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Did you know that a third of all users will delete an app after encountering a single bug? That’s how vital QA software testing is!
Software testing and QA services are essential if you want to launch a product that can really make it to success. Quality Assurance is what gives you a fighting chance. But you need to understand that many processes go into ensuring the quality of the product. Simply put, many types of testing need to be performed. And you have to use all of them to crush all the bugs.
This article will help you in this by explaining all about functional testing.
Functional QA Software Testing: What It Is & Why You Need It
Functional testing is a type of QA software testing that determines if the product meets all its functional requirements and specifications. Note that it’s a rather specific type of so-called black-box testing. Therefore, it doesn’t study the actual code of the product. Instead, it focuses on assuring the quality of the following:
- APIs
- User interface
- Client/Server communication
- Database
- Security
This list might include more features depending on the app’s intended functionality.
You need to use this type of software QA & testing to ensure that the app’s functionality actually works. Moreover, this is the stage that assures the basic usability of the product and how the user will access it. In addition, this is where you can see if the error conditions are set up correctly. It means you’ll know whether error messages appear as they must.
How to Do Functional QA Software Testing Step-by-Step
Before starting any functional software testing and quality assurance, you have to study the product’s functional requirements. Without understanding them, the tester won’t be able to see if the application works exactly as it should.
Once you get this part down, the testing is straightforward. Basically, you’ll just have to repeat the following four steps over and over again until all functionalities are tested.
Identify
First, identify the data that needs to be tested or test input. It should be outlined in the Functional Requirements of the product.
Compute
Next, select test input values and compute the outcomes. It will enable you to see how the app should perform under the given parameters.
Execute
Finally, execute the test.
Compare
The last step is to compare the actual results you get after running the test to the expected values computed in Step 2.
Rinse and repeat until all functionalities are tested. The work of a software quality assurance consulting expert might seem boring, and it definitely is repetitive. However, it’s one of the most fundamentally essential steps in the process of software development.
Functional QA Software Testing Automation
QA automation services & tools
- TestComplete.
TestComplete is a comprehensive automated software testing and quality assurance tool. The tool is rather sophisticated, which enables it to run a variety of different tests. All in all, it’s a solution you can use to test at a scale. However, even a top-quality tool cannot be a complete substitute for hiring a professional software testing services company. - Selenium.
Selenium is an open-source solution that makes QA automation services easy. The tool is very popular because it’s user-friendly and rather reliable. It’s also free. But you have to understand that this version will have minimal functionality. - Tricentis Tosca.
Tricentis Tosca is an end-to-end software testing and quality assurance solution that implements the approach used in the Agile method development. It’s a very effective and complex tool that can provide reports that are easy to understand. - SoapUI.
SoapUI is an excellent tool for automating software testing and QA services. It’s another open-source solution and works exceptionally well for web apps. The tool is written in Ruby. It’s the thing you need if you want to test the app’s performance in a web browser.
Functional Vs. Non-Functional QA Software Testing
The main difference between functional and non-functional testing of a product is that the former follows the solution’s Functional Specifications. Non-functional software quality assurance services, on the other hand, are focused on studying the app’s performance “in real life”. So, for example, they will check parameters like scalability and speed. Essentially, this type of testing tells you how well the application works from the user’s point of view.
Meanwhile, functional software testing and quality assurance boil down to manual testing of what the product does. The goal here is to determine if the application meets the requirements outlined in its business documentation.
Note that while they might seem like a basic step, using the functional software quality assurance services is vitally important. Also, this is the testing you must execute first. It’s because this is the stage where you get to understand the app’s basic usability.
Bottom Line: Functional QA Software Testing Done Right Is Your First Step to Success
There are many software QA & testing mistakes to avoid. But the biggest mistake you can actually make is to skip functional testing. That’s a must-have step if you want to create a product that will work well enough for people to really start using it.
Of course, you might discover some bugs even after launch. It’s why you need to keep improving and updating your app constantly. Also, as we’ve mentioned in this post, regular updates will help you stay relevant in the App Store.
The best solution is always to use the services of a development company that already has a dedicated team of QA software testing experts. This way, all testing and fixing can be done more effectively and smoothly “in house”.
If you want to learn how to do this or have any questions about functional testing, contact us!
