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One of the most essential steps of any software development project is testing. If this process is skipped, the results may be disastrous - both for the project and for the company. But when should software undergo testing? It seems logical to test the project when it is completed. However, the power of the classic test procedure is limited. Overengineering, rigid design, testability issues - are just a few problems you may face if you write the code first and test the implementation later. Luckily, there is a way to tackle such challenges and it is called - Test driven development. What is TDD or test driven development? TDD is short for Test Driven Development and it refers to the design paradigm where software component testing is used to guide the entire development process. In order to understand how TDD works, first, it is better to define one of its important concepts - unit testing. What is software unit testing? Unit testing is a method that breaks code into small and isolated units. The main objective of unit testing is to evaluate the behavior of each component independently to verify that they function correctly. The unit tests are usually performed by developers but can also be done by Quality managers. Some software developers believe that unit tests are a waste of time, yet practice shows that it is just the opposite. In fact, ignoring unit tests results in higher error fixing costs during system testing, integration testing, and beta testing stages. At the same time, unit-tests allow detecting the bugs and errors in the early stages of the development life cycle, thus saving you both time and money in the future. What is TDD?  Test-driven development is a software development technique in which unit tests are the most important concern. In a nutshell, test-driven development is all about the “test-first” approach which means the tests are written before the code is actually implemented. It doesn't matter if we talk about test driven development in python or test driven development in java, the TDD programming practice always aims at writing clean code that works. We can think of TDD as a design strategy. Because the test is written first, the interface of the component to be tested is already used before it actually exists. Therefore, developers get feedback about the usability of the design as soon as possible. There are three principles of TDD: It is not allowed to write any production code unless it is to make a failing unit ...

Testing is an essential part and success factor of the software development process. If the test management is carried out correctly, tests can help to avoid software errors and ensure a high quality of the product. There are a lot of testing practices to make sure that your solution works correctly and can be used easily across multiple environments and platforms. These methods are usually divided into functional and non-functional tests. Functional testing and non functional testing: What is that all about? Functional testing is a type of testing that focuses on the business requirements of the software product. The main idea behind functional testing is to ensure that each functionality of software works as specified in the requirement documents. These types of tests focus only on checking the results of operations, completely bypassing the intermediate states of the system during their execution. Functional tests chiefly involve black box testing techniques, where you don't peer into internal code structure and rely mainly on specifications. Non-functional testing is a testing technique that focuses on the evaluation of the non-functional aspects of the system. It checks the parameters that are not tested in functional tests, such as performance, usability, reliability, etc. Non-functional tests are as important as functional tests as they help to understand how the system works. The main goal of this type of testing is to provide the best experience to the end-users of the software product.  What are the functional testing types? Since functional testing tests is a methodology that examines various parameters of a software product, different types of functional tests are performed. Let’s have a look at some of them: Unit tests Unit testing is the first level of testing which is usually performed by developers. This process ensures that individual components of a software are functional at the code level and react as expected. Unit tests can be performed manually, but automating the process speeds deployment cycles and extends test coverage. Integration tests Integration tests are designed to determine if independently developed components of software work properly when they are connected to each other. Integration tests ensure that communication between different units runs smoothly. Those tests try to uncover different types of errors such as incompatibilities in the message or data formats as well as invalid input or output ...

Why your Project Needs UI/UX Testing This article was born out of an active discussion that sparked during one of our retrospective meetings. Our team was discussing the issues that our clients often bring up during calls: what is the most important type of testing today? Which testing activities require particular attention from human testers? In other words — which tests can’t be skipped and must be done by an attentive testing specialist? Many experts focus on more or less similar tests, only adapting the definitions in accordance with the respective target audience. In this article, we won't name all the testing types once again, but we’ll talk about the most important one — UI/UX testing. So, what is UI testing? User interface testing (UI testing) is a type of testing in which testers need to make sure that all buttons, fields, labels, and other items on the screen work as specified. UI testing involves checking screens with controls, such as toolbars, colors, fonts, sizes, buttons, icons, etc., and how they respond to the user input. Simply put, with the help of UI testing we see how an application, website, or software will interact with the end-user. Essentially, User Interface testing checks how the tested product performs based on the following criteria: Ease of use Consistency and logic Accessibility Compatibility In order to achieve effective results during UI testing, the tester must answer at least two important questions:  Are all features of the tested software clear and easy to use? Can a user navigate through the app without experiencing system errors or malfunctions? There’s also a bonus question:   3.   Will the interface guide users towards making the right decisions? Usually, User Interface testing is applied to end products, but I suggest making it an integral part of testing throughout the entire product development process.  Small changes made at any stage of the development can have an disproportionately big impact on the UI.  So, it is important to configure the user interface in accordance with these changes and provide feedback that is received during the testing sessions. It turns out that even a minor issue such as lack of a button or a typing error can lead to a huge problem in the overall design. It goes without saying that it is much cheaper to fix UI bugs at the development stage. But unfortunately, bugs are sometimes missed, so companies have to deal with fixing them after the product is ...

Software development is a highly complex process of creating and maintaining a product that would solve its users’ problems with ease and finesse. In addition to market research, requirement analysis, and other business-related procedures, software development mainly involves a lot of writing the source code and maintaining it in good health. Software development is impossible without code changes, making code quality a real struggle—especially when you’re faced with a tough deadline—as every minor change can have an unexpected, even unseen impact on the rest of your codebase.  In quality assurance, these bugs are called software regressions, defects that appear in the course of development and can cause your entire software solution or its separate features to stop functioning as intended. There are three types of regressions: Local regressions take place when a change to a piece of code introduces a new bug and causes a given component to stop working correctly. Remote regressions happen when a change in one part of the code causes an error, or completely breaks functionality, in another part of the software that had no issues before the change. Unmasked regressions occur when a change to a piece of code reveals an already existing bug that previously did not affect the software in any way. This type of regression is the most dangerous: a ticking bomb, unexpected, and thus the hardest to find. Whether your software is early in development or you’re introducing an update to a released solution, regression testing comes in to ensure that any changes you make to your code do not cause you any pitfalls. What is regression testing in QA? Regression testing is in charge of identifying and preventing the aforementioned kinds of software regression. It makes sure that the previously developed and tested software still performs and behaves as intended after undergoing functional or non-functional changes. The term regression, in fact, means “a return to a former or less developed state.” The tests are performed to guarantee the new code hasn’t introduced new bugs or triggered any previously undiscovered ones that would cause your software to unintentionally regress. Regression testing techniques Depending on the complexity of your software solution, the size of your QA team, and the resources you’re blessed with, regression testing is performed using any combination of the following techniques: Retest all involves rerunning all of your existing tests on the ...

Access to a big pool of talents, low prices, and risk share push businesses to cooperate with third-party testing services. Is there anything more to consider? Here are the main reasons why you should be outsourcing your quality assurance and software testing! 1. Access to Innovation When a company focuses on a single sphere, it gains experience and expertise. This lets the teams find and test innovative approaches in QA services. Third-party application testing companies have all means for educating each engineer and allowing them to invent new methodologies, use the latest stacks for work. 2. Cost Reduction You pay only for third party testing services, and you don't bother about administrative routine (office space, hardware, taxes, vacations, etc.). Another thing that makes the cost lower is the difference in hourly rates. If you hire QA engineers locally, you will probably may much more for the services than if you find a remote team from Eastern Europe. 3. Short Time-to-market Most third party software testing companies have a predefined workflow that makes their work efficient in a matter of time. There's no need to educate the team or waste time until they plan their work - a remote team can dive into the testing routine right away. Therefore, the final release of the product can be sooner. 4. Access to Skilled Testers A lack of QA engineers is a common problem for many regions. When you find third party application testing companies, you get a full team for your project. Even if there's a need to find a few more people into the team, HRs usually have a list of candidates that can join the project on demand. This lets you access as many qualified and experienced engineers as you need for successful project deployment. 5. High Quality Here we mean that engineers have a wide variety of tools and devices to run tests of the software. There's no need to use emulators instead of real devices and operating systems. High quality of services is also possible thanks to a continuous self-education. Remote companies understand that they can keep a competitive edge for many years only if they take care of the team's education and work-life balance. Other factors also influence the productivity of each team player. The bottom line Outsourcing is useful only if you consider this type of cooperation to be efficient for your business model. This rule refers to any kind of service. It's not a panacea, and it's not about getting rid of responsibilities - it's about ...

When talking about cyber risks, the first thing you might think of is malware. However, many cyber-attacks are linked to apps. According to the Positive Technologies data, users can be attacked by hackers in 9 out of 10 web applications. Many attacks though, would be impossible without the weaknesses in the software that could be misused. In order to improve the quality and security of applications, the community project "Open Web Application Security Project" (OWASP) was launched. There are various sub-projects within the OWASP, and one of them is the OWASP Top Ten Project," which describes the most critical vulnerabilities of web apps. In this blog, we provide a list of the most common errors related to application security. This information will help you to understand the most important aspects of building a secure app that users will trust. The Most Common Web Application Vulnerabilities Here are the Top 10 web app vulnerabilities according to the OWASP data.  Injection A simple failure to filter the untrusted inputs leads to the problem called injection flaws. Injection vulnerabilities, such as SQL, OS, or LDAP injection, occur when an interpreter processes untrustworthy data as part of a command or query. Attackers, therefore, have an opportunity to manipulate input data. More precisely, they can access data without authorization or even execute system commands. Broken Authentication And Session Management Vulnerabilities This is quite a common vulnerability that refers to the set of various issues that might happen Access control error during broken authentication. Why does it occur? Developers often implement app functions related to authentication and session management incorrectly. This allows hackers to compromise passwords or session tokens or to exploit the corresponding vulnerabilities in such a way that they can temporarily or permanently impersonate other users. Sensitive data exposure Many apps do not adequately protect sensitive information, such as personal, financial, or health data. Attackers can read out or modify this data and use it to commit a further crime, for example, credit card fraud, identity theft, etc. Confidential data, therefore, should always be protected with the help of encryption. XML Vulnerabilities Many outdated or poorly configured XML processors consider references to external entities within XML documents. This allows such external entities to be used to disclose internal files with the help of ...

You can never be sure about the quality of your in-development software unless you test it first. Conducting a thorough analysis of whether your software meets all the requirements, whether it is secure, responsive, complete, and easy to use is crucial to avoiding technical debt and making sure your software is well received after the release. And this is exactly what testers do for you.  Software testing is a process of investigation. A tester pushes your software through a great variety of tests to catch any hidden errors, unpredictable behavior, or functional inconsistencies. After every test, a tester files a detailed report that helps developers fix all the exposed issues, maintain the software error-free, and make sure it runs as intended. There are many software testing approaches today, but the most popular in the field are black-box, white-box, and grey-box testing methods. While taking drastically different approaches, these methods effectively help developers keep their code clean and functionality in check. Let us help you understand what these methods are, what they are used for, as well as find out their strengths and weaknesses. Black-box testing What’s peculiar about the black-box testing method is that the testers performing it have no knowledge of the internal structure and source code of the software they’re testing. And they don’t need to have any, neither do they need to have in-depth knowledge of programming languages or outstanding coding skills to perform the tests. This is mainly because the goal of this testing method is not to dig deep into the code, going through the software’s insides, but to interact with its user interface, test its functionality, and make sure that every input and output of the system meets the specified requirements. Therefore black-box testing can also be called functional testing or specification-based testing. Such tests are performed from the point of view of end-users by an independent testing team in the course of STLC. A tester provides valid or invalid inputs and verifies the outputs against the expected outcomes. Every unexpected result and deviation is documented and reported to the development team, which helps them find and eliminate functional errors and inconsistencies early on. This method is applicable at virtually every level of software testing: unit, integration, system, and acceptance. In unit testing, the black-box method is used to test the interface against the specifications given ...

Software is becoming more and more complex, while the clients' demands grow and the software development market becomes more competitive. Development teams have to deliver solutions faster without sacrificing the quality of the product. Such conditions require a thoroughly thought-out approach to software engineering. How to find it? A part of the answer lies in the introduction of the development testing processes. What is software development testing? Development testing is an approach that involves a set of defect prevention and detection techniques during the software development process. This process, often performed by testing and software development teams, helps to detect bugs and errors at an early stage of the project development and therefore reduce the defect elimination costs in the future. Development testing also minimizes the risk of expensive software failures and security issues. It is worth mentioning that by using development testing methodology you can shorten your time to market thus get a competitive advantage and provide better customer experience.  In other words, development testing is a complex process aimed at minimizing development risks, time, and costs. Development testing complements traditional software testing and transforms testing processes from reactive to a proactive one. What are the software testing strategies for software development? Development testing may include different practices such as unit testing, static code analysis, metrics analysis, data flow analysis, code coverage, peer code reviews, and traceability. Let's have a look at what each of them means: Code coverage The code coverage is a metric that indicates how many source files, functions and lines of code are covered by tests. Code coverage analysis demonstrates that the software product has been widely tested for defects and should be relatively error-free. There are different code coverage metrics for this purpose, such as function coverage, statement coverage, branch coverage, condition coverage, parameter value coverage, and сyclomatic сomplexity. Unit testing Software unit testing is a development and testing approach that allows checking if a particular block of code, called “unit”, works as intended. Unit tests are normally automated tests that run periodically and help development teams to find the defects, improve the quality of the code and simplify the debugging process. In order to create unit tests quickly and easily different ...

TestFort’s Ukrainian offices have temporarily transitioned to remote work. This has been done as a preventative measure amid the spread of the COVID-19 virus to keep our QA engineers safe and healthy. All of our managers, software testers, and QA engineers are fully prepared for remote work. Their remote server access, personal computers, as well as networking and communication workflows have been made in advance.  Furthermore, many departments and individual teams have been implementing remote work as a regular practice within their day-to-day operations.  “Remote work arrangements have been set in place since August, 2019 as an effort to ensure our testing teams’ ISO 27001 compliance,” says Oleg Sivograkov, COO of TestFort. “The transition of our testers to remote work will have little to no impact on their work and our daily operations.”  All physical testing devices have been distributed to the QA engineers and testers that need them. For any individual devices that are required for multiple projects, safe handoff processes have been organized, and clients have been informed about potential delays for individual tests.  We’d like to thank our clients for their understanding and our team for being able to transition to remote work so quickly and smoothly.

Software unit testing: What is it? Why is it important? It is hard to overestimate the importance of software quality. A single error can have a huge negative impact on your entire business. If bug issues are not addressed efficiently, it may result in everything from an endless cycle of fixes to a completely destroyed reputation of your company. Effective testing strategies help to minimize such risks by ensuring the quality of the released product. There are many testing practices you can choose to build a great software solution. One of the basic but effective testing techniques to make sure that your product works properly is called unit testing. What is unit testing and what are the unit testing frameworks? Unit testing (sometimes called module testing or component testing) is a technique for testing the smallest testable component of your code (unit) to ensure that it performs as intended. The basic feature of unit testing is the isolation - a unit test only performs a specific function and excludes all external influences, such as dependencies between units, calls to other functions, etc The unit testing process can be done manually, but developers usually use unit testing tools to facilitate the process, so they can focus on more complex tasks such as defining the test cases. For almost all programming languages there is a suitable unit test software that reads the source text and reviews it for errors. For example, there are JUnit for the Java programming language, CUnit for the C programming language, or JSUnit for the JavaScript programming language. In some languages, the test framework is already an integral part of its standard library. For example, Python’s library includes a module called unittest which is used to test the components of the code. The benefits of unit testing in software development Unit testing brings a lot of benefits to the development process. This technique allows examining the components of the software separately to make sure that each performs as expected. With the help of unit testing, you can localize every little mistake quickly and accurately as well as simplify the debugging process if any issue occurs. Moreover, unit tests give the ability to detect errors at an early stage of the development process before it reaches QA or end-users. It should be also noted that this technique helps to save time and costs in terms of future developments. The main idea of unit tests lies in improving the quality of the ...

In today's fast-paced software world, quick delivery of the product is often not an option but a necessity. Building software also requires a high level of flexibility in responding to the constantly changing market trends and customers’ demands. The problem is that with traditional project management, a quick change of plans inevitably leads to higher costs or longer project duration. Luckily there are agile methods that allow us to avoid such pitfalls. This refers not only to software development but also to testing processes. What is Agile testing? Agile in software development is an approach that focuses on the people performing their work and their cooperation aimed at delivering the right product to the customer. It is an iterative development process that creates requirements through constant collaboration between the client and cross-functional self-organizing teams. Agile testing is a practice that follows the rules of agile development and helps create solutions tailored to customer needs. What do we understand by agile testing process? The approach to software testing in an agile environment is not very different from the  traditional practices. Still, there are few clear distinctions in the process. First, testing in Agile is not a separate activity but an essential part of the development process which is considered to be a preventative measure. This means that the tests have to be performed much more frequently and in sprints. At the end of each sprint, which usually lasts from one to two weeks, the fully-tested software should be available, which is then delivered to the customer. All issues discovered during the tests are recorded and evaluated in retrospect, which further increases the quality and the test coverage achieved. It is essential for all relevant tests, such as unit, functional or performance tests, to be planned in advance and implemented at all levels. This helps to detect and fix the problems in a timely manner. It should be mentioned that automating test procedures allows running the tests much more often - like several times a day - and minimizing the feedback cycle. It is important to use automated regression tests in an agile environment. This type of testing ensures that the new functionality of the product (which is being continuously built) does not introduce new bugs and that the previous functionality works as intended. One of the most important activities in an agile environment is conducting the ...