Software Testing Strategies

Software testing strategy is an approach which incorporates planning of the steps to test the
software.

Verification and Validation

Verifying software, we ensure that every function in the software is implemented and
functioning accurately.

Validating software, we ensure that the developed software meets the requirements specified by
the customer.

In a simple language, verification answers the question of whether „we are implementing the
software correctly?‟ & validating answers, the question of whether „we are implementing the
correct software?‟.

Levels of Software Testing Strategies

The software testing strategy is implemented at two levels,

low-level testing

high-level testing.

Low-level testing is conducted at the core of software design like verifying the code segments
of the software.

high-level testing is conducted to validate software functions against the specified requirements
of the customers.

While developing the software the software engineers first review the customer requirements,
then models it and finally go for coding.

That means while developing the software developers move inwards the spiral in an anti-
clockwise direction.
For testing, initially, the core part of the software is tested, each unit of the software is tested
separately to ensure that as a unit this component functions properly. Then the testing proceeds
outward the spiral along the streamlines. Moving outwards the spiral in the clockwise direction
gradually widens the scope of testing and in each turn, testing integrates the components and
ensure that all the elements of the software are functioning properly and the desired performance
is achieved.

Unit Testing

Unit testing focuses on testing the lowest component of the software individually which is also
called unit. Unit testing involves the testing of each code segment to ensure that it functions
properly.

Integration Testing

The unit components are integrated to implement the complete software. Integration testing
involves testing the design structure of the software which include modelling and software
architecture. It focuses on verifying whether functions of the software are working properly or
not.

Validation Testing
 Validation testing focuses on the testing of software against the requirements specified by the
customer.

System Testing

System testing focuses on testing the entire system as a whole and its other system elements. It
tests the performance of the system.

Following are the issues considered to implement software testing strategies.

Specify the requirement before testing starts in a quantifiable manner So that testing results are
unambiguous.

According to the categories of the user generate profiles for each category of user(use case
diagram).

Produce a robust software and it's designed to test itself.

Should use the Formal Technical Reviews (FTR) for the effective testing.

To assess the test strategy and test cases FTR should be conducted.

To improve the quality level of testing generate test plans from the users feedback.

Test strategies for conventional software

Following are strategies for conventional software:

1) Unit testing
2) Integration testing

1) Unit testing

 Unit testing focus on the smallest unit of software design, i.e module or software component.
 Test strategy conducted on each module interface to access the flow of input and output.
 The local data structure is accessible to verify integrity during execution.
 Boundary conditions are tested.
 In which all error handling paths are tested.
 An Independent path is tested.
 Difference between stub and driver

Stub Driver

Stub is considered as subprogram. It is a simple main program.

Stub does not accept test case data. Driver accepts test case data.

It replace the modules of the program into subprograms and are Pass the data to components to be tested c and print
tested by the next driver. the returned result.
Integration testing
In this testing, units or individual components of the software are tested in a group. The focus of
the integration testing level is to expose defects at the time of interaction between integrated
components or units.
Types of Integration Testing

Integration testing can be classified into two parts:

o Incremental integration testing

o Non-incremental integration testing

Incremental Approach
In the Incremental Approach, modules are added in ascending order one by one or according to
need. The selected modules must be logically related. Generally, two or more than two modules
are added and tested to determine the correctness of functions. The process continues until the
successful testing of all the modules.

In this type of testing, there is a strong relationship between the dependent modules. Suppose we
take two or more modules and verify that the data flow between them is working fine. If it is,
then add more modules and test again.

or example: Suppose we have a Flipkart application, we will perform incremental integration

testing, and the flow of the application would like this:

Flipkart→ Login→ Home → Search→ Add cart→Payment → Logout

Incremental integration testing is carried out by further methods:

o Top-Down approach
o Bottom-Up approach

The top-down testing strategy deals with the process in which higher level modules are tested
with lower level modules until the successful completion of testing of all the modules.

In the top-down approach, we will be ensuring that the module we are adding is the child of the
previous one like Child C is a child of Child B and so on as we can see in the below image:

Bottom-Up Method

The bottom to up testing strategy deals with the process in which lower level modules are tested
with higher level modules until the successful completion of testing of all the modules.

In the bottom-up method, we will ensure that the modules we are adding are the parent of the
previous one as we can see in the below image:
Non- incremental integration testing
We will go for this method, when the data flow is very complex and when it is difficult to find
who is a parent and who is a child. And in such case, we will create the data in any module bang
on all other existing modules and check if the data is present. Hence, it is also known as the Big
bang method.
 System testing

 System testing is known as the testing behavior of the system or software according to the
software requirement specification.
 It is a series of various tests.
 It allows to test, verify and validate the business requirement and application architecture.
 The primary motive of the tests is entirely to test the computer-based system.
Following are the system tests for software-based system

1. Recovery testing
 To check the recovery of the software, force the software to fail in various ways.
 Reinitialization, check pointing mechanism, data recovery and restart are evaluated correctness.
2. Security testing
 It checks the system protection mechanism and secure improper penetration.
3. Stress testing
 System executes in a way which demands resources in abnormal quantity, frequency.
 A variation of stress testing is known as sensitivity testing.
4. Performance testing
 Performance testing is designed to test run-time performance of the system in the context of an
integrated system.
  It always combines with the stress testing and needs both hardware and software requirements.
5. Deployment testing
 It is also known as configuration testing.
 The software works in each environment in which it is to be operated.

Difference between white and black box testing

White-Box Testing Black-box Testing

White-box testing known as glass-box Black-box testing also called as behavioral testing.
testing.
It starts early in the testing process. It is applied in the final stages of testing.
In this testing knowledge of In this testing knowledge of implementation is not needed.
implementation is needed.
White box testing is mainly done by the This testing is done by the testers.
developer.
In this testing, the tester must be In black box testing, testers may or may not be technically sound.
technically sound.
Various white box testing methods are: Various black box testing are:
Basic Path Testing and Control Structure Graph-Based testing method, Equivalence partitioning, Boundary
Testing. Value Analysis, Orthogonal Array Testing.

White-Box Testing

Various white box testing methods are:

1.Basic Path Testing

2.Control Structure Testing.

Basic Path Testing

 Basic path testing is proposed by Tom McCabe.

 It is a white box testing technique.
 It allows the test case designer to obtain a logical complexity measure of a procedural design.
 This measure guides for defining a basic set of execution paths.
 The examples of basic path testing are as follows:
 Flow graph notation
 Independent program paths
 Deriving test cases
 Graph matrices

Control structure testing

The control structure testing is a wide testing study and also improves the quality of white-box
testing.

The examples of white-box testing is as follows:

1) Conditional testing
All the program module and the logical conditions in the program are tested in conditional
testing.

2) Data flow testing

A test path of a program is selected as per the location of definitions and the uses of variables in
the program.

3) Loop testing
It is a white-box testing technique. Loop testing mainly focuses on the validity of the loop
constructs.

Four different classes of loops are:

1. Simple loop

2. Nested loops

3. Unstructured loops

Object Oriented Testing

 The whole object oriented testing revolves around the fundamental entity known as
“class”.
  With the help of “class” concept, larger systems can be divided into small well defined
units which may then be implemented separately.
 The object oriented testing can be classified as like conventional systems. These are
called as the levels for testing.

Object Oriented Testing : Levels / Techniques

Object Oriented Testing : Techniques

Class Testing

Class testing is also known as unit testing.

In class testing, every individual classes are tested for errors or bugs.

Class testing ensures that the attributes of class are implemented as per the design and
specifications. Also, it checks whether the interfaces and methods are error free of not.

Inter-Class Testing

It is also called as integration or subsystem testing.

Inter class testing involves the testing of modules or sub-systems and their coordination with
other modules.

The two main approaches of subsystem testing are −

 Thread based testing − All classes that are needed to realize a single use case in a
subsystem are integrated and tested.
 Use based testing − The interfaces and services of the modules at each level of hierarchy
are tested. Testing starts from the individual classes to the small modules comprising of
classes, gradually to larger modules, and finally all the major subsystems.

System Testing
o In system testing, the system is tested as whole and primarily functional testing
techniques are used to test the system. Non-functional requirements like
performance, reliability, usability and test-ability are also tested.