Agile testing is a software testing methodology that follows the principles of the Agile software development approach. It encourages testers to work with the development team to ensure that the software meets customer requirements and is of the highest quality possible. Testing is not a separate phase, but is conducted throughout the development process, with coding and testing activities performed interactively and incrementally. This results in a quality end product that is delivered quickly and efficiently.
The principles of Agile testing include testing that moves the project forward, testing that is not a separate phase, everyone on the team testing, shortening feedback loops, keeping the code clean, lightweight documentation, leveraging one test artifact for manual and automated tests, and “done done” rather than just “done”.
Agile testing activities include release planning and test plans, and during each iteration, testers are expected to participate in the iteration planning process, estimate tasks from the viewpoint of testing, write test cases using feature descriptions, perform unit and integration testing, feature testing and defect fixing, and acceptance testing. These activities enable testers to have a greater impact on the design and coding of the software, resulting in a product that better meets customer requirements.
What is Agile Testing?
Agile testing is a software testing methodology that follows the principles of the Agile software development approach. This methodology encourages testers to work with the development team to ensure that the software meets customer requirements and is of the highest quality possible. Testing is not a separate phase, but is conducted throughout the development process, with coding and testing activities performed interactively and incrementally. This results in a quality end product that is delivered quickly and efficiently. Additionally, continuous integration helps to identify and remove any defects early on in the development process, leading to cost and time savings.
The Agile Manifesto
In 2001, a team of software developers published the Agile Manifesto, which highlighted the importance of the development team, the accommodation of changing requirements and customer involvement. The Agile Manifesto states:
“We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work, we have come to value individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, customer collaboration over contract negotiation, and responding to change over following a plan. That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.”
Agile Testing Activities
At the project level, Agile testing activities include release planning and test plans. During each iteration, testers are expected to participate in the iteration planning process, estimate tasks from the viewpoint of testing, write test cases using feature descriptions, perform unit and integration testing, feature testing and defect fixing, and acceptance testing. Additionally, testers must track the status of their progress and any defects that arise.
Agile Testing vs. Waterfall Testing
Agile testing and Waterfall testing differ in their approaches. In Agile testing, testing is not a separate phase but is intertwined with the development process. Testing takes place throughout the development life cycle, with testers participating in each phase with cross-functional teams. This enables testers to have a greater impact on the design and coding of the software, resulting in a product that better meets customer requirements.
In contrast, Waterfall testing follows a linear development life cycle, with testing as a separate phase after development. This can result in delays and more costly fixes as defects are identified late in the process.
Agile Testing Principles
The principles of Agile testing include testing that moves the project forward, testing that is not a separate phase, everyone on the team testing, shortening feedback loops, keeping the code clean, lightweight documentation, leveraging one test artifact for manual and automated tests, and “done done” rather than just “done”. Additionally, test cases are written alongside requirements, rather than after development is complete. All of these principles combine to create a more efficient and cost-effective development process.
Agile Testing Activities
At the project level, Agile testing activities include release planning and test plans. During each iteration, testers are expected to participate in the iteration planning process, estimate tasks from the viewpoint of testing, write test cases using feature descriptions, perform unit and integration testing, feature testing and defect fixing, and acceptance testing. Additionally, testers must track the status of their progress and any defects that arise.
Unit Testing: Unit Testing is the first level of testing, which is performed by the developers. During this testing phase, individual units/ components of a software are tested to verify that each unit is performing as per the requirement specifications. It is done by the developers before the integration testing phase.
Integration Testing: Integration testing is the second level of testing, which is performed after the unit testing phase. During this testing phase, the individual units that have been tested previously, are now tested as a group. This is done to ensure that all the related units are working properly in combination.
Feature Testing: Feature Testing is the third level of testing, which is performed after the integration testing phase. During this testing phase, all the features of the software are tested to ensure that they are working properly.
Defect Fixing: Defect Fixing is the fourth level of testing, which is performed after the feature testing phase. During this testing phase, all the defects that have been identified in the previous testing phases are fixed.
Acceptance Testing: Acceptance Testing is the fifth and final level of testing, which is performed after the defect fixing phase. During this testing phase, the end user tests the software to ensure that it meets their requirements and expectations.
Status Reporting: Status Reporting is an essential part of Agile testing, which allows testers to track the progress of their testing. It also allows testers to identify any problems that may arise during the testing process.
Defect Tracking: Defect Tracking is an important part of Agile testing, which allows testers to keep track of all the defects that have been identified during the testing process. This allows testers to prioritize the defects and ensure that they are fixed in a timely manner.
Conclusion
Agile testing is a software testing methodology that follows the principles of the Agile software development approach. Testing is not a separate phase, but is conducted throughout the development process, with coding and testing activities performed interactively and incrementally. This results in a quality end product that is delivered quickly and efficiently. The principles of Agile testing combine to create a more efficient and cost-effective development process than the Waterfall testing method, which follows a linear development life cycle.