High-Level Overview of  Software Testing Methodologies

Last updated on January 20th, 2023 at 06:59 pm

If there is one industry that has made a monumental entrance in the world of economy and made it big, it is, Software development! But the fact is, the industry is nothing without a robust quality assurance department that deals with different methodologies in software testing. As a result, the software industry has changed how the human race used to interact professionally, commercially, and personally.

The basic understanding of Software Testing methodology is that it creates an environment for the industry to become a better version of itself. At varying stages, the software developers and testers instrument numerous testing methodologies using A/B testing, or Automated testing software so that the end-users can effortlessly use the finest products.

By 2024, there will be a whopping increase in the number of software developers, with 28.7 million worldwide, says a report. This static sums up the multitude of the software development industry. This article will provide value-added information on plenty of methodologies in software testing.

What are software testing methodologies?

With the help of various techniques and strategies, a programmer and/or quality assurance department checks whether software, an application or a website can work under different circumstances, known as Software testing methodology.

Testing methodologies in software testing change at every level making sure each component works accurately. In other words, to provide the best services to the end-users, the software goes through numerous testing before going live.

Why are software testing methodologies critical?

Testing is one of the unavoidable processes while developing software. IBM tracked that the software failure in 2016 damaged the USA’s economy with $1.1 trillion in assets, and it resulted in impacting 4.4 billion customers. This fact strongly backs up the testing process. However, these are some critical reasons for software testing methodologies’ existence.

• The main work of different methodologies in software testing is to identify bugs and errors in a system so that developers can remove them.
• At an initial stage, it becomes easier to modify the program or coding while using innumerable methodologies in software testing.
• When developers make changes in a preliminary stage due to feedback and failure during every testing methodology in software testing, it saves a great deal of time, energy, and money.
• Users, clients, stakeholders, and shareholders are mainly interested in results and barely understand any technicalities. Hence, software testing methodologies are vital for maintaining a brand or company’s reputation and credibility. 
• A tiny error or glitch can crumple the whole software as it might create chronicle flaws. As a result, software or an app can crash, meaning instant client and market loss.
• Flawless software creates a benchmark in the market and builds trust among everyone. Thus, active testing methodologies in software testing welcome more business.
• Unimpaired methodologies in software testing institute high value of the company or brand, and it directly impacts market value, share, business, profit, etc.  

These points indicate the necessity of countless testing methodologies in software testing. In the software industry, software testing methodologies are perpetual for growth.

What is the difference between software testing methodologies and strategies?

The concepts of strategy testing and test methodology in software testing are poles apart. Hence, they aren’t interchangeable!

Mainly, PMs conduct test strategies on a general level to check the performance of a product. These are coordinated plans, and PMs produce them to explain a series of testing methodologies in software testing.

Test methodology in software testing, which is AKA a Test plan, pays attention to specifications, and it contains scope, objective, approach, and highlights efforts while testing. Usually, test managers oversee test methodology in software testing and make sure everything works before developers convert it into a final product.

Types of software testing methodologies

The article has described software testing methodologies and strategies per their end-to-end and unit-based testing system. It explains every testing methodology briefly here to provide an overview. 

1. Functional testing methodology in software testing:

Test managers don’t require coding knowledge for this test methodology in software testing. There are four Functional testing methodologies in software testing. This testing methodology checks if products work as they should for the end-users. Before the product goes live, these testing methodologies in software testing checks if the product is user-friendly.

• Unit testing methodology: As the name suggests, this testing methodology makes sure that every unit of a component is functional before it goes to the next level. Generally, developers themselves write and run this test methodology in software testing. It addresses bugs at the earliest stage, making it smoother to rectify. The Unit testing methodology can be applied manually and automatically. Hence, this is one of the most widely adopted testing methodologies in software testing.     

• Integration testing methodology: Integration testing methodology in software testing is applied when two or more units are combined or embodied to confirm if they work synchronously. According to the convenience, developers and testers perform these testing methodologies in software testing using manual and automatic systems. There are four types of integration methodologies in software testing.
  
• Top-down testing methodology
• Bottom-up test methodology in software testing
• Mixed testing methodology
• Big Bang test methodology in software testing

• System testing methodology: This is one of the most accepted methodologies in software testing. It checks whether the final product provides actions as required and dictated by the client. All the units, components, and parts are integrated and tested in the system testing.

• Acceptance testing methodology: Once the final product is ready and before it goes live in the market for everyone to use, the customer uses the product to make sure it fulfills the end user’s criteria and needs. Developers use Acceptance testing methodologies in software testing internally and externally. There are three types of Acceptance Software testing methodologies.

1. Alpha software testing methodology
2. Beta software testing methodology
3. User acceptance software testing methodology  

2. Non-functional testing methodology in software testing:

Non-functional testing isn’t technical. It is only a performance-based testing methodology. Imagine adding a new feature to an app; if it isn’t gone through non-functional testing methodologies in software testing, it can create functionality problems. Under this testing methodology, there are roughly ten software testing methodologies.

• Performance testing: This testing inspects whether the final product performed as planned as part of non-functional testing methodologies in software testing.

• Load testing: This testing scans if the final product works or performs when the demand level is at its peak (i.e., an exhausting number of users) as a part of non-functional testing methodologies in software testing.

• Stress testing: This test studies the capacity of the final product. Testers give planned and unplanned loads such as overloading data and invalid data. They record when the product crashes or stops working as a part of non-functional testing methodologies in software testing.

• Volume testing: Part of non-functional testing methodologies in software testing tracks down the duration and efficiency of the response to the overloaded data on the product.

• Security testing: Due to the risk of security these days, this test investigates if the date and information in the product are safely locked or not. There are various types of methodologies in software testing under this.
  
• Authentication based security
• Authorization based security
• Confidentiality based security
• Integrity based security
• Availability based security
• Non-repudiation based security

• Usability testing: This test surveys how accessible the product is for the end-users, making it easily adaptable. This test methodology notices if the product’s performance, such as login, log out, etc., meets users’ expectations. Out of multiple software testing methodologies, testers utilize this testing during the System and Acceptance testings.  

• Compatibility testing: This test is to study if the product frictionlessly executes on every platform, such as different operating systems, hardware, softwares, devices, and browsers, as a part of software testing methodologies.

• Installation testing: Testers check the installation process with the help of different components such as CD, internet, etc., in this test. Depending on the element, developers opt for different types of Installation tests as a part of software testing methodologies.

• Uninstallation testing: This testing ensures that there is nothing left in a system, e.g., data, files, etc., after the product is removed/uninstalled, which is one of the essential parts of software testing methodologies.

• Recovery testing: Recovery testing makes sure that the data and files are recovered after unfavorable situations, for instance, force shut down, no power, and various software failures. This testing notices the time the product takes to retrieve the information out of all methodologies in software testing to provide quicker results.

• Testing techniques:

This test methodology in software testing is executed with certain specifications to achieve the product’s objective. Under this category, there are three software testing methodologies.

• White box testing: It is structural testing, which is also known as ‘Clear Box testing.’ It mainly concerns external or outer testing, and developers implement this test as they require coding or programming details.
  
• Black box testing: It is to test the product’s functionality, and testers can efficiently run it without gaining detailed information on the product. Hence, it is famously known as inner or internal testing.
  
• Grey box testing: The White Box and Black Box methodologies in software testing are used with some of their best features to check the product’s accuracy.    

What are Software Development Life Cycle(SDLC) Models?

It is non-negotiable to understand models in SDLC to opt for an appropriate test methodology in software testing. ‘Software Development Process Models’ is another term for these models. Each model is distinguished from others that help to build Information System Development projects.

It also helps to pick up multiple software testing methodologies on different stages of SDLC to get the best results.

• Waterfall model
• V model
• Agile model
• Spiral model
• RAD model

As Boris Beizer, an American software engineer, says, “Software never was perfect and won’t get perfect. But is that a license to create garbage? The missing ingredient is our reluctance to quantify quality.”

Conclusion

The above-mentioned list of methodologies in software testing understandably gives the idea of how vital quality check is while SDCL. Such a variation in the test methodology in software testing permits developers and testers to create a product with meticulous precision.