strategy

The quality assurance process aims to make sure a software solution will operate correctly, without unexpected issues at the both development and release stages. A tester's main responsibility is to find even the smallest bugs which could negatively affect an application’s seamless work. In most cases, testers need to explore all the parts of an application: its functionality, interoperability, usability, visual appearance, etc. No wonder, sometimes the testing process is compared with the exploration of new lands. Both of them have similar roads: there is something unknown, and it’s the tester’s job to explore the lay of the land. That, in essence, is what Exploratory Testing is. Usually, it is done without any documentation, but with a clear and precise “Software cartography” which should include previous experience of the explorer and all the information about a product (its features, functionality, the business idea, etc). In this article, we’re going to look closer at this testing type to see its advantages and benefits in the process of quality assurance. Exploratory Testing: How it’s Done and Why it Matters Essentially, exploratory testing is a software testing approach which is executed without any previously developed documentation, test cases, or checklists. Therefore, a tester creates and runs tests based on his knowledge regarding the product. Overall experience and extensive technical background of QA engineers also play a big role, helping them execute tests more accurately. This testing type is convenient because a tester does not need to spend much time and energy creating test documentation. At the same time, the testing process is more intuitive and fast. The tester can determine at what stage the exploratory testing can be used to bring the greatest benefit, thereby mixing that with other testing types. This can be a solid step for a deeper understanding of the product. Thus, in the future, this will allow QAs to create more practical and useful tests. Finally, it could improve software not only from a technical but also from a business point. Exploratory testing includes many approaches. A tester can methodically reproduce real user behavior or perform a series of operations that a real user would never do. The goal is to just “explore” until you run into a bug, confusing UX, or a functionality error. Exploratory testing can also serve as a final check of software quality, helping QAs to determine potential weaknesses and failures ...

Quality Assurance process can be easy as A, B, C or complex, consisting of the several stages, sub-tests, hundreds of checks and repeating iterations.  Every approach needs a good plan and strategy though. Without them your project testing may turn out messy, some significant but quick-to-do tasks can be forgotten, and the delivery will be postponed or even failed. Such consequences result in a dragged overall development process and may even lead to tech debt. TestFort team of QA experts always documents every project with excellence and highly caring attitude to achieve supreme quality of the code at the end. Today we share our expertise and review how the notions of Test Plan and Test Strategy are different from each other on the example of cross-platform software testing. Don't mix Test Strategy with Test Plan document Test Strategy documentation is usually composed by project managers. It is a static document that specifies how QA process is carried out in the company. It doesn't include all peculiarities of potential projects but defines overall testing standards which are usually followed while writing Test Plans for every project separately. Sometimes even a couple of Test Plans, if required. The key components of the Test Strategy are as follows: Scope and objectives Business industry standards to follow Key business issues to pay attention to Roles and responsibilities Status reporting Testing tools Possible risks and ways to leverage them Configuration or changes management Issues tracking and reporting Test deliverables Down to the Test Plan in software testing The Test Plan in software testing, is a super-informative document that lists everything there is to know about a project that's going to be tested by QA engineers. It is normally composed with the help of the Test Strategy document but with additional information about the particular project. The following components make a Test Plan document: Project ID Objectives Components to be tested Components that won't be tested Testing techniques Task Distribution Suspension criteria Resumption criteria Risk management Testing tools Devices to be used Test deliverables and schedule Approval criteria Cross-platform testing: planning and strategizing Now, as you more-less understand the difference between Test Plan and Test Strategy, let's get down to the specifics. Cross-platform testing, aka compatibility testing, is aimed at making your ...