Types of Software Development Testing

When creating a system aimed at solving a specific need for a group of people and offering solutions to a particular problem, it is always necessary to validate and verify that the software complies with the established requirements. That’s why, in order to deliver quality software, different types of testing have been created, each with different approaches to evaluate the nuances a project of this kind may have.

What types of tests are there?

As previously mentioned, there are tests depending on the focus or characteristics to be reviewed. Based on this, we can identify 3 main types of testing, each containing different evaluation techniques.

Functional tests

• These focus on verifying the documented functionalities of a system. Functionality is understood as the software's ability to provide useful features for completing a task.
• This type of testing is commonly associated with the black box technique, as it generally focuses on evaluating the external behavior of the software and its interaction with the user.
  

Non-functional tests

• Although this type of testing is also focused on the external behavior of the system, unlike functional testing, here the goal is to verify the system's performance under various scenarios and circumstances.
• Topics such as performance, load capacity, data volume processing, stress under specific tasks, security, compatibility, etc. are considered.
  

Structural tests

• In contrast to the two previously mentioned types, structural testing is responsible for evaluating the internal composition of the software by measuring the effectiveness of the implemented logic to carry out the functionalities. These tests, working more at the code level, commonly use the white box technique.

Tests according to the development level

Having understood the three main types of software testing, we can now review what tests exist according to the development level of the system, allowing us to relate each to a particular type:

Unit tests

• Test isolated units of code, such as functions or methods in a class.
• Primarily use white box techniques and, due to their detailed code analysis, can belong to both structural and functional testing.

Integration tests

• Once code units have been tested individually, it is necessary to see how they interact within a particular scenario. Therefore, different approaches are taken to combine the system's various functions and stabilize their coexistence.

Among the approaches we find:

• Bottom-up integration: Starts by integrating the smallest components of the system up to the largest and most complex.
• Top-down integration: Unlike the previous approach, this starts with the largest system component and moves down to the smaller, more specific ones.
• Ad-Hoc integration: Integrates new components that have passed unit testing with those already working together. In other words, they are implemented in their order of approval.
• Skeleton integration: The system's backbone is first developed by integrating the main functionalities, and then the remaining components are added to that core.

System tests

• With the system’s base in place, the next step is to test its functionality, emphasizing the definition of this concept as the ability of software to provide features that solve a need and complete specific tasks.
• Both the degree to which a business requirement is met and the effectiveness of doing so will be tested. That is, its efficiency, performance, stress capacity, etc., will be considered.
• The black box technique will be used for this.

Acceptance tests

• Once the software's functionality has been verified, it is the client's turn to participate in the system's verification and acceptance.
• It is expected that the developed system meets the client's expectations when tested in real end-user environments.

Regression tests

• When changes are made to the software to fix bugs or errors, it is necessary to retest other components, since while the fix may solve a specific issue, it may also cause new problems by affecting already functional elements.
• This involves re-executing previous tests while considering the costs involved.
• There are several strategies, such as testing all functionalities to minimize system risk (though it increases testing time), focusing on the most critical points, or automating the process as much as possible.

Smoke tests

• Quick tests performed on the software before deploying a version or delivering it to the user to ensure the main functionalities work.

Usability tests

• Finally, we have usability testing, where multiple users interact with the developed software to verify characteristics such as effectiveness in carrying out functionalities, ease of use, and user satisfaction.

Conclusion

With the information presented, it is now possible to identify the different types of testing in software development and understand their importance within the system lifecycle. Let’s remember that this stage not only complements the development process but is essential for ensuring the final product's quality. Knowing the classifications, the evaluation approaches, and the impact they have on software delivery is just as important as writing the code itself.

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