Software Testing Life Cycle : A Comprehensive Guide

Software Testing Life Cycle

As we all know that software development is carried out by various methods that have different sequences of steps, and through following these steps a new software could be developed. The method is called a Soft Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

The Software Testing is part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), software testing is completed by following the sequences of activities, these states will be carried out collectively in a sequence to debug the product and make the software bug-free as much as possible. The complete process of debugging the software is called the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC).

The STLC is divided into phases like : -

1). Requirement Analysis

2). Test Planning.

3). Test Case Development

4). Environment Setup.

5). Test Execution

6). Test Cycle Closure

Also, Read Automated Tools For Software Testing

Requirement Analysis

Requirement Gathering is the phase where the QA team interacts with the client to understand the requirement in detail, through understanding the requirement QA team analyze

- Types of testing to be performed.

- Identify tools that would be required for testing

- Hardware, Network, and OS in which the client going to run the software.

- The Automation feasibility analysis was also performed in this phase.

Test Planning in STLC

Test Planning is the process in which the senior QA manager determines the strategy, test effort, resources, schedule, and budget, etc.

- Prepare tools, plans, and documentation for various types of tools etc.

- Test tool selection.

- Test Estimation.

-Resource planning and Training Requirements.

Test Case Development Phase

The test case development is carried out in this phase. Test data is also being identified in the same phase. The activities involved in this phase are

- Create Test Cases,

- Review and baseline test cases and Scripts.

- Create test data.

Also, Read Principles of Software Testing

Test Environment Setup

Sometimes a software can be designed to perform heavy tasks or sometimes it is designed to complete small enterprise tasks, then in that case a heavy or light device is to be required. The network type, hardware, software tools, etc. would get selected and configured to create a test environment. Testers are not involved in creating the test environment but can perform some smoke tests to know if the test environment is running fine.

Test Execution Phase

Test execution is the phase where the QA Team tests the application thoroughly with the specific method and test data to analyze the application activity with different scenarios and different test data. The activities that are performed

- Execute Testing of the application.

- Update bugs, and defects to the developer.

- Map defects to test cases in RTM.

- Retest the Defect fixes.

- Track the defect to closure.

Test Cycle Closure

The test Cycle Closurephase is the completion of test execution which involves several activities like test completion reporting, collection of test completion matrices, and test results. Testing team members meet, discuss, and analyze testing artifacts to identify strategies that have to be implemented in the future, taking lessons from the current test cycle.

The test cycle closure activities involved :-

- Evaluate cycle completion criteria according to Time, Costing, Effort, and Resources being involved in the process.

- Prepare test matrices based on the above actions.

- Document learning of the report.

- Qualitative and Quantitative reporting of quality of work.