Software testing checks whether the actual software product matches the expectations of the customer requirements. It also ensures that the product is defect-free. The process can either be manual or automated, depending on the test cases that will be performed.
In automation testing types, tools are used to evaluate specific properties of the software. On the other hand, manual tests are usually carried out by humans. Automated testing is considered more reliable as tools usually perform it. In contrast, in most cases, manual testing is less accurate due to human error and hence less reliable when used. In automation testing, there is no human observation, and it’s hard to guarantee user-friendliness. On the other hand, manual testing allows human observation, which is very useful in improving the customer experience. There are different automation testing types. Here are testing processes that can be automated and those that can be done manually.
Automated testing processes
Automated testing is on the rise as it has proved to be the most effective way to increase test coverage and execution speed. With automated testing, you can easily handle multilingual sites without human intervention. Some of the automation testing types include.
Unit tests
As the name suggests, unit tests usually cover particular units of code. These units of codes are best measured in terms of function definitions. That means each unit test performed will cover a particular individual function.
Unit tests usually cover codes that have sensitive calculations. That’s especially when dealing with fields like aerospace or healthcare. These tests are inexpensive and quick to carry out through automation processes. As a result, they provide a high return on the invested capital.
End-to-end tests
These are the most valuable tests you should implement in your software testing process. They stimulate user-level experience across the full stack of the software product. In most cases, end-to-end tests cover processes like user logging in, making email changes, or making a deposit.
The end-to-end tools capture and replay the user processes and then record the user experiences for analysis. If the software product has defects, it will automatically be flagged, and the testers can easily rectify it with minimal effort.
Integration tests
Integration tests mainly involve making a call to a third-party service. During testing, a unit of code will often make a call to a third party. That’s because the primary codebase being tested doesn’t have access to the code of the third-party utility. With the integration testing, the third-party dependencies are mocked and asserted to behave as expected.
Most of the integration testing is similar to unit tests. That’s in the way they are written and their tooling process. They are an inexpensive alternative to end-to-user tests. Through integration testing, you can integrate modules into a working application and ensure that the changing requirements are incorporated.
Performance tests
Performance tests are usually used to determine an application’s stability, scalability, speed, and responsiveness under a given load. It’s a critical testing process that ensures the software’s quality is maintained. You can perform this testing to validate whether the software application meets the customers’ requirements.
Still, with performance testing, you can locate computing bottlenecks within the application. Steps followed in the performance test processes vary from one organization to the other and the nature of the software application. Through these tests, the company will measure the stability of the software under traffic peak events.
Manual testing processes
In the same way, there are test cases that must be automated. There are also other test cases that must be done manually. A test that involves background checking of the dialog box cannot be automated straightforwardly. Here are the various software tests that should be done manually.
Subject validation
This testing process protects the validity of words, initials, and other statements important for the software product’s effective working. It also covers perception and inspection testing. In this case, testers quickly detect and provide the necessary feedback rather than using automated applications requiring many steps to write. That’s why this process is appreciated more manually.
Quality control
Suppose you need to test the overall quality of the application. Here, you will have to do it manually. That’s because automated testing usually focuses on only test-specific output. On the other hand, human testers will navigate the whole system and other types of workflows.
It’s very easy to generate original thought, unlike automated tools that will only perform tasks assigned to them only. Humans best do quality control testing as they can quickly generate effective feedback that will improve the overall working of the system.
New functionalities
It’s not advisable to perform automated tests on applications under development. If you do, it will cost you a lot of time and resources to keep the automated tests running and correct errors you will encounter. That means automated tests will frequently fail and must be updated regularly.
It’s better to perform this testing manually as that is the only way you will be sure you can adjust the process to accommodate the new features that were initially omitted. Hence, you will effectively check the configurations of the software manually.
Conclusion
Software testing is a vital aspect of the software development process. Whether through automation tool or manual, each test carried out is equally important in improving the product’s overall functionality. It’s good to differentiate which processes should be automated and those that should be done manually. The points above clearly explain the processes that should be covered in automated or manual testing.
