QA testing of large projects: specifics

The purpose of creating any software or website is functionality and user-friendliness. But in the process, bugs may appear that prevent the normal operation of the software. If you don’t catch all the bugs before the release, there is a big risk of losing customers who will find a better product. The presence of errors does not always mean that the system is not working properly. It is enough to correct the errors to restore the quality of the product. It is for these purposes that the development of all large projects involves QA-testing, which makes it possible to ensure the high quality of the software product, making it as convenient as possible for users.

What is QA testing

QA-testing (from the English quality assurance) is a set of measures aimed at finding critical errors in the operation of the system. Tests cover all stages of development, release and use of a software product, starting from project creation, ending with testing, release and post-release maintenance. Actions taken by specialists at all stages of the life cycle are aimed at ensuring the high quality of the implemented project.

A defect or bug is a piece of code with an error that prevents the normal operation of the system. This does not mean that the resource does not work at all. It is enough to eliminate the bug to return the functionality and performance of the site or application.

QA testing is a guarantee of an effective and fully functional finished software product. Checking software or a website for adaptability, vulnerabilities and the presence of bugs plays an important role for several reasons:

• If there are bugs and errors, then the resource or software causes mistrust among users.
• If you do not take enough care of the security of the resource, then attackers can gain access to any pages.
• Incorrectly working functionality leads to a high number of failures, negatively affects conversions.
• Poor performance causes users to switch to competitors that offer faster resources.
• Redundant functionality and unclear forms reduce page loading speed.

Depending on the complexity of the project, testing can take up to 7 working days. Based on the results of the tests, specialists provide a detailed report on the detected errors and suggestions for their elimination.

What is included in QA testing

The tester works on checking the functionality of programs, applications, systems, and also offers options for improving the quality of software at all stages of development and operation. QA testing includes several stages:

• Discussing the details of testing: what parts of the software should be tested, the desired quality, and projections of customer expectations.
• Development of a technical task for testing.
• Preparation of test codes for the product to be tested.
• Search for bugs and errors in the operation of a resource or program.
• Security testing.
• Evaluation of the results, as well as retesting if necessary.
• Checking the obtained results for compliance with quality criteria.
• Preparation of measures to eliminate identified bugs and errors.
• Providing a detailed report on the work done.

Why large projects QA testing

If you are still not sure whether you should do QA testing of your project, here are some benefits that you can get:

• The ability to conduct a secure business is especially important for people who use websites and applications to sell goods and services. For example, it is enough for an attacker to gain access to your system to redirect customer payments to another account. That is why it is important to conduct a comprehensive check that will allow you to identify and eliminate weak and unprotected places in the system.
• Saving. Preventing errors at the development stage is much cheaper than fixing bugs after release during software operation. One small mistake can cause other, more complex bugs, which often lead to the transfer of customers to competitors.
• Protection of the company’s reputation. After the release of a website or software with errors, the image of the company suffers. In the future, it is difficult to convince customers that all the errors have been fixed and it is possible to use the application or the site again. That is why it is important to provide a quality product from the very beginning, especially when it comes to large projects.

Types of testing

The appropriate testing option is selected taking into account the characteristics of the system under study. There are many tests, but they are all divided into two main groups: functional and non-functional. The first group of tests is aimed at checking the proper operation of the application or site, during which the tester makes sure that the finished product meets expectations. Non-functional testing involves checking the operation of the resource in different conditions. This group includes security, usability, cross-platform and load tests.

Some tests can be performed manually by specialists. The tester creates a script and provides a report after it runs. Manual testing allows you to find small bugs that may be missed during automated testing.

Automated testing involves creating scripts and writing code that repeatedly checks the resource for bugs. During the development of large projects, automatic tests allow you to speed up verification, as well as avoid human errors during manual testing of bulk blocks.

Functional testing

Functional testing is one of the most important stages of verification, where every detail of the product is studied, which is necessary to make sure that it works correctly. It implies a step-by-step verification of newly added functionality that appears as the project develops.

Each new component is tested separately in an artificially prepared environment. Testing is carried out on the basis of the requirements of the technical specifications for the quality of the finished product. The engineering team develops a list of tests, clearly prescribing the sequence of steps, expected and obtained results. Possible scenarios for the operation of the software product or site are drawn up, which describe in detail the intended actions of users with the expected reaction of the system to them.

Functional testing is carried out for each component separately during development. If errors are detected, it is enough to modify only one module instead of carrying out a complete redesign of the entire system. This type of testing makes it possible to identify flaws in the technical task, check the architecture, evaluating the performance of all components at the development stage.

Load testing

During the development of an application or a site, load testing plays an important role, which allows you to determine the performance of the resource. Insufficient performance leads to serious disruptions in work, so it is important to calculate in advance the maximum number of users who can use the system at the same time and check how this system will behave under increased load.

In the process of carrying out load tests, a possible load is simulated in order to check the stability of the software product, its fault tolerance and scalability.

A team of QA engineers checks the performance before the release of the product, as well as every time it is updated. This makes it possible to identify and quickly correct errors that lead to deterioration of the resource’s performance.

Application testing

In addition to websites, QA testing is also needed for mobile applications created on iOS and Android. During the assessment of mobile applications, a complicated algorithm is used, which allows you to find and fix any bugs and errors.

Applications for iOS and Android are checked by experts for functionality and cross-browser compatibility, analyze performance. The analysis of the project is carried out even before its placement in the AppStore and PlayMarket in order to identify problems and make timely adjustments.

Automated verification systems are used to speed up the process, which allows you to significantly save time. In this case, standard algorithms are used, which make it possible to quickly identify critical points and errors, if any.

Site testing

Site testing includes several mandatory stages that allow you to fully check the resource, identify and eliminate errors:

• Cross-browser testing is done in order to check how the site is displayed on different devices and in different browsers. Specialists will also appreciate the layout and design.
• Functional testing of the site will make it possible to get rid of incorrect functionality that slows down the operation of your resource and reduces productivity. Experts check the interface, functions, search forms, file upload speed and other important options.
• Security testing includes checking user access, as well as checking admin for the possibility of third-party access.
• Site load testing is a study of resource performance during simultaneous site visits by 20 users (the number of visitors depends on the scale of the project).

An example of quality assurance

QA testing is mandatory for new resources as well as for software and applications. It is advisable to test sites after redesign, after changing hosting. Software and applications should be checked for bugs each time an update is released. If the resource or software has never been checked or more than two years have passed since the last quality check, QA testing will make it possible to increase productivity, improve conversion, and eliminate errors.

Quality assurance ensures the high quality of the finished product by identifying bugs in the system before they are discovered by users. Even in the basis of seemingly simple projects – hours of work of developers. As Don Norman said, “Good design is much harder to spot than bad.” That is why it is important to first contact QA engineers who will check the project and make sure that everything is working well.

If successful software launch is a priority for you compared to development speed and cost savings, comprehensive QA testing should be a must. Given the features and complexity of modern software, insufficient testing in the creation process negatively affects security, performance, and functional characteristics.