has a better chance to be able to demonstrate how well they understand the product such that it adds value to the product.

Test automation will replace human testers

Most of the automation testing experts spread this myth all over. This is just an outrageous prediction with no basis at all. The most insane part of it is that even software testers themselves have started to believe in this.
Test automation tools can never ever replace human testers. There is no big logic to understand the reason behind this fact. There was a time when Computer Aided Software Engineering or CASE had emerged and people had started assuming that one day computers will start writing codes and replace human programmers rendering them jobless. As you see, that never even happened.
Similarly, test automation will never eliminate the need for human testers. Well, not unless human robots take over the planet, long thought!! Till that never happens, human testes will never be replaced for any reason. Humans have a basic capability that test automation tools do not have, which is “emotions”. Since it is only humans who use the software under test, you always need human testers to test it. Test automation tools have this one disadvantage that does not let them replace human testers.
Test automation tools are able to tell you if the colours, layout, and fonts in the screen are as per the requirements, but it can never say if the user will find it pleasant and comfortable to use. Automated testing does not come straight out of a box or a download. It is like you get an engine, but not the whole car.
You can never expect automated testing to find a whole lot of bugs. In fact, you must not even automate all your tests. It is important for some tests to stay manual. Some tests need a whole lot of time to get automated. You must never use automation if it provides no value.

It is not that automation tools are bad or ineffective. In fact, they are absolutely useful for testing definite areas like testing involving performance and load, large amount of calculations, regression tests, and so on. These areas are time consuming and really hectic for human testers. As such, test automation tools behave as supplementary tools that can make the job of a software tester even easier and more accurate, but not as a replacement.

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Testers love to break your code

One thing you must remember is that testers do not work to break your code and put you at fault. They do not love breaking your code. In fact, the code is already broken, and a software tester helps you by finding it. They only disperse the illusion that a product is working perfectly. They show you the bugs and errors that you might have missed out on while coding. This helps you in correcting yourself and making the code unbreakable.
Testers break the false beliefs that the developers and stakeholders have about a software product. They introduce you to the realities and show you where you have gone. This gives a better chance to correct the code. Testers help you and give you a chance to correct your mistakes.

Testers and Developers are not Friends

This is a very dangerous, yet very common misconception that prevails across the industry. Even the management encourages on maintaining such a relation between the developers and testers. This does more harm than good in the long run, and its effects could be devastating. A friendly relation between the two could foster a valuable product. The testers will be able to approach the developers for interesting test ideas and even get important clues to help them with the testing process. This enables a better test environment and helps the software product as a whole. One thing you need to remember is that bugs are introduced in the product by the developers, so they are the best persons to consult to find out possible ways to detect them.
These are some of the most common misconceptions that people have regarding the field of Software Testing. Free yourself of these myths and understand the reality. These rumours have been spreading far and wide throughout the IT industry for a long time now. It is high time to put an end to them and start looking at this profession in a better light.

How Usability Testing Benefits the End User

Posted on November 27, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

With automated testing and other latest technologies coming up, one may start considering usability testing to be remote and old school. Well, this is a thought that needs to be changed.

Mobile applications are on the rise, and now e-commerce companies are all shifting their focus on increasing sales from mobile applications and websites. This is due to the fact that the purchasing and browsing behaviour of the users are constantly changing. It has become very important to have a mobile optimised, mobile friendly, or a responsive design website, or even better – a mobile application, to attract the prospective customers.
Thorough Mobile Testing is a Must
Your product needs to be tested with the intended users throughout the lifecycle of the product for effective usability. This is where the concept of Usability Testing originates.
The main agenda behind usability testing for Mobile Application Testing is to test the ease with which the different user interfaces in the application can be used. It lets you know if the product or software under test is user-friendly or not. This form of testing is a black box testing technique or specification based technique. It gives you an idea about how the users would feel about your app, if they would be comfortable with the flow, layout, navigation, content, and speed in your application or website. It tests how effective the features are in providing a good user experience.

Read Also: 8 Ways to Make Usability Testing Simple

Usability testing for Mobile Testing basically tests the following features in your app:

How easy your software is in terms of usage
How easy it is to learn your mobile app
How convenient the users will find your mobile app

The following five are the major components in usability testing:

Learnability

It defines how easy it is for your users to perform the basic tasks the first time they open your app, and how easily they can grasp and learn it based on the current design.

Errors

This parameter lets you decide how many errors the users could make, how severe these errors could be, and how easy will it be for them to recover from these errors and get back on track.

Memorability

Suppose the users do not use your app for a long period and come back to it after some time. In such a situation, will the user be able to use the design seamlessly and feel acquainted with it? Will he remember your app well enough to use it effectively no matter how long he stays away from it, or will he have to start all over again to settle down and learn your app?

Efficiency

This describes how fast an experienced user could accomplish the various tasks in your app. It rates their efficiency.

Satisfaction

This factor describes the user satisfaction after using your app. You get to know how happy the users will be and how much they like your app and its design.
In short, Mobile Testing Services and usability testing could be said to have the following benefits for the end users or your customers:

A software that is easier to use
The learning curve is shortened considerably for new users
The software becomes much easier to use
The software quality is increased multifold

Mobile Testing Services always insist on usability testing for effective user experience. This is because of the following advantages it has over all other forms of testing:

It is possible to modify usability test and incorporate all other forms of testing like smoke testing, unit testing, functional testing, system integration testing, and so on.
If you plan properly, usability testing can turn out to be really economical, highly effective, and totally beneficial in all aspects.
Usability testing proves out to be really effective in discovering potential bugs and loopholes in the complete software system. These may generally not be visible to the developers, and could even escape testing. But, usability testing can find them all.
If one uses proper resources, which are experienced and creative testers, then all the problems that the user may face before the final release of the system could be easily fixed. As such, you never have to release a system with errors and issues. This helps in a far better performance and also maintains a standard system.

If you are still wondering why you need to incorporate usability testing for all kinds of Mobile Testing Services, Mobile Application Testing, and even for a Game Tester, then here are 5 reasons that will surely convince you as to why you should never ignore usability testing before releasing your mobile app or game:

In the Wild Testing

Testing the mobile apps in the lab test them in the most unnatural conditions. The users are all sitting upright holding the devices stiffly in their hands and browsing the app with no distractions. Above all, the internet connectivity, acoustics, and ambience are all set up for the perfect experience. Well, does anyone actually use an app this way? No, right?
Researchers have proven that 73% of the users use their mobiles in the evening, curled up on a couch or their bed. While 69% use it during office hours, 51% use it on weekends, and 42% use them while travelling. Lab based experiments and testing cannot give you proper insights for all these conditions. Testing with actual people gives you feedback in the most effective context of use.
Participants are invited to take a usability test in their own context of use for remote task based usability testing. This way, one can get feedback for real world situations and see the outcome of using a specific application or website.

User Feedback is Distributed and Representative

Feedback from the intended audience is the most effective and most important part of all kinds of testing. If the participants represent the target users, then you could ensure that the usability findings are absolutely valid without any bias whatsoever. Remote unmoderated usability testing you can get representation for user segments from all across the world.
It is not tough to get responses from a sample of 10 to a few hundred representative users that could fit in to a wide range of different socio-economic and demographic segments from across the world. This would prove to be really effective for the success of your mobile app.

Agile Methodology

Mobile Application Testing in line with Agile Methodology is the best way to make our app way more effective than you expect. Development organizations have started to finally migrate to lightweight or agile software development to develop and ship apps and mobile websites.
Before and after every sprint, you can ensure to execute remote usability studies. It can even be done during the prototype stage, until your mobile app is all set to be released out to the intended users.
The story does not end there. Even after release, it is important for you to maintain the user expectations and user needs. Remote task-based usability tests give you accurate metrics for these purposes. Being lightweight, it is easy to execute. This makes it the perfect part of Agile Methodology. With accurate statistics, you could keep improving and deliver the users what they require. Maintenance is also an important part of every app.

You may also like: 5 Simple Ways to Dodge Test Failures

Quantitative and Qualitative Metrics

You get to obtain feedback all throughout the development cycle of your mobile app or website through remote unmoderated research methodology. Testing various versions gives you qualitative feedback on the early prototypes. It also tells you if the information architecture and content layout are able to convey the value proposition effectively and as desired.
Usability testing provides you easy test findability, effective and efficient metrics with all your prototypes or live apps and websites. Benchmarking performance gives you quantitative and qualitative feedback all through the development cycle and even after that. It also gives you an edge against your competitors.

Resource Effective and Cost Effective

Usability tests on your mobile apps and websites do not consume much time or money. They are effective in terms of cost, resources, and time. The time required is almost half, and the cost is almost a quarter of those required in a usual lab study.

Lab studies could take around 2 weeks for planning and execution, and the cost is also high for incentives and set up.
As for an unmoderated remote usability test, one needs a week for planning, execution, and collecting data for about 30 to 300 responses. Besides being low in cost, designing and execution of usability tests is also effortless. Moreover, you also have the option to reuse already coded usability test plans.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that usability testing is a very wide area of testing. One needs to have a fairly high level of understanding to get in to this field, along with a mind that is creative and innovative. Patience, openness to welcome all kinds of suggestions and ideas, ability to listen to all suggestions, and excellent observation skills to be able to spot and fix issues are some of the most important skills that the people involved in usability testing need to possess.
Mobile applications have become an inevitable part of the human life. The world has become fast paced and consumer focused. As such, it is more important to offer the users a seamless and pleasurable usage experience. By using the unmoderated remote methodology and conducting user research researchers are able to get data right out of the real world for increased accuracy and efficiency. This helps you further in connecting with your users and growing your business.

5 Simple Ways to Dodge Test Failures

Posted on November 24, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

It is common for every tester to be trapped in certain situations that could limit the efficiency and productivity in the job. The common reasons for such failures are the lack of resources to be able to complete your work, the lack of enough time, and also being surrounded by co-workers who consider your work to be unimportant and do not give it the necessary attention. Any tester could face such kinds of pitfalls, traps, and mistakes if you are not able to work until you get the due respect and credibility for doing the work. Web Application Testing and Windows Application testing are not as easy as people consider them to be. A testing job has its own set of challenges and issues to be faced.

Testers could easily relate to such hurdles several times in their career. Here are a few of these pitfalls and some simple tricks to help you dodge or overcome them easily:

No More Ideas for Testing

This is one of the most common problems faced by any software tester. You get stuck in the middle and keep wondering what more you need to test and how to test it. This is a sort of a block syndrome faced by every tester. You lose your ability to find new bugs in the system or software under test and you get totally confused.
Solution
Here are a few tips to help you overcome this syndrome quite easily:

Read Also: 8 Instances Software Bugs Proved To be too Costly

Brute Cause Analysis, or BCA

This is a sort of brainstorm technique which can be employed easily. One tester has to think about a bug, and the other tester will think of all the possible areas and functions where this bug could be found. Then you could go on to test those specific areas.

Think Out of the Box

Just forget about the specific feature or application or function that you need to test in front of you. Try thinking in another direction, take a step back, and try to reassess the whole situation. Think about other possibilities like performance and load tests, stress tests, functionality tests, and other kinds of tests that involve browsers, devices, platforms, structures, and operations.

Pair Testing

Pair testing could be really advantageous when you run out of ideas. It is nothing but testing in a team of two. Two people sit together to test the software that is under test. You could generate amazing ideas when you sit with someone else and try to brainstorm. Make sure to get a friend of yours to sit with you before you begin your Windows App Testing process.

Missing the Goal of Testing

There are several situations where you are unable to understand what exactly you need to test. You could be having a meeting about this new feature to be tested, but you do not get even a slight hint about what it is supposed to do. When all others in the meeting seem to be getting the point, you start wondering what you lack. In such cases, you may just nod your head so as to not look foolish in front of all others who get the idea. Well, this could be a great problem later on. You will end up in a fix when you have to start test planning and execution for this feature.
Solution

Open Up and Ask Questions

If you want to be an excellent tester, you need to make sure to be vocal and ask relevant questions. You need to have good questioning skills to save you from situations like this. If you do not understand something, it is alright to admit that you do not understand it. Getting it clarified will help you a lot in the long run, or you may have to remain ignorant all through your life.

Learn to read between the lines

When any new application, software, or feature is implemented, there will be some sort of documentation to detail it before work even starts on it. You could refer this to get yourself started. But, you need to do this carefully. You need to read the whole thing carefully, but also realize that there may be things not mentioned in it but implied. You need to find out such implied messages in these project documents to help you to understand the requirements clearly.

Brainstorm

Brainstorming is an effective process for every task. You attend the meeting, ask all kinds of relevant questions, take proper notes, and have understood all requirements well. After that, you need to sit with your windows app testing team and start the brainstorming session. This will yield a whole lot of possible ideas, plans, and strategies for your test project. When all minds come together, you get really innovative ideas gathered up.

Attention Deficiency

It is very common to miss out on certain bugs and issues that are right in front of your eyes. You might be so busy looking out for other test items that you absolutely miss out this prominent bug. It might turn out to be embarrassing later on as it is too obvious to not notice. You just do not realize it as you are so religiously following your test cases. Well, this happens to everyone, and you should not worry too much about it.
Solution

Do not follow the test cases and test matrix blindly

There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you start on any test case. Once you get the answers to them, adjust your test cases and fill in all missing links before you continue your work. Here are the major questions you need answers to:
“Which part of the specific product functionality is covered by this test case?”
“What are the things this test case covers? What are the things it does not cover?”
“Are there any other methods or ways to test this test case? If yes, what are the methods?”
“Why is this test case so important? What is there about this functionality?”

Bring out a change in your whole approach to the testing process

You need to follow your test cases and test matrices effectively. But, in the process, make sure to keep your eyes open for other things as well. There may be several other things happening during the test execution. Notice these processes also. Even if certain areas are not mentioned in your test cases, try to expand your view and explore them. Subtle looking actions like a small sound or a slight flickering of the button or view could be an indication of some other issue. Such tiny things are extremely significant in Web Application testing, and ignoring them can be a major mistake. Even if they may be in some other test area, make sure to note them down and verify them.

Unsure if It Is Working

There may be certain issues or bugs you find, but you are unsure if they are actually issues or you just did something wrong or missed out certain steps in the test case. As such, you do not report them, and later these issues may be found out by someone else, then this could be a bad reputation for your job.
Solution

Trust the Tester in You

If you find an inner voice telling you something is wrong, trust yourself. You need to learn to trust your instincts in such cases. Report it to the developers if you feel there is some bug and it is not your mistake. Do not hold yourself back. In the worst scenario, the developer/developers may just come back to you telling it was your mistake and you did something wrong like misconfigured the actual settings required or misunderstood the feature. Well, this is far better than ignoring a bug with a confused mind and regretting it later on. Having your manager or customer find out the issue is even more heartbreaking.

Have a Fellow Tester Test it as Well

Get hold of one of your fellow testers and ask them to help you out. They could go through the same test and confirm if what you experience is actually a bug or not. This gives you a double confirmation.

Start Again Afresh

You could just take a short break, relax, and then start the test case all over again. Starting afresh helps you confirm if what you find is actually a bug or not.

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Test or Skip??Is it Safe?

Testing has a huge number of possibilities. You may get confused as to what path you should follow and how you need to approach the testing process. Software and technology are developing day by day. This has also increased the complexity of these systems. As such, a tester has innumerable possibilities to test a single feature or software. With specific deadlines set for this, you may be in for a fix when you need to decide what to test, where to start your testing process, how to approach it, and what can be skipped safely without affecting the quality of the product. This is particularly confusing when you are in for Integration testing.
Solution

Follow the DIQ, or Dive In / Quit, approach

When you get the software to be tested, you also get a list of all the important things that need to be tested in the current iteration. Here, you need to follow the DIQ approach, which is just magical. DIQ stands for Dive In / Quit. As per this approach, you need to pick any one of the critical test items from the list and just dive in completely and test it. In case you find it to be too hard on you, then just quit and take the next item from the list. You just need to continue the dive in and test process until you have implemented all the test ideas completely. Once that is done, just repeat. This process just follows this cycle of taking an item, diving in and testing, quitting when you are unable to go further, repeating the process with another item, and then coming back to the initial item when you completed all the other test items. It is as simple as that!

Collect Intelligence Data

The first step is to have a look at all the existing bugs in the tool you use for bug tracking and make a note of all the bugs that are critical. Then you need to have a talk with the developers to understand the top 10 most critical things in the product under test that could affect a majority of the end users. Make another list with these bugs. Once you have these notes ready, have a look at the review documents, implementer’s guide, user manuals, and all such things that could give you an idea about what is most important in the product from the user’s perspective. These steps will give you a clear idea about what you need to test for in the product. You will then be able to plan your test cases even more effectively.
Failures happen once in a while. The complexity of the software and technology in today’s world is so high that there is enough room for errors and mistakes. Along with this, the methods and techniques of testing also need to change and improve. As a tester, you need to keep evolving. This includes learning the latest trends, keeping you acquainted with all emerging processes, and updating yourself from time to time. There is always room for improvement, and one must always be ready to learn and improve. The chances of failure could be really high if you are not evolving fast enough to keep up with the pace of emerging technology. Keep in mind that failures do happen and it is perfectly alright to fail once in a while. All you need to do is learn from your past mistakes and failures and keep upgrading your skills as a tester. Happy testing!

8 Must-Know iOS Testing Tips

Posted on November 11, 2015February 12, 2024 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

There is high demand for iOS applications these days. iPhones and iPads are gaining popularity with every new release, and so are the apps that come along with them. With so many people demanding iOS apps, the importance of thorough testing has become much more than ever. High standards and good quality are most important for users. With so many apps emerging in the market, one has to maintain really high standards to make it big in the App store.

You need to ensure that your app runs well on all the iOS devices. This is the first thing to keep in mind. You could reach out to a wider audience this way. iPhone App Testing requires a good amount of homework beforehand. Here are some tips to help you in your testing process:

There is no “Untestable Behaviour”

“Untestable Behaviour” cannot exist. There could only be ‘untestable code”. It is a very simple point to remember.
You should be able to test every part of your app. If there is any part that cannot be tested, you must think about refactoring some parts of the code to make it happen. You must have a good answer to the question,” Why can’t I test this?” Your answer could most probably be that the code is either too complicated or there may be too many actions in the code. Resolve such issues by dividing the code and making it cleaner. Make your code more modular, as it helps you to test it more effectively.

There must be only one Source of Truth

You must be very thorough about how your object should behave. It is also important that you have complete confidence in yourself when you say that.
Always attempt to make simple classes that have well defined and concrete responsibilities independent of one another. You must understand these specified responsibilities and should be able to describe them well. There are two important testing frameworks in the world of iOS, Quick for Swift and Specta for Objective C.

Ensure that Objects have Minimum Dependencies

Your objects need to know as less as possible. The lesser they know, the lesser you will have to test, and the easier it becomes for you. Remember the rule to minimize adhesion and maximize cohesion. Objects should not be too dependent on each other. Each module must be complete in itself. Your test writing becomes simple if you have less to test in a single module. This ensures a better quality for all your products through effective iOS App Testing.

Read Also: 11 Differences Between iOS And Android Mobile App Testing

Remember the SOLID Rules

Over time, there are a lot of changes in the devices, the hardware, architecture, operating systems, and the programming languages. But, there are some classic rules that remain true no matter what changes. They are the solid foundations for building an efficient software product. The S, L, and D rules are essential in the case of iOS App Testing.

S – Single Responsibility Principle

According to this, your class must be entrusted with only a single responsibility. This makes it much easier for you to understand its purpose and role in the product. When you understand what exactly it does, it makes it easier for you to write its specification.

L – Liskov Substitution Principle

You should make sure that your objects can be replaced with other instances. You should be able to substitute objects with instances of their subtypes as well. Mocks are often used to test any specific behaviour exhibited by objects, but such testing could not be applicable for your whole program or system.

D – Dependency Inversion Principle

Using protocols to decouple your classes is the most effective practice you could use in iOS for testing purposes. Do it for a few parts only and test them independently to assess the behaviour individually. You must test bit by bit as testing it as a whole will never help you.

Restrict your class to 150 lines of code

Your class must never have more than 150 lines of code. If it exceeds the limit, there is definitely something wrong in it. Divide it in to smaller parts that can be easily managed and maintained. This makes your code break up in to smaller units of logical codes. This helps you as well as other who look in to your code. A legible code is an indication of a good developer. It helps you in iPhone App Testing also.

Tests help you out

Most developers have the wrong notion about writing tests. They do not help the end user in any way. Moreover, there can be cases where the test case for a class has more lines of code than the class itself. As such, it is considered to be an unnecessary waste of time. But, this is not the case. When you get a code and have no idea what is happening in there, the test cases can actually help you out. There are numerous classes and tricks in every code. Cracking them is not an easy task. When you write tests, it will definitely help in maintenance and testing.

Look at the Picture as A Whole

When you are working and get stuck with a piece of code, you tend to overlook other things that matter. Your focus is always put on this single piece that you are working with. You tend to stop seeing other ways to resolve your issues or get your work done. In such cases, you must always take a small break and get your mind cleared. This lets you see the bigger picture at hand. You will be able to find other different ways to get your work done. You could even consult a fellow developer for new ideas to pour out.

Recommended Read: Best Practices to Follow for iOS Mobile App Testing

Keep Learning

Even if you are a pro, you could always learn something new. This is applicable to testing and programming in general. Never keep your mind closed to new things. Most professionals consider their code to be perfect. Even if that is the case, you could always improve. Writing tests will always speed up your development time. Even you break your code unknowingly at times. As such, machine check of the code helps you faster. It is much faster that manually going through every line of your code. So, keep learning and improving yourself for the better every time.
So, here were a few tips you need to keep in mind with regard to iOS App Testing. Some of them are applicable to Android App Testing as well. Building efficient apps that work seamlessly on the intended platform is the ultimate aim of every developer. Follow these steps to make that possible in a more productive and efficient manner.

How is Auditing and Software Testing Connected

Posted on November 5, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Everyone in the business of testing software is aware of its importance. But auditing is just as important. This blog will help you to understand its importance and how it helps in your testing process.

Software testing is a process of executing a program or application with the intent of finding the bugs within. It is a type of software review in which one or more auditors conduct an independent examination of a software product. These auditors may not necessarily be members of the same software development team.
It comprises of a process or set of processes that helps you to assess a product’s compliance with pre-mentioned specifications. You can also use it for validation and verification that ensures a software program or application or product meeting your requirements that helped in its design and development.

How software testing and auditing complement each other?

A software firm’s test management software provides high-quality collaboration, even for your employees who work offsite. It lets you share information with ease. There is also the added benefit of reusing these test scenarios. This will help you to remove friction that may accompany test standardization and remote interaction.

Read Also: 5 Types of Testing to Make Your Mobile Apps User Friendly

What more do you need?
Software auditing also keeps your testing and QA teams on track. For those of you who are unaware, auditors are often responsible for verification of a product’s compliance with certain standards. But it is also their responsibility to maintain the integrity, security and sustainability of technical processes.
Hence responsible auditing and test management further ensures you that software is being developed and used in accordance with company requirements. This pairing is especially benefitted by organizations as it gives a good insight into day-to-day practices, along with areas needing improvement. Combining technology and procedure helps you to put these applications in a context where they can be correctly evaluated.
Need for Auditing In Testing
Auditing the Software Development Processes helps you to ensure transparency and reliability of the IT systems. From a technical point of view, an audit checks for what kind of bugs may have slipped through the cracks during testing which may cost your company millions.
In the context of testing, it helps us to ensure that the testing processes are followed as defined.

Various Testing Process Audits

The reasons to conduct auditing are in plenty and will certainly help you to achieve certain set of goals. Based on that we can classify them as follows:
Audit to verify compliance: The prime motive here is to evaluate if a process complies with given standards. In these scenarios, the actual testing process is compared with a documented one. For example, our software testing processes needs to be defined according to ISO Standards. The audit verifies whether testing was conducted as per documentation.

Recommended Read: Top 5 Software Testing Trends to Look Out For in 2015

Audit for improving process and problem solving: Here the motivation is to audit and trace the various steps involved in the process and try eliminating the problems. For instance it was noticed that quite a lot of software defects were overlooked even after following testing process to the core. So the audit is done as a preliminary step to collect facts and analyze them.
Audit for Root Cause Analysis: This type of audit deals with finding a root cause for a specific problem using various testing processes. For instance, if a customer discovers something wrong with your software. Retracing our testing steps helps to find out where and how things went wrong in a specific case.
Internal Audits
Here initiation of internal audit is done from within an organization.
External Audits
Auditing is done and initiated by external agencies while conducting external audits.

How to Master the Art of Cloud Testing

Posted on October 26, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Talks about the use of cloud infrastructure for software testing have been in the limelight for some time now. It is particularly useful in high-stake situations where a company is bound by time and cost constraints. Along with the advantage of unlimited storage space, its quick availability and flexibility has fueled global acceptance.

The software industry has changed forever with the introduction of virtualization, which paved way for cloud computing. Hence it is necessary for one to follow the below mentioned steps to ensure effective progress in cloud testing.

Understand Cloud Technology: As it is with any business venture, one must first make sense of what is necessary to improve his/her outcomes. Cloud testing can be a completely alien environment even for experienced testers. Thus find time to understand how and where cloud testing can help you in the long run. Understand the benefits of moving a particular testing project into cloud. Remember, cloud testing isn’t the final word when it comes to finding a solution for your testing problems. It is important to conduct unit, functional and integration testing throughout the development cycle.
Have Your Own Testing Strategy: Having a well-defined strategy can be the difference between the success and downfall of your testing methods. Have a clear idea about what type of tests should be performed in cloud. You must also be aware about the risks associated with cloud testing.

Weigh the pros and cons of moving to a cloud-based testing.

Have a Planned Infrastructure: Moving to cloud testing environment will need careful planning to choose the right kind of testing tools, applications, hardware, software and even bandwidth. Planning should also be done on how long these tools will be in use. That can help with cost reduction and control.
Choose the Right Service Provider: Security, quality and reliability should be the most important qualities associated with your service provider. They must be able to provide a quick set-up or tear–down of test environment along with other services like physical infrastructure, testing tools and licenses through provisioning.

Recommended Read:5.41% CAGR for Software Testing Services by 2019

Executing the Test: Here the application is tested according to a pre-defined test strategy. You should plan and look for optimal utilization of the test infrastructure in order to realize cost benefits.
Monitor and analyze test results: It is necessary to monitor test results in real-time to understand and solve issues concerning capacity or performance. You must even analyze cloud usage against chargeback costs to understand the financial performance of your cloud services.

To master the art of cloud testing for the enhancement of software testing, the following challenges must be overcome:

Security: The first and foremost challenge when it comes to cloud technology is security. It must deliver ample user privacy protection and should also meet the security standards on cloud. Hence, if you are to expand software testing into the realm of cloud technology, security testing should be your primary concern.
Cloud Compatibility: A great concern for companies when it comes to cloud technology is the performance of their applications, especially in private cloud. Sharing across many users can lead to delays and also cases of maintenance or outage may cause insufficiency of bandwidth.
Unsupportive: Sometime with cloud technology, it becomes difficult to emulate the customer environment. This is caused by the unsupportive nature of cloud towards certain configurations for servers, storage or networking that is vital for testing. Therefore make sure whether your application is built to provide the required results on cloud technology.
Challenge in Integration Testing: Integration testing is where the tester performs tests on the network, database, servers etc. But with cloud computing, the tester has no control over the underlying environment. This becomes even more challenging when there is interaction between components, with the tester having to anticipate the occurrence of crashes, network breakdown or servers.

Do you think there is more to mastering cloud computing? If yes, please share your thoughts with us in the comment section.