How To Perform Pairwise Testing - A Complete Guide

Pairwise Testing | What It Is, When & How to Perform?


<p>A test suite is a bunch of test cases grouped for a specific purpose. It can cover multiple functionalities or features within an application. On the other hand, a test case focuses on one particular aspect or scenario. It&#8217;s like a single unit of testing within the larger test suite. So, if you want to know more about these two important concepts, keep reading!</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Test_Suite_vs_Test_Case_8211_Overview"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> Test Suite vs Test Case &#8211; Overview</a><ul><li><a href="#What_is_a_Test_Case"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">1.1</span> What is a Test Case?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_a_Test_Suite"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">1.2</span> What is a Test Suite?</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Test_Suite_vs_Test_Case_-Key_Differences"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> Test Suite vs Test Case -Key Differences</a></li><li><a href="#What_if_we_want_to_automate_our_Test_cases_and_Test_suites"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> What if we want to automate our Test cases and Test suites?</a></li><li><a href="#Summary"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> Summary</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="test-suite-vs-test-case-overview"><span id="Test_Suite_vs_Test_Case_8211_Overview"><strong>Test Suite vs Test Case &#8211; Overview</strong></span></h2>



<h3 id="h-what-is-a-test-case"><span id="What_is_a_Test_Case"><a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/what-is-test-case/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">What is a Test Case?</a></span></h3>



<p>A test case is a set of instructions determining whether a software or system behaves as expected. A test case generally outlines the various inputs and outputs for a particular scenario and provides step-by-step instructions on executing that scenario. It can also include information about the expected result after executing those steps.</p>



<p>Test cases are essential because they help identify bugs and issues early, saving time and money in the long run. Ensuring high-quality software products that meet customer requirements would be much harder without them.</p>



<h3 id="h-what-is-a-test-suite"><span id="What_is_a_Test_Suite">What is a Test Suite?</span></h3>



<p>A test suite is a set of tests designed to check the functionality and performance of the software. It collects individual test cases based on their specific purpose or characteristics.</p>



<p>Check here &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-case-vs-use-case/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test Case Vs Use Case</a></p>



<h2 id="h-test-suite-vs-test-case-key-differences"><span id="Test_Suite_vs_Test_Case_-Key_Differences"><strong>Test Suite vs Test Case -Key Differences</strong></span></h2>



<p>Test suite and Test case are both essential in software testing. The differences between the test suite and the test case can be summarized as follows:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Parameter</strong></td><td><strong>Test Suite</strong></td><td><strong>Test Case</strong></td></tr><tr><td><br><br>Definition</td><td>A collection of test cases that are designed to test a specific feature or functionality of the software</td><td>A set of inputs, preconditions, and expected outcomes that are designed to test a particular aspect of the software</td></tr><tr><td>Function&nbsp;</td><td>Tests multiple scenarios and functionalities&nbsp;</td><td>Tests a single scenario or functionality</td></tr><tr><td>Dependency</td><td>It can be dependent on other Test Suites</td><td>Test cases, ideally, run independently of each other</td></tr><tr><td>Priority</td><td>Can be prioritized based on the functionality they cover</td><td>Can be prioritized based on the severity of the issues they uncover</td></tr><tr><td>Purpose</td><td>Validate broad functional requirements</td><td>Validate specific detailed scenarios</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p>Check here &#8211;<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/automated-test-suite/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Automated Test Suite</a></p>



<h2 id="h-what-if-we-want-to-automate-our-test-cases-and-test-suites"><span id="What_if_we_want_to_automate_our_Test_cases_and_Test_suites"><strong>What if we want to automate our Test cases and Test suites?</strong></span></h2>



<p>Automating test cases and suites can save time and money while improving testing coverage and consistency. Generally, you can automate test cases and suites for Functional Testing and Non-functional testing. </p>



<p>There are tools like Testsigma, Selenium, Appium available for functional testing, and there are tools like Jmeter, loadrunner, webLOAD for non-functional testing (performance testing, load testing etc) </p>



<p><a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma</a>&nbsp;is a no-code test automation tool that helps you automate your functional test cases and suites. The test steps are as easy to write and edit, as writing english sentences. Testsigma also lets you automate your functional tests for web, mobile, APIs and Desktop from these same place, 10x faster. Testsigma is also available as an open source and free version.</p>



<div class="cta-banner-v2">
<div class="title-with-description ">
<p  class="title">Here is a guide with in-depth discussions on the do&#8217;s and dont&#8217;s of test automation.</p>
</div>
<a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" class="cta-btn-v1" rel="noopener">Check out the guide</a>
</div>



<h2 id="summary"><span id="Summary"><strong>Summary</strong></span></h2>



<p>This blog taught us about test cases, test suites, and their differences. A test case is a set of instructions that outlines how to execute a specific test on a particular aspect of the software, while a test suite is simply a collection of multiple related tests. In other words, any software testing endeavor&#8217;s pieces can be classified as test cases. Still, when packaged together into an organized group, they form the larger umbrella known as a Test suite.</p>



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Test Suite vs Test Case What is the Difference

Test Suite vs Test Case: What is the Difference?


<p>Imagine you&#8217;re a chef cooking up a delicious meal for your guests. You&#8217;ve planned out your ingredients and recipe, but before you start cooking, you need to make sure your kitchen is organized and all the kitchen tools and accessories you need is within reach. This is where test implementation comes in, the crucial stage of software testing where the test plan is put into action. Just like a chef, the test manager should ensure that everything required for testing is ready and testers can start testing.</p>



<p>In this article, we will discuss what test implementation is and its pros and cons in detail. Let&#8217;s get started.</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><ul><li><a href="#What_is_Test_Implementation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">0.1</span> What is Test Implementation?</a></li><li><a href="#Responsibilities_of_a_Test_Manager_in_the_Test_Implementation_Phase"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">0.2</span> Responsibilities of a Test Manager in the Test Implementation Phase</a></li><li><a href="#Test_Implementation_and_Test_Automation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">0.3</span> Test Implementation and Test Automation</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Disadvantages_of_Early_Test_Implementation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> Disadvantages of Early Test Implementation</a></li><li><a href="#Advantages_of_Early_Test_Implementation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> Advantages of Early Test Implementation</a></li><li><a href="#Major_Tasks_Involved_In_Test_Implementation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> Major Tasks Involved In Test Implementation</a></li><li><a href="#Summary"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> Summary</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#How_do_you_implement_software_testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.1</span> How do you implement software testing?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_the_implementation_and_testing_phase"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.2</span> What is the implementation and testing phase?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h3 id="h-what-is-test-implementation"><span id="What_is_Test_Implementation"><strong>What is Test Implementation?</strong></span></h3>



<p>Test implementation is a process of organizing and prioritizing tests and creating test data. Sometimes, if necessary, it also involves preparing test harnesses and creating automated test scripts.</p>



<p>During this stage, the Test Analyst or Test Manager makes sure that all the prerequisites are handled to initiate the test execution. They then implement the test designs as test cases, test procedures, and test data, which are then executed to verify the functionality of the software.</p>



<p>It is crucial to choose the right tests and execute them in the right order. Also, this is vital while using risk-based strategies, where testers prioritize tests based on the risks and problems.</p>



<p>If you are following the <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/829/3787/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">IEEE829</a> standard, then you must define the below parameters too,</p>



<ul><li>Test inputs</li><li>Expected test results, and</li><li>Steps to follow for each test process</li></ul>



<p>These will be documented together, and test data will be stored in database tables, flat files, etc.</p>



<h3 id="h-responsibilities-of-a-test-manager-in-the-test-implementation-phase"><span id="Responsibilities_of_a_Test_Manager_in_the_Test_Implementation_Phase">Responsibilities of a Test Manager in the Test Implementation Phase</span></h3>



<p>Another important part of the implementation phase is that the Test Manager should ensure that the testing team is ready to execute the test design.</p>



<p>The following are some of the responsibilities of a Test Manager in this phase:</p>



<ul><li>Ensuring that all the test procedures are organized and available to testers.</li><li>A guideline of who will execute what test cases, when, and test data for testing.</li><li>Finalizing the timeline of test execution</li><li>Ensuring that the tools to be used by testers are in place</li><li>Ensuring that the test environment for executing test data is in place</li><li>Are the test cases documented and reviewed?</li><li>Ensuring that the test environment is configured to the guidelines</li><li>Preparing a schedule for test execution, describing the order for execution of manual and automated tests.</li><li>Checking for constraints like risks and priorities</li></ul>



<h3 id="h-test-implementation-and-test-automation"><span id="Test_Implementation_and_Test_Automation"><strong>Test Implementation and Test Automation</strong></span></h3>



<p>Test implementation is not just about manual testing. It involves creating automated testing scripts as well. Automated testing should be properly implemented to ensure a good ROI (Return on Investment).In this stage, the Test Managers define the priority and the execution order of the manual and automation tests. Not just that, even the acquisition of tools required for testing, like automation testing tool, test data generation tool, framework, and more, is done in this stage.</p>



<p><p style="padding-bottom:30px"><a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma</a> is a powerful test automation platform that lets you automate web, mobile, and desktop apps and APIs in one place. It allows you to create test cases in plain English statements as it supports <strong>Natural Language Processing</strong>. This makes editing, removing, or updating the test cases at any stage very easy.</p></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://images.storychief.com/account_36412/image_f1855eb8fb739a48289f4b0c8e435912_2000.png" alt="Testsigma"/></figure>



<p><p style="padding-top:30px">The following are some of the <a href="https://testsigma.com/features">features of Testsigma</a>,</p></p>



<ul><li>It is a no-code platform, so no coding skills are required for testing. You can create test cases using NLPs.</li></ul><br>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://images.storychief.com/account_36412/image_6c6ab8cbfc26693ac18bfe6e0a4dadfe_2000.png" alt="Testsigma - Test Automation Platform"/></figure>



<br><ul><li>With Testsigma, you can <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/roi-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">achieve a good ROI</a> quickly.</li><li>It is also available as an <a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">open-source</a> and free version.</li><li>You can perform cross-browser testing, <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-api-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">API testing</a>, UI testing, integration testing, regression testing, end-to-end testing, and more in one place.</li><li>It makes testing 10x faster than traditional testing methods.</li><li>If you go for the Testsigma Cloud version, you can start with test automation in 2 minutes without the need to install anything on your end.</li><li>Easily create and maintain tests on the cloud.</li><li>Extended customer support via chat, email, phone, and community.</li><li>Offers third-party integrations with multiple tools like Jenkins, CircleCI, and more.</li></ul><br>



<p><button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="display: block;
    margin: auto;"><a href="https://testsigma.com/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Start automating your tests using Testsigma Cloud for free using the 21-day free trial.</a></button></p>



<br><h2 id="h-disadvantages-of-early-test-implementation"><span id="Disadvantages_of_Early_Test_Implementation">Disadvantages of Early Test Implementation</span></h2>



<p>The following are some of the drawbacks of implementing the tests early,</p>



<ul><li>When an Agile software development life cycle is used for software development, then the code might undergo multiple changes between consecutive iterations. This will make the entire test implementation ineffective.</li><li>Not just the Agile life cycle, using an iterative software development lifecycle will also affect the code between iterations.</li><li>The above scenarios will make the predefined tests obsolete and might require continuous maintenance.</li><li>Even while using a sequential life cycle like the Waterfall model for product development, if the project is not managed properly and if the requirements keep changing later, then early test implementation is ineffective.</li></ul>



<p>Hence, the Test Manager must consider the below factors before the test implementation process,</p>



<ul><li>Identify the type of Software development life cycle used for product development</li><li>Features that require testing</li><li>Define how frequently the requirements may change in the later stages of the project lifecycle</li><li>Possibility of code changes between two iterations</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-advantages-of-early-test-implementation"><span id="Advantages_of_Early_Test_Implementation">Advantages of Early Test Implementation</span></h2>



<p>Early test implementation is a good practice. Let&#8217;s discuss some of the advantages of early test implementation,</p>



<ul><li>Concrete test cases provide practical examples of how the application behaves.</li><li>Also, domain experts find it simple and easy to verify concrete tests rather than non-concrete business rules.</li><li>It helps identify any weaknesses in software specifications.</li><li>It further promotes collaboration between testers, developers, and other members of the project team.</li></ul>



<p><em>Note &#8211; If you&#8217;re wondering what a concrete test case is, a concrete test case is a specific test scenario with predefined input values, expected results, and execution steps.</em></p>



<h2 id="h-major-tasks-involved-in-test-implementation"><span id="Major_Tasks_Involved_In_Test_Implementation">Major Tasks Involved In Test Implementation</span></h2>



<p>The following are some of the major tasks involved in test implementation,</p>



<ul><li>Develop and prioritize test procedures.</li><li>Prepare <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-harness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test Harness</a></li><li>Create test suites from test procedures.</li><li>Prepare test data for test execution.</li><li>Finalize, implement, and prioritize test cases.</li><li>Create automated test scripts. Using a powerful test automation platform like Testsigma, you can create test steps using simple language or use Java to test certain scenarios that might require coding.</li><li>Set up the test environment and verify that everything is configured correctly.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-summary"><span id="Summary">Summary</span></h2>



<p>Test implementation is a critical stage in the software testing process. The implementation of tests early in the development process can help detect bugs early, which can save time and resources while improving overall quality.</p>



<p>So, just like how a well-organized kitchen sets the stage for a successful meal, proper test implementation sets the stage for a successful software release.</p>



<h2 id="h-frequently-asked-questions"><span id="Frequently_Asked_Questions">Frequently Asked Questions</span></h2>



<h3 id="h-how-do-you-implement-software-testing"><span id="How_do_you_implement_software_testing">How do you implement software testing?</span></h3>



<p>Test implementation is the process of prioritizing and organizing tests. The implementation of software testing involves several steps, like planning the tests, designing test data, creating test cases, prioritizing the tests based on risks, finalizing the timeline for testing, test execution schedule, acquisition of testing tools, and so on.</p>



<h3 id="h-what-is-the-implementation-and-testing-phase"><span id="What_is_the_implementation_and_testing_phase">What is the implementation and testing phase?</span></h3>



<p>The implementation and testing phase is a stage in the software development life cycle (SDLC) where the software testing plan is created, implemented, and executed. This helps ensure that the application meets the requirements and works as intended.</p>


Test Implementation in Software Testing - An Overview

Test Implementation in Software Testing – An Overview

Front-End Testing A Comprehensive Overview

Front End Testing: A Comprehensive Overview

Incremental Testing in Software Testing


<p>Software testing is a crucial aspect of any software development process, and test design plays a major role in ensuring the effectiveness of the testing process. It refers to the process of creating test cases that can effectively validate the functionality of the software being developed. It involves identifying test scenarios, defining test conditions, and creating test cases that can detect bugs in the software. Test design is a challenging process that requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a great understanding of the product. In this article, we will discuss test design and everything you need to know about it.</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_Test_Design"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> What is Test Design?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_the_Purpose_of_Test_Design"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> What is the Purpose of Test Design?</a></li><li><a href="#When_to_Create_a_Test_Design"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> When to Create a Test Design?</a></li><li><a href="#Why_is_Test_Design_Important_for_Test_Automation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> Why is Test Design Important for Test Automation?</a></li><li><a href="#How_Is_Test_Design_Done"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> How Is Test Design Done?</a></li><li><a href="#Top_Test_Design_Techniques"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">6</span> Top Test Design Techniques</a><ul><li><a href="#1_Equivalence_Class_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.1</span> 1. Equivalence Class Testing</a></li><li><a href="#2_State_Transitioning"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.2</span> 2. State Transitioning</a></li><li><a href="#3_Exploratory_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.3</span> 3. Exploratory Testing</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Test_Design_Concepts_You_Must_Be_Familiar_With"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">7</span> Test Design Concepts You Must Be Familiar With</a><ul><li><a href="#Test_Automation_Pyramid"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">7.1</span> Test Automation Pyramid</a></li><li><a href="#Test_Coverage_and_Code_Coverage"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">7.2</span> Test Coverage and Code Coverage</a></li><li><a href="#Test_Suites_and_Test_Cases"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">7.3</span> Test Suites and Test Cases</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Summary"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">8</span> Summary</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">9</span> Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#What_is_test_design_in_QA"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">9.1</span> What is test design in QA?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_the_steps_in_test_design"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">9.2</span> What are the steps in test design?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_an_example_of_a_test_design"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">9.3</span> What is an example of a test design?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-what-is-test-design"><span id="What_is_Test_Design">What is Test Design?</span></h2>



<p>Test design is a process that defines how testing has to be done. It involves the process of identifying the testing techniques, test scenarios, test cases, test data, and expected test results.</p>



<p>Also, testers need to be specific about the test cases they create, such as providing specific inputs, steps, and test data for each test case.</p>



<h2 id="h-what-is-the-purpose-of-test-design"><span id="What_is_the_Purpose_of_Test_Design">What is the Purpose of Test Design?</span></h2>



<p>Software testing, like all processes, is an investment and is considered successful when it provides an ROI. To ensure, we are getting the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/roi-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ROI; it has to be tracked too</a>. One factor that will create an impact on the ROI, is the effectiveness of the test strategy. An effective test design will largely dictate the effectiveness of the testing strategy, thus the ROI from the software testing process.</p>



<h2 id="h-when-to-create-a-test-design"><span id="When_to_Create_a_Test_Design">When to Create a Test Design?</span></h2>



<p>Test design should be created once the test conditions are defined, and adequate information is available to create the test cases of both high and low levels.</p>



<h2 id="h-why-is-test-design-important-for-test-automation"><span id="Why_is_Test_Design_Important_for_Test_Automation">Why is Test Design Important for Test Automation?</span></h2>



<p>Just as Test Design is important for an effective test strategy, a well-defined test design plays an important role in the success of test automation too.</p>



<p>It is a crucial activity that helps determine the effectiveness of automated test cases in identifying bugs and is highly essential for quality control and testing.<em>&#8220;More than the act of testing, the act of designing tests is one of the best bug preventers known. &#8220;</em> &#8211; says Boris Beizer.</p>



<p>For the effectiveness of test automation, you also need to have a test automation tool that supports your goals. Thus, choosing the right test automation tool is vital, as also stated by a report that said: <a href="https://research.aimultiple.com/test-automation-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">26%</a> of companies consider finding the right tools for automation testing as their biggest challenge.</p>



<p>Here is a blog that will help you <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/10-points-to-help-you-choose-the-right-test-automation-tool/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">choose the right test automation tool</a></p>



<p>Testsigma is a powerful no-code test automation platform that lets you automate web, mobile, and desktop applications and APIs in one place 5 times faster. Start using Testsigma to achieve an ROI from your test automation sooner.</p>



<h2 id="h-how-is-test-design-done"><span id="How_Is_Test_Design_Done">How Is Test Design Done?</span></h2>



<p>Test design is done using several test design techniques. The following is a list of some of the top design techniques,</p>



<ul><li>Equivalence Class Testing</li><li>State Transition</li><li>Exploratory Testing</li><li>Boundary value analysis</li><li><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/pairwise-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pairwise test </a>design</li><li>Error guessing test design</li></ul>



<p>Let&#8217;s talk about some of the top techniques in the below section.</p>



<h2 id="h-top-test-design-techniques"><span id="Top_Test_Design_Techniques">Top Test Design Techniques</span></h2>



<p>Let&#8217;s discuss the top techniques in detail.</p>



<h3 id="h-1-equivalence-class-testing"><span id="1_Equivalence_Class_Testing">1. Equivalence Class Testing</span></h3>



<p>Equivalence class testing, also known as Equivalence Class Partitioning, is a test design technique that lets you partition your test data into equivalent classes or sections.</p>



<p>It aims to reduce the number of test cases required to test a product by dividing the input domain into a set of equivalence classes. You can use this whenever an input field has a range like age.</p>



<p><strong>Example:</strong></p>



<p>Consider a gaming website has a form that requires users to enter their age. And the form specifies that the age has to be between 18 and 60. Now, using the Equivalence Class Partitioning technique, you can divide the input range into three partitions, as follows,</p>



<ul><li>1 to 17 (invalid)</li><li>18 to 60 (valid)</li><li>&gt;60 (invalid)</li></ul>



<p>By partitioning the input range into equal partitions, you can create test cases that cover all possible scenarios. This way, you can easily make sure that your form is working correctly without testing every possible number between 18 and 60.</p>



<h3 id="h-2-state-transitioning"><span id="2_State_Transitioning">2. State Transitioning</span></h3>



<p><p style="padding-bottom:30px">It is a type of black box testing that is performed to check the change in the application&#8217;s state under various inputs. This testing is used where different system transitions have to be tested.</p></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="512" height="317" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/test-design.png" alt="Test Design" class="wp-image-36779" /></figure></div>



<p><p style="padding-top:30px"><strong>State Transition Diagram</strong>Above is a state transition diagram that needs to be tested, it depicts how a system&#8217;s state changes on specific inputs. The four main components for a state transition diagram are as follows:</p></p>



<ol><li>States</li><li>Transition</li><li>Events</li><li>Actions</li></ol>



<p>State transition testing helps understand the system&#8217;s behavior and covers all the conditions. Let&#8217;s try to understand this with an example.</p>



<p><strong>Example:</strong></p>



<p>Consider a bank application that allows users to log in with valid credentials. But, if the user doesn&#8217;t remember the credentials, the application allows them to retry with up to three attempts. If they provide valid credentials within those three attempts, it will lead to a successful login. In case of three unsuccessful attempts, the application will have to block the account.</p>



<p><p style="padding-bottom:30px">The below image will explain this scenario in a clear way.</p></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="2400" height="1260" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Slide-16_9-47.png" alt="State Transitioning Example

" class="wp-image-29248" /></figure></div>



<br><h3 id="h-3-exploratory-testing"><span id="3_Exploratory_Testing">3. Exploratory Testing</span></h3>



<p>Exploratory testing is primarily used in Agile methods and involves outside-the-box thinking.</p>



<p>This process does not follow pre-defined test cases but instead involves testers using their knowledge, skills, and creativity to identify issues that may not have been anticipated by developers.</p>



<p>During exploratory testing, the tester will explore the software application in an unstructured way, creating and executing tests on the fly. The goal of this testing is to uncover bugs that may have been missed by other traditional testing methods.</p>



<h2 id="h-test-design-concepts-you-must-be-familiar-with"><span id="Test_Design_Concepts_You_Must_Be_Familiar_With">Test Design Concepts You Must Be Familiar With</span></h2>



<p>As a software tester, there are several test design concepts that you must be familiar with to create effective test cases. Here are some of the most important test design concepts,</p>



<h3 id="h-test-automation-pyramid"><span id="Test_Automation_Pyramid">Test Automation Pyramid</span></h3>



<p><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/testing-pyramid/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Test Automation Pyramid</a> is a testing framework that helps developers and testers to build high-quality products. It emphasizes the importance of automation at each level. The pyramid consists of three levels, each representing a different type of testing as follows,</p>



<ul><li>Unit Tests</li><li>Integration Tests</li><li>End-to-End Tests</li></ul><br>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://images.storychief.com/account_36412/image_c16ec456872814f4201ea32d8adda958_2000.png" alt="Test Automation Pyramid" /></figure></div>



<p><p style="padding-top:30px"><strong>Unit testing:</strong> Here, testing is done on individual units or software modules. Each unit is tested separately to ensure that it behaves as intended and meets its requirements.<strong>Integration testing:</strong> It helps verify that different modules of a software application are working as intended when they are integrated together.<strong>End-to-End testing:</strong> It involves evaluating the entire software application, from start to finish, to ensure that all components work together as expected and meet the requirements and business objectives. Also, it enables quick feedback cycles and helps developers fix bugs in a short time. It helps save time, reduce costs, and improve the overall quality of an application.</p></p>



<h3 id="h-test-coverage-and-code-coverage"><span id="Test_Coverage_and_Code_Coverage">Test Coverage and Code Coverage</span></h3>



<p>Both test coverage and code coverage are two related but distinct concepts in software testing. Test coverage refers to the maximum extent to which an application has been tested.</p>



<p><p style="padding-bottom:30px">Test coverage is calculated as follows,</p></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://images.storychief.com/account_36412/image_e6a57381fb6b6df9baffdeabb9564c59_2000.png" alt="Test coverage" /></figure></div>



<p><p style="padding-top:30px">For example, if you have 2000 lines of code, your test cases should be able to test the entire codebase. If only 1000 lines of code are tested out of 2000, the test coverage is 50%. Aim for 100% test coverage which means that your entire application functionality is tested to ensure a high-quality product.Code coverage specifically refers to the percentage of the code that has been covered by tests. Simply put, code coverage tells how much code is tested, and test coverage tells if your tests cover the application&#8217;s functionality or not.</p></p>



<p>Code coverage is calculated as follows,</p>



<p><strong><em>Code Coverage Percentage = (Number of lines of code executed)/(Total Number of lines of code in an application) * 100</em></strong></p>



<p>If the entire piece of code is tested, then you may consider that the code coverage is 100%. Good code coverage is considered a good metric for testing.</p>



<h3 id="h-test-suites-and-test-cases"><span id="Test_Suites_and_Test_Cases">Test Suites and Test Cases</span></h3>



<p>Test Suites and Test cases are interrelated terms. A test suite can be defined as a collection of test cases designed to test a specific functionality of the software. They are typically created and managed by testers.A test case is a set of instructions that defines the steps to be taken and the expected results for testing specific software functionality. Simply put, test cases are individual tests.</p>



<p><p style="padding-bottom:30px">When you automate your test cases, Testsigma &#8211; a no-code test automation tool also supports the addition, updation, and deletion of test cases and test suites. It is very easy to <a href="https://testsigma.com/docs/test-cases/manage/add-edit-delete/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">create test cases</a> using its NLP approach. It also lets you easily manage and run automated test cases on the cloud.</p></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://images.storychief.com/account_36412/image_e69813b7bb64fad47fabffb4dc7b2f19_2000.png" alt="Testsigma" width="800" height="400" /></figure></div>



<br><h2 id="h-summary"><span id="Summary">Summary</span></h2>



<p>Test design is a vital aspect of software testing that cannot be overlooked. A well-designed test strategy can provide valuable insights into the quality of software, helping testers identify issues before they become major problems. Thus, it helps businesses save a lot of time, effort, resources, and cost in the long run.</p>



<p>Testing is not just about finding bugs but also about ensuring that the software meets the user&#8217;s needs and expectations. By following a structured test design approach, businesses can achieve both of these goals.</p>



<h2 id="h-frequently-asked-questions"><span id="Frequently_Asked_Questions">Frequently Asked Questions</span></h2>



<h3 id="h-what-is-test-design-in-qa"><span id="What_is_test_design_in_QA">What is test design in QA?</span></h3>



<p>Test design is a stage of the software testing process where testers create test scenarios and develop test cases and test scripts.</p>



<h3 id="h-what-are-the-steps-in-test-design"><span id="What_are_the_steps_in_test_design">What are the steps in test design?</span></h3>



<p>Test designing involves writing and developing test cases. Testers will also have to do the following,<strong></strong></p>



<ul><li>Identify the test objectives</li><li>Identify the test scenarios</li><li>Specify the test data and expected results</li><li>Create the test cases</li><li>Decide on the test schedule</li></ul>



<h3 id="h-what-is-an-example-of-a-test-design"><span id="What_is_an_example_of_a_test_design">What is an example of a test design?</span></h3>



<p>Test design can be created using various test design techniques, such as equivalence classes, state transition, boundary value analysis, error guessing, etc.</p>



<p>Let&#8217;s consider your website has an input field that accepts values only from 1 to 10. The test condition for the above scenario would be,</p>



<ul><li>&lt;1 &#8211; Invalid</li><li>1 &#8211; 10 &#8211; Valid</li><li>&gt;10 &#8211; Invalid</li><li>Any three-digit number (Example &#8211; 100) &#8211; Invalid</li></ul>



<p><p style="padding-top:30px">The below image will help you understand better,</p></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://images.storychief.com/account_36412/image_4ad5fbabeaa76cbe74bd1da33d2f2451_2000.png" alt="What is an example of a test design" /></figure></div>



<p><p style="padding-bottom:30px">The values -1, 0, 2, 12, and 100 should be okay to test the above scenario. Here, both Equivalence classes and Boundary Value Analysis is used.</p></p>


Test Design in Software Testing - A Comprehensive Guide

Test Design in Software Testing – A Comprehensive Guide


<p>Bug triage is a critical step in software testing that entails reviewing, prioritizing, and allocating software defects to the appropriate team for resolution. The defect triage phase is an important aspect of the software development lifecycle. It allows teams to analyze and classify detected bugs based on severity and prioritize them accordingly.</p>



<p>In this blog, we will go through the mechanics of defect triage and why it is so important for effective software testing.</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_Defect_Triage"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> What is Defect Triage?</a></li><li><a href="#Why_Do_We_Need_to_have_Defect_Triage"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> Why Do We Need to have Defect Triage?</a></li><li><a href="#How_Often_Defect_Triage_Needs_to_be_Conducted_in_a_Release"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> How Often Defect Triage Needs to be Conducted in a Release?</a></li><li><a href="#What_Result_can_be_Expected_Out_of_the_Bug_Triaging"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> What Result can be Expected Out of the Bug Triaging?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_the_Roles_and_Responsibilities_of_the_Triage_Team_during_the_Defect_Triage_Meeting"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> What are the Roles and Responsibilities of the Triage Team during the Defect Triage Meeting?</a></li><li><a href="#Recommendations_to_Improve_the_Bug_Triage_Process"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">6</span> Recommendations to Improve the Bug Triage Process</a><ul><li><a href="#1_Define_a_transparent_bug_triage_process"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.1</span> 1. Define a transparent bug triage process: </a></li><li><a href="#2_Automate_the_bug_triage_process"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.2</span> 2. Automate the bug triage process: </a></li><li><a href="#3_Ensure_regular_bug_triage_meetings"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.3</span> 3. Ensure regular bug triage meetings: </a></li><li><a href="#4_Monitor_and_analyze_bug_triage_data"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.4</span> 4. Monitor and analyze bug triage data: </a></li><li><a href="#5_Training_and_support"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.5</span> 5. Training and support: </a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Summary"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">7</span> Summary</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">8</span> Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#What_does_Triage_mean_in_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">8.1</span> What does Triage mean in Testing?</a></li><li><a href="#How_do_you_Run_a_DefectBug_Triage"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">8.2</span> How do you Run a Defect/Bug Triage?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-what-is-defect-triage"><span id="What_is_Defect_Triage"><strong>What is Defect Triage?</strong></span></h2>



<p>In software testing, defect triage, or bug triage, is necessary for efficient resource use for bug fixes. During bug triage, a bug or defect is reviewed, assigned a priority, and according to the priority, is either assigned to a developer for fixing or deferred to the next release.</p>



<h2 id="h-why-do-we-need-to-have-defect-triage"><span id="Why_Do_We_Need_to_have_Defect_Triage"><strong>Why Do We Need to have Defect Triage?</strong></span></h2>



<p>Triaging defects is crucial to software development and has several advantages for the project team and the end users. Defect triage is necessary for the following reasons:</p>



<ul><li><strong>Prioritization:</strong> Defect triage aids the development team in <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/difference-between-priority-and-severity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prioritizing defects</a> according to their importance, severity, and urgency. This minimizes the possibility of project delays and failures by ensuring that the most critical bugs/defects are fixed first.</li><li><strong>Resource allocation:</strong> Defect triage aids the development team in prioritizing defects according to their importance, severity, and urgency. This minimizes the possibility of project delays and failures by ensuring that the most critical bugs are fixed first.</li><li><strong>Improved communication:</strong> Defect triage encourages open communication among developers, project managers, and other stakeholders. It enables them to debate and agree on the importance of defects, ensuring they are all on the same page.</li><li><strong>Better quality software: </strong>Because critical bugs are taken on priority and fixed on time, it leads to a high-quality software that satisfies the demands of end users .</li><li><strong>Cost savings:</strong> Defect triage helps reduce the cost of addressing faults by resolving them early. It helps in saving costs spent later in the development process.</li><li><strong>Customer satisfaction: </strong>Defect triage ensures that the program satisfies the needs and expectations of end users. This results in improved levels of customer satisfaction.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-how-often-defect-triage-needs-to-be-conducted-in-a-release"><span id="How_Often_Defect_Triage_Needs_to_be_Conducted_in_a_Release"><strong>How Often Defect Triage Needs to be Conducted in a Release?</strong></span></h2>



<p>The frequency of defect triage can vary depending on the project&#8217;s size, complexity, and urgency. However, in general, defect triage should be conducted:</p>



<ul><li><strong>At the start of the project: </strong>A defect triage should be conducted at the beginning to identify any potential defects and establish a process for handling them.</li><li><strong>After each development phase:</strong> Defect triage should be conducted after each development phase. This ensures defects are identified and resolved before moving on to the next phase.</li><li><strong>Before each release:</strong> Defect triage should be conducted before every release. This can help to minimize the risk of defects being discovered by end-users after the software is released.</li><li><strong>Regularly:</strong> Defect triage should be conducted throughout development to identify and resolve any new defects promptly.</li></ul>



<p>The project&#8217;s needs and development process will determine the precise frequency of defect triage.</p>



<h2 id="h-what-result-can-be-expected-out-of-the-bug-triaging"><span id="What_Result_can_be_Expected_Out_of_the_Bug_Triaging"><strong>What Result can be Expected Out of the Bug Triaging?</strong></span></h2>



<p>Here are some of the results that can be expected from bug triaging:</p>



<ul><li><strong>Prioritized defect list: </strong>Bug triaging helps prioritize defects based on severity, impact, and urgency, reducing the likelihood of project delays, failures and blocker bugs for customers.</li><li><strong>Optimized resource allocation: </strong>The development team can effectively manage resources by prioritizing faults and focusing on the most significant concerns.</li><li><strong>Improved communication:</strong> Bug triaging encourages open communication between developers, project managers, and other stakeholders. Allowing them to debate and agree on the importance of bugs.</li><li><strong>Reduced risk:</strong> Bug triaging helps to detect problems early. Reducing the likelihood of errors being overlooked until later stages of development or deployment.</li><li><strong>Higher quality software: </strong>Bug triaging helps to assure software quality and satisfies the demands of end users by reviewing and addressing bugs early.</li><li><strong>Improved customer satisfaction:</strong> Bug triaging ensures that the program fulfills the needs and expectations of end users. This results in improved levels of customer satisfaction.</li><li><strong>Cost savings:</strong> Bug triaging helps to reduce the cost of addressing faults by resolving them early in the development process rather than later in the process or after the product has been distributed.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-what-are-the-roles-and-responsibilities-of-the-triage-team-during-the-defect-triage-meeting"><span id="What_are_the_Roles_and_Responsibilities_of_the_Triage_Team_during_the_Defect_Triage_Meeting"><strong>What are the Roles and Responsibilities of the Triage Team during the Defect Triage Meeting?</strong></span></h2>



<p>At a defect triage meeting, the triage team identifies, evaluates, and assigns issues for solutions to the development team. At the defect triage meeting, the triage team consists of&nbsp;the following:</p>



<ul><li><strong>Facilitator:</strong> The triage team facilitator ensures everyone follows the triage protocol, gets a chance to contribute, and the team is focused on discovering and prioritizing faults.</li><li><strong>Project manager:</strong> The project manager is responsible for providing feedback on the priority of faults and ensuring the right development team member is responsible for resolving them.</li><li><strong>Quality assurance (QA) lead:</strong> The QA lead is responsible for reviewing the defects and providing input on their severity and impact on the software. They should also ensure the development team has the information to reproduce and resolve the defects.</li><li><strong>Development team representative:</strong> The development team representative advises on the viability of fixing bugs and allocating them to the proper team member with the required competence. The development team representative is responsible for providing input on the feasibility of resolving defects; assigning them to the appropriate team member with the necessary expertise.</li></ul>



<p>Bugs can be prioritized efficiently when each member is given a defined role and responsibility during the meeting.</p>



<h2 id="h-recommendations-to-improve-the-bug-triage-process"><span id="Recommendations_to_Improve_the_Bug_Triage_Process"><strong>Recommendations to Improve the Bug Triage Process</strong></span></h2>



<p>Here are some recommendations to improve the bug triage process:</p>



<h3 id="1-define-a-transparent-bug-triage-process"><span id="1_Define_a_transparent_bug_triage_process">1. <strong>Define a transparent bug triage process: </strong></span></h3>



<p>Establish a precise and uniform procedure to prioritize faults, designate them to the development team, and track them to ensure they are quickly fixed. This will ensure everyone is aware of their duties and responsibilities.</p>



<h3 id="2-automate-the-bug-triage-process"><span id="2_Automate_the_bug_triage_process">2. <strong>Automate the bug triage process:</strong> </span></h3>



<p>If the project is a large one, there is a possibility that at one time, a lot of bugs are reported. Going through each and every bug in such a scenario could be a time-taking task. </p>



<div class="cta-banner-v2">
<div class="title-with-description ">
<p class="title">Here is a guide that talks in detail about automated testing</p>
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<p>In such cases, it is recommended to automate the bug triage process. Here, specific developers could be automatically assigned when bugs are reported for specific features. Also, for large projects, test automation might be used too. In such cases, it is recommended that you use bug-tracking tools that support this feature of allocating specific developers automatically, corresponding to the feature of a reported bug. For this, ensure your test automation tool integrates with your bug tracking tool. Testsigma is a no-code <a href="https://testsigma.com/qa-automation-tools" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test automation tool</a> that lets you automate for web, mobile, APIs, and desktop from the same place. And integrates with all popular bug-tracking tools.<br><br></p>



<div class="cta-banner-v2">
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<p class="title">Start using Testsigma for a smooth bug-tracking process.</p>
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<h3 id="3-ensure-regular-bug-triage-meetings"><span id="3_Ensure_regular_bug_triage_meetings">3. <strong>Ensure regular bug triage meetings:</strong> </span></h3>



<p>Regular bug triage meetings should be held to quickly identify and address new bugs, with all parties involved, including the project manager, QA team, and development team.</p>



<h3 id="4-monitor-and-analyze-bug-triage-data"><span id="4_Monitor_and_analyze_bug_triage_data">4. <strong>Monitor and analyze bug triage data:</strong> </span></h3>



<p>Insights into patterns and trends that can be addressed in subsequent releases can be found by tracking and analyzing bug triage data.</p>



<h3 id="5-training-and-support"><span id="5_Training_and_support">5. <strong>Training and support:</strong> </span></h3>



<p>The development and QA teams may be helped to understand and use the bug triage process by offering training and assistance. This will ensure a better understanding of the process and lead to better results.</p>



<p>By implementing these suggestions, businesses may enhance their bug triage procedure and guarantee that errors are quickly found and fixed, leading to higher-quality software and more customer happiness.</p>



<h2 id="h-summary"><span id="Summary"><strong>Summary</strong></span></h2>



<p>Bug triage entails a group of stakeholders, including the project manager, QA lead, development team representative, and others. The group, during bug triage, decides on the bugs that need fixing and then allocates them to the right development team member for resolution. Bug/Defect triage is critical in ensuring that problems are fixed promptly and efficiently, resulting in higher-quality software.</p>



<h2 id="h-frequently-asked-questions"><span id="Frequently_Asked_Questions"><strong>Frequently Asked Questions</strong></span></h2>



<h3 id="h-what-does-triage-mean-in-testing"><span id="What_does_Triage_mean_in_Testing">What does Triage mean in Testing?</span></h3>



<p>Triage is reviewing and prioritizing faults in testing depending on their severity, effect, and urgency. It entails a group of stakeholders collaborating to decide on the bugs that need fixing and then allocating them to the right development team member for resolution.</p>



<h3 id="h-how-do-you-run-a-defect-bug-triage"><span id="How_do_you_Run_a_DefectBug_Triage">How do you Run a Defect/Bug Triage?</span></h3>



<p>Defect triage is a systematic procedure that involves detecting and prioritizing problems, allocating them to the development team, and tracking them. All stakeholders, including the project manager, QA lead, and development team leader, should be included in the process. A set of guidelines and instruments should be used to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.</p>


Bug Triage Defect Triage in Software Testing

Bug Triage/Defect Triage | What, Why & How to Improve?

Database Testing: A Complete Guide With Examples

Database Testing: What it is, Why & Best Practices

Negative testing: How to Automate With Testsigma?

Negative Testing: How to Automate With Testsigma?

What Is a Bug Life Cycle? Top Guidelines to Implement it

What Is Bug Life Cycle? How to Implement It

Mobile First Design - A Complete Overview

Mobile First Design | What It is, Why & How to Perform?


<p>The need to save cost and time has pushed organizations to introduce better and faster approaches for developing and testing applications. No longer does the ‘build first, test later’ method work in favor of companies that are attempting to succeed in such a competitive environment. Today, DevOps is the rage as it helps to shrink the time gap between development and deployment with its CI/CD techniques. But even DevOps will not be able to do any good without the right set of principles to run your project. This is where Shift Left testing principles help to transform your development and testing approach.</p>



<p><a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/shift-left-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shift left testing </a>is an approach that enables companies to test their applications early in the development process. And we are going to discuss the topic in detail in this blog.</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_Does_Shift_Left_Mean_in_DevOps"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> What Does Shift Left Mean in DevOps?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_Shift_Left_Testing_Principles"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> What are Shift Left Testing Principles?</a></li><li><a href="#Why_are_Shift_Left_Testing_Principles_Important_in_DevOps"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> Why are Shift Left Testing Principles Important in DevOps?</a></li><li><a href="#Why_does_DevOps_Recommend_Shift_Left_Testing_Principles"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> Why does DevOps Recommend “Shift Left” Testing Principles?</a><ul><li><a href="#Reduced_Cost_of_Fixing_Defects"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">4.1</span> Reduced Cost of Fixing Defects</a></li><li><a href="#Better_Quality_Product_at_Improved_Speed"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">4.2</span> Better Quality Product at Improved Speed</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Advantages_of_Shift_Left_Testing_Principles"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> Advantages of Shift Left Testing Principles</a></li><li><a href="#Shift-left_and_Test_Automation_in_DevOps"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">6</span> Shift-left and Test Automation in DevOps</a></li><li><a href="#Takeaway"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">7</span> Takeaway</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">8</span> Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</a><ul><li><a href="#What_is_the_shift-left_approach_in_Agile"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">8.1</span> What is the shift-left approach in Agile?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_the_benefit_of_shift-left_testing_principles"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">8.2</span> What is the benefit of shift-left testing principles?</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Suggested_Readings"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">9</span> Suggested Readings</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-what-does-shift-left-mean-in-devops"><span id="What_Does_Shift_Left_Mean_in_DevOps"><strong>What Does Shift Left Mean in DevOps?</strong></span></h2>



<p>Shift left in DevOps refers to the organizations&#8217; endeavor to ensure that the applications undergo testing in the early stages of development. It is a part of DevSecOps organizational design that combines development, security, and operations.DevOps consist of Continuous testing/integration and Continuous deployment: two features that make sure that the software undergoes frequent testing anywhere and whenever.</p>



<p>Continuous testing/integration (CI) pertains to testing earlier, consistently, faster, and automatically during the entire development stage. The application goes from development to testing and to deployment with no gaps in a <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/why-devops-is-important-for-modern-businesses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">continuous DevOps process</a>. It consists of Unit testing, <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/integration-testing-types/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Integration testing</a>, system testing, and <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/api-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">API testing</a> and assists developers in locating issues to address them and improve product quality.</p>



<p>Continuous deployment refers to automatically pushing the code changes to the production environment. It follows a series of tests before updating the changes directly to the production. To achieve such fast testing and delivery, automated regression testing is recommended. CI/CD approaches can be automated and performed well with test automation tools. For instance, <a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma</a> automates <a href="https://testsigma.com/regression-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regression tests</a> for web, mobile, desktop and APIs, thus testing large parts of your test suites. Our tool supports shift-left testing in many other ways, and you can read about it <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-does-testsigma-support-the-shift-left-approach/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. </p>



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<h2 id="h-what-are-shift-left-testing-principles"><span id="What_are_Shift_Left_Testing_Principles"><strong>What are Shift Left Testing Principles?</strong></span></h2>



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="735" height="435" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/in-article-2-MC456.jpg" alt="SDLC Process" class="wp-image-29028"/><figcaption>SDLC Process</figcaption></figure>



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<p>The traditional SDLC model relies on a forward-moving process where testing occurs at the later stages. If testers identify any issues in the application, they send it back to the developers for rectification. But this complete process consumes a considerable amount of time, is highly complex, and comes with a huge cost.</p>



<p>The shift left testing principle consists of moving the testing phase from the end of SDLC to the early stages of the pipeline. As opposed to executing the test cases after the development phase is over to send the product back to coders upon encountering bugs, shift left identifies and resolves issues early in the development process. This approach reduces the time in fixing bugs that are discovered later in the pipeline and improves software quality.</p>



<p>Typically, the success of shift left means developers run more tests to check application quality before pushing it to the testers. And multiple automation tools support the shift left testing principles. For instance, a tool that lets you begin with your testing along side the development activities. This tool could support TDD or unit testing, or could help testers create tests without waiting for development to finish.</p>



<h2 id="h-why-are-shift-left-testing-principles-important-in-devops"><span id="Why_are_Shift_Left_Testing_Principles_Important_in_DevOps"><strong>Why are Shift Left Testing Principles Important in DevOps?</strong></span></h2>



<p>There are many reasons why you must adopt shift left testing principles in DevOps. Here are some of them:</p>



<ul><li>Pushes testing to the early stages of the pipeline and saves cost</li><li>Makes it easier for developers to detect and resolve bugs early in software development</li><li>Produces a high-quality application with fewer code patches and fixes</li><li>Reduces the instances of delay in product delivery</li><li>Improves customer satisfaction as the delivery is on time and with minimal issues</li><li>Allows for the use of test automation tools early in SDLC that increases the accuracy of finding errors</li><li>Enables your team to write, execute, and record test cases and their results, respectively, using automation tools.</li></ul>



<h2 id="why-does-devops-recommend-shift-left-testing-principles"><span id="Why_does_DevOps_Recommend_Shift_Left_Testing_Principles"><strong>Why does DevOps Recommend “Shift Left” Testing Principles?</strong></span></h2>



<p>The primary goal of DevOps is to ensure that the development and testing process is smooth, which provides better quality products at an increased speed. And two of the major reasons why DevOps recommends shift left testing principles are reduced cost of fixing bugs and increased speed of delivering high-quality software.</p>



<h3 id="reduced-cost-of-fixing-defects"><span id="Reduced_Cost_of_Fixing_Defects">Reduced Cost of Fixing Defects</span></h3>



<p>It is common knowledge in every business that resolving issues during the development phase is easier and costs less than doing so in the production phase. The process requires much less labor, has fewer dependencies, and results in rolling out a better-quality product. Early bug detection actions prompt the implementation of corrective measures and strategies, which enhances software development quality and maintains a high codebase standard.</p>



<h3 id="better-quality-product-at-improved-speed"><span id="Better_Quality_Product_at_Improved_Speed">Better Quality Product at Improved Speed</span></h3>



<p>Since developers would work on the defects as soon as they are identified in the development phase, the overall quality of the software becomes better as it moves through the subsequent phases. And this complete approach proves highly useful, allowing all the individuals involved in the project to maintain the software from the first step itself.</p>



<p>Moreover, being able to determine the issues and keep them at bay makes it easier for project managers to provide accurate information about the development to the stakeholders and keep the delivery timeline intact.</p>



<h2 id="advantages-of-shift-left-testing-principles"><span id="Advantages_of_Shift_Left_Testing_Principles"><strong>Advantages of Shift Left Testing Principles</strong></span></h2>



<p>Some of the advantages of shift left testing principles in DevOps are:</p>



<ul><li>The project cost gets reduced as the bugs are dealt with at the development stage.</li><li>It improves the product quality due to increased efficiency of the software development process.</li><li>It accelerates the time-to-delivery as the chances of finding defects in the production phase are low, and the codebase is strong.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-shift-left-and-test-automation-in-devops"><span id="Shift-left_and_Test_Automation_in_DevOps"><strong>Shift-left and Test Automation in DevOps</strong></span></h2>



<p>Test automation is a necessity, but does it always yield positive results for the business? Let’s see.</p>



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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="793" height="435" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/in-article-3-MC456.jpg" alt="Shift Left and Test Automation" class="wp-image-29030"/><figcaption>Shift Left and Test Automation</figcaption></figure>



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<p>There are multiple ways for you to embrace and spread the usage of automation in your SLDC process. You can choose to become a self-starter and build your own <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-automation-frameworks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test automation framework</a>, or you can adopt the ones already present in the market after a proper analysis. But all of these <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automated tests</a> require a huge sum of money, time, and skilled labor. And this is when you need to see if the investment in test automation is paying off or ripping you off. If automation costs more than the benefit it brings, you need to reconsider.</p>



<p>How do you then decide if the investment in the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/shift-left-testing-some-tools-that-can-help/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shift left test automation tool</a> is worth it? Consider these factors:</p>



<ul><li>Eliminate high dependencies on code specialists when automating test cases. Go for <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/codeless-testing-when-is-testsigma-recommended-tool-for-you/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">codeless tools</a> that allow you to write and run test cases with the testers you already have.</li><li>A tool that is easy to learn, simple to install and implement, and available for non-technical professionals as well will offer a quicker turnaround time and better results.</li><li>Choose a tool that offers low maintenance of test cases and can scale with your growing business need. <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-does-testsigma-support-the-shift-left-approach/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma supports shift left testing</a> by allowing you to create tests along with the development phase &#8211; you can create elements that can be filled up later. Testsigma is a <a href="https://testsigma.com/low-code-test-automation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">low code test automation platform</a> that lets you author test cases in simple English, without any need to learn code. Testsigma also lets you automate your tests for web, mobile, desktop and API applications from the same place. </li></ul>



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<h2 id="h-takeaway"><span id="Takeaway"><strong>Takeaway</strong></span></h2>



<p>The days of development first and testing later are over. Today, organizations follow continuous development and continuous testing. DevOps is making it possible with CI/CD approach. But the overall idea can only thrive if automation comes into the picture.</p>



<p>Shift-left testing ensures that testing moves closer to development and helps introduce automation into the entire process. We discuss all the possible options and choices so you understand shift left testing and implement it to improve the software quality.</p>



<h2 id="h-frequently-asked-questions-faqs"><span id="Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs"><strong>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</strong></span></h2>



<h3 id="h-what-is-the-shift-left-approach-in-agile"><span id="What_is_the_shift-left_approach_in_Agile">What is the shift-left approach in Agile?</span></h3>



<p>The shift-left approach in agile is moving the testing, quality, and performance check early in the SDLC pipeline, sometime even before the production code is complete. It helps developers and testers anticipate the potential changes that arise during the development process and might affect software performance.</p>



<h3 id="h-what-is-the-benefit-of-shift-left-testing-principles"><span id="What_is_the_benefit_of_shift-left_testing_principles">What is the benefit of shift-left testing principles?</span></h3>



<p>Shift-left testing principles reduces development and testing cost, create cleaner, high-quality code, saves time, and improves software delivery time.</p>



<h2 id="suggested-readings"><span id="Suggested_Readings"><strong>Suggested Readings</strong></span></h2>



<p><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-does-testsigma-support-the-shift-left-approach/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shift Left Approach&nbsp;</a></p>



<p><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/shift-left-testing-some-tools-that-can-help/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shift Left Testing Tools</a></p>



<p><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/shift-left-vs-shift-right/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shift left vs Shift Right Testing</a></p>
