The software testing market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 9.22% and will reach 15.94BN USD by 2027. So, among different types of software testing, functional testing plays a crucial role in ensuring software quality. It determines the overall functionalities of a website or application to ensure the features match the expectations after deployment to the end-users. In other words, the functional testing services check the specifications from the user’s perspective.
The key objectives of functional testing are to check the user interactions, abilities to work in different real-world scenarios, how the application features interact with different existing components, and check for data manipulation.
Overall, it is a part of the software testing process that validates all the features of applications under different conditions. The testing involves different types of functional testing approaches. So, let’s check out these types below.
Types Of Functional Testing
- Unit Testing
The unit testing determines single component codes in an application that must work after deployment. It is a part of Agile testing. So, developers only check the interface, as well as the specification codes, are properly working. In this stage, the developers only identify the issues and write the accurate test codes before moving to the next testing process.
Different functional testing companies run unit testing at each stage of code development. This type of testing is automated, so developers perform this testing to check each component’s code changes throughout the development.
- Integration Testing
Unlike unit testing, integration testing checks the interaction between two or more software modules in an application. It is performed after the unit testing. The key objective of this testing is to identify any bugs or errors when different software modules or components of an application start interacting. It resolves those integration issues before opting for system testing.
- System Testing
Among different types of functional testing, system testing is performed to check the overall functionalities in integrated modules that should be able to be delivered to the end-users. Here, the inputs are those components that have passed the integration testing.
The key objective of this type of testing is to check that the integrated components are functioning well in different load situations. This testing is carried out through different stress testing approaches.
- User-acceptance testing (UAT)
This testing type is done in the final stage of development, also known as user acceptance testing. That means the testing ensures the features must work in real-world scenarios after deployment. It checks different attributes such as user-friendliness, reliability, security, accuracy, speed, compatibility, and scalability of the system’s functionalities.
The Role Of Functional Testing In The Software Development Life Cycle(SDLC)
Let’s find out what the role of a functional testing company is in determining the software life cycle process.
- Early Detection Of Issues
A software testing company performs functional testing during the planning and beginning stages of development. The goal is to find bugs in a system from each stage of development, from the initial deployment of codes to finalizing the user acceptance criteria.
Another advantage of early testing is that it provides less chance of error after deployment. So, ultimately, it leads to less expense as it requires low manpower to resolve the issues after being exposed to real-world load scenarios.
- Ensuring Compliance With Requirements
The key goal of different types of testing functional features is to ensure the overall specifications must match the user expectations. The testing ensures the application’s reliability, completeness, and user-friendliness after the deployment.
Apart from the user’s perspective, the testing ensures that the customers satisfy the business goals.
- Enhancing Software Quality
It is the initial stage of software testing that majorly affects the overall quality of the software application. Through unit testing, integration, and system testing procedures, the testers check the individual components in each stage of development.
This testing helps to identify the bugs in the starting phase. So, the chance of error decreases in the later stage of testing. That ultimately prevents regression in the testing process of software development.
Different Types Of Functional Testing Techniques
The functional testing services use different techniques to optimize the testing process in software application development.
- Black-box Testing
In the black-box testing technique, functional testing focuses on input-output interface codes for each feature. It is not concerned with the source code related to the internal structure. This technique checks the APIs, server applications, databases, and functional features of the software under test.
In general, black-box testing is done in two steps. They are Equivalent partitioning and boundary value analysis.
- Equivalent Partitioning: In this step, the input domain is partitioned into at least two sets. They are valid and invalid values. Each value is assigned a unique number. Then, the developers write test cases using a mixture of these values.
- Boundary Value Analysis: The testers find out the boundary value based on the input domain. When the input domain determines the valid values, the chance of error is lower, and vice versa. So, the key goal of the boundary value analysis is to identify the chances of error.
2. White-box Testing
A functional testing company uses white-box testing techniques to check the internal code structure and logic rather than only functionalities. The testers check the source codes and write the test cases correctly to verify software code changes.
Mostly, this technique focuses on code paths, validates output, and solves security issues by using the static code analysis method. Also, it performs the loop and data flow testing to validate the internal code logic. This testing technique is used during unit and integration testing.
One example of white-box testing is control flow, and the other one is flow testing of data. The earlier one determines the software structure testing, and the later one checks the path variables that should be initialized and declared.
3. Gray-box Testing
Many developers of different functional testing companies use gray-box testing during the software testing process. This technique combines both black and white-box testing methods.
The technique provides advantages of both techniques, helps in coding, and boosts overall productivity. Also, this technique mitigates the longer process involved in the functional as well as in the non-functional testing processes. Besides, it focuses on code development from the users’ perspectives rather than design-specific.
Best Practices for Effective Functional Testing
- Writing Clear and Comprehensive Test Cases
- To effectively optimize different types of functional testing, developers must write the test cases accurately because a clear test case will define the testing goal among testers and developers. That ultimately affects the overall quality.
- Another best practice involves managing the test cases by using different tools. You can use different automated testing tools that offer test case storage options. That means you have to write the test cases once and use them as you need.
- Prioritizing Tests Based on Risk
- You have to divide the test cases based on the risk criteria. Suppose some test cases of different functionalities require rigorous testing or regression testing. So, you have to separate those features from the easy ones.
- Next, you should focus on checking the critical functionalities in automated tools to increase productivity. Also, it will reduce human errors.
- Regular Review and Maintenance of Test Suites
- Software testing involves regular code changes based on the functionalities. So, you must update your test cases regularly to meet the system’s compatibility with the changing features.
- Another thing you must do to effectively perform functional testing is to reuse the test cases that are saved in the tools. It can reduce your time in writing the test cases and boost your productivity.
Challenges Of Functional Testing in Software Development
There are several challenges occurring while conducting different types of functional testing during software development. They are:
- Complexity Of Testing Large Systems
- Sometimes, testers, as well as developers, face challenges while writing or testing the test cases of a complex system. Because the particular system requires lots of functionalities, and each function requires lots of coding. It can be very exhausting for human testers to write and test each code accurately.
- Also, it affects the test coverage badly. Because human testers are unable to execute each program code quickly and repeatedly. So, the test coverage reduces accordingly.
- Balancing Automation and Manual Testing
Due to a lack of training in using automated tools, testers are unable to decide when to test the test cases manually and when to automate. Also, it can affect the overall productivity as the human testers cannot perform the repetitive test cases accurately. It leads to human errors in each stage, affecting the project delivery time.
- Time Constraints
Today, software developments are rapidly increasing. So, sometimes, it is difficult to deliver the products on time because human developers take time to write and manage multiple test cases simultaneously.
Secure Your Software’s Success with Our Functional Testing!
Functional Testing Services often play a crucial role in the software testing process that ensures overall product quality. So, developers perform these testing approaches to check the reliability, compatibility, and user-friendliness of the applications under process at the initial stage of development. So, improve your software quality with effective functional testing today!
