by admin | Oct 15, 2019 | E-Learning Testing, Fixed, Blog |
It is not surprising to see businesses rush through final reviews and the QA cycles for their E-learning course material once it reaches the end of the development cycle – getting it published speedily becomes paramount. However, as experts of E-learning Testing, we can guarantee that this approach will result in shoddy and below-average content. We recommend and undertake user acceptance testing for E-learning content to ensure high quality and functionality – our team consists of experts in Elearning domain testing and the broader realm of software testing. We put forth some top tips on conducting User Acceptance testing for E-learning.
Form a team consisting of diverse combination of testers
This is an important aspect for user acceptance testing – the testers must be from a diverse mix including age, sex, background, and other factors. The best team would be one that would mirror the diversity of the target audience – it would be a lot easier for such a team to understand the diverse set of audiences. People experience and use content in different ways, and it would be simpler for a diverse mix of testers to learn from watching how different people connect with and use the course material.
Allow Testers to Assess how to Use the Course being TestedA brief outline and context about what they need to do would suffice. They should receive only as much information as the average user who would use the course once finalized. This is to ensure that the testers explore the course in-depth and interact with it as they deem appropriate. Testers would be able to identify faster which components and areas of a course need more work, which ones could be enhanced or removed, and which ones work the best. Post successful completion of the course, the next step in user acceptance testing is interrogation and listing out questions for the tester. The answers provided by the tester will help understand the problems, uncover defects, and put forth simple solutions to enhance the UI of the E-learning course.
Ask Testers to Provide Inputs for ImprovementEspecially when working with experts, businesses tend to feel the need to justify their decisions with regard to components and design of the course. This is not required – instead, it is important to gain feedback and suggestions for improvement on the course design.
Implementing UA Test CasesIt is now the job of the testers to implement the test cases designed for the User Acceptance Testing. They must also conduct some additional random but relevant tests.
Uncovering and Documenting DefectsAny defects / bugs recorded during User Acceptance testing must be suitably recorded in a well-drafted document. The testers must provide their comments and observations for evaluation and closure of the defects.
Solving the DefectsThis is a crucial stage within UAT – resolving bugs would be amongst the final adjustments that the testing team would make to the course. Once this is done, testers would be able to finalize the acceptance of the E-learning course – meaning that it meets the requirements of the users and can now be deployed accordingly.
In Conclusion:
Within the realm of E-learning, User Acceptance Testing essays a central role – validates that the course functions in the manner that meets the expectations and needs of the users. For businesses, it is necessary to indicate to the users what they can expect from the course rather than keeping them guessing – this is where UAT is critical. To ensure that your users receive exactly what they want and expect, partner with an expert E-learning Testing Company – connect with us for UAT and a lot more within the realm of software testing.
by admin | Oct 18, 2019 | Software Testing, Fixed, Blog |
Businesses and software testing companies, both, understand that the realm of testing is in an accelerated mode owing to rapid technological advancements. This has translated to the fact that testing, to ensure top quality and functionality, is also moving to match the pace in order to remain competitive. While several aspects and strategies are constantly in the limelight in the realm of testing – automation, continuous integration, and others – common reasons for why bugs go undetected and what can be done to prevent this, seems to be missing. As a leading software testing company, we understand the critical nature of detecting bugs early in SDLC and are listing out some of the reasons bugs slip through’ and what can be done to prevent these ‘slips’.
Incorrect / inadequate mix of factors to Trigger Bugs
Since testing is never absolute, there would be times that triggers for bugs may not uncover all of them, leading to some of them slipping to production. At the production stage to these could remain hidden and only come to the fore when the product reaches users.
What can be done? It is important that when possible and practical, an application should be tested using a variety of condition combinations. Focusing on the most commonly used combinations by customers is a good starting point.
Backlog of Bugs – Becomes ForgottenThere are times when the backlog of bug tickets slips through given current priorities. This does not mean that there is no intention to resolve them. Tickets for bugs are created, slip into a backlog, and are subsequently forgotten, meaning that the bugs are missed too.
What can be done?There should be one person responsible to go through the backlog regularly to ensure that bug tickets are not forgotten. It is possible that some bugs may have already been resolved, and hence those tickets can be closed and removed from the backlog list.
Bugs were noticed but no actionIt is well known that testers and developers do not always get along, and pointing out bugs is one aspect that is ignored or there is no action taken. There would be times when a newbie tester might notice a bug but may not point it out given the senior position of a programmer/developer. This could mean that the bug goes unnoticed and hence the chances of it being resolved would be diminished too.
What can be done? All those parts of the project must work cohesively – there must be a culture and environment of respect, openness, and approachability. Testers and developers must communicate directly, ask questions, and be respectful to each other regardless of experience and authority levels.
One Bug Conceals AnotherOne of the most potent ways that bugs go undetected would be the presence of another bug – concealing the other one. A new or more obvious bug could prevent the triggering of another bug or even knowing that it exists.
What can be done? It is necessary to make proper notes during the testing process – including what was done and the things that remained undone. It would be necessary to fix these undone items in the next round of testing, and then conduct another full and thorough round of testing.
Paucity of TimeAs an expert QA company, we know that time is one of the most precious and scarce commodities. In the realm of testing, it is the lack of time that sometimes leads to businesses wanting to hurry up the process, which in turn leads to overlooking bugs – even the ones that may be obvious.
What can be done? In the event that there are delays, and there is a possibility that a deadline may not be met – it is necessary to highlight the delays and the reasons for the same. It is necessary to prioritize tests – omitting low-risk areas and focusing on critical to business functionalities. It is important for the testing team to let all know what could be tested within deadlines and what testing may not be possible. Transparency and open communication are necessary to ensure that no bug reaches the end-users.
Inadequate Requirement Documentation Inadequate documentation with regard to requirements can often lead to all usage scenarios not being covered, which would mean that testers leave out these scenarios from their testing regime.
What can be done? Proper and clear requirements in a document would help to identify all user scenarios, which would ensure that any bugs are uncovered and fixed too. Meticulously prepared documentation is a great way to ensure that no miscommunication happens and that defects and errors are noticed early on. Sound technical knowledge and considering all possible use cases and testing functionality from every user perspective will ensure that bugs are not missed.
In Conclusion:
Software testing is not and will never be an insignificant exercise. As experts in this realm, we essay the role of ‘guardians’ or ‘gatekeepers’ to ensure that the product that reaches the customers is top-notch. We are able to consistently meet the requirements of our clients since we conduct testing by approaching it from the perspective of users, reviewing the entire process of testing, which in turn helps to prevent any bugs from slipping through. Connect with us to work with an experienced, meticulous, and highly skilled team in the overarching realm of software testing.
by admin | Oct 31, 2019 | Software Testing, Fixed, Blog |
In the entire gamut of the Software testing life cycle, bug reproduction has been a crucial aspect in the process of delivering a product devoid of bugs. Whenever a software tester is watchful and hints you of a bug, if there exists a possibility of recreating it in the development environment, then you are in the game of discovering precisely what goes wrong and fixing it even before the users identify it. The more descriptive the steps are from the tester which leads to the bug identification, the better chances you have of identifying it for yourself.
However, the process of software bug reproduction many times is accompanied by loads and loads of ever-growing challenges. In this blog article, we try to through light on those grey areas of bug reproduction.
1. The depiction of the issue is precise that the programmer is able to comprehend the essence of the issue and why it arises
2. Having ingress into the steps to reproduce the bug, including necessary information about what the user was doing when the problem arose
As a matter of fact not all bugs can be reproduced. Lack of basic information may hamper the programmer from being able to reproduce it. Secondly, devoid of tools in place to reproduce it. In certain instances, the reason could be a user error or a local issue on the part of the tester. The first two issues can potentially be evaded by resorting to a professional software testing service by a top software testing company like us, Our proven research-driven strategies in software bug reproduction have helped clients across the globe deliver glitch free product without hassles.
Why software bug reproduction is vital?
Listed below are some of the elements which ensures that if a software bug gets fixed:
- Thorough and complete information of the defect report
- Checking whether the development team member can ascertain the actual occurrence of a defect under specific conditions?
- The underlying IT environment, tools, and application versions should be within the reach of the developers at all instances on which the defect is reported by the testers
Successfully writing defect “Steps to reproduce”:
- Be concise
- Incorporate perfect data used during the software testing process for easy reference
- All the steps ought to be in definitive order
- Don’t forget to quote all pre-requisite data points as and when needed
- Avoid writing complex steps, Say for instance, if a scenario requires you to save a document from MS Word, then it can be written as, ‘Open the File menu and click on save option’.
- Recheck your steps invariably to reproduce on a new system, clearing all cookies and cache memory
- Make sure the sentences are precise and unambiguous
Conclusion:
The insurmountable objective of any product owner has always been an incredible product free from all possible glitches. Software bug reproduction is the need of the hour at such instances. Connect with our distinctly different team of software test engineers for all your QA services.
by admin | Nov 1, 2019 | Automation Testing, Fixed, Blog |
Planning and strategy are the cornerstones of the SDLC and the main aim of testing should be to ensure that business requirements are met and the customer receives a product with zero defects. As a high-quality software testing company we consistently strive to meet this aim, gaining for us a wide base of happy and long-term customers. An effective test automation strategy requires some serious planning and in-depth expertise.
Even the most efficiently run business needs an efficient automation testing company partner to ensure that testing exercises run smoothly and the end product is defect-free – we are the go-to partner. We are experts in the realm of Automation Testing Services with experience in building cost-effective automation testing strategies for our clients, with result-orientation. We know that the absence of an effective test automation strategy, or even a poorly constructed one, would be the cause of testing failure. This in turn would lead to poor user experience, causing major losses both in terms of money and reputation of a company.
How Critical to Success is a Test Automation Strategy?
With the growth in market challenges and customer demands, software testing has undergone some significant transformations. Businesses want applications and software that can withstand pressures, including customer expectations, the risk of bugs, and security threats. Agile and DevOps approach ensures that testing is done regularly and thoroughly – forming a critical part of the overall test automation strategy. As experts in the realm of Test Automation Services and more, we understand the use of this approach to make the testing process faster, repeatable, and leading to a high-quality application.
Most appropriate test automation tool selectionThis is the main component that can guarantee the success of a test automation strategy. There are several tools in the market, and the ones we select are based on the testing and feature requirements. We consider parameters such as maintenance, the cost of the tool, training, and support required, the performance and stability of the tool, and more. Our clients gain peace of mind in addition to seamless testing and top-quality product.
Establishing Test Automation EnvironmentAfter identifying the needs of the test environment and acquiring tools and licenses, the test environment must be set up – replicating the production environment. This essentially implies that the configuration on each server of both hardware and software will be the same.
Automation Scripts must be ReusableThe code or script and framework should be reusable across teams at an organizational level. This reduces the time and effort required to develop scripts in the future.
Meticulous Execution and Management of Test CasesThe strategy must include a well-defined process to execute and manage the test cases, as per the defined criteria for success.
Result-OrientationThe results of each run of test automation must be measurable and have a result orientation. The test metrics of varying KPIs and dashboards would ensure the quantification and qualification of the software and highlight the standards of quality of the software before launching to the market.
Capture Learning in DocumentationIn the course of software development there would be several things that should be captured as learning for the future. It is important to put together robust documentation to ensure that future test automation strategies would be better and improved – especially not repeating mistakes from the past.
In Conclusion
As testing experts we can help businesses by recommending tools and techniques that would guarantee top results. As a testing partner, we prevent high maintenance, cost, and time by consistently revisiting and updating the automation test suites based on the previous latest version – over time. Since we are the experts, it is easy for us to run this as a continuous activity, allowing us to remove obsolete test cases, and regularly upgrade the automation suite with new functionalities. We understand the importance and practicability of setting short-term goals that are revisited periodically to ensure an iterative incremental model, which would lead to a robust and effective test automation strategy. Connect with us to know more about our expertise.
by admin | Oct 30, 2019 | Web Service Testing, Fixed, Blog |
Software testing services are an all-encompassing set of services and include API testing as well. Application Programming Interface testing is about testing APIs and integrations to ensure that they provide an accurate output. As a highly reputed Software Testing Company we understand the importance of this form of testing despite the many daunting challenges and conduct it as meticulously as any other form of web service testing.
Most regular testers would perform functional and UI testing while ignoring API testing. This is because of the herculean task of understanding the integration and finding bugs through assessing the connections that exist between databases, networks, and systems. We at Codoid perform API testing Services as part of our software testing services, to ensure top performance, seamless functionality, and reliability of the various data-driven applications and systems. We put forward some effective tips to ensure that API testing is successful and helps the system to meet the business requirements.
Prepare a Meticulously Written Document with API Testing Needs
Any form of testing must involve needs/requirements collecting, and these would include details such as the purpose of the Application Programming Interface, the workflow of the application, integrations supported by the API along with the features and functionalities. With this document in place, it would be easy to plan and strategize the API tests. Without this document as a guide, the requirements would be unclear leading to unreliable results and a non-cohesive team.
Put Down Expected Output of these Tests
With clearly defined requirements, finalizing the expected output of the API tests would be easier and faster. Some outputs include pass or fail status, while some may not even have an output. By conducting this exercise it would be simpler to understand how to address a challenging output as well as outputs that were not anticipated or seen in the past.
Focus on Minute API Functions
API testing works best when smaller test cases are put together – smaller test codes and tests will help to gain a better understanding of whether the output is expected or comes as a surprise. Post conducting each small test, it would be easier and quicker to club together with the several successful API functions.
Instituting Automated Testing
Manual testing proves to be an onerous and extremely tedious task, and hence instituting automation testing would help to speed up the entire process, even for standard software testing activities. It is necessary to engage the services of reputed and highly skilled test automation engineers for this purpose since poor quality personnel could put the business and the product at risk. We have been serving clients in the wide realm of software testing services for years, with consistent success.
Deploy Security Testing
Many newbie and inexperienced testers tend to underestimate and even ignore API security testing. With hackers becoming smarter and vile, it is not a tough task for them to identify and crack through the vulnerabilities of a system. Therefore, it is the job of testers to deploy API security testing in order to ensure that the system/application is free of bugs and errors, and is secured from outside threats.
Include Entry and Exit Points
Including the entry and exit points of the entire testing process and the start and end of the process, will decide the performance of a particular API test. Additionally, as experienced testers, we would also seek to determine the actual time the API test takes and the anticipated time for completion, which in turn helps to make decisions for any future test schedules.
Run API Tests Daily
We at Codoid believe that this is amongst the best practices – scheduling API tests daily in a live testing process. It is necessary to ensure that API tests are prepared well ahead, such that they can be executed daily, and this would be possible only by using automated testing tools. Testers would be able to log into the system, view the results, and assess whether the API tests exhibit any results. In addition, it would be possible to check outputs and verify issues in the event that the tests failed.
In Conclusion:
As experts in the wide and complex realm of Software Testing, we corroborate the critical nature of API testing. As businesses evolve and move towards IoT and Artificial Intelligence, the need and demand for meticulous API testing are set to have a meteoric rise. It would be helpful to follow these tips and to engage a professional partner with experience in using automated testing tools and deploying contemporary practices. Connect with us to gain all these advantages and more.
by admin | Apr 30, 2020 | Automation Testing, Fixed, Blog, Top Picks |
The decision of setting up Automation CoE has to come from QA head of a software testing company and he/she should have a compelling need to setup this Organization.
Discussion with different Business Units to understand the landscape of Applications, life span of Application in-scope, different technologies involved, current QA tool stacks, how much of automation is achieved till date and how much it is benefiting to them in the current state and future benefits prediction has to be analyzed.
If we have this details in place, it would help us to quantify the amount and nature of work involved and help in analyzing the ACoE (Automation Center of Excellence) team size.
The above requirement would be for Product based companies. If it is a service-based company, below are the requirement to setup ACoE team.
1. Collate the history of at-least 1 year on overall Automation requirements from Customer
2. Nature of Customer and their maturity level in Automation
3. Level of interest in Automation and Automation investment criteria
4. Nature of projects like Staff Aug,
5. Type of requirements they have
Could be identifying opportunity within Customer Organization
Tool and Framework assessment
Training activities
This will give us an insight on how to start an ACoE team from the service companies perspective.
Conclusion:
Since we are in the world of digitalization, there is always a great demand for Automation in the future beyond traditional Automation. We should prepare ourselves for such changes that the industry is undergoing and flow with the tide. The expectation from such Center of Excellence is also growing and we should prepare ourselves for these changes.
