Static Testing VS Dynamic Testing – Key Differences

We know Software testing is an essential part of software development. Static and Dynamic Testing are two approaches that are important for ensuring the software’s quality. This blog will discuss the differences between static testing vs dynamic testing and when to use each approach.

Static Testing VS Dynamic Testing – Overview

What is static testing?

Static testing does not involve running the code; it is a static analysis of the source code to find potential issues early in the development process through code reviews, inspections, and the use of static analysis tools. 

What is dynamic testing?

Dynamic testing is a reactive technique since it involves executing the code to find real bugs and issues. This includes unit, integration, system, and acceptance testing as well as verifying functionality and performance to verify that defects are realized.

Static Testing Vs Dynamic Testing – Key Differences

Let us look into the major differences between both testing methods:

Features	Static Testing	Dynamic Testing
Definition	A testing technique that reviews and analyzes software documentation, source code, and other artifacts before execution.	A testing technique that evaluates software behavior when it is executed.
Objective	To identify defects and improve software quality early in development.	To validate the software’s functionality and behavior in different scenarios.
Types of Testing	Code review, walk-through, and inspection	Unit, integration, system, acceptance, performance, security, and user acceptance testing.
Timing	It begins early in the software development process and continues forever.	Conducted after coding and development are complete.
Results	Includes reviews, walkthroughs, and inspections of the software.	Includes functional, integration, system, performance, and usability tests
Automation	These tests, generally, cannot be automated.	These can be automated.

Static Testing and Dynamic Testing – How to Choose Between them?

When choosing between these testing, it is essential to consider the specific requirements and objectives of the testing process. Both approaches have advantages and limitations, so a justification for selecting one over the other depends on various factors.

Static testing involves analyzing code without executing it, while dynamic testing involves running code to identify any issues. The choice between static and dynamic testing largely depends on the desired outcome. Static testing may be the way to go if you’re looking to catch coding errors early and improve code quality. 

On the other hand, dynamic testing is likely the better choice if you’re concerned with how a program behaves when running.  You could also choose to do both according to the results you are expecting.

I conclude by saying both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. So, it should be completely a decision based on the project’s specific needs.

Summary

In summary,  both testing techniques play a vital role in software development and complement each other by thoroughly reviewing the software’s quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are static and dynamic testing in agile?

When, just like the software development activities in Agile, the static and dynamic testing is also done in iterations according to the tasks taken up for each iteration, it is termed “static and dynamic testing in Agile”.

Is black-box testing static or dynamic?

Black-box testing is dynamic testing. The main objective of black-box testing is to assess the software’s functionality, usability, performance, security, and other non-functional aspects.

What are static and dynamic testing tools?

Some examples of static testing tools include SonarQube, Crucible, Code Collaborator, and FindBugs. Some examples of dynamic testing tools include Testsigma, Selenium, SoapUI, JMeter, and LoadRunner.