Functional Testing Introduction Software development is an elongated process. It has to pass through a number of verticals before getting finally launched in the market. As the owner of the application, it is essential to examine each and every attribute that includes functionality, performance, security, usability, accessibility and so on. All these shape and determine quality and acceptability of a product. Rigorous QA has now become significant due to increase in the expectation as well as demand of the end users. Ignoring a single aspect of testing can bring detrimental impact on success of a product because each depends on others. Functional testing, in this regard, can be considered as a key element for enhancing quality of the software. This is an aspect that has to be given utmost focus and attention during initial stages of engineering a product. Even for dry run, the core functionality has to be leveraged. So, it is not wrong to say that functional testing will continue to be the focus area of testers over the years.
What is Functional Testing? If the product fails to stand up to the existing market standard, it must be checked immediately because there are other apps and software ready to capture attention of the users. So, functional testing is implemented to enhance the potency and scope of the
A QA InfoTech Document. For more information on functional testing log on to http://www.qainfotech.com/core_functional_testing_services.html
product. This QA process analyzes the software and studies whether it is working on a specific set of functionalities, according to the pre-defined specifications. On identifying any issue, the developers need to work again with the motive to release quality product. If the user experiences an ineffective and frustrating user interface, they will never use the product, even if the underlying code is well-scripted. Therefore, it is advised to perform functional testing at the user interface level. It can reveal a number of deficiencies that may not be apparent while conducting a review on the source code. As a tester, it is crucial to prioritize usability of the application first and then examine the complexities of the application's internal workings. Functional testing scrutinizes various commands and executable scripts, process integration and it also determines how the software will react in different configurations. It has a wide scope, helping enterprises to launch an error-free product. The testing can be done both manually and automatically. It can be done as a part of a core test pass as well as a regression test effort, or it can be scripted or exploratory. Challenges of Functional Testing The need of functional testing has reached a new height with the increasing complexity of today’s software products. The competitive pressures and high costs software have made it necessary to launch application with high-quality. But issues like shrinking development and deployment schedules, limited resources of skilled engineers are turning out to be some of the significant challenges. Approach to Handle Challenges However, having an organized approach while rendering out testing services makes challenges less vulnerable. Some organizations practice framework based methodology, which comprises of the right mix of automation tools and native processes. This can reduce excessive time that is required to run a testing cycle as well as cut down the amount of effort spent in testing. Moreover, as a testing organization it is necessary to have a team of experts who are crosstrained and exposed to various areas of functional testing. The intention will be to ensure a cost-effective test cycle to improve quality of the product. Testers get the flexibility to analyze existing scripts on multiple browsers and operating systems that help in performing rigorous compatibility check. Proper implementation of QA methodology can drastically reduce the risks of application failures.
A QA InfoTech Document. For more information on functional testing log on to http://www.qainfotech.com/core_functional_testing_services.html
Functional Testing - Over the Ages The importance of functional testing cannot be overlooked and it remained the core of testing process for ages. Previously, this was given more emphasis than non-functional test areas. The pre-defined system or functional specifications were the base for the testers, who looked more into the functional verification ensuring that the application is built according to the defined specifications. However, in the last few years, the technological evolutions have played a part in bringing transformation in the sphere of testing. Currently, the user specification is higher and to accommodate the changing user needs, the system has to function in a robust manner. More emphasis is given on system validation that saves time and effort in the verification test cycle. The non-functional test areas, such as performance, security and usability, are given equal importance because the product has to function across a range of devices and platforms. As far as the future of functional testing is concerned, its importance will continue to grow because more and more enterprises are integrating Test Driven Development (TDD). The productivity of the testing team will no longer be affected as functional testing gives them the opportunity to carry on product’s validation and verification without getting blocked by any dependencies from other aspects. The product companies, on the other hand, want to make end user’s experience very rich as well as simple. Therefore, maintaining a quality control becomes essential that in-turn makes functional testing an unavoidable vertical in the long run.
A QA InfoTech Document. For more information on functional testing log on to http://www.qainfotech.com/core_functional_testing_services.html