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Software testing is a method of verifying that the actual software product meets the expected requirements, which is also necessary to make sure that the product is free of defects…
Software testing is a method of verifying that an actual software product conforms to expected requirements, which is also necessary to make sure that the product is free of defects. It involves performing predefined algorithms using manual or automated tools to evaluate one or more properties of interest. The purpose of software testing is to identify bugs, gaps, or missing requirements specified during the product design phase.
Some prefer to call software testing:
- “White box” – when we have access to the code and test it, reading the code itself (static testing), running it in debug, writing autotests;
- “Black box” – when we don’t know how the system works internally, we don’t have access to the code or we don’t know how to read it, and so we focus only on external behavior or the ToR;
- “Gray Box” – when we look into the code and understand how it is arranged, and then open the application itself and check how this code is already displayed in it, but we are guided more by the ToR (this is a compilation of the above two definitions).
Simply put, testing implies checking the application for compliance with requirements and quality standards. In this tutorial we will introduce the audience to the means of testing and convince them of its importance.
Why is software testing important?
If there are bugs or defects in the software, they can be detected early in the software production process and corrected before it is delivered to production. A properly tested software product ensures reliability, security, and high performance, which then leads to time, money, and customer satisfaction.
Testing is important because software errors can cost the manufacturer dearly. They can lead to serious financial losses and even human casualties, and history is full of such examples.
- In April 2015, the Bloomberg terminal in London malfunctioned due to a software failure that affected more than 300,000 traders in the financial markets. This forced the government to postpone the sale of £3 billion in debt.
- Nissan cars have been recalled from the market for more than 1 million cars due to a software failure of airbag sensor software. Two accidents have been reported due to this software failure.
- Starbucks was forced to close about 60 percent of its stores in the U.S. and Canada because of a software failure in its POS system. At one point, the store served coffee for free because they were unable to process the transaction.
- Some of Amazon’s third-party retailers saw their price drop to 1 penny due to the software failure. They were left with a big loss.
