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Understanding the Basics of Manual Software Testing

Now that we have created the test case, let us see how effective it is when applied to our system. Under test, this should see this particular case as input data being used as part of the test. Let us fire up an execution and discover the expected results along with potential exception triggers. In the fast-paced environment of rapid software development, making sure applications do what they are supposed to do is a secret ingredient in providing a great user experience. Manual testing even now forms the base of software QA. Manual testing involves human testers who execute test cases for bugs and issues in the functionality, usability, and performance of applications.
In this article, we will discuss the definition and purpose of manual software testing and some important techniques involved.

Manual Software Testing: What is it?

Manual software testing is a process of checking software for defects employing human efforts in executing test cases without the assistance of automation tools. Testers are putting themselves in the shoes of end-from users-a-to end-where-from end users use the system and search for bugs to ensure that the software behaves as expected in different conditions. This type of testing highly relies on human intuition, creativity, and attention to detail, capable of very effectively catching issues that automation tests might likely miss.
Automation tools are really good at doing repetitive tasks, but when it comes to exploratory, usability, and user interface testing, human observation is paramount for problem discovery.

Why Manual Testing?

The process of manual testing is still very important for the following reasons even when there is an increase in automation:

Consideration and Judgment: The experiential software aspects of UX and visual design are, for example, beyond measurement by anyone. The means, instrument, or technology through which such policies could be implemented will fail at testing because of one simple thing: users have to test it themselves if software has become very much acceptable for its intended audience.

Exploratory Testing: It is intuitive manual testing that allows free navigation through the application as normally seen in actual use for discovering such bugs not covered by test cases.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Manual testing is very flexible. The same applies to testing a new or extremely changing software. The test cases could be easily changed due to a requirement change or a change within the application.

Defect Early Detection: Most often, defects are detected in early phases of development by human testers, hence saving costs from scaling to costlier problems in later stages of the project.

Types of Manual Testing

Manual tests can be classified as follows based on the type of tests performed:

Functional Testing: Tests that check whether the software behaves as intended by testing various features and functions; testers conduct test cases to see whether everything operates as expected in the software.

Usability Testing: This tests the usability of software, so that the software ends up being easy, intuitive, and ensuring a possible great user experience.

Exploratory Testing: The test comes with their own understanding of software, and the testers explore its features and function without defined test cases. The goal is finding unexpected issues or defects that might not be covered under scripted testing.

Regression Testing: New functionality or fixes are added, but this functionality did not get adversely affected. Testers run the tests manually to ensure any new changed affected should have damage to the previous working parts of the application.

Acceptance Testing: This is last testing, which ensures that the software satisfies the agreed-upon requirements and is ready for use. The test is usually carried out by the end-user or QA team before the product is shipped for delivery.

The Manual Testing Process

The manual testing process encompasses the following steps:

Requirement Analysis: The tester must examine the software requirement specifications and design documents before the commencement of the testing process so as to know how the application ought to behave. This helps in establishing meaningful test cases.

Test case creation: The requirements and expected outcomes are used to write test cases. The scenarios developed should be clear, precise, and address all scenarios. Each test case should include input, action, and result.

Test Execution: The test cases are then executed manually and records any defects or deviations from expected behavior.

Defect Reporting: If a bug or issue is found during testing, it is reported to the development team for resolution including clear steps to reproduce it and further assistance that may be needed in fixing it.

Retesting: Once the bugs reported have been fixed by the developers, it is retested by testers to confirm that the problem has been resolved and that no new problems have arisen.

Test Closure: After completion of testing, the test result is documented and the test phase is closed. The remaining bugs or issues are logged for future testing cycle.

Manual Software Testing’s Dilemma

Manual test is the testing technique without any automated means. While it is more crucial to software testing, it does have its disabling characteristics.

Long Time Span: This is time-consuming and laborious as testing includes tedious operations associated with several features in large applications. This would tie up testing phases in the long run and delay the launching of the application.

Human Error: Manual tests rely on individuals for testing. Thus, any test conducted by a tester always has the possibility of missing or making mistakes. The bugs might not be found or are tested wrong.

Manual Test: It may not be that effective when you rely on automatic methods or perform repeated testing of tasks. The efficiency of automated testing can be felt much more in terms of faster handling of the same repetitive tests.

Limited Coverage: Since the testing is manual, it is bound by limited resources and time; no scenario can be taken into consideration. Automation will help to increase the testing coverage, especially for large applications.

Best Practices for Manual Testing

Here are best practices for manual testing effectiveness:

Well Formulated Test Cases: well-explained, structured, easily understandable test cases help testers to perform their tests right and in a similar fashion.

Prioritize the Test Cases: Before testing the first high-risk areas, critical features that have the most impact on users should be given priority.

Effective Communication: Testers should ensure that they are not afraid of running towards another developer, aka team member, for further specification of defects or issues after doing tests.

Continuous Learning: Keep up with all the new trends, tools, and techniques in testing to further your processes and methodologies in testing.

Conclusion

Manual software testing is a part of the software development lifecycle, which gives critical insight into the functionality, usability, and overall quality of applications. It may not be as fast as automated testing, but manual testing offers an invaluable human touch that helps ensure a positive user experience and a defect-free product. Understanding the basics of manual testing and applying best practices can make testers a vital part of a successful software project.

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