Do and Don’t in Software Testing

A software tester’s job has become difficult as of late. Many new tools and technologies have entered the software testing market. To harness the true power of these latest advents, a software engineer must keep on learning to develop their skill-set.

Technologies such as AI, ML, test automation have changed the entire demographic of software testing. To stay relevant a software tester must follow certain instructions or they might end up making many mistakes during the software testing process. Here is a list of some Do’s and Don’ts that a software tester should always keep in mind while software testing.

Here are some Do and Don’t in Software Testing

Do’s

• Keep Innovating and learning- Technology has been moving at a fast pace. Using the same old methods to test technology and software applications is counterproductive now. A software tester must keep updating their knowledge regarding the latest tools and testing methods. This knowledge will allow them to cater to all the new.

• Create a plan and stick to it- A software testing engineer has to learn how to create a detailed testing plan that covers all the critical points. This plan will speed up your QA efforts, as everyone in the team will work towards a common goal. But to envisage such a plan, a software tester needs to know certain details that will help him create an effective strategy. Listed below are some of the details that a software tester must acquire before coming up with an effective plan: 

Document the type of test that needs to be performed

Features that are and aren’t a part of the release

Few features and changes added to the software

• Understand all the external frameworks- The application will acquire information from different centralized servers. A thorough understanding of such external frameworks will help you in your software testing efforts.

• Detect bugs and gauge their severity: All the bugs and vulnerabilities that are found during the testing process should be documented properly. This allows teams to check whether the bugs have been dealt with after the testing process is over. These bugs should also be categorized according to the severity of the threat they pose to the software. This will allow the development team to know which bugs have to be taken care of expediently.

• Gain a basic knowledge of testing environments- Gone are the days when a software tester just had to wait after asking for deployment. Now a tester should know CI tools to create the best test scripts. Software testers should now possess the knowledge of how to achieve digital virtualization and orchestrate servers using various tools. This might seem like a predicament, but it’s not. Because a software tester need not deep-dive into the workings of these tools, a general understanding of how they work are enough.

Don’ts

• Don’t create redundant tests- When you devise a test case, it is done taking into account many aspects of software testing. Such as the initial changes in UI/UX after the launch of the software and future updates of the software. Creating new tests every time there’s a new update, will only drain resources that could’ve been used in other aspects of the business. Instead, create effective tests that can be used multiple times.

• Don’t strive for perfection: Sometimes, a tester might strive for perfection and concentrate on non-critical areas. This practice is not only inconsequential but also increases the time-to-market of the product. A tester should keep themselves in the shoes of their client and keep the entire testing process concise.

• Don’t treat external training as the end-all- Many organizations hire outside help to train their employees. Although this is a fruitful practice, many times the employees rely solely on this outside help. A software tester should be curious and should have the drive to improve their skill-set regardless of any help from their organization. This drive will enable a software tester to hone their skills and not rely on an outsider to provide them with the knowledge.

• Don’t neglect manual testing: After the advent of automation testing, software testers have started treating manual testing as a middle child. An effective testing strategy involves both: manual testing and automation testing. Automation testing was developed to reduce the time it takes a man to perform repetitive tasks. Manual testers are still needed to provide creativity to the mix. Implementing a strategy that involves both is the key to high productivity and expedient delivery.

Conclusion

The practices involved in different organization software testing services have evolved after the arrival of tools and technologies such as test automation, AI, ML. This evolution in testing has changed the responsibilities of a tester. These Do’s and Don’ts will help software tester to eradicate mistakes from their work, allowing them to deliver proficient high-quality work.