Black Box Testing in Software Testing
Black box testing is also known as functional testing. Black box testing is a method of software testing that evaluates the functionality of an application without looking at its internal structure or function. This test method can be applied at virtually every level of software testing: unit, integration, system, and acceptance. This is sometimes called specification-based testing.
Black box testing treats software as a “black box”, testing functionality without looking at the source code, and without knowledge of the internal implementation. Testers are only aware of what the software is supposed to do, not how it does it. Black box testing methods include equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis, error guessing, state transitions, decision table testing, fuzz testing, model-based testing, use-case testing, exploratory testing, and specification-based testing.
The purpose of specification-based testing is to test software functionality against applicable requirements. This level of testing typically requires the tester to provide complete test cases, which can then be easily verified. Can verify that, for a given input, the output value, either “is” or “is not” equal to the expected value described in the test case. Test cases are created according to specifications and requirements, i.e. what the application has to do. It uses external specifications of the software, including specifications, requirements, and designs to derive test cases. These tests can be active or passive, although usually work.
Specification-based testing may be necessary to ensure correct functionality but is insufficient to protect against complex or high-risk situations.
An advantage of the black box testing technique is that no programming knowledge is required. Whatever biases programmers may have, testers likely have a different set and may emphasize different areas of functionality. Black box testing, on the other hand, has been said to be “like walking through a dark maze without a flashlight.” Check something that has only been tested with one test case or leave parts of the program untested.
This test method can be applied to all levels of software testing: unit, integration, system, and acceptance. It typically comprises most if not all testing at the higher levels, but unit testing can also be dominated.
Component interface testing
Component interface testing is a variation of black box testing, focusing on data values rather than the relative operations of subsystem components can be done to test the handling of the data passed between them, in addition to testing the complete integration between these entities. The data being passed can be treated as “message packets” and Ranges or data types can be checked, for data generated from one unit, and checked for validity before being transferred to another unit. One option for interface testing is to keep a separate log file of data items being passed, often logged with a timestamp, to analyze thousands of data cases spanning days or weeks between units. . Tests may include checking the handling of some extreme data values while passing other interface variables as normal values. Unusual data values in the interface help to explain unexpected performance in the next unit.
Visual inspection
The goal of visual testing is to give developers the ability to examine what was happening at the time of a software failure by presenting data in a way that developers can easily find the information they need, and display the information clearly.
The basic idea of visual testing is that showing someone a problem, rather than just describing it, greatly increases clarity and understanding. Visual testing, therefore, requires recording the entire test process and capturing everything that happens on the test system in video format. Output videos are supplemented by real-time tester input via a picture-in-a-picture webcam and audio commentary from a microphone.
Visual inspection provides many advantages. The quality of communication is greatly increased because testers can show the problem to the developer as opposed to just explaining it, and in many cases, the need to duplicate test failures will be eliminated. The developer will have all the evidence of the test failure and can instead focus on the cause of the error and how it should be fixed.
Ad hoc testing and exploratory testing are important methods for testing software integrity, as they require less preparation time to execute, while critical bugs can be found quickly. In ad hoc testing, where testing takes place in a better, more immediate manner, the ability of the tester to base testing on documented methods and then refine variations of those tests can result in more rigorous testing for error correction. However, one of the limitations of ad hoc testing is the lack of repeatability, unless rigorous documentation of the methodology is maintained.
Difference between Black Box and White Box Testing
