Unlock robust software with our best practices guide for a comprehensive software testing process. Always guarantee impeccable results!
Many people think that software testing is just a matter of doing test after test on any technological product to detect bugs. But as with many things in software development, there's a lot more to it than that. While testing is obviously the core of the testing phase, there is an underlying strategy and overarching process that brings all of this testing together.
Best practices for software testing
#1 Make Communication a Core Value
This applies to the entire software development team, but it is especially important for the testing team. Why? Because testing is an ongoing process that spans multiple points throughout development. If the entire team is up to date on what is happening in the testing process, everyone can help with the testing efforts. In other words, testers and software engineers need to communicate regularly to know all the details of the work at hand. This can drastically reduce risks and vulnerabilities while improving the bottom line.
#2 Test with the future in mind
Any and all digital solutions need to be scalable and adaptable. This is because the world of technology is constantly changing and evolving, so the products you build need to be able to keep pace. This has a considerable impact on software development, as it influences the choices you make along the way, from the architecture you use to the way you code. Naturally, it also influences testing, since a future-focused testing effort must go beyond simply identifying vulnerabilities and encompass the development process itself. So testing can also help streamline the way you build your digital solutions, making them more robust, scalable, and easily upgradable.
#3 Report as complete as possible
We know reporting bugs can be a tedious task, but it's critical to helping engineers understand and fix problems with your software. This is why you should insist that all bug reports are as detailed as possible, but without becoming a voluminous document, no one will read them in full. It's a difficult balance to achieve, but truly necessary. Good reports can help engineers see the severity of problems, prioritize fixes, and even create new ways of developing to prevent these bugs from happening again.
#4 Insist on peer reviews
#5 Document the product properly
Speaking of practices that are often neglected, here comes documentation, a crucial practice for any successful project. Ignoring documentation can be extremely detrimental to the development team as other team members will be lost when reviewing the code and working on new features or parts. So, you need to take the time to document everything your team creates for both internal and external consumption. In other words, you should encourage your team to comment code when necessary, but also to create complete user guides that can provide additional value to the end user.
#6 Put security front and center in testing
Testing practices attempt to improve a software solution to ensure continuous superior performance, but they also serve as an effective way to protect the product against digital threats. This is why you should always introduce a series of security-motivated tests, such as penetration testing. Thinking like a malicious actor and trying to hack your own program can go a long way toward understanding your software's weaknesses and developing better ways to strengthen it.
#7 Choose the Right Testing and Management Tools
Fortunately, we live in an age where there are many tools to help you get the job done. This also applies to software testing, a field that has numerous testing and management platforms. While being able to choose from this wide variety is great, it can also be overwhelming and frustrating. That's why we suggest you look at the tools available to really understand the pros and cons of each one. Consider aspects such as ease of use, cost, integration with your current tools, and scalability, which are crucial factors in selecting the right tool.
#8 Aim for code quality, always
#9 Good testing as a path to high quality
These are all proven practices that can certainly improve the final quality of the products you develop. But that's not all – they can also raise the quality of your development process by helping you identify your weak points. Combining all of these practices through an ongoing testing effort is the best course of action you can take today to ensure that your software meets the expectations that you and your users may have for it.
