As in any other sector of the market, software developers work to offer the best results in terms of quality. This is an area in which competition is increasing every day, as is the level of demand from the consumer or user. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the product meets all the requirements defined by the client. The need then arises to apply software tests to ensure that it is free of errors.

Software development testing is the best method to confirm the functionality of the product being developed. It should be applied at all stages of development, from the beginning of the project to the end, so that isolated faults can be discovered at an early stage or erroneous behaviour can be detected at the end. These tests serve, for example, to discover flaws in the design and architecture of the software, in security or scalability and in QA software testing services. At Intellisource, we ensure that each application generated is free from defects and provides a seamless user experience and we are one of the best Software testing services in Florida.

What is carried out during these tests is a thorough evaluation to verify the functionality of a given software app, that is, to check that it works as it should. This brings several benefits, including the solution of errors at an early stage, which means that the effort to find a solution is less. It also reduces costs and increases performance.

Main Types of Software Testing

1. Unit Testing

It checks that each of the smallest pieces or units of the software being worked on works correctly. These tests are applied individually and are the first ones that must be carried out during the entire development process. To do this, it is necessary to isolate these units, which can be code fragments, to verify their behaviour.

By working with such small units, it is possible to test the project in parts, without it having to be finished. They are very fast and make it easy to check the readability of the code. Among its advantages is the saving of time and money, since it allows errors to be detected at the beginning and avoids continuing to advance, dragging that error that will condition the rest of the project.

• Early detection of errors in new functionalities or features developed.
• Minimize testing costs as problems are detected early.
• Improve code quality with better code refactoring.
• Supports the agile development process.
• It simplifies integration and allows for good documentation.

2. Integration Testing

Integration testing involves testing different modules of a software application as a group. A software app is made up of several sub-modules that work together for different functionalities. The purpose of integration testing is to validate the integration of different modules together and identify the errors and issues related to them.

• Ensures that all application modules are well integrated and work together as expected.
• Detects interconnected problems and conflicts to resolve them before they create a big problem.
• Confirms the functionality, dependability, and consistency across various modules.
• Catch ignored exceptions to improve code quality.
• Supports CI/CD pipeline.

3. System Testing

System testing is the process of testing the entire software application as a whole, assessing its overall functionality, performance, and compliance with the specified requirements. The Initial objective of system testing is to validate the software application’s behaviour under various conditions and configurations, ensuring a seamless and satisfactory user-friendly experience. It helps identify and address issues related to integration, compatibility, and overall system stability.

• Ensures that the website/application is free from defects.
• Ensures the expected behaviour of all functionalities.
• Ensures that the architecture is correct with the necessary security.
• Improves overall quality and functionality.
• Minimize business risks associated with the website/application.

4. Acceptance Testing

Acceptance testing is formal testing, executed to verify whether a system meets its business requirements. These tests require the software to be in operation, and focus on replicating user behavior, to reject changes if objectives are not met. These objectives can go beyond obtaining a specific response and measuring the performance of the system.

For this type of testing to be carried out correctly, those responsible for the project must define the acceptance criteria just before starting to work on it. Likewise, any additional requirements that arise during the process must be reflected in these acceptance criteria.

• It is usually a set of manual tests that are performed after a development phase has finished (so that you can quickly go back and iterate if something isn’t right).
• It verifies that the features of our software are aligned with all initial specifications and acceptance criteria.
• It is usually performed after unit or integration testing, to avoid advancing too much with the testing process, and to determine in time if significant changes are needed.

5. Performance Testing

It is a type of non-functional testing, which is carried out to determine the speed, stability, and scalability of a software app. As the name suggests, the general objective of this testing is to check the performance of an application against different system and network benchmarks such as CPU utilization, page loading speed, handling peak traffic, server resource utilization, etc. Under performance testing, there are various other types of testing such as load testing and stress testing.

• Evaluate the speed and scalability of the website/application.
• Identify bottlenecks for performance improvements.
• Detects errors that are missed in functional testing.
• System optimization and feature improvements
• Ensures website reliability under heavy load.

6. Security Testing

The process of assessing the software application’s vulnerability to potential attacks, unauthorized access, and data breaches. It primarily focuses on evaluating the application’s security mechanisms, safeguards, and practices, aiming to identify and address potential security risks and vulnerabilities. It helps ensure that the software application is protected against potential threats, safeguarding the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the application and its underlying data.

• It evaluates the security of the system against threats such as intrusions, denial of service (DoS) attacks, vulnerabilities, etc.
• Penetration(Pen) testing: Simulates hacker attacks to detect potential vulnerabilities and assess system resilience.
• Authentication and authorization testing: Verifies the security of the software’s authentication and authorization mechanisms.
• Secure Coding Testing: Analyzes code for potential security vulnerabilities and bugs.

7. Regression Testing

For each new, modified, or repaired software integration, a small test program is created consisting of a subset of tests that serve to ensure that the program still works correctly. Testing stages vary from company to company, depending on the software development methodology. The stages may be different because testing is built into the coding. This principle is called “test-driven development.”

• We should not add new features to our regression test suite until the current regression tests pass.
• A failure in a regression test means that new functionality has affected other functionality that was correct in the past, causing a “regression.”
• A failure in a regression test could also indicate that we have re-produced a bug that had already been resolved in the past.

8. Usability Testing

It assesses the extent to which a computer system is user-friendly. It seeks to analyze whether the system is user-friendly and whether the user can use it for the purpose for which it was created, without difficulty. Tests involve real users who perform certain activities while their responses are recorded.

They evaluate layout, routing, labelling, flexibility, and error handling to ensure a positive user experience and ensure that the software meets the needs and demands of users. This type of quality testing increases overall satisfaction and effectiveness. Companies can develop software by prioritizing usability testing and improving acceptance and performance based on user experience.

• User Interface (UI) Testing: Evaluate the graphical interface to ensure it is intuitive and easy to navigate.
• User experience (UX) testing: Analyzes the overall user experience, including accessibility and satisfaction when using the software.

Automated Testing vs Manual Testing

The choice between automated and manual testing is crucial. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. Automation can be more efficient for certain types of testing, while manual testing offers a more broad analysis. Combining both can be the optimal strategy.

In summary, the choice and application of different types of testing depend on the nature of the project and the specific QA objectives. By understanding the function of each type, Software development teams can design effective types of software testing methodologies that ensure application quality and performance.

Conclusion

Software development testing is a crucial component in the software development cycle. Each type of testing focuses on specific areas, ensuring quality, performance, security, and usability. In the context of the Intellisource platform, testing plays a crucial role in ensuring the high quality of the applications generated.

Furthermore, Intellisource’s comprehensive integrated development environment eliminates the need to introduce technical debt by regenerating applications from scratch whenever requirements change, thus improving the overall quality and maintainability of your software development solutions.