If you purchased a new toaster and then plugged it in only to find it didn’t work you’d be understandably annoyed. If this were a problem that presented itself with every toaster from that particular manufacturer they would soon be going out of business. So, before that toaster, or kettle or hair dryer or any other item reaches the shelves it needs to be thoroughly checked to ensure that it's safe and operates as it should.
The same applies to software before it’s deployed. It needs to have undergone a rigorous testing procedure that irons out any glitches. How do you ensure that software works as expected and the end-user doesn’t have any nasty surprises?
There are two main types of testing procedures that can be used prior to deploying your software. These are known as black box and white box testing and both go some way to ensuring your software functions precisely as intended.
Let’s take a look at each of these procedures in more detail.
What is black box testing?
Black box testing is a type of rigorous software testing that requires the tester to operate as if they were an ordinary user of the software. This will usually mean they have no prior knowledge of the application’s internal structure. In other words, the software is essentially a type of ‘black box’ that they cannot see inside. This is a type of blind testing that checks how the software will operate in real world situations.
As with the intended end user the person undertaking the test will be aware of the intended outcomes for the software and the particular role it’s required to fulfil. There may be certain non-functional requirements that the software needs to meet such as data protection and security.
Testers need to ensure that the software is not only meeting its required function effectively, but also efficiently.
What is white box testing?
In contrast to black box testing, white box testing requires the tester to have a detailed understanding about the internal structure of the software. They will need to have in-depth knowledge of the coding involved in its creation and will usually have worked on its development.
The tester will need to ensure that the app functions as intended and will need to understand the processes that are used to achieve those functions. The inputs that they use to carry out the tests will need to be based on their knowledge of the software internal structure and design. In other words, white box testing confirms that the software is taking the correct path when it is fed particular inputs.
Because this form of testing requires a more in-depth developmental knowledge of the software it is more transparent and structure based.
At InTeck, we thoroughly white box and black test all of the software we create through the development stage. We ensure that before your software is deployed it is glitch-free and operating as effectively and efficiently as possible.
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