What are the 9 principles of manual testing?

An effective test strategy can be created with the help of test principles and error-catching test cases can be properly drafted. Testers can learn and use these testing principles to leverage software testing activities and thus enhance the overall performance of the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC). The testing team should put in the required efforts to understand these principles from a pragmatic standpoint. In this article, you will get to know the nine principles of manual testing. 

Following are the nine principles of manual testing:

1. Defect clustering: Most of the defects that are being detected are contained in a small number of modules. The Pareto principle is applied to software testing, which means around 80% of the issues are found in 20% of the modules. Such risky modules can be identified. If the tests are repeated continually then new bugs would not be identified in the same test cases.

2. There is no possibility of exhaustive testing: Based on the risk assessment of the application, the optimal amount of testing can be analyzed. It is highly impossible to test everything with all possible combinations of conditions and inputs. Manual testing should be done strategically and if need be required manual testing tools can be used.

3. Pesticide paradox: When the same set of repetitive tests are performed over and over again, then eventually it would be difficult to discover new defects. To overcome this scenario, test cases should be habitually revised and reviewed.   

4. Defects are presented: The chances of undiscovered defects in the software application are reduced through the strategic application of manual testing. Upon that, the team can also leverage manual testing tools. If the defects are not found, that means there might be a lack in correctness. 

5. The nonappearance of errors is a misconception: There might be instances where a software application might be bug-free and is still unusable. This can happen in specific scenarios where the system is tested thoroughly for requirement which is not in line with business and client-specific requirements. Just finding the defects won’t fetch anything of value to the testing team. The team should be well aware of the client and business-specific needs. 

6. Testing early can prove to be beneficial: The software testing process should be initiated right from the initial stages of the Software Development Life Cycle process. So, if there are any defects in the design and requirements phase, it can be captured early. Fixing defects in the earlier stages of software development would be cheaper. 

7. The value of context-dependent: The meaning of evaluating software testing from a context-dependent perspective means that testing a commercial off-the-shelf application can be different from testing an e-commerce portal. There is no similarity between all the developed software. The team might use a different technique, methodology, approach and type of testing depending on the application type.

8. Preventing defects: The quality of the product is improved by preventing defects. Those defects that might have been skipped can be identified and fixed if the software testing strategy is well-defined and the testing team can carry out their work in accordance with the testing plan.

9. The necessity of automation: Automation testing is a broad aspect of testing. It requires meticulous planning, evaluation and training to carry out the testing activities productively. Automation testing is considered to be ideal when there are repetitive tasks that can be automated, which in turn saves a lot of effort and time for the testing team. Accuracy of testing is also one of the key benefits of automation.  

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing manual testing or automation testing or both for your specific project, then do get connected with a globally renowned software testing services company that will provide you with feasible testing solutions that are in line with your project specific requirements.

Why should software companies use UAT testing?

 Software testing plays a crucial role in the development of a software product or application. It upholds and assures the consistency of the software product or application. The significance of user acceptance testing lies in the fact that the product or application is tested from a user’s point of view. The user will be given due importance because ultimately the feedback provided by the user will be evaluated and then the necessary decisions will be taken by the team for further improving the quality of the product or application. In this article, you will get to know the strategic importance of user acceptance testing and why it needs to be performed.

What is User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?

This software testing method is conducted in the final phase of the software development process, just before the product is about to be released. End-users will be the testers who will be testing the software product or application in a real-time production environment. The testing team will then obtain feedback from the end-users to know about their opinions, and suggestions so that the product’s quality can be enhanced.

The tactical benefit that organizations can derive from implementing UAT:

User acceptance testing is a crucial step for the stakeholder/customer/product owner/intended consumer/company owner to have a clear understanding of the software product or application that is being built. Before the product is transported to the production area, the built software system is verified and validated by the business user. Test manager, QA leader, business analyst, product or business owner are the various stakeholders involved in the user acceptance testing process.

UAT testing primarily ascertains whether the day-to-day functions or activities of the organization are set out in the user stories or not. The solution is verified by the product owner to know whether it runs in full swing without any issues and also verifies whether the needs are properly met or not. If any bugs have been identified, then the QA team should patch and re-test it.   

Following are the key factors that justify the strategic importance of User acceptance testing:

1. Product enhancement: The team can have the required confidence before the product is released to the public in general. Once the UAT is properly performed, costly bugs and re-launches can be avoided that may negatively affect the satisfaction level of the customers. 

2. The value of realistic scenarios: Problems can be found by enabling realistic testing scenarios that might not have been noticed in the earlier stages of software development or simpler tests.

3. Clear understanding of the product: The team can better understand the value of a software product or application from a user’s perspective and thus focus on identifying those aspects that need improvement. Before the customer uses the product, security vulnerabilities can be resolved, which will in turn enhance customer satisfaction. 

4. The Usability factor: Testing of the application’s usability takes place to make sure that it is easy to use during this stage. This will help in ascertaining whether the user can complete tasks and easily navigate the application, which is in turn crucial for gaining maximum customer satisfaction.

5. Including a User Interface: There are many simple applications, but, a few require a more sophisticated UI. End-user testing makes sure that the application meets the required UI expectations that are in line with business requirements.   

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing UAT testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a competent software testing Services Company that will provide you with exclusive testing solutions that are in line with your project specific requirements.  

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. This article strives to provide meaningful information about the importance of UAT and the specific reasons for organizations to go for it. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.

Why is manual testing important in the world of automation?

Automation testing is known for the speed of execution and for providing accurate details. Certain repeatable testing tasks can be easily and efficiently performed by the platform of test automation. However, there are still certain aspects of software testing that cannot be tackled and solved by the automation testing platform and hence manual testing would be an appropriate solution. In this article, you will get to know the importance of manual testing in the world of automation. 

Following are the key reasons that depict the strategic significance of manual testing over automation testing:

1. Unexpected bugs: The software code can be tested by automation tools only according to pre-written scripts. But, there might be instances where crucial bugs may crop up in the unexpected parts of the software. To solve this issue, manual testing can be used for detecting potential defects in the software.

2. Manual testing is a feasible and cost-effective solution for smaller projects: When test automation is used for QA processes in an organization that are small or are start-ups, then it might become a big deal. This is because professional software, management, maintenance and scriptwriting can absorb a huge part of the development budget. 

The test scripts need to be created by QA testers so that automation tools can be properly set up to run the tests properly. On the contrary, a small feature can be effectively checked by the manual testing method and thus the tester can provide the feedback to the developers at the earliest.

3. Some aspects of software testing cannot be carried out by automation tools: Even if no bugs have been detected by the test automation method, usability and design defects can be easily identified by the manual testing method. The most advanced automated test scripts cannot detect certain aspects of software testing, which can only be detected by using manual testing.

4. Exploratory testing requires manual intervention: Specific actions that have been instructed by the team can be carried out by automated tests flawlessly. Writing automated tests require adequate planning and preparation, which in turn sets certain restrictions for testing. These restrictions mean there is no deviation from the written test in order to explore the application. Exploratory testing or ad-hoc testing is carried out throughout the testing process as and when required and because there are no set boundaries, manual testing is implemented.   

5. Certain test scenarios cannot be automated: For example, there is an iPad application that is dependent on tap gestures. If the “tap” is automated, then it will not only prove to be costly but may also be not accurate when compared to touching the user interface with a finger. Certain features need to be tested manually for apt usage. Till the time a resource has been found to write an automated test, a manual test will easily fix those bugs. 

6. Errors in automation scripts: As errors are found in the code, similar glitches or errors can also be found in test automation scripts. This shows that test automation can report false positives and false negatives. When there is human involvement throughout the test procedure, then these bugs can be avoided. 

A manually entered script is generally used for automation activities. The wrong automated script can be observed as the functionality that failed in the worst situation, in the app or a scenario wherein a bug in the code has been passed as the right functionality. When manual testing is performed on a code, there is a sort of assurance that an application has been fully tested from a user’s opinion with no room for errors or faults.  

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing manual testing or automation testing or both for your specific project, then do get connected with a leading software testing services company that will provide you with a viable testing strategy that is in line with your project specific requirements. 

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.

Complete journey from QA to QE transformation

 The evolution of software delivery has seen a dramatic shift over the past few years. This is partly because of agile and DevOps platforms that are revolutionizing the software development process. Agile and DevOps constantly focus on building better quality products faster. There may be scenarios where QA teams would not be able to meet the standards of the development team. For this purpose, a holistic Quality Engineering (QE) program can be developed by Agile teams for carrying out the software development and testing activities in a more reliable, feasible and productive manner. In this article, you will get to know the steps required for transitioning from quality assurance to quality engineering.

Body:

Following are the five key steps required to smoothly and tactically move from Quality Assurance (QA) to Quality Engineering (QE):

1. Develop a well-defined automation strategy: The journey from QA to QE transformation requires a shift in tactics. Automation is a key component of the QE trajectory, hence the key parts of an organization need to be moved accordingly. Tools, processes and people are the three important areas that need to be considered and worked upon. QE strategy depends on how well leaders lead, communicate and frame the strategy. The testing team’s skills are also considered so that they can easily roll out digital products and services.

Organizations that are moving from QA to QE transformation should also strongly consider skills enhancement. Velocity can be improved by automating processes in QE and also ensuring that errors are eliminated that occur due to manual intervention.

2. Set the right perspective for the basics of test automation: As quality is a highly crucial component of development, the integration of test automation practices and quality assurance will be even more into the QE. Test automation and automated QA should be set up by categorizing the existing tests into Testing quadrants and using the test pyramid to execute them.  Pyramid and testing quadrants not only help in taking the right testing decisions but also help in providing the right automated QA framework.

3. Agile principles and values should be leveraged: Implementing agile principles and values to QE practices can build an unshakeable and firm foundation. Engineering best practices can be adopted by testing teams through the support of organizations. Automation should be applied by keeping things simple. Simple tasks or tests can be identified by noticing critical and small signals in terms of manual intervention, implementation, ROI and other pain points.

Shorter iterations should be adopted for testing like coding practices. Teams can easily regroup and respond faster to any condition of fluctuation and instability.  

4. The strategic usage of the right tools: Tools play a crucial role in the automation strategy. The test automation tools landscape is expansive as crucial decisions rely on it. The testing team and organizations should use one tool at a time, see whether it can provide the right solutions, conduct a trial run and then evaluate the results. Only when all these steps are critically evaluated can the tool be used in the project. 

The existing development infrastructure of the organization should be able to leverage the tool for maximum results. Ultimately, the team should be able to learn and implement all the features of the tool in a productive and rewarding manner.

5. The value of metrics: Organizations must have the metrics to prove and implement QE practices tactfully. Organizations move on to the QE transformation by automating testing and QA practices and measuring the right metrics. If there are any deviations, then the teams can get back on track through the strategic use of metrics.    

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing software testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a rewarding software testing services company that will provide you with a tactical testing roadmap that is in line with your project specific requirements.

9 performance testing metrics every tester should know

Performance testing ensures that a website or application performs optimally under varying workloads. The scalability, stability and speed are assessed through the performance testing process. In order to effectively test the performance aspects of an application, performance test metrics should be implemented. These metrics provide a viable and tactical strategy that can increase the efficiency of performance testing. In this article, you will get to know a few important examples of performance testing metrics.  

What is performance testing?

It is a testing method that is performed to ensure that a software product or application can perform as per the required expectations under varying workloads.

Following are the nine examples of performance testing metrics:

1. The amount of CPU used: The amount of CPU utilization is evaluated in this metric. If the CPU utilization is high, then there will be issues in performance. Monitoring alerts can be used to easily track down CPU usage. The performance can be enhanced by monitoring the CPU usage. In order to understand and analyze the performance, the CPU usage should be below 70%.

2. The Latency factor: The time taken is indicated for the first response. At times, Latency is also referred to as a wait metric. The time taken for receiving the first byte is measured as a response. The performance levels of the web servers are measured by latency metrics.

3. Ascertaining the connections per second: The specific information about the TCP/IP connections that open and close every second is provided by the “connections per second” metric. If the number of hits per second is higher than the number of connections per second, then it means that the performance is at an optimal level.      

4. Calculating the response time: The total time taken between sending a request and receiving a response is calculated. If the response time is faster, then it also means that the performance is at a higher end.

5. Determining whether the transaction has passed or failed: It is important to know the number of transactions that have failed or passed during the performance testing process. The total number of successful and unsuccessful attempts is calculated.

6. The amount of memory used: The amount of memory that is required to process a request is determined using this performance testing metric. Specific information about the amount of memory used during the execution is provided by this performance testing metric.

7. Throughput: The amount of bandwidth that has been used during the performance testing process is measured. The rate at which a computer or a network receives the request per second is indicated. Kilobytes per second are used for measuring the throughput rate.

8. Collecting Garbage: The different performance-related issues are made aware of using this metric. Specific information about the amount of memory that has been unused is returned to the system. Performance and efficiency can be enhanced by monitoring garbage collection.

9. The number of concurrent users: The number of users using an application or web server at a specific time impacts the performance. The number of active users at a given point in time is measured using this metric. 

The effectiveness of an application or website is enhanced through the strategic implementation of the performance testing process. The above mentioned nine performance test metrics should be understood and implemented as and when required during the testing process for obtaining beneficial results. When the right performance testing metric is implemented, then a more robust, high-performing and scalable software product can be expected.    

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing performance testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a world renowned software testing services company that will provide you with tactical testing solutions that justify your project specific requirements.

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.

How to automate performance testing using JMeter?

Performance testing checks how a specific product or application performs under varying workloads. The objective of this testing method is to ensure that the product can perform at peak levels. JMeter is an efficient tool that can perform performance testing effectively. Both static and dynamic resources are tested using JMeter performance testing. In this article, you will get to know the steps required to automate performance testing using JMeter. 

What is JMeter testing?

The Apache JMeter is a Java-based, open-source tool that is used for measuring performance and load test functional behavior. Test scripts can be executed effectively against a web application. The script that is being developed to test the application should include the following:

• Application Login

• To introduce specific test data programmatically, java code should be inserted using custom scripting

• Make REST calls to the service layer

• Simulating multiple users so that the system can be accessed concurrently to mimic stress testing and/or typical user load.

JMeter supports scripting REST calls. By adding an HTTP request, the creation of each individual REST call takes place. 

Following are the 5 steps required to automate performance testing using JMeter:

1. The Apache JMeter needs to be set up:

• Open the JMeter folder

• Click on the bin folder

• Select the JMeter .bat file and then double-click on it

After a few seconds, the JMeter window will open. The test plan should be/is renamed as performance testing.

2. A Thread group should be added:

• Right-click on the performance testing 

• Go to add, then proceed to Threads (Users) and select Thread Group

Here, the thread group can be assumed based on the number of users 

3. The HTTP request should be added:

• Right-click on the thread group, proceed to add option and then again proceed to the sampler option

• You will find a menu from which to select the HTTP request option

An IP box or server name can be seen that will provide the IP or server name in that.

This demo will use the TestingXperts website:

• Go to the TestingXperts website

• Copy the URL

• Return to the JMeter window and then paste the URL in the server name box

Kindly do not provide HTTP or HTTPS, as these protocols will come in another box, which will in turn be automatically taken in the HTTP request case.

• Leave a forward slash in the path dialog box

The objective is to access the route page and hence the forward slash is used.

4. Listeners should be added:

• Go to Add and then select the Listener option and then proceed to the View results in the tree option

• Right-click on the Listener option again and then select graph results 

• To add a third listener, again right-click and choose the View Results in Table option.

5. Run the test:

• Save this JMeter test

• Finally, run the test by clicking on the green button.

You can see the test running when you visit the “View Results tree.” The same can be applied to graph results also.

The strategic importance of JMeter:

A request is created by JMeter and then sent to the server. Once the server’s response is received, the details are collected and visualized in the form of a graph or a chart. After that, the server’s response is processed. Finally, the test results are generated in several formats such as JSON, XML, TXT etc., so that the data can be easily analyzed by the tester.

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing performance testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a leading software testing services company that will provide you with a detailed testing solutions roadmap that is in line with your project specific requirements.

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.

How Blockchain can be used in banking?

Technology has simplified in managing the tasks and even created many complexities such as hacking, data loss, etc. and this is an effective challenge for the banking field. To thrive such complexities, blockchain technology has evoked to enhance the security and solutions for banks.

This technology is leveraging banking sectors in many ways such as to store, secure, and manage digital data under a secured platform. And, to validate and verify this process, it is necessary to perform blockchain testing. This way of performing blockchain testing assures banks to use blockchain technology for secured payments, fundraising, trade financing, etc.

Banking is one of the most important and as well as the critical sector that is prone to most attacks. The sensitive data or the payment gateways of the users have a great risk of getting attacked if they are not protected under a secured platform. Blockchain is the powerful technology that is potentially helping many banks from vulnerabilities with its three important properties – Transparency, Decentralization, and Immutability.

The adoption of blockchain technology eliminates the risk of fraudulent transactions, helps in addressing issues related to administrative costs, operational risk, and ultimately helps in enhancing the efficiency and reliability of banks for their users. The several benefits of blockchain technology have effectively increased its significance and usage in the banking sector.

What is Blockchain Technology?

Blockchain is the technology that has created a secured banking platform where digital assets are decentralized with transparency. This technology is also known as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). It functions with three important principles, i.e. Decentralization, Transparency, and Immutability. As the dependency on this technology is increasing, many banking teams are embracing blockchain testing services so that it helps them to use blockchain effectively in many banking fields.

Fundraising: The new model of financing is effectively unbundling access to capital from traditional capital-raising services for the Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs).

Payments: With a decentralized ledger such as bitcoin, blockchain technology helps in enhancing faster payments at a lesser fee amount.

Security Purpose: This is one of the efficient ways that blockchain provides. It tokenizes the traditional securities such as bonds, stocks, alternative assets and places them on public blockchains. This feature helps in creating more efficient and interoperable capital.

Credit and Loan: With the technology of blockchain, it has become easier and secured for borrowing money and providing loans at a lesser interest rate.

Trade Finance: Blockchain technology has replaced the paper bills process and is helping with more secure, trustworthy, and transparent trade financing globally.

Conclusion:

Blockchain technology is explicitly helping banks in performing secured payments globally in real-time with complete transparency, enabling reasonable costs, and providing a real-time fraud analysis. 

With its abundant benefits and effectiveness, banks are looking into blockchain technology for many use-cases. However, to validate and verify this strategy, blockchain testing practice is even necessary. Banking teams should embrace blockchain testing services from QA testing services provider to effectively make use of the blockchain technology.

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