When it comes to software and application development, testing is a never-ending process. The importance of continuous testing can make or break the market’s perception of whether or not the product is worth using.
Have you ever downloaded an application on your mobile phone that doesn’t function well and has a lot of bugs? If the answer is YES, then more or less you’ve experienced a product that didn’t perform proper testing before release.
While the importance of testing is undisputed, there are different types of testing for software. The main classification of testing falls into two categories: automated testing and manual testing. Along with the different types of manual testing, hundreds of businesses provide manual software testing services. The end goal of every testing cycle is to assess and produce valuable software for the market.
As long as there are software developments, manual testing will always be relevant. Automated testing can’t completely replace insights and results from manual testing. In this guide, we will define manual testing and identify the various types of manual testing.
Table of Contents
What is manual testing?
Manual testing involves a person who is a tester of the software. Since people assess the software, manual testing uses test cases to act as a guide or instruction set for the individual performing the manual testing.
There are many things a tester can evaluate in specific software or applications. Having a more human touch or human approach by performing manual testing is one of the closest things a development team can do to consider how users will react to the product. After all, the value of the software comes from the end-users of the software.
What are the different types of manual testing?
While there are many facets to manual testing, there are more general categories in this testing approach.
White box testing
White box testing refers to testing the software technically by reading through the code. The manual testing that falls on the white box testing classification means that the tester reads each line of code. The tester’s goal is to spot code errors that may cause problems to the entire program.
The focus of white box testing is on the internal structure of the codes in the software. There are inputs in the program that should give out expected outputs. The process of running the inputs and resulting outputs comes from the code itself.
The term “white box testing” refers to seeing through the outward shell of the software. The tester sees through the transparent box and understands the inner perspective of the software. White box testing requires some skills as the primary aspect of manual testing is the program’s code.
Black box testing
In black box testing, testers test for the functional aspect of the software. In opposition to white box testing, black box testing rarely tests the line of codes. While it’s essential to understand the inner structure of any software, black box testing refers to the more outer shell part of the software.
The manual tester evaluates the function of the given input and its expected output. Is the tested output at par in providing the expected output based on the user’s end?
The term “black box testing” refers to giving in an input that goes through a black box that the tester doesn’t need to peer through (compared to the white box). Testers evaluate the functionality of the expected output that goes through the black box. There are specific test cases that elaborate on the expected outcome from the side of the customer or end-user.
Gray box testing
If there is a white box and black box, mixing these tests results into the gray box testing. Gray box testing is a combination of white box testing skills and black box testing skills. As testers evaluate the code inputs that should display certain functional outputs.
For gray box testing, there should be a certain understanding and skill in the internal working of the code. The gray box testing mitigates the occurrences of displayed errors if the end-user uses the software. For example, if there are errors in the functionality as seen in black box tests, the tester changes or modifies code following white box tests.
Conclusion
Manual testing covers a lot of test types for software development and testing. However, these tests fall under white box testing, black box testing, and gray box testing. These tests are vital if you want to launch a working, functional and user-friendly software to customers.
