Software testing helps ensure the quality and reliability of applications, which is a key factor for success in today's market. Testers work at different levels of the software testing life cycle, closely interacting with other team members. Next, you will find out what kind of quality levels exist, what the tester's tasks are, and who they work with.
What does a tester do at each stage of the software development life cycle?
The goal of a tester's work is to verify and detect potential issues in the application's functionality. At each stage of the software development life cycle, a tester performs several tasks that eventually lead to improved software quality.
The set of QA tasks for an engineer is determined by the stages of the Software Testing Life Cycle. STLC (Software Testing Life Cycle) is a software testing cycle that includes all stages of testing, from planning to completion of test work, namely:
1. Requirements Analysis. At the initial stage of development, testers actively participate in requirements analysis. They study documentation, specifications, and communicate with the development team to fully understand what needs to be implemented. At this stage, testers help identify potential contradictions and collisions in the requirements, preventing misunderstandings later on. If developing an online store application, a tester ensures that requirements for functionality such as "adding items to the cart" or "order checkout" are clear and well-defined.
2. Test Planning. At this stage, testers develop a test plan that defines the strategy and approach for testing. They determine which types of tests will be used, what aspects of the application will be verified, and set criteria for successful test completion. Testers may plan functional tests to check the proper functioning of various store features and performance tests to assess how the system handles a large number of simultaneous users.
3. Creating Test Scenarios. Here, testers develop detailed instructions and scenarios for conducting tests. They define steps to be executed to verify each function and aspect of the application. For the "user registration" function, a tester may create a test scenario that involves inputting data, clicking buttons, and verifying that the information is correctly stored in the database.
4. Test Execution. At this stage, testers run test scenarios and record the results. They actively look for defects and issues in the application, documenting them for subsequent fixes. During testing, a tester discovers that the "Add to Cart" button is unresponsive. They log this defect and notify the development team for bug fix.
5. Results Analysis. After test execution, testers analyze the results, comparing them with expected outcomes from requirements and the test plan. They identify defects and help determine their priority and importance for development. If a tester finds a critical defect that prevents order completion, they actively discuss it with the development team and help prioritize its fix.
In conclusion, testers actively contribute at every stage of the software development life cycle, ensuring functional and quality verification of the product.
Levels of application quality assurance
Each level of application quality assurance such as QA, QC, and Testing, corresponds to the stages of software development.
QA (Quality Assurance). This process starts at the very beginning of the software life cycle and includes a set of procedures that cover all development stages, from requirement formation to testing, release, and even post-release maintenance (support).
QC (Quality Control). This part of the QA process is responsible for analyzing testing results, identifying and fixing errors. The QC process begins during the testing phase in the software life cycle and is focused on verifying a specific product (e.g., a final version of the product). QC includes various processes like code analysis, technical reviews, design analysis, testing, and more.
Example tasks of the QC process:
- To check the product for compliance with the established requirements.
- To verify the product's compliance with established quality standards.
- To assess if a product is ready for release.
- To identify critical defects.
The main goal is to ensure that the developed product meets the declared quality level and customer requirements.
Testing. This process is part of QC and is initiated simultaneously with it after the completion of the development of the final product version, during the testing phase in the software life cycle. It includes the following activities:
- To execute test scenarios to verify the application's functionality.
- To identify defects and to document them for resolution.
- To check the application's performance under various conditions.
- To assess the product's stability and reliability.
These three processes - QA, QC, and Testing - work together to ensure the overall quality of the software and deliver a reliable product to end-users.
Communication with other members of the development team
To perform testing tasks, a tester often communicates extensively with other teams. Let's explore who these team members are and what they do in the software development process.
1. System Analyst (SA). This person acts as a translator between the client's requirements and the developers.
2. Business Analyst (BA). This specialist uses business analysis methods to investigate business needs, identify business problems, and propose solutions to address them.
3. Product Owner (PO). The Product Owner is responsible for envisioning the final product and understanding its value for users. Their task is to create a product that not only exists but is also needed by people, meeting their needs and expectations. The PO can often be the client directly or their representative.
4. Designer. There are many types of designers but we will review two main roles
- UI Designer. They create the visual appearance and navigation of websites, desktop, and mobile applications.
- UX Designer. This specialist designs interfaces based on user experience and behavior research. In simple terms, they make the design user-friendly and intuitive.
5. Developer. They are the experts who masterfully create software. They come up with ideas, turn them into code, test the program's performance, fix emerging issues, and do everything necessary to ensure the software runs smoothly and efficiently like a well-oiled machine.
6. NetOps. This specialist deals with the configuration and development of physical and logical networks within the company, as well as the management of traffic accounting and control systems.
7. DevOps engineers are the ultimate soldier. These engineers bring all the parts of the project together. They understand the specifics of developers, testers, and system administrators work, helping them to streamline the tasks. They know the business needs and requirements as well as their own role in the development process, so they build the process considering the client’s interest.
8. Project Manager. The tester collaborates with project managers to understand the product requirements and ensure its quality by testing the functionality and fixing errors.
The tester communicates with these team members to clarify project details, discuss requirements, make adjustments, jointly solve emerging difficulties, plan further testing, and more.
Trends and development of the role of the tester in the software life cycle
The role of a tester continuously evolves, reflecting modern trends in development. With the increasing complexity of applications and higher quality requirements, testers play a crucial role in ensuring the successful delivery of reliable products.
- Automation of testing. With increasing software complexity and shorter development time, test automation becomes more in demand. Testers actively use automated tests to speed up the testing process and enhance its reliability.
- Integration in DevOps. Development and testing tightly integrate in DevOps methodologies. Testers participate in every development stage, providing continuous testing and quick feedback for developers.
- Security testing. Due to cybersecurity threats, security testing has become essential. Testers actively search for vulnerabilities in applications to prevent possible attacks.
- Cross-platform testing. With the rising popularity of mobile devices and diverse platforms, testers face the task of ensuring application quality on various operating systems and devices.
- Shift-left testing. Testers increasingly engage in the early stages of development, allowing them to identify and fix issues at the very beginning and reduce future corrective costs.
- Testing artificial intelligence and machine learning. With the advancement of artificial intelligence, testers are tasked with ensuring the quality of machine learning algorithms and models.
Conclusion
The role of a tester in the software development life cycle is crucial as they ensure application quality and reliability. Their active interaction with other team members and adaptation to modern trends, such as automation and DevOps integration, make them an indispensable part of successful projects. Testers contribute to creating reliable and innovative products that meet the needs of modern users.