Ray Parker November 1, 2020 Usually, testers are responsible to identify all the mess created by developers in a system. No matter how experienced the developers are or how much effort they put in, there is hardly a chance to create software that is completely free from errors. Despite being equipped with a rich toolkit which includes test case management software, software testing tools, test automation applications, etc it still becomes challenging for testers to identify all issues in one go. Testers have to develop a deep understanding regarding the software, its environment and should have a nose to smell the bugs and identify them using different tricks and techniques. A tester’s job is not limited to identification of issues only, they have to communicate them to the respective persons too and then verify if those issues are fixed timely or not.
If errors are identified by end-users rather than testers then the situation might become worse and frustrating. Again at this point testers are to be blamed for how they let those defects slip while performing the testing. Testers spend hundreds of hours going through code of thousands of lines to make sure that the end product would work as per requirements.
What makes testing a hard task?
Numerous factors are observed during testing and all those aspects need to be considered vigilantly. Below mentioned are few reasons which explain the technicality of the said job.
- To test software effectively, you not only check it against the correct inputs in fact you need to record its response against the wrong inputs too. With that, all sorts of performance and functionality parameters are verified along the testing process which itself is a time taking process.
- The testing process needs to be recorded so that there is proof to present that testing is performed along with all test cases and transparency can be maintained.
- A system needs to be tested through various perspectives. First, you need to make sure that all listed requirements are being fulfilled exceptionally and then you need to consider the user’s perspective to verify the testing process.
- There are programs and software which become complex with the development and at one point it becomes difficult to test all their requirements. You need to create real case scenarios and test the application.
- The load and performance of the application need to be tested and how it acts when stress is performed on the application. This aspect is really important and time taking. Testing an application against a real case environment is crucial and approaches need to be identified through which system security is ensured.
Testers and the Testing Processes they Follow
Before starting with the testing process, testers need to understand the software completely and consider all the functionalities against which testing needs to be performed. Inputs and environment are considered meticulously for which the whole testing strategy would be designed. This whole process is time-consuming and requires a proper understanding of technicalities and tools which can be incorporated to build the entire testing flow.
Testers’ job includes expertise with test case management software, automation tools, bug tracking tools, and building strategies and processes through which uniform testing practice can be expected. They have to ensure that no area goes untested and all requirements are being fulfilled which were discussed in the initial phase. Usually, testers are not given due respect for their work and they need to document all the processes so that they have something to present at the end of the day so that transparent accountability is promoted.
No matter how simple or complex the software is, there would be different obstacles that need to be encountered. Testing goes through different phases and is performed in parts so that all set requirements are met. Four phases in which testing is performed are:
- Performing testing scenarios
- Evaluating testing scenarios
- Software environment modeling
- Measuring Progress of the software
These phases help to build the structure of the testing and ensure that you are going in the right direction. Testers need to come up with a strategy through which interaction between software and environment can be built and different interfaces can be identified. Testability is the structured way through which one can understand a program’s complexibility and highlight all those areas which can affect quality in any way. If one tends to ignore the testing phase then they are probably making the most expensive mistake and would regret in the future for sure.
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