Testing Types: Testing types refer to the different categories or classifications of testing based on the specific objective or purpose of the testing activity. It defines the focus and scope of testing and helps identify the specific goals to be achieved. Examples of testing types include functional testing, performance testing, security testing, usability testing, and compatibility testing. Each testing type addresses a specific aspect of the software’s quality and functionality.
Testing Approaches: Testing approaches, on the other hand, refer to the strategies, methods, or techniques used to perform testing. It defines the overall approach or mindset adopted by testers to design and execute tests. Testing approaches are often influenced by the project’s requirements, timelines, available resources, and the software development lifecycle. Examples of testing approaches include manual testing, automated testing, exploratory testing, risk-based testing, and model-based testing. Each testing approach provides a specific framework for planning, executing, and evaluating tests.
In summary, testing types categorize testing based on objectives, while testing approaches define the strategies and techniques employed to carry out testing activities. Testing types determine what to test, while testing approaches determine how to test. Both types and approaches are essential in designing a comprehensive and effective software testing strategy.
Some common functional and non-functional testing types
| Functional Testing | Non-Functional Testing |
| 1. Unit Testing | 1. Performance Testing |
| 2. Integration Testing | 2. Load Testing |
| 3. System Testing | 3. Stress Testing |
| 4. Acceptance Testing | 4. Usability Testing |
| 5. Regression Testing | 5. Compatibility Testing |
| 6. Alpha Testing | 6. Security Testing |
| 7. Beta Testing | 7. Reliability Testing |
| 8. Smoke Testing | 8. Scalability Testing |
| 9. Sanity Testing | 9. Maintainability Testing |
| 10. Interface Testing | 10. Portability Testing |
| 11. Exploratory Testing | 11. Robustness Testing |
| 12. Ad Hoc Testing | 12. Recovery Testing |
| 13. User Acceptance Testing | 13. Compliance Testing |
| 14. Parallel Testing | 14. Efficiency Testing |
| 15. A/B Testing | 15. Interoperability Testing |
Some common testing type with definition
Functional Testing: This type of testing verifies that the software functions as expected and meets the specified requirements. It focuses on testing the individual functions and features of the software to ensure they work correctly.
Performance Testing: Performance testing evaluates the system’s performance under different load and stress conditions. It measures factors such as response time, scalability, and resource usage to assess the software’s performance capabilities.
Security Testing: Security testing identifies vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the software’s security measures. It aims to uncover any potential security risks, such as unauthorized access, data breaches, or system vulnerabilities, and ensures that appropriate security controls are in place.
Usability Testing: Usability testing assesses the user-friendliness and ease of use of the software. It focuses on evaluating the user interface, navigation, and overall user experience to ensure that the software is intuitive and meets user expectations.
Compatibility Testing: Compatibility testing ensures that the software functions correctly across different platforms, browsers, and devices. It verifies that the software works seamlessly in various environments and maintains its functionality and performance across different configurations.
Regression Testing: Regression testing verifies that recent changes or fixes haven’t introduced new issues or affected existing functionality. It ensures that the software continues to work as intended after modifications, updates, or bug fixes.
Integration Testing: Integration testing tests the interaction between different components or modules of the software. It aims to identify any issues or defects that may arise when integrating individual components and ensures that they work together smoothly.
System Testing: System testing evaluates the complete system’s behavior and functionality as a whole. It tests the software in its entirety to ensure that all components and modules function together correctly and meet the overall system requirements.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT): User acceptance testing validates the software from the end user’s perspective to ensure it meets their requirements. It involves real users testing the software and providing feedback to ensure that it meets their expectations and needs.
Exploratory Testing: Exploratory testing is a testing approach that focuses on simultaneously designing, executing, and learning from tests. It emphasizes discovery, learning, and ad-hoc testing, allowing testers to uncover defects and issues through exploration and experimentation.
Load Testing: Load testing assesses the system’s performance under expected load conditions to determine its scalability and stability. It tests the software’s behavior and response time under normal and peak load conditions to ensure it can handle the expected user load.
Stress Testing: Stress testing tests the system’s ability to handle extreme loads or unfavorable conditions to identify its breaking point. It aims to assess the software’s performance and stability under high-stress scenarios to uncover potential weaknesses or bottlenecks.
Installation Testing: Installation testing verifies the software’s proper installation and setup process on different environments. It ensures that the installation process is smooth and error-free, and the software functions correctly after installation.
Smoke Testing: Smoke testing is conducted to quickly assess whether the basic functionalities of an application are working after a build or deployment. It aims to identify critical issues that could prevent further testing and ensures that the essential features are functioning.
Sanity Testing: Sanity testing is performed to determine whether the system is stable enough for further testing and major functionality is working as expected. It focuses on testing the key functionalities or areas that are most likely to be affected by recent changes or updates.
Accessibility Testing: Accessibility testing evaluates the software’s accessibility to users with disabilities and compliance with accessibility standards. It ensures that the software can be accessed and used by individuals with diverse abilities and conforms to accessibility guidelines.
Localization Testing: Localization testing ensures that the software is adapted to meet the linguistic, cultural, and regional requirements of specific target markets. It verifies that the software accurately displays content, messages, and formats according to the local language, culture, and conventions.
Alpha Testing: Alpha testing is conducted by the development team to identify defects and gather feedback before releasing the software to external users. It focuses on testing the software in a controlled environment to uncover issues and make necessary improvements.
Beta Testing: Beta testing involves releasing the software to a limited group of external users to gather feedback and uncover potential issues before the final release. It allows real users to test the software in their own environments and provide valuable feedback for further refinement.
Security Penetration Testing: Security penetration testing simulates real-world cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the software’s security defenses. It aims to proactively uncover security flaws and potential entry points for attackers.
Performance Profiling: Performance profiling measures and analyzes the performance characteristics of the software, such as resource usage, response times, and bottlenecks. It helps identify areas of the software that may be causing performance issues or consuming excessive resources.
API Testing: API testing verifies the functionality, reliability, and security of application programming interfaces (APIs). It tests the communication and interaction between software components and external services to ensure seamless integration and proper functioning.
Mobile App Testing: Mobile app testing focuses on testing mobile applications across various devices, platforms, and network conditions. It ensures that the app works correctly on different mobile devices, operating systems, and screen sizes, providing a consistent user experience.
Database Testing: Database testing ensures the correctness and integrity of data stored in databases, including data validation, schema verification, and performance. It verifies that the data is accurately stored, retrieved, and manipulated by the software.
Conformance Testing: Conformance testing validates whether the software conforms to industry standards, regulations, or specific requirements. It ensures that the software adheres to the specified standards and complies with the necessary regulations or guidelines.
Globalization Testing: Globalization testing verifies the software’s ability to function effectively in diverse international markets and locales. It tests the software’s compatibility with different languages, currencies, date formats, and cultural conventions.
Configuration Testing: Configuration testing tests the software’s behavior and functionality under different configuration settings, such as operating systems, browsers, and hardware setups. It ensures that the software works correctly and consistently across different configurations.
Some Common Testing Approaches With definition
Manual Testing: Tests performed manually by human testers without the use of automation tools. It involves executing test cases, identifying defects, and verifying the software’s behavior through manual interaction and observation.
Automated Testing: Utilizes automation tools to design, develop, and execute tests. It involves writing scripts or using test automation frameworks to automate repetitive tasks and validate the software’s functionality, performance, or other attributes.
Black Box Testing: Tests the software without knowledge of its internal code or structure. Testers focus on the inputs and outputs of the software, treating it as a black box, to validate its functionality, usability, and conformance to requirements.
White Box Testing: Examines and tests the internal code and structure of the software. Testers have knowledge of the software’s internal workings and use this information to design and execute tests that assess the correctness and quality of the code.
Gray Box Testing: Combines elements of both black box and white box testing approaches. Testers have partial knowledge of the internal code or structure and use this information to design and execute tests that focus on specific areas or functionalities of the software.
Ad hoc Testing: Testing performed without predefined test plans or test cases. Testers explore the software informally, executing tests based on their intuition and knowledge to uncover defects or issues that may not be captured by formal test cases.
Component Testing: Focuses on testing individual components or modules in isolation to verify their functionality. It ensures that each component works correctly and meets its specific requirements before integration into the larger system.
Acceptance Testing: Confirms that the software meets the specified acceptance criteria and satisfies the end user’s requirements. It involves real users testing the software to validate its functionality, usability, and overall suitability for their needs.
Continuous Testing: Integrates testing activities throughout the entire software development lifecycle, including automated testing in CI/CD pipelines. It aims to provide rapid feedback and ensure that any changes or updates to the software do not introduce new defects.
Non-Functional Testing: Focuses on evaluating aspects such as performance, security, usability, reliability, and scalability of the software. It ensures that the software meets the expected non-functional requirements and performs well under various conditions.
Gorilla Testing: Concentrates on thoroughly testing specific functionalities or modules that are critical or high-risk. It aims to uncover defects or issues in these areas that could have a significant impact on the software’s performance or functionality.
Risk-Based Testing: Prioritizes testing efforts based on identified risks and their potential impact on the project. It focuses testing resources on areas of the software that are most susceptible to defects or have the highest business impact.
Pair Testing: Involves two testers collaborating to test the software, with one actively executing the tests and the other observing and providing feedback. This approach promotes knowledge sharing, collaboration, and the identification of different perspectives during testing.
Parallel Testing: Conducts testing on multiple versions or environments simultaneously to compare the results and ensure consistency. It helps identify discrepancies or inconsistencies between different versions or configurations of the software.
Model-Based Testing: Derives test cases systematically from models, such as state diagrams, decision tables, or use cases. Testers use these models as a basis to generate test cases and ensure comprehensive coverage of the software’s functionality.
Compliance Testing: Ensures that the software complies with specific regulations, standards, or legal requirements relevant to the industry or domain. It verifies that the software adheres to the necessary guidelines, rules, or best practices applicable to its intended use.
Data-Driven Testing: Utilizes external data sources, such as databases or spreadsheets, to drive test execution and validate the software’s behavior. It allows testers to test the software with different sets of input data to assess its functionality, performance, or response to various scenarios.
Capture and Replay Testing: Records and captures user interactions and system responses to create automated test scripts for later replay. It facilitates the creation of automated tests by capturing the actions performed during manual testing and reproducing them automatically.
Big Bang Testing: Tests the entire system or application as a whole, bypassing lower-level unit or component testing. It is typically used when it is not feasible or practical to perform incremental or modular testing, aiming to validate the overall system functionality.
Crowdsourced Testing: Engages a community of external testers to perform testing activities, leveraging diverse devices, platforms, and environments. It harnesses the power of a crowd to execute tests and provide feedback from different perspectives and environments.
Hybrid Testing: Combines multiple testing approaches, such as manual and automated testing, to achieve optimal test coverage and efficiency. It leverages the strengths of different testing methods to ensure comprehensive testing of the software.