What are the common categories of software testing?

Preface

Each of us will encounter several types of tests in the process of testing . We may have heard of some , Maybe some work has been done , But not everyone knows all types of tests .

Each test has its own function , pros and cons . however , In this paper , I've covered almost every software test we use in our daily testing life .

1、 Different types of software testing

Here are some common types of software testing ：

Functional test types include ：

• unit testing
• Integration testing
• The system test
• Soundness test
• Smoke testing
• The interface test
• regression testing
• Beta / The acceptance test

Non functional test types include ：

• Performance testing
• The load test
• Pressure test
• Capacity test
• Security testing
• Compatibility test
• Install the test
• Recovery test
• Reliability test
• Usability testing
• Compliance test
• Localization testing

Including but not limited to the contents listed above , Here are the detailed concepts .

                            

 

2、Alpha test

It's the most commonly used test type in the software industry . The purpose of this test is to release it to the market or users before , Identify all possible problems or defects .

Alpha Testing is at the end of the software development phase but Beta Before the test . For all that , As a result of such tests , Minor design changes may be made .

Alpha Testing is done on the developer's website . You can create an internal virtual user environment for this type of test .

3、 The acceptance test

The acceptance test of is performed by the client , And verify whether the end of the system traffic is in accordance with business needs or not , If it's based on the needs of the end user . Only when all features are working as expected , The client accepts the software .

This is the final stage of the test , After that, the software will be put into production . This is also known as user acceptance testing （UAT）.

4、 Temporary tests

The name itself indicates that the test was performed on a temporary basis , I.e. no reference to test cases , There are no plans or documentation for such tests .

The purpose of this test is to find defects and destroy the application by executing any process or any random function of the application .

Ad hoc testing is an informal way to find defects , Anyone in the project can execute . It's hard to identify defects without test cases , But sometimes it may not be possible to use existing test cases to identify defects found during interim testing .

5、 Auxiliary function test

The purpose of accessibility testing is to determine whether disabled people have access to the software or application .

ad locum , Disability means being deaf and dumb , Color blindness , Retarded , The blind man , The elderly and other disabled groups . Perform various checks , For example, font size for visual impairment , Color and contrast for color blindness .

6、Beta test

Beta Testing is a formal type of software testing performed by the customer . It's in Real Environment Implemented in , Then release the product to the actual end user .

Conduct Beta Testing is to make sure that there are no major faults with the software or product , And from the end user's point of view , It can meet business needs . After the customer accepts the software ,Beta Test success .

Usually , This test is usually done by the end user or other users . This is the final test done before releasing the application for commercial purposes . Usually , Of or relating to software or products Beta The version is limited to a certain number of users in a specific area .

therefore , End users actually use the software and share feedback with the company . then , The company will take necessary measures before releasing the software to the world .

7、 Back end testing

As long as input or data is entered on the front-end application , It will be stored in the database , And this kind of database test is called database test or back-end test .

There are different databases , for example SQL Server,MySQL and Oracle etc. . Database testing involves table structure , framework , stored procedure , Testing of data structures, etc .

In the case where back-end testing is not involved GUI in , Testers connect directly to the database with appropriate access rights , And testers can easily validate data by running queries on the database .

During this backend test , You may find things like data loss , Deadlock , Data corruption and so on , These problems are critical to fix before the system goes into production .

8、 Browser compatibility test

It's a subtype of compatibility testing （ Explain below ）, By the test team .

Browser compatibility testing is for Web The application executes , It ensures that the software can run under a combination of different browsers and operating systems . This type of test can also verify Web Is the application running on all versions of all browsers .

9、 Backward compatibility test

It's a test , Used to verify that newly developed or updated software is compatible with older versions of the environment .

Backward compatibility test will check whether the new version of software is compatible with the file format created by the old version of software ; It can also be created with an older version of the software datasheet , Data files and data structures work well together .

If any software is updated , Then it should be able to run on top of the previous version of the software .

10、 Black box test

Internal system design is not considered in this type of testing . Tests are based on requirements and functions .

Details about the advantages, disadvantages and types of black box testing , See here .

                           

 

11、 Boundary value test

This type of test checks the behavior of the application at the boundary level .

Perform boundary value tests to check for defects in boundary values . Boundary value tests are used to test different ranges of numbers . Each range has an upper and lower boundary , And test on these boundary values .

If the test requires a test range of 1 To 500, Then the pair values are 0、1、2、499、500 and 501 Carry out boundary value test .

12、 Branch test

It's a white box test , Execute... During unit testing . Branch test , The name itself implies thorough testing of the code by traversing each branch .

13、 Comparative test

Comparing the advantages and disadvantages of a product with previous versions or other similar products is called comparative testing .

14、 Compatibility test

It's a test type , In which the software can be verified in different environments ,Web The server , Behavior and operation in hardware and network environment .

Compatibility testing ensures that the software can be configured differently , Different databases , Different browsers and versions run on . Compatibility testing is performed by the test team .

15、 Component testing

It is mainly executed by developers after unit testing . Component testing involves testing multiple functions as a single code , Its purpose is to determine whether there are any defects after connecting multiple functions .

16、 End to end testing

Similar to system testing , End to end testing involves testing a complete application environment in the context of simulated actual use , For example, interacting with a database , Use network communication or other hardware , Application or system interaction （ if necessary ） appropriate .

17、 Equivalent zone

It's a testing technique , It's a black box test . During this equivalent partition , Will choose a group of , And select some values or numbers to test . You can understand , All values in this group generate the same output .

The purpose of this test is to delete redundant test cases in a specific group , These specific examples generate the same output , But there will be no defects .

Suppose the application accepts between -10 To +10 Between the value of the , So we use equal partition to divide the value used for testing into zero , A positive value , A negative value . therefore , The equivalent partition for this test is -10 To -1、0 and 1 To 10.

18、 Test examples

This means real-time testing . Example tests include real-time scenarios , It also includes scenarios based on tester experience .

19、 Exploratory testing

Exploratory testing is an informal test performed by a test team . The purpose of this test is to explore the application and find defects in the application .

Sometimes , Major defects may be found in the test process and even lead to system failure .

During exploratory testing , It is recommended to track processes that have been tested prior to the start of a specific process and the activities that have taken place .

Exploratory testing techniques can be performed without documentation and test cases .

20、 A functional test

This type of test ignores internal parts , Only focus on the output to check whether it meets the requirements . This is a black box test for application functional requirements . More about functional testing , Please click here .

21、 Graphical user interface （GUI） test

this GUI The purpose of testing is to validate... Against business requirements GUI. stay “ Detailed design documents ” and “ GUI prototype ” The screen mentions the application's expectations GUI.

GUI The test includes the size of the buttons and input fields displayed on the screen , All texts , Alignment of table and table contents .

After choosing different menus and menu items , It also validates the application's menu , It verifies that the page doesn't fluctuate , And after hovering over a menu or submenu , The alignment remains the same .