Software testing
Software testing is a method of verifying that the actual software product meets the standard requirements and is also necessary to ensure that the product is free of defects.
ST is a method of verifying that the actual software product meets the standard requirements and is also necessary to ensure that the product is free of defects. It involves executing predefined algorithms using manual or automated tools to evaluate one or more properties of interest. Software testing aims to identify errors, gaps, or missing requirements specified during the product design phase.
Types of Software Testing:
- White box – when we have access to the code, and we test it, read the code itself (static testing), run it in debug, write autotests;
- Black box – when we do not know how the system is arranged inside, there is no access to the code or we do not know how to read it, and therefore we focus only on external behavior or technical specifications;
- Grey box – when we look at the code and understand how it works, and then open the application itself and check how this code is already displayed in it, but we focus more on the technical task (this is a compilation of the two above definitions).
Simply put, testing means checking the application against the requirements and quality standards. This guide will introduce the audience to testing tools and ensure their importance.
Why is software testing necessary?
If the software contains bugs or defects, they may be detected early in the production of the software and corrected before it is released to production. An adequately tested software product provides reliability, security, and high performance, saving time, money, and customer satisfaction.
Testing is necessary because software bugs can be costly to the manufacturer. They can lead to severe financial losses and even human casualties; history is full of such examples.
- In April 2015, a Bloomberg terminal in London went down due to a software glitch affecting over 300,000 traders in the financial markets. This forced the government to delay the sale of the £3 billions debt.
- More than 1 million vehicles have been recalled from the market by Nissan due to a software glitch in airbag sensors. Two accidents are reported due to this software glitch.
- Starbucks has been forced to close about 60% of stores in the US and Canada due to a software glitch in its POS system. At one point, the store served coffee for free as they were unable to process the transaction.
- Some third-party Amazon retailers have seen their price drop to as little as 1p due to a software glitch. They were left with heavy losses.
- A vulnerability in Windows 10 allowed exiting the security sandbox through a breach in a win32k system.
- In 2015, an F-35 fighter jet was the victim of a software glitch that prevented it from properly detecting targets.
- On April 26, 1994, a China Airlines Airbus A300 crashed due to a software bug, killing 264 innocent people!
- In 1985, the Therac-25, a Canadian radiotherapy machine, malfunctioned due to a software error and delivered lethal doses of radiation to patients, killing 3 people and seriously injuring 3 others.
- In April 1999, a software bug failed to launch a $1.2 billion military satellite, the costliest accident in history.
- In May 1996, due to a software bug, $920 million was credited to the bank accounts of 823 customers of a major US bank.