The Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) is a flow for a testing process conducted in serial order on a software application system to verify and validate the apps for their accuracy against the business requirements. It has six distinct phases, comparable to the software development life cycle. These phases can run concurrently with the development process or as the final step in the software development life cycle process, depending on the approach used to create the software applications.
The following are the stages of the software testing life cycle:
Analyze the requirements.test planningtest case developmentSetup of the Test EnvironmentExecution of testsClosure of the test cycle
Let us go over the above-mentioned software testing phases in greater detail to gain a better understanding.1. Requirements Analysis:
The software testing life cycle begins with this phase. Following that, requirements analysis is the most crucial stage because it is the foundation for all software development; if we commit an error in the requirement analysis phase, we may deliver incorrect software to the client.
During this phase, the quality assurance team first acknowledges the software's requirements in order to identify the parts that need to be tested. The quality assurance team may then meet with various organizations, such as business organizations, stakeholders, development teams, technical teams, design teams, and so on, to gain a better understanding of the requirements. Once the software's requirements are determined, the QA team identifies the parts and components of the software or system to be tested.
2. Test Preparation:
It is the second stage in the life cycle of software testing. Because the test strategy is planned during this phase, it is referred to as the "test strategy phase." This activity was carried out by the test manager, who is in charge of everything related to testing, such as how much effort is required, how much it costs to test the entire project, and what kinds of tests are required for which components. Aside from that, it also included the following tasks:
Software for data analysisDefine the test objective.Create a test strategy.Plan test resources.Developing test criteriaCreating test casesTest scheduling and executionSetting up the test environment for executionExamining test delivery methods
3. Development of test cases:
It's the third stage in the life cycle of software testing. After the test planning is complete, the work of writing test cases begins. During this phase, the testing team meticulously designs the test cases for execution. It also prepares information, such as test case data. Following the design of the test cases, they are presented to the peer team or quality control, i.e., the QA team, for examination. The test case is great if it rapidly identifies errors and solves them during the test.
A good test case has the following characteristics:A test case is clear and straightforward.Produce the same result for the same test every time.The name is included in the test case id.Meets all software requirements4. Configuration of the Test Environment:
It's the fourth stage in the life cycle of software testing. This phase is critical to the STLC. Setting up all of the resources, like software and hardware, for the testing team to implement all of the test cases is known as "test environment setup." The testing team's test environment is not set up by the client or the organization. The testing team, on the other hand, prepares the smoke test for implementing the test environment setup.
5. Test Execution :
It's the fifth stage in the life cycle of software testing. It ran the test with code, compared the results to what was expected, and analysed the report. The testing team runs tests in accordance with test plans and strategies. The test analyst marks the test report while the test is being run.
The test case is characterized as passed if it is executed successfully.If the test case fails, it is marked as such, and the corresponding bug is reported to the software development team.If a test case is blocked due to an error, it is marked as such. Once the defect has been resolved, the test cases that have been marked as blocked or failed are rechecked to guarantee that they have been fixed.6. Closure of the Test Cycle:
The software testing life cycle has reached its conclusion. During this phase, a meeting of software testers is held to assess test coverage based on software requirements, test cases, cost, time, and quality assurance.
To determine defect distribution by type, test cases, and bug reports are analyzed. When the test cycle is finished, a test cycle closure report is created. At last, the test leader plans the end of the test cycle.
The following is the standard format for the test cycle closure:
Test report summaryIdentifierTest SummaryVariancesComprehensiveness assessmentSummary of resultsEvaluationSummary of activitiesApprovalConclusion:
The software testing life cycle is there for a reason. If the team has a good grasp of the STLC phases, they can organize themselves well, give the client accurate estimates, and know what results to expect at each stage of the process.
Knowing the steps of software testing could also help the person in charge of the product make accurate estimates of time and money
