Software testing held the traditional way can be improved. By using specific strategies based on facts, testers and optimize their testing plans, focus on relevant tests and stop spending time with unefficient ones. Moreover, tests can be prioritized based on their criticism.
Why to build a specific strategy
In testing,
building a specific test strategy is not an obligation. Indeed, software can be tested of different manner.
First, there are unit tests, written and run by developers. Those tests are supposed to cover the basic risks, making sure the software's foundation is strong enough to build the rest on it. If these unit tests are executed regularly and kept up to date, the risks are a lot lowered already.
Then, there are automated tests. When new features are added to the software, tests are needed in order to check that the whole application is still safe and running. As new features and changes are constantly added, routine tests have to be run very often. That's why automation is a very good way to ensure the safety and stability of the program all along its development.
So regarding these arguments, why would it be useful to define a specific
test strategy in addition?
Efficient testing requires cleverness
So far, computers aren't provided with cleverness. The major issue is that while the software is evolving, its process and execution path changes.
Computers are very good at executing again and again what we tell them to without ever failing. But when something changes in the software, tests need to be adapted, and this requires human interaction.
Now imagine that hundreds of changes and new features are added a day. The amount of work needed for adaptation would be huge and would require a full time person working. That would surely be counterproductive.
This is where defining a good tests strategy becomes useful. If testers can choose the best test cases for every test campaign and don't have to run all the tests, even the useless ones, they save time and they make sure the software remains efficient.
How to build an efficient test strategy
Depending on test teams, some are just using stats and estimations; others are using tools. There are some specific tools out on the market that help you select the most relevant test cases for each campaign.
Based on software analysis, those tools will help you understand the action of a test on the code, and then select the right tests according to the changes developers made on this code.
Thus, no need to adapt each test to be automatically run, you prefer selecting relevant manual tests that will bring on more value and ensure better stability of the software.
