Software testing has become an indispensible part of software development life cycle. The process involves testing of different features of the product and validating the performance and functionality of a software program or application. This is crucial for any software to certify its effectiveness and proficiency in conformation with the expected result and the testing strategies are planned accordingly. Software testing is useful to detect the defects and flaws in the software, which in turn aids the designers to design and develop impeccable software with accurate operation.
Manual testing is the traditional type of software testing, where each and every step is verified and validated by human tester. The tester has to manually select every link or press the buttons at every step, which might vary according to the testing specification. This is an arduous and meticulous process, as care should be taken to test every link, to read every page, to analyze every graphic and for overall verification of the whole procedure. The strenuous process of manual testing demands for the appointment of experienced and skilled professionals, who can ensure proper quality assurance. Though it is a time-consuming procedure, but still frequently used for efficient internet testing, game testing and end-user testing to assure better complacency of clients and users.
Advantages of manual testing:
- Manual testing can be used in both small and big projects.
- It can be performed at limited cost.
- Test cases can be reduced or added according to the project requirement.
- Tests can be performed on ad-hoc basis and can cover more cases.
Tips for successful manual testing:
Following are some guidelines, which can be followed for better manual testing:
- Orderly synchronization between different roles: One of the major advantages of manual testing is its systematic and accurate nature for designing and documenting test cases. Manual testing requires proper coordination among project and product developers, testers, managers and business personnel for full proof test coverage. This can be documented as the test plan requirements.
- Adequate test coverage: The other concern of manual testing is selecting the correct areas for software testing, which should be taken care by management. The management should also be responsible for the control of test coverage. These are the critical tools for managing software testing, test requirements and peer reviewed test cases.
- Need for proper documentation: The critical areas to be taken care of in manual testing are thoroughness of documentation and completeness of test cases. The aim should be to optimize the management’s perception about test result through proper distribution of resources in every area of project. Failure to prepare appropriate documents might result in poor understanding of the test coverage and inferior quality of the software test. Though thorough documentation is time taking and expensive, it is important for matching the expectation with actual performance of manual testing.
- Prioritizing test cases: It is crucial to have sufficient number of resources for successfully conducting a manual testing project. It is also important to devote adequate time for avoiding any hassle. The management should rank the test cases in terms of risk, importance, frequency of usage, impact on quality and other relevant metrics. All the essential test cases should be run according to their priority.
The success of manual testing depends on how efficiently the test cases are managed. Investment of sufficient budget and monitoring the testing procedure are also crucial to ensure error-free software products with more precise performance.
Summary: Manual testing is beneficial for the added touch of human precision in software testing. Testers should follow certain rules to ensure hassle free testing for the delivery of error free products.