Aug 5, 2022

Types of Testing In Software App Development

An article about the various types of testing in software development and which one to choose based on your requirements
Siri Kaliparambil
Siri KaliparambilTechnical Content Writer
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Testing is critical to the success of any software program. To give your software a competitive edge, every line of code must be tested through rigorous QA processes. If there are any bugs or confusion in the software, we at GeekyAnts ensure that errors won’t travel with it when the mobile or web app is shipped to customers. One process that we have adapted to reduce bugs is to develop a testing system that allows us to figure out which parts of the code don’t work correctly before the product goes into production in order for us to be able to build robust applications that are successful in the market.

There are several types of testing in software development, but not all of them are equal in terms of reliability and finding bugs. In this article, we explore how some testing practices differ from others and why we should consider the different methods based on the requirements of our clients and the use case of the app. 

Types of Testing to Ensure Robust Software Applications:

1. Unit Testing

Unit testing is the process of writing test cases to ensure that individual components of a system behave as expected by their user interface. It is a form of software development testing that focuses on the smallest unit of design. It tests an individual unit or group of interrelated units.  The purpose of unit testing is to ensure that each component of the application has a solid interface and that its functionality meets the needs of your application.

2. Integration Testing

Integration testing is a method of testing that checks if the different modules or components of a software application work properly when they're integrated into the module.  Integration testing seeks to test the function of a software application as a whole, rather than testing components separately. The main aim is that when combined these modules should perform as expected.

3. End-to-End Testing

Testing an application with end-to-end testing is a great way to ensure that your app works as expected. This process checks whether the flow between the various components in an app is functioning as it was intended. However, it can be very expensive and difficult to maintain automated testing as the test data requires an extensive setup.  This can result in unnecessary waste of time and money because of which other types of testing can be considered for large applications.

4. Alpha Testing

Alpha testing is a type of acceptance testing where internal employees perform the testing and provide feedback to the development team to help them fix any issues that might otherwise be overlooked. Alpha testing is the process of checking out the software before releasing it to end users. Alpha Testing consists of basic tasks and functionalities that are established by the developer which are executed by testers who can evaluate how well these tasks work when they are done by normal users. Unlike beta testing, alpha testing is a pre-release of the software that we are building and it's part of our product development process.

5. Beta Testing

While beta testing is similar in nature to alpha testing, the main difference is that alpha testing is focused on identifying if there are any major issues or bugs before we decide to release the product while beta testing is a type of acceptance testing that is conducted with a real user base. The major advantage that beta testing brings to the app development process is that it provides us with an insight into the customer’s mind and how the app will be received in the real world.

Manual Testing Vs. Automated Testing in Software App Development:

1. Mode of testing

Manual testing is the process in which a human QA tester checks use cases manually while in the case of automated testing, this is done by the platform or tool using artificial intelligence.

2. The reliability of testing

Manual testing can be a reliable manner of testing as it is free from looping errors as in the case of automated testing where the machine or AI tool continuously throws recurring errors in case of a mistake in the code.

3. Time efficiency

Automated testing is far more reliable in terms of efficiency as the platform executes the given task in much lesser time and with far more accuracy as in the case of manual testing.

4. Considering costs

Since the budget is an important factor to take into consideration, it is important to note that automated testing is far more expensive initially because of the expense incurred in setting up the platform but can be a money saver in the long run.

Conclusion

Building apps that are truly robust and are forerunners in the market has always been our vision. We at GeekyAnts follow the various processes mentioned in this article to ensure that the digital apps that we build are not only giving customers the great experience that they deserve, but also that we are shipping applications in the most efficient way possible.

I hope this article about the various types of testing has given you an insight into testing processes that can be used at different stages of app development to ensure well-functioning apps with a great UX!

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