Testing and Quality Assurance in Software Development Life Cycle Models

Abstract

In the software development sector, software testing is increasingly essential. Software testing is definitely a wide word for a range of operations throughout the development cycle, directed at various objectives. Research testing software is confronted with a number of difficulties. This is based on a number of significant previous accomplishments, while the goal consists of two significant defined objectives, to which study eventually leads but which remain as accessible as targets. The path from achieving the objectives is addressed in the study. Software testing is an important way of assessing the software’s efficiency. Software testing is a broad variety of applications. Every software engineering project focuses on quality. We can’t be certain of the software quality level without measurement. Software testing techniques are the methods of quality measurement. This study covers different kinds of testing techniques that can be used for the measurement of different quality characteristics. Also the tests are linked to different SDLC phases.

  Table of Contents

Abstract

Table of Contents

List of Tables

List of Figures

A Research Study on importance of Testing and Quality Assurance in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Models

1. INTRODUCTION

2. Software testing

3. SOFTWARE TESTING TYPES

4. Software development life cycle (SDLC)

5. SDLC Models

5.1 The waterfall Model

5.2 The Prototyping Model

5.3 The Spiral Model

6. Quality Assurance

7. Problem Statement

8. Proposed solution

8.1 Apply Testing on all Phases of SDLC

8.2 Identifying Testing Techniques according to Phase of SDLC

8.3 Application of Testing to Measurement of Quality Attributes

9. Conclusion

10. REFERENCES

List of Tables

Table 1: Testing Technique According to Quality Features

List of Figures

Figure 1: Process of Software Testing

Figure 2: Types of Software Testing

Figure 3: Waterfall Model

Figure 4: Prototype Model

Figure 5: Spiral Model

Figure 6: Testing Phase

Figure 7: SDLC Testing Model

A Research Study on importance of Testing and Quality Assurance in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Models

1.      INTRODUCTION

Software tests are performed to find mistakes by the execution of a program or system. Inputs and outputs are obtained and generated in software is not unlike other physical procedures. It is equally hard to discover the design flaws in software for the same complexity (Summit, 2006). Since software and any digital devices are not constant, testing limits to ensure correctness is not enough. Although all feasible values must be tested and checked, full tests are unfeasible.

A short introduction to automated software testing will be given in this study. The research is divided into several parts. Section 2 involves testing of software ; Section 3 explains kinds of testing of software ; Section 4 provides comprehensive information on SDLC ; Section 5 gives knowledge about SDLC models; Section 6 explain quality assurance; Section 7 is about problem statement; Section 8 gives proposed solution and The findings of the study are contained in Section 9. The references are given in the last Section.

2.      Software testing

Software testing is a study carried out to provide stakeholders with information on the quality of the test product or service (Tuteja and Dubey, 2012). Figure 1 shows the Software Testing Process.

Software testing has four primary goals:

• Demonstrations: It shows that the features are prepared for inclusion or usage, and under unique circumstances.
• Detection: Detects system capacities and component, product and system quality constraints.
• Prevention: It offers data to decrease system requirements and performance clarification of mistakes.
• Enhancing Quality: It can reduce errors and enhance software quality by performing efficient tests.

Figure 1: Process of Software Testing

3.      SOFTWARE TESTING TYPES

There are different kinds of test methods invented. All test methods are split into three main classifications, black box, white box or grey box.

1. Black Box Testing: In this sort of testing, internal system design is not taken into account. Tests are based on demands and features.
2. White Box Testing: The tests on the White Box are based on understanding of the application code’s internal logic. It is also referred to as a glass box test.
3. Grey Box Testing: It is carried out when the tester understands partially the inner composition of the tested scheme. Grey box testing is a debugging method for software products, by entering the front end and checking the information on the back end.

Figure 2: Types of Software Testing

4.      Software development life cycle (SDLC)

SDLC relates to the different phases of the software development life cycle. There are several specified and developed software development methods which are used during software development, also known as “Software Development Process Models.” (Carey, 2005).

5.      SDLC Models

The software development cycle is fundamentally a systemic way of developing software. It comprises different stages beginning with software functionality. After that, growth and then testing are carried out. After testing has been completed, the source code is usually published in the client test setting for Unit Acceptance Testing (UAT) (Chisholm and Henry, 2005). The source code will be published into the manufacturing setting after customer permission. There are numerous specified and engineered software development methods, which are used in software development, also known as “software development process models” (Clark, 2006).

Different SDLC models are available including:

      Water-fall Model

      Prototype Model

      Spiral Model

5.1 The waterfall Model

The entire process of software development is split into different process stages in the “The Waterfall” method. The Waterfall model stages are: Recommendation Specifications stage, Software Design, System & Maintenance implementation, testing and deployment. All these phases are coincided so that the second phase begins when the first phase definition of targets is achieved and the name “waterfall model” is signed off (Cooper, 2006).

Figure 3: Waterfall Model

5.2 The Prototyping Model

A prototype is a model which works according to the function of a product element. In several cases, the customer can only see what the software is expected. If the input to the system, processing needs, and output requirements are not detailed, the prototyping model may be used in such a situation (Kelly and Nevile, 2008)

Figure 4: Prototype Model

5.3 The Spiral Model

A system design (SDM), which is used in information technology, is the spiral model, also known as a spiral lifecycle model. This design model combines the characteristics of the prototype model with the waterfall model. For big, costly and complex projects the spiral model is designed. (Sloan et al., 2006).

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Figure 5: Spiral Model

6.      Quality Assurance

Quality, especially from the top management, needs a dedication. In order to do so, it is necessary to have close collaboration between leadership and employees.

      Many believe that faultless products and services can not be used and accept certain defect levels as standard and sufficient.

      Quality is often linked to cost, which means high quality is equivalent to high cost. This is confusion between design quality and compliance quality.

      Quality requires specifics of requirements that can be measured quantitatively against these requirements by the products generated. Many organizations are unable or ready to make efforts to generate the necessary details.

Some steps to ensure quality include: structure of the design process with a standard for software development, and support of methods, techniques and instruments for growth. (Kelly et al., 2004). The undetected software failures which led to millions of business losses resulted in the development of autonomous testing by a company other than the system designers (Nielsen, 1994) .

7.      Problem Statement

      Determine test methods that can be implemented at various software development cycle rates and stages.

      Determine the methods for testing which software quality attributes can be implemented.

8.      Proposed solution

The issue declaration above suggests a model “Software Development Life Cycle Test Model” which identifies all kinds of test methods linked to all SDLC stages. The stages of SDLC are below.

8.1 Apply Testing on all Phases of SDLC

The SDLC procedures include software needs, evaluation, requirement specification, design and coding, testing, distribution and maintenance activities. In all these life cycle phases the testing stage as shown in Figure 6 can be used as a paragon operation.

8.2 Identifying Testing Techniques according to Phase of SDLC

We have identified the sort of test method for which stage of SDLC can be implemented. Displays the SDLC stages and is shown in Figure 7 by test technology.

8.3 Application of Testing to Measurement of Quality Attributes

To evaluate software quality, distinct quality characteristics require various kinds of tests. Table 1 show several kinds of tests for which sort of software testing method may be applied to specific software quality features.

Figure 6: Testing Phase

Table 1: Testing Technique According to Quality Features

Figure 7: SDLC Testing Model

9.      Conclusion

The test of software is the operation that carries out software in order to find mistakes. Testing should be conducted at various stages, including testing of the module, testing of unit level, testing of interfaces and testing of system levels. Testing is conducted at the end of both developer and client and by testers and customers before product shipment, but it can guarantee a reasonable degree of confidence in the products ‘ predictable conduct under the circumstances given.

Every software engineering project focuses on quality. We cannot be sure of the software’s quality level without measurement. Software testing techniques are methods for quality measurement. This study deals with a number of different kinds of testing technology which we can use to measure different quality characteristics. Which tests are also associated with different SDLC stages. More future test methods for this region will be adopted and related to SDLC stages.

10.  REFERENCES

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• Chisholm, W.A. and Henry, S.L., 2005, May. Interdependent components of web accessibility. In Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A) (pp. 31-37). ACM.
• Clark, J., 2006. To hell with WCAG 2. A List Apart, 217.
• Cooper, M., 2006. Making online learning accessible to disabled students: an institutional case study. ALT-J, 14(1), pp.103-115.
• Kelly, B. and Nevile, L., 2008. Web accessibility 3.0: Learning from the past, planning for the future. Retrieved August, 1, p.2009.
• Kelly, B., Phipps, L. and Swift, E., 2004. Developing a holistic approach for e-learning accessibility. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology/La revue canadienne de l’apprentissage et de la technologie, 30(3).
• Nielsen, J., 1994, June. Heuristic evaluation. In Usability inspection methods (pp. 25-62). John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
• Sloan, D., Heath, A., Hamilton, F., Kelly, B., Petrie, H. and Phipps, L., 2006, May. Contextual web accessibility-maximizing the benefit of accessibility guidelines. In Proceedings of the 2006 international cross-disciplinary workshop on Web accessibility (W4A): Building the mobile web: rediscovering accessibility? (pp. 121-131). ACM.
• Summit, A., 2006. Public sector needs better guidance on web accessibility. E-Government Bulletin, 226, p.13.
• Tuteja, M. and Dubey, G., 2012. A research study on importance of testing and quality assurance in software development life cycle (SDLC) models. International Journal of Soft Computing and Engineering (IJSCE), 2(3), pp.251-257.