How does Functional Testing ensure the Compliance of Software with its Functional Needs?

 

Any software application needs to tick all the boxes when it comes to complying with its varied functional requirements. These requirements involve functions the applications are meant to perform when certain inputs are entered. And it is by leveraging manual and/or automated functional testing services that the software application’s functionality is validated as per the mandate of the client. This is of paramount importance from the perspective of meeting the software application’s quality assurance. As the tech-savvy and highly choosy users of today expect the application’s functionality and other aspects to meet the highest standards of quality, businesses have their tasks cut out. They need to ensure the software remains compliant with its functional requirements by running functional automation testing in the SDLC. So, what is functional testing for web applications and mobile apps all about and why is it so important?

What is functional testing?

A software application performs certain activities or functions and generates an expected output when the user inputs certain values. For example, in an eCommerce application, the system should mandatorily send a confirmation email when an order is placed or allow users to verify their accounts or sign up for the newsletter by giving their email. It is a type of black-box testing that does not consider the source code of the software application but checks a host of areas. These include the APIs, user interface, client/server communication, security, database, and other functionality using either manual or automated functional testing. The typical examples of functional testing for mobile apps and other software applications are unit testing, smoke testing, sanity testing, integration testing, user acceptance testing, and regression testing.

The primary aspects of the application checked and validated using automated functional testing services are:

·         Testing the primary functions of the application

·         Testing the basic usability of the application – whether users can easily and seamlessly navigate through the screens

·         Testing the accessibility of the application for the users

·         Testing of suitable error conditions

What are some of the functional requirements to be tested?

The basic functionalities typically demanded by users with fast-changing preferences and short attention spans are mentioned below:

·         Administrative functions and business rules

·         Corrections in transactions, cancellations, and adjustments

·         Requirements for certification or compliance with quality standards

·         Requirements for reporting

·         Authentication and authorization levels

·         Historical data

·         External interfaces

·         Legal or regulatory requirements

Benefits of functional testing

To ensure any software application lives up to the expectations of its end users, functional testing should form an integral part of its development cycle. The range of benefits accrued for any functional testing company is as follows:

·         Releases a software product that is relatively free of errors

·         Ensures all functional requirements of the software product are met

·         Ensures the software application works as expected

·         Makes the software application match the expectations of its users

The types of testing to ensure a software application’s compliance with its functional requirements are given below:

Unit testing: In this type of testing, the individual component, unit, or module of the software application is checked and validated.

Smoke testing: Also called build verification testing or confidence testing, it checks whether the most important or core function of the application works as expected. For instance, it checks if the GUI of the application is responsive. By running smoke testing, testers can decide whether they need to proceed further with testing.

Sanity testing: A more advanced type of functional testing than smoke testing, sanity testing checks if the comprehensive business scenario is properly matched and validated as desired. For instance, it checks whether login and all other buttons are working fine.

Integration testing: This type of testing identifies the errors or faults that exist in the interfaces of integrated units. Here, individual units or modules are tested as a group to validate the accuracy of the combined output.

Regression testing: The focus area of this testing is to ensure the code changes made to the software application do not affect any of its existing functionality.

User acceptance testing: A software application may work perfectly with the developers or testers handling it. However, it may be error-prone when end-users start using it. A user acceptance testing, as the name suggests, ensures the software application is free of errors when the client uses it. It is the final phase of testing by two or more users before the application is released to the market.

Conclusion

To ensure the release of a top-quality software product to the market, it should employ a robust functional testing strategy comprising steps such as picking the right test cases, selecting a dedicated automation team, conducting data-driven tests, and testing frequently.

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James Daniel is a software Tech enthusiastic & works at Cigniti Technologies. I'm having a great understanding of today's software testing quality that yields strong results and always happy to create valuable content & share thoughts.

Article Source: wattpad.com