In order to measure the quality of software, there are many methods available, but the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) is an approach aimed at systematically measuring the quality of software. This process involves several steps, including defining requirements, creating test cases, executing tests, analyzing results, and reporting findings.
While there are many different types of STLC models, most follow a similar pattern. Each phase includes specific activities that must be completed within certain time frames. These phases include planning, execution, analysis, and maintenance. FITA Academy is the place where expert trainers will guide you over Software Testing Course in Chennai to help you become a certified Software Tester.
In this article we will discuss the definition and phases of Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC). In addition, we’ll look at what it takes to implement this methodology.
What does Software Testing Life Cycle mean?
Software testing life cycle (STLC) is the process used to test software, ensuring that quality standards are met within a given timeframe. This is done throughout the entire lifecycle of a project, starting from requirements gathering and design, right up to deployment and maintenance.
The STLC consists of four distinct phases: requirement analysis, design, implementation and verification/validation. Each phase requires different skills and knowledge, but it is important to remember that each one builds upon the previous ones. For example, during the requirement analysis stage, you will be asked to identify the problem domain, define requirements, and find solutions. In contrast, during the design phase, you will be tasked with creating a solution architecture, defining interfaces, and designing data structures.
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Exactly what is the role of software testing life cycle?
The agile software development life cycle (SDLC) is a framework used to develop software iteratively. This process involves breaking down large projects into smaller chunks that are developed and tested throughout the lifecycle. Each iteration provides feedback about whether the previous piece of work meets the desired end goal.
An STLC helps teamsÂ
- Refine the agile testing process, increasing consistency and effectivenessÂ
- Clearly define goals and expectationsÂ
- Apply time constraints to project aspectsÂ
- Ensure that each feature is being tested and passing before additional ones are added
- Verify that project requirements are being met
How Do STLC and SDLC Differ?
A close relationship exists between the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC). However, while both are related to software engineering, with overlapping timelines, they follow different goals and guidelines, and the differences between them are important to understand. While we tend to think about the two as being synonymous, there are some key distinctions.Â
The primary difference is that SDCL is responsible for collecting requirements, whereas STLC is responsible for developing tests adapted to the collected requirement and verifying that features meet those requirements. However, although they’re related, they don’t always overlap; sometimes, one might be done during the same phase of the other. For example, you could perform a feature design review during the analysis phase of the SDLC, but you’d still want to test the resulting code.
If the SDLC created features that do more than necessary — such as writing extra code — it’s usually okay, however, if the STLC tests do more work than necessary, an unnecessary burden is placed upon the team. This is because the developers are already doing what needs to be done, and adding additional tasks just adds overhead.
Both life cycles require the cooperation from stakeholders, DevOps, QA, and testing teams. In fact, the entire project team must cooperate to make sure that the product meets the customer’s expectations. An in-depth knowledge through Software Testing Online Course can get you more success in your job.
A detailed look at each of the 6 STLC phases
Software testing life cycle (STLC) consists of six phases, each with defined entries and exits and corresponding activities and deliverables. These phases are often referred to as phases because they follow a certain sequence. Each phase typically starts with a set of requirements and ends with a set of acceptance criteria.
Each phase contains a number of tasks that must be accomplished before moving to the next phase. For example, in the Requirements Phase you might write down requirements and test cases. Then in the Design Phase you’d design solutions to meet those requirements. And finally, in the Implementation Phase, you’d implement those designs into code. This process continues through every single one of the six phases.
Some of these phases can be done concurrently while others require prior phases to be completed first. For example, the Test Plan Phase could run alongside the Design Phase. Or the Analysis Phase could occur during the Planning Phase. However, the most common approach is to perform the entire software testing life cycle sequentially.
In addition to defining how the phases work together, each phase also defines specific entry and exit criteria. An entry criterion is something that must happen in order to begin a particular phase. A typical example of an entry criterion might be “the project manager approves the plan.” An exit criterion is something that must occur in order to finish a particular phase. A common example of an exit criterion is “a defect report is submitted.”
As mentioned above, some phases can overlap with each other. For example, the analysis phase might include both requirements gathering and test case creation. But regardless of whether a phase overlaps another, there needs to be clear entry and exit criteria for each phase.
Testers use checklists throughout the software testing lifecycle to make sure that projects are completed successfully. Checklists provide structure and guidance to teams performing complex tasks like writing specifications, creating test plans, designing tests, implementing systems, and delivering products. They allow testers to focus on what matters most—creating high quality software and meeting deadlines.
Phase 1: Requirement Analysis
The goal of Phase 1 is to gather information about existing features and determine how those features could be improved. This is done via interviews with customers, technical experts, and product managers. Interviewing customers allows you to understand the current state of things and gain insight into future needs. Technical experts help you better understand the technology behind the feature and the challenges involved. Product managers provide insights into how the feature fits within the larger picture of the product.
During this phase, we collect requirements from different sources including customer interviews, technical analysis, and product management meetings. We use our experience and expertise to determine whether the feature meets the stated goals. In addition, we evaluate whether the feature can be automated.
Phase 2: Test Planning
During Phase 2, you develop a test strategy, which outlines what needs to happen during each stage of the project. You determine which tests are required, how many iterations the tests require, and how long it takes to complete a given iteration. The test plan also identifies the tools, processes, and people involved in executing the tests.
The purpose of a test plan is to ensure that the team understands the scope of the project, the risks associated with it, and the resources needed to execute the tests effectively. Once the test plan is approved, stakeholders start working together to identify the requirements and prepare the entry criteria.
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Phase 3: Test Case Development
Test planning starts early in the project lifecycle. In Phase 2, we defined our test strategy. Now it’s time to develop those test plans into actual test cases. This is where you define what tests to run and how to execute each one.
In this phase, you’ll use your test design document to identify test inputs, procedures, and expected outcomes. You’ll create test cases based on those inputs and procedures, and you’ll automate anything that needs to be automated.
During this stage, you’ll work closely with stakeholders to ensure that your test plan meets their expectations. And you’ll keep track of everything you do along the way.
Phase 4: Test Environment Setup
During this phase, testing environments must be set up and tested. Testing environments are used to simulate real world conditions during the development process.Â
For example, you might use a testing environment to test how a web application works under different network configurations, or how it handles errors or exceptions. You could even use one to test how a mobile app behaves across multiple devices. In addition to simulating real world conditions, testing environments can help developers identify bugs early on. They allow teams to quickly find and fix problems without having to wait for production systems to go live.
Phase 4 is all about setting up a testing environment. After all, you want to make sure that everything is working properly before moving on to the next phases. To do this, testers perform a number of tasks, such as installing software packages, configuring networking settings, creating data sets, and running automated tests. These steps typically involve several people and take anywhere from a few hours to a couple days.
Once testing environments are established, testers run a series of tests to verify that they work correctly. This involves performing manual tests and/or writing scripts to automate some of those processes. Testers often write scripts to check whether applications behave as expected in specific situations.Â
For example, they might script out how a web application behaves when a user tries to access a certain page while offline. Or they might write a script to automatically log into a site and navigate around to see what happens. Scripting helps automate repetitive tasks, making it easier to keep track of changes and ensuring consistency throughout the team.
Phase 5: Test Execution
During this phase, features are typically tested in the deployed environment. This phase includes testing using the established test cases, and expected test results are compared to the actual results. Results are collected to report back to development team members. During this step, several types of test cases are used:
- Acceptance Testing- tests are run against production data to ensure the feature works properly.
- Integration Testing- tests are run to verify the integration of multiple components within the system.
- Unit Testing- tests are run within individual modules to identify potential problems early in the design process.
- Performance Tests- tests are run to determine how well the system performs under load conditions.
- User Interface Testing- tests are run on the UI to make sure it looks good and functions correctly.
- System Testing- tests are run throughout the system to make sure it operates as intended.
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Phase 6: Test Cycle Closure
The sixth phase of the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC), called “Test Cycle Close,” is where you prepare a final report summarizing the entire testing process and providing comparisons between expected results and the actual. This report includes objective metrics such as how many tests were run, what percentage of those tests passed, and whether or not the project completed on schedule. You can use it to analyze the overall quality of the project and make changes to improve future projects.
The report also provides detailed information about each test case, including the number of times the test was executed, the amount of time spent executing each test, and the type of defect detected. If there are issues discovered during the testing process, this report will help you understand why certain tests failed and what needs to be done to correct the issue.
To ensure that everything runs smoothly throughout the testing cycle, you must set up a system for tracking bugs and issues encountered along the way.Â
For example, you might assign one person to track all bugs reported in the bug tracker and another to review and resolve the most serious ones. Or perhaps you’ll want to designate someone to monitor the progress of the project and keep tabs on the status of each task. Keeping notes during each stage of the process is always a good idea, regardless of the method you choose. In addition, you should document the reasons behind your decisions and actions. Finally, make sure that everyone involved in the testing process understands the purpose of the report and knows what to look for in it.
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End summary
The old way of doing things is no longer effective. In the modern day and age, we live in a fast-paced world where software development life cycles are becoming shorter and faster every day. Testing each and every piece of code is simply not feasible due to time constraints. In addition, the complexity of modern applications makes it nearly impossible to test everything manually.
Today, the best approach to ensuring quality is to implement a structured testing methodology. By following a systematic STLC, you can identify errors in the last stages of the SDLC. Also, you can enhance the overall quality of your products while saving time, money, and effort.
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