What is the purpose of software testing, and what are some common testing techniques?
Hey Matthew
Software testing is the process of evaluating a system or component to ensure it meets specified requirements. Here are some of the common testing techniques:
- Unit Testing: Focuses on testing individual units or components of the software in isolation to ensure that each unit functions as intended.
- Integration Testing: Tests the interactions between integrated units or components to ensure they work together correctly. It identifies issues related to data exchange, function calls, or combined functionalities.
- Functional Testing: Validates that the software’s features and functionalities work as per the specified requirements.
- System Testing: Assesses the software’s overall behavior and ensures that it works correctly as a complete system.
- Regression Testing: Ensures that new code changes haven’t adversely affected the existing functionalities of the software.
- Performance Testing: Evaluates the software’s responsiveness, stability, and scalability under varying levels of load. Subtypes include Load Testing (testing under expected load), Stress Testing (testing beyond normal conditions), and Volume Testing (testing with a large amount of data).
- Usability Testing: Assesses the user-friendliness of the software and ensures it provides a good user experience.
- Security Testing: Identifies vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the software that could be exploited by malicious users.
- Acceptance Testing: Conducted to determine whether the software meets the acceptance criteria and is ready for release. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) involves the actual users testing the software to ensure it meets their needs.