What is software testing?

[fleekit75]

I want a detailed answer to it.

[IslaTheWitch]

Software testing is a full journey. Both manual testers and those writing tests from the testing pyramid (unit, integration, end-to-end, and everything in between) have the best understanding of the requirements with which the software was created.

Manual testers create test scenarios based on the requirements and the described interactions that should be possible, then execute these scenarios. In other words, they click through the application until it breaks. The more bugs they find, the better. Of course, their work is systematic. Each scenario is precisely described so that the same test can be repeated in the same way. Honestly, I admire them. It takes inhuman patience to click through the same application all day, five days a week. As a developer, I write a test and can forget about it. It will be executed automatically in the pipeline.

Developers and test engineers write tests. The testing pyramid includes the most basic tests, called unit tests, which test one small, complete functionality. For example, whether clicking the "send" button creates the correct payload for the request, whether entering an incorrect email address triggers an error message, or whether a server response containing an error shows an error page or a popup. Next are integration tests, which test how different components work together, and finally, we have end-to-end (e2e) tests, which test the application as a whole. The most unit tests are written since they protect us from introducing new bugs when modifying existing functionality. Integration tests are fewer because they mainly test integrations not covered by unit tests. There are the fewest e2e tests, but they are the most extensive, as one test contains many steps.

All those written tests are executed in the pipeline, in CI/CD (continuous integration/continuous deployment). Mainly first we build software, then we test it and then we create docker image for deployment if all tests and builds are green.

There’s a great joke that describes what testing looks like: "A software tester walks into a bar, crawls into a bar, jumps into a bar, orders one beer, 5 beers, 10 beers, returns one beer, orders fries, lizard, "abc-xyz" and leaves without saying goodbye. Testing complete. A customer walks into the bar and asks where the bathroom is. The bar explodes." This is the reality for testers and developers. Our imagination has to cover everything a real user might do, plus a little extra.

[Telekinetic-Potato]

That's a good one

[Iron_Man]

This sounds like an AI generated post from the Internet

[IslaTheWitch]

@Iron_Man it's my personal experience... as much as I like writing software... writing tests is pure bliss for me :D

[Telekinetic-Potato]

They give you a piece of paper, you follow the instructions and write down the result.

You're probably not going to understand it until you've done at least some minimal programming. So you can understand at least intuitively " oh this must work off some kind of if/then statement" right? Because if you know the basics of how those work and that there are other types of code which can introduce other variables, it becomes easy to think of possible ways to break the software.

If you understand a little about how numbers work, maybe you can figure out a way to create a value that is incompatible with the code and crashes everything.

Sometimes when certain actions are mixed together in an Unanticipated way, it can crash the whole computer because it becomes a RAM whore.

I used to use a software for running simulations which had very few protections against this and there were hundreds of settings and sometimes accidentally checking a box or changing a 8 to a 12 would be the difference between the software being able to handle what I asked it to do or coming up with some infuriating errors and crashes

[strateguy632]

It means inspect the program: specifically how it works and responds in various situations as expected. Or not.

This can indicate loops or errors or unexpected responses so they can fix and change the instructions.

[Anonymous]

The testing of software
I can’t dumb it down for you anymore.

[jahaims]

It's when software gets tested

[Anonymous]

Who knows