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The 7 Fundamental Principles of Software Testing

2021-11-22 09:17 Unit Tests
The 7 Fundamental Principles of Software Testing

The principles of software testing are the guidelines that assist testing teams in making the best use of their time and effort in order to discover hidden deffects of a testing project.

The 7 Fundamental Principles of Software Testing listed below have been investigated from real-world practice and research for testers to use widely in the software testing field.

  1. Testing identifies the project's current defects.
  2. It is not possible to conduct exhaustive testing.
  3. Early testing.
  4. Clustering of defects.5
  5. Pesticide Paradox
  6. Testing is mostly reliant on the circumstance.
  7. The lack of the Fallacy of Errors

We analize each of these sofware testing principles briefly as follows:

1. Testing identifies the project's current defects.

This principle can be stated another way: testing is concerned with the presence of defects rather than their lack. Software testing can only identify existing flaws in an application or software. Testing always helps to reduce the number of undiscovered defects in software; however, just because no bugs are discovered during the testing process does not imply that the software is correct. Regardless of how thoroughly a product or application is tested, no one can guarantee that it is defect-free.

2. It is not possible to conduct exhaustive testing.

Although there are Important Advantages of Automation Testing for an Effective Product Release, it is impossible to test all possible combinations of data, inputs, and test scenarios because it would take an inordinate amount of time. Instead, the testing team can only focus on a few key criteria, such as risk and priorities, when developing the test strategy. The project timeframes would never allow the testing team to test a large number of valid combinations in a single project. As a result, accessing and managing risks is regarded as one of the most important activities in testing projects.

3. Early testing

To get ready for the next step of software development, testing activities must be completed as soon as possible. Testers can even start testing while the product requirements or papers are being prepared. Obviously, it is always quicker and less expensive to repair problems from the start rather than overhauling the entire system if the defects are discovered too late. As a result of early testing, testers can uncover defects and assist the development team in resolving them with fewer expenses and efforts.

4. Defect Clustering

The term "defect clustering" refers to the notion that the majority of flaws are found in a few modules. This principle requires the testing team to discover potential modules to test using their expertise and experience. Because the team only needs to focus on those "critical" regions, the forecast can help save time and effort. However, this strategy has certain drawbacks: if testers only focus on a limited region for the entire team, they may miss faults in other areas.

5. Pesticide Paradox

Pesticide Paradox refers to the repetitious tests that project testers undertake. These tests are only performed on a subset of the system rather than the entire system. This type of test may result in the failure to detect additional flaws outside of that module. As a result, testing teams must evaluate and update test cases on a regular basis in order to cover all aspects of the projects.

6. Testing is mostly reliant on the circumstance.

Various goods or projects have different aspects, features, and needs. As a result, testers cannot use the same test technique for multiple projects. For example, a program in the financial business should require more testing than entertainment software.

7. The lack of the Fallacy of Errors

The software product should be tested not only on its technical aspects, but also on the expectations and needs of users. Although the testing revealed no flaws in the program, this does not imply that the product is ready for release because it must be checked that the testing was carried out thoroughly and in accordance with the appropriate standards.

The ideas listed above were derived from the study "Foundations of Software Testing" (ISTQB Certification) by Rex Black, Erick Van Veenendaal, and Dorothy Graham. These ideas can be used as the foundation for the majority of testing efforts. However, as previously said, each product or project comprises a unique set of features and criteria that necessitate a unique testing strategy. To choose and balance those methods, testers should draw on their expertise and knowledge.



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