Testbytes Software

Why Software Testing isn’t Complete without Test Coverage?

Posted on June 3, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Test coverage or code coverage is a term widely used in software testing services and is considered a part of software maintenance. It is a very useful tool that lets software testers identify untested areas of a code base. By providing data on different coverage items it helps in evaluating the effectiveness of testing.

Together with covering those areas that have not yet been tested, test coverage also helps to monitor and maintain the quality of testing. Measuring test coverage quantitatively will help to determine its quality, as they are indirectly related. It also helps to identify redundant test cases that prevent any increase in coverage thereby providing better software testing services.
How can the output of test coverage help?

Test Coverage helps to measure traceability between requirements and test cases.
With the availability of a proper Test mechanism, change tracking and impact analysis will become more effective.
With proper Test Coverage, defect leakages can be easily prevented.
It gives an easy way to find gaps in requirements, test cases and defects at unit level.

Read Also : 10 Must-have Tools for Software Testing Services

Tools for Test coverage
The Test Coverage tools are useful as they can easily locate application functionalities and allows exercising the functionalities of interest. What part of the application code is executed will be indicated by the test coverage tool. This helps to easily locate functionality in a very effective manner, especially those in a large, difficult to understand system. Coverage tools help in checking how thoroughly testing has been done.
Tool Features:

Helps to identify coverage items.
It lets you calculate the percentage of coverage items that were tested by a set of tests.
It reports on the coverage items that haven’t yet been tested.
Generate stubs and drivers.

It is very important to know that achieving 100% statement coverage doesn’t mean that your software is completely tested and error free. This is because coverage tools can only measure the coverage for those items that they can identify. Coverage tools needs to be run often to look at these bits of untested code.
Benefits of Test Coverage

Helps identify defects during the early stages of a project life cycle.
In order to increase coverage, additional test cases are created.
Provides a considerable reduction in UAT defects and production defects which helps achieve a better ROI.
It helps in finding areas of a program that are not exercised by a set of test cases
Full control over time, cost and scope.
Managing the Risk based testing approach makes testing life smoother.
Determining the quantitative measure of code coverage measures quality of the application or product indirectly.

Recommended Read : Role of Software Testing in Software Development

Drawback of code coverage measurement:

It can measure only the coverage of what has been written. This means that the code itself cannot say anything about the software that has not been written.
It can only look at a structure which is already there. If a specified function was omitted or function has not been implemented, then structure-based techniques cannot say anything about them.

Best practices to follow for iOS mobile app testing

Posted on June 1, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

There is no doubt about what iOS has done for mobility gaming. The exquisite functionalities coupled with a simple user experience have paved way for the ‘mobile era’. In spite of this, working with the iPhone/iPad mobile application for software testing and monitoring can be challenging.

Challenges and complexities surrounding iOS mobile testing continues to interfere with development even as iOS app market continues to produce a record growth. One of the greatest challenges is in Apple iOS being a closed operating system when compared to an Android OS. The development and app testing stages for a closed system is far more complex, since extracting the necessary data from low level objects is impossible for users. This is crucial for test automation.
The best approach to get the necessary access to these levels of an iOS app testing are rooting (jail-breaking) and compile-time source instrumentation. But nothing can match a cloud-based hybrid approach which can offer developers and software testers the necessary coverage, capabilities and flexibility to deliver better iOS apps.
Rooting (jail-breaking)
These are the two common methods used in today’s mobile testing industry to address the challenges of inadequate access to the low level objects. These are rooting and source instrumentation.
The process of removing the limitations placed by Apple on the iOS devices is called jail-breaking. This helps achieve low level (root) access to the operating system, thus allowing testers to recognize objects within the application being tested.
Source Instrumentation (compile-time)
Compiling the application that is being tested with an additional piece of code to get a back door access to the low level OS for object recognition is referred to as source instrumentation. These codes help testers to execute low level calls and get the Object ID’s from the operating systems without the need to root or jailbreak the device.
The decision on what approach should be adopted depends on several considerations like SDLC process used, corporate policies, application under test, frequency of testing and many more.
Comparison
The jail-breaking approach is less suited in situations where customers need a quick test for a new iOS version or a new iOS device. In such cases, even though additional codes in the test application will complicate the SDLC, compile-time method is preferred.
The advantage of jail-breaking a device is that it lets you test the application with the exact same code by which it will be released. In compile-time before store submission, the “back-door” will have to be removed or they will be exposed to serious security issues. Jail-breaking therefore eliminates the need for compilation and intrusive operations which avoids any risk to quality.
While using a compile-time approach companies should also consider possible regulations (such as HIPAA) which implements testing on the final binary version and not on debug or test friendly version.

The Hybrid Approach
The combined (hybrid) approach lets you choose your iOS app testing methods depending on the nature of your application, project needs, and policy. Deploying and securely managing the test devices in a “private cloud” guarantees that a jailbreak does not introduce any risks or abuse to the platform for non-testing purposes. Such jail-broken devices are used only in a closed and secure testing environment for testing purposes only.
Since the use of visual analysis may pose to be insufficient, a strong object recognition capability is mandatory for testing a mobile application. For example, the OCR technology can detect UI issues and glitches on the test devices while its heuristic nature makes it incapable of ensuring 100% accuracy. On the other hand, a low level object can easy miss the obvious qualifications that a visual analysis could easily detect. That’s why an analysis using a hybrid approach incorporating both visual and native object can be instrumental for covering all mobile business cases.

Is this Justice? The Irony of Software Maintenance Costs

Posted on May 27, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Anjit was excited. He had finally convinced his father to take their family business online. There was plenty for him to do now. But first and foremost, he wanted to have solid ERP software to manage his business. So, he went through a number of service providers online.

After an extensive search, he narrowed down one web development company which offered to create a custom ERP for dirt cheap price. He thought – “This is a great deal. They may not do maintenance for free. But how much would that cost.” He went ahead and got their service.
After a year
Anjit’s online business was picking up well. There were minor glitches with the ERP though. At times, it became impossible to modify even product details. Every time he approached the software guys to get a bug fixed, he was charged a decent amount.
He calculated the overall expense incurred to him for software maintenance. To his surprise, it amounted to around three times the software’s original cost.
Finally, it came to a point where he had to ask for an upgrade. The response he got left him even more dejected. He was told – “Sorry, Mr.Anjit. Your software architecture has its limitations. We can either provide you with minor maintenance or you will have to get a new package. Its architecture is now outdated.”
What went wrong for Anjit here?
Let’s see.
In our day to day life, we buy a lot of stuff – gadgets, stationeries, utensils, clothes, etc. In all these cases, we pay almost 70-80 percent of the total cost to buy the product. So, we tend to think that once we buy a product, the maintenance cost is going to be minimal.
It should be true in the case of software too. But, 60-70% percent of the total cost goes for maintenance.
Why?
In a bid to look for budget solutions, people like Anjit tend not to think about the quality. They do not think about long-term implications. Or, they do and ignore it because of the affordability.
The main reasons for exorbitant maintenance costs are
Poor Software Architecture
If the software you buy has a poor architecture which will not be able to support future updates and technology, high maintenance would be a given.
By nature, software is always evolving. If you use a smartphone, you know that new features are being added to the phone as well as applications by means of updates. The same applies to all types of software. Your software should be equipped to support such features. At least till the foreseeable future.
Lack of Proper Testing
Developing is not an easy job. It requires high level of skills and concentration. Under such circumstances, software bugs and glitches are unavoidable. The only way to deal with it is proper software testing. Unfortunately, a lot of people skip on testing because they want to launch their product as soon as possible.

With proper testing, software becomes highly polished, making it user friendly. Another benefit is minimal maintenance cost. There might be one or two rogue bugs even after thorough testing. But proper testing ensures the maintenance required for your software is far and few. This reduces the cost drastically.
So, relatively affordable software with minimal upfront cost
or
Expensive, properly tested software with good architecture and minimal maintenance – which would you choose? Let us know in the comment section.

7 Reasons to Get Your Software Tested

Posted on May 8, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

We live in a world that demands perfection, where mistakes are least tolerated. Though some mistakes can be ignored due to lack importance, some mistakes can lead to grievous after effects. You may loss a fortune or may be it can strip you off your reputation.

Same applies to software developers. They are not super heroes and therefore, you can’t expect the software they develop to be error-free. Making a mistake is not a crime but at the same time you should find a solution for maximum damage control.
Software testing is the best way to minimize the errors in software. Also, the best option is to hire a software tester to do it for you. If you perform the software testing yourselves, you may not really detect majority of the mistakes. Therefore, it is important for someone else to check it for you.
Apart from checking for errors, here are 7 reasons that underline the importance of software testing:

Software testing points out the errors in software. If you wait for software to be tested after the completion of its development, you may have to start from the beginning in case of errors. Therefore, it is always wise to test software at its developmental phase
The popularity of software depends on how comfortable it is for the customers to use and how satisfied they are after using it. Therefore, it is always necessary to test the software and ensure that there are no errors before the software reaches the customers
While buying any product, customers give priority to the quality of the product. A product of poor quality can lead to the customers losing trust in you and this can affect your business. Therefore, it is important to have the software to be tested for errors
People always go for the products that are affordable and have a low maintenance cost and gives accurate and consistent results. Software or application full of errors can lead to extra expenses and you may end up losing your customers. Therefore, software testing is important
No customer accepts a product with poor performance. Therefore, it is necessary to do software testing to detect errors before introducing the software or application amongst clients
It’s necessary to ensure that an application or software does not end to be a failure. It can lead to losing lots of money and all the efforts put by people to develop the application will be wasted
An application or software of poor quality and performance can tarnish you image in the market. People will lose their trust on you and your company’s reputation will suffer

Software testing allows you to check all aspects of software such as browser compatibility and in case you find any mistakes, you get an opportunity to rectify it. This can save you from complaints after the software or application reaches the customers.
The reputation and persistence of your company depends on customer satisfaction. Unless they are not happy with your product, your reputation will be at risk. This can affect you badly, leading to monetary losses and the clients may not trust you anymore. So, why not have your software or application tested?

Software Testing – How testbytes can help you (video)

Posted on January 2, 2015 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Yearly, millions of dollars are saved by the implementation of software Testing. Comprehensive testing helps improve the overall quality of software by finding bugs.

Testbytes provides testing the way you want it to be – precise and comprehensive. Here is a video which showcases what Testbytes can offer you.
From this video you can clearly get an idea on the services provided by testbytes in the field of software testing. It throws light on several issues you may face as a software developer, which mounts due to lack of testing. In the video you can also see a couple of high-impact incidents from the recent past, where the absence of a testing protocol have culminated to give disastrous outcomes.
Watch the video below:

testbytes is a community of software testers who work with the goal of testing software. They help to create an in-depth understanding of the applications under test and include software testing strategies that deliver quantifiable results. They have helped development teams deliver best quality software on time.

Apple’s $23 Billion loss and the role of Testing

Posted on October 8, 2014 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Apple has been in news for all the wrong reasons in the past few weeks. First was the ‘Bendgate’ controversy closely following the launch of Apple’s much awaited iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The next issue came up when Apple’s latest version of iOS became bug-plagued. Customers complained that they were finding it difficult to make calls. And the much touted fingerprint ID sensors were also malfunctioning. This forced Apple to pull the OS updates within hours after its launch. In addition to that, Apple’s OS X operating system is said to have operating flaws. The amount Apple had to pay for these flaws were indeed huge. Apple lost about $23 billion in the market, which means that its market value fell by 4%.

Now, why exactly did this happen?
The news mentioned above is a clear example of what happens when software is not tested properly before being launched. Apple would not have incurred such a huge loss if they had thoroughly tested the products before launching them. When customers purchase an everyday product, they expect it to work properly, let alone something as costly as an iPhone. No one will spend money to purchase error prone software that becomes a constant headache. Software testing can help you under such circumstances.
What is software testing?
Software testing is an important part of software development. It is the process of assessing software to analyse its defects and quality. Software testing can be manual or automated.
How does software testing help?
Testing a software can help in

Identifying faults in software
Revealing errors even in hidden codes
Checking if software is reliable
Ensuring that software meets customer expectations
Saving money and energy

When should software testing be done?
Some do it at each phase of software development while some do it after the entire coding process is complete. It is always safe if you start testing during the early stages of software development. This can help in detecting bugs and finding a solution as early as possible. This can indeed help in saving energy and money.
Who can test software?
Since software testing is part of software development, some of the companies give the job to the developers itself. It is actually an attempt from their side to save money. But this has its own consequences. Since the developer’s main job is to develop the software, they tend to give less importance to software testing. They may not test the software deeply and as a result, errors prevail, causing problems in future. However, if you hire independent testers, they look into the software deeply to find as many errors as possible. Software testers give importance to quality and hence there will be fewer flaws.
testbytes is one such example of software testers.
Who is testbytes?
testbytes is a team of software testers who have years of experience in the field. They are committed to testing softwares, thus helping you to have your softwares free of errors.
Why testbytes?
Anyone may find it difficult to choose from the multitude of choices they have, be it in the case of software testing services or for any other purposes. Here’s why we have an edge over others in testing software:

Young and vibrant team passionate about their work
Years of experience in software testing
Quality is our first priority
We are always on time
We value your suggestions and deliver your needs on time
Our services are affordable

Enjoy the benefits of reusing Test Cases with Testbytes

Posted on July 16, 2014 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

As a testing team, you might be used to writing test cases that are exclusively tied to single applications. Each and every time you want to test a new application, you start writing from scratch. After testing that particular application, you simply scrap the test that you worked hard to write. But is that actually necessary? At Testbytes, we have a huge repository of test cases from our rich experience across different clients and applications. This helps us to reuse standard test cases that can be used for repetitive development work items. In this way, our resources are able to save 20% on end to end testing efforts for the client.

How can Test Cases be reused?

What we do is quite simple. A lot many applications, while being different on the whole, will have features that are generic. For example, shopping carts are a constant in eCommerce applications. A test case written for one application’s shopping cart can invariably be reused with another application’s shopping cart. We also maintain utmost confidentiality while reusing the test cases and any proprietary information is not included in such an activity. The similarities increase as we go down to lower levels. There will be a lot of features that will be using the same functions or objects, making it a more specific test case.

So, instead of writing a test case for the application as a whole, we write test cases for individual features or rather for functions and objects. So, to test an entire application, we can link test cases for relevant features and write new test cases only for the features that are truly unique.

Advantages

More Effective – As test cases are being written for a specific function rather than the entire flow, attention is given to each function, making the test cases more effective.
Lowers Maintenance Costs – If a function changes in one of your products, then you just need to rewrite one test case rather than several test cases across your different products. Thus, your maintenance cost gets lowered.
Saves Time – There are lesser test cases to be written, which means you do not have to spend extra time rewriting the same function over and over again.

What is the role of Testbytes?

As mentioned earlier, Testbytes maintains a huge repository of test cases, and therefore can reuse a lot of test cases in most scenarios. This means a lot of effort and time are saved for the client. In fact, it would be a convenient method with a lot of cost, time and effort savings.

Enjoy endless testing support for your software – only with Testbytes

Posted on July 1, 2014 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Testing is an integral part of any software development process. It is by testing that developers find out the wrinkles that need to be ironed out to provide a great user experience. But how long do you need testing support? Is it enough to have support until your application is launched?
Software testing is a never ending process as there would be changes happening all the time that would inevitably cause your application to misbehave or fail. It might be a small aspect that hardly affects most of your users, or it might be a glaring issue. One thing is clear, though. Without continuous testing support, your application will probably aggravate a lot of defects over time.

When is testing stopped under normal situations?
Under normal conditions, testing is stopped when:

There are not any more high priority defects
The rate of finding defects have fallen dramatically
The budget for testing reaches its limit
The risk factor seems to be under the acceptable limit

How does Testbytes differ?
At Testbytes, our clients are our foremost concern. When we test an application, we ensure that a thorough job is done. However, as mentioned earlier, testing is a never ending process. The testers discover defects, developers fix them and again it comes back to testers and it goes on as a cyclical process.
From a quality perspective, when your application is defect-free, it is a testimony to our testing process. In other words, we own the quality aspect of your application and therefore it is our responsibility to ensure the quality of your application before the release. Therefore we would continue to monitor it for years to come, providing full fledged support system to ensure that your application is running seamlessly. If we identify a risk, we alert the stakeholders as soon as possible and avert any forthcoming issues.

We help build frequent sanity tests that are automated to run at specific times of the day, week or month as required. Sanity testing is performed on the application in order to check whether we need to perform further testing. It is conducted very often to confirm that the application is stable.
With our endless testing support, it becomes easy for you to maintain the quality of your application. A better quality application can get more positive reviews from your end users.

Increase your mobile app downloads with Testbytes

Posted on June 24, 2014 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Mobile apps are being developed at a very fast rate these days. But unlike the late 2000’s, when there were not many good mobile applications, today’s app markets have thousands of applications providing similar functionality. Apple Store and Google Play Store have over 700,000 apps each with hundreds of new applications being added every day. What does this mean to the mobile app publisher? One word – “Competition”.

What happens when there is competition?
Applications have to be immensely competitive or unique to stand out from the sea of applications that are available. But you cannot rest on your laurels after gaining attention. You have to eliminate defects that plague your application and also try to add new features to improve the user experience to sustain the attention you grabbed.
But many applications that pack a good idea fail to generate the desired amount of attention, leaving the developers wondering why it was not successful. The reason is quite simple – lack of proper testing.
Why should you test mobile apps?
Testing is a time consuming and expensive activity. But, when the popularity of your mobile application goes down due to a critical defect or multiple minor bugs, then you might want to rethink your opinion on testing.
You try to fix the defects but the competitive nature of the market is such that you might not get a second chance to revive the app. When users come to your app, they see the negative comments, which turn off many people who would have downloaded the app otherwise.
Do you want all that trouble? Your objective is obviously to get maximum downloads and popularity, so that you can generate revenue from your application. Wouldn’t that be easier if you could avoid all the defects and get new ideas to improve your application? Testing suddenly does not appear expensive or time consuming. It seems to be more of an investment to improve your product.
A tested application is to a non-tested application what an ironed shirt is to a wrinkled shirt at an all important interview.
What can Testbytes do?
At Testbytes, we test your mobile apps thoroughly with a comprehensive 3-fold strategy to increase the number of downloads for your mobile app. We guarantee increased app downloads by following our go-to market strategy that provides app publishers like you with detailed test results, market research, competitive analysis and new feature suggestions.
We do a lot more than just user interface and functional testing of your application. Our test strategy is more users focused to enhance the user experience and not just the functionality. We keep no stone unturned to ensure that your users love to use your app and you love its developing process. We understand your product, conduct detailed market research, analyse your competitor apps to see what has already been done, and how they have been done. More importantly, we use all the data to provide you with insights to innovate. Innovation is what drives success, and in your case, it will be what drives your app downloads. We improvise on your innovation, making it edible for the general public. In short, we think to make you tick.

Why Is Independent Testing Necessary?

Posted on June 17, 2014 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Development Team works with the mindset of “how to make this work?”. If the same developer is deployed to test the application then it becomes difficult for developers to detect any defect as they always worked with the thought of “how to make this work?”. A good tester works with the mindset of “how to break this?” and that’s what is required to test the application thoroughly. Owing to this fact, it becomes absolutely necessary for the application to be tested by an independent tester even for minor changes.

Here are 5 major reasons as to why independent testing is necessary and should be mandatory.
Reduced Cost
Quality testing requires automated testing techniques, which involves buying specialized tools. These tools are quite costly and it doesn’t make sense to buy them for a relatively small amount of testing. At times, you will have to test on multiple platforms such as Windows, Linux, Mac OS, etc. There will be variations in the hardware too. Testing would happen in a series of highs and lows through the year. Maintaining the infrastructure throughout the year even during the low times is an unnecessary expense.
On the other hand, an independent testing company with focus on testing will definitely invest in quality tools, and it makes perfect sense for them to maintain the infrastructure all through the year. So, it is a convenient solution that reduces your expense.
Shorter Testing Time
In house testing usually happens at the last stages of development. This can be problematic, particularly if the development itself takes a little more time than initially thought. You have to make the most out of available time. For that, readily available testing resources with proper preparation are required. This can easily be availed from an independent testing company, and as a bonus, you might even get services such as our own “Develop by Day, Test at Night”, which makes brilliant use of the difference in time zones. In short, your testing process will be a lot faster and comprehensive than when it is done in house.
Improved Quality
Independent testing companies are fully dedicated to testing products thoroughly. They bring a lot of technical expertise long with them. And, unlike in-house testers, they would be reporting bugs at the right time as it is a matter of reputation for the company. As the client, you would want the product to be as bug-free as possible, and the independent testing company would want to prove their efficiency by reporting more bugs. Also, the company would probably test your product against quality standards set by regulatory bodies, helping your sales process to be smooth.
Experience and Expertise
An independent testing company is a bunch of testers, who would keep up with the latest tools, techniques and trends. This would not be possible if you hire an in-house tester. These people would interact with each other and share ideas. Hence a seemingly undetected problem in-house might be uncovered by an independent testing company within no time. Also, as they are dealing with testing on a regular basis the employees of the testing company will have the know-how to operate on different testing tools.

Convenience
You don’t need to worry about maintaining a testing team in-house, or when your product testing will be complete. An independent testing company will provide you with deadlines. Your tester might fall sick at the most inconvenient time or might suddenly decide to leave the company. All such issues won’t bother you when outsourcing testing. It provides you the space and convenience to focus on your core area – development.
So, if convinced that outsourcing testing is the way to go, you might want to check out our amazing testing team. We have 1 week FREE TestDrive service that helps you find out how good we are.