Software makes the modern digital world go around. Heck, it makes the most basic of things work. Before software is realized, however, a variety of testing needs to take place.
The tests used for software are as varied as there are variations of software. That being said, there are three staples usually used in nearly all situations. Basically, the three most important tests are compatibility testing; conformance testing; and functional testing. All of these exams are equally important, though some are more complex than others. Let’s begin with the first one, compatibility testing.
Compatibility testing is a type of overview performed to make sure that a piece of software can efficiently work with a web site along with varying browsers, OSs, and hardware platforms. This testing can be done manually (though it is extremely time consuming), or it can completed using another computer. Usually, a machine will perform this routine using a regression test suite. Conformance testing is similar to compatibility testing, though the overall outcome of this exam will be different.
Conformance testing consists of making sure that a piece of software conforms to various industry standards. This program must be tested for portability, interoperability, and compatibility. This is often the most difficult test given that many different companies come from many different countries that have various standards. Often, even though a piece of software works for one purpose, it will not work for another. However, in order to go through all the types of software testing, conformance tests must be completed. Lastly, a functional test is conducted in order to ensure that the software functions.
Although functional tests may seem fairly straightforward, this type of exam can be extremely frustrating. Often, engineers will get to this stage only to find out that the software doesn’t actually do what it’s supposed to do. Of course, if a programs fails, it must be re-worked from the start in order to find the glitch – tireless work, to say the least.
Now that you know all about the different types of software testing, you may begin to have a greater appreciation for the work that computer engineers do. Additionally, you are sure to never look at any software the same again. Computers are wondrous things, though they do require quite a bit of checking and re-checking ... just to make sure that they are doing their jobs well.
Aazdak Alisimo writes about
computer software for ProSoftwareEngineers.com.
