Immerse yourself in the rich history of Quality Assurance: from its origins in manufacturing to its evolution in the technological domain. Understand the milestones that shaped quality control and its key role in ensuring product excellence over time.
Quality assurance has existed for centuries. Almost every industry has adopted some type of verification process to ensure that the products or services they provide meet the needs of their consumers.
Software development is no different. Although software as we know it today is still a relatively new phenomenon, it has become such an important element of the modern landscape that most of us cannot imagine our lives without it. And given its fundamental role, the QA testing process plays an essential role in the software development lifecycle, ensuring that software is functional, high-performance and easy to use.
#1: The Dawn of Software Testing
While working at Harvard University, Grace Murray Hopper, a pioneer in computer programming, encountered a moth that caused the Mark II Aiken Relay computer to malfunction in 1947. This was the first observed case of a computer bug, although the term has been used in the context of science and technology since at least the 19th century. The incident shed light on the concept that computers needed to be debugged.
Testing was initially focused on hardware, but in 1949, Alan Turing postulated the idea that software needed to meet certain requirements and objectives. He was the innovator of tests such as the Turing Test, which compares the intelligence of a computer with that of a human being. This, along with Charles Baker suggesting that testing was separate from debugging, led to the quality control process becoming more comprehensive than simply ensuring systems were functional.
Glenford J. Myers later reconceptualized testing as an attempt to identify errors rather than trying to ensure the perfection of a system – an impossible feat.
#2 The PC era
The advent of the personal computer in the 1980s forever changed technology – and the world. With this came the need for easy-to-use software that would meet the needs of many computer users who were no longer just technology workers but also the general public.
With the introduction of PC-compatible software, there was a need for tests that examined its performance in different environments and scenarios, given the diverse systems that were emerging. And given the demand for these impressive devices, it had to be done quickly.
#3 Automation at the forefront
Automation gained momentum in the early 2000s. With QA testing highlighted as a vital process in software development, it became clear that a more efficient way of conducting this process was needed. Automation has not only meant faster testing, but it has also enabled improved types of testing, such as regression testing. It also meant that companies could mass-produce much more software.
#4 The Age of Waterfalls
First described, although unnamed, by Winston W. Royce in 1970, the waterfall method was the standard approach to software development for decades. It consisted of the following phases:
- Requirements
- System design
- Implementation
- Test
- Implantation
- Maintenance
This meant that testing was considered entirely separate from software development and that QA specialists entered the process near the end of development and just before the product was released.
#5 Introducing Agile
Agile was introduced in 2000. This approach prioritizes collaboration and the end user, following 12 principles established in the Agile Manifesto. To some extent, this approach has revolutionized the role of the QA tester. Instead of separating development from testing, Agile reinvented them as interconnected.
Here, quality is the responsibility of the entire software development team, not just QA professionals. Furthermore, testing starts much earlier than in the waterfall approach – testers are involved from the beginning and the lines between tester and developer are less distinct from each other. Ultimately, this leads to more efficient software delivery overall.
6…And DevOps
DevOps, which emerged in 2009, shares similar ideologies with Agile and includes several overlapping concepts. The model combines development and operations to focus on continuous software delivery. As with Agile, DevOps prioritizes collaboration and considers the end user. It also focuses on value, which translates into more testing.
Lean management and efficient delivery are two important characteristics of DevOps and depend on continuous testing, mitigating risks and issues before they threaten to derail software development. Automation helps meet these demands and is also vital for this delivery model.
The State of Software Testing Today
So what does software QA testing look like today?
Tests also cover more areas, with many different types, falling into the functional or non-functional categories, in a QA specialist's toolkit: integration testing, smoke testing, sanity testing, regression testing , performance testing, usability testing and so on. .
Automation has become an integral part of the quality control process, speeding up the process. However, qualified QA professionals are careful not to completely replace manual testing, which is also essential — a machine cannot, for example, perform exploratory testing, which is unscheduled and examines the capabilities and possibilities of a system.
Security has also become a vital part of the quality control process. With increasingly sophisticated attacks posing a threat to technology, testing can serve as a barrier to prevent cybercriminals from putting companies at serious risk.
One thing is certain: QA testing is an extremely vital part of the SDLC. If you are in the software development field, quality control is something you cannot neglect.
