Black Box Testing – A Must-read Comprehensive Guide

Black box testing, which is also known as behavioral testing is a software testing method wherein the knowledge of internal code structure, internal paths, and implantation details aren’t required in order to test software applications.

It is completely built on the requirements and specifications of the software and the main area of focus is the input and output of the software applications. For Example, a working framework like Windows, a site like Google, a data set like Oracle, or even your own custom application. Under Black Box Testing, you can test these applications simply by zeroing in on the inputs and outputs without knowing their internal code execution.
Sorts of Black Box Testing

There are numerous sorts of Black Box Testing. Coming up next are some noticeable ones –

Regression testing – Performed after code fixes, Regression testing upgrades, or some other system upkeep to check the new code has not influenced the current code.

Functional testing – This black box testing type is identified with the functional necessities of a system which is carried forward by software testers.

Non-functional testing – This sort of black-box testing isn’t identified with testing of any particular functionality, yet non-functional prerequisites like performance, adaptability, ease of use.

Here are the common advances followed to do any sort of Black Box Testing –

The specifications and the requirements of the system are checked first.
Then the test cases are developed with the chosen inputs are which the tests are carried forward. Later, the expected and actual outputs are weighed up to see if the actual ones meet up to the expected ones. Lastly, if any defects are found, they are fixed and then tested again.

Black Box Testing and Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

The life cycle of Black Box Testing is called Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) and it is comparative with each phase of the Software Development Life Cycle of Software Engineering.

Requirement – This is the first phase of SDLC and in this stage, a prerequisite is accumulated and it is also a stage in which software testers participate.

Test Planning and Analysis – Testing Types pertinent to the project are fixed. A Test Plan is made in order to understand the conceivable risks and how to solve them.

Design – Based on software prerequisite documents, in this stage the test cases or scripts are created.

Test Execution– This is the stage wherein the prepared test cases are actually carried out and if there are any bugs, this is when they will be fixed.

The type of Black box testing that you’re doing decides the tools that you will use, i.e. For functional or regression tests, you can use Selenium or QTP whereas for nonfunctional tests you can use LoadRunner or Jmeter.

Following are the noticeable Test Strategy among the many utilized in Black Box Testing –

Decision Table Testing: With a unique combination in each column, a decision table puts their causes and their effects in a matrix.
Equivalence Class Testing: It is utilized to limit the number of doable tests to an ideal level while keeping up sensible test inclusion and coverage.
Boundary Value Testing: Boundary value testing is centered around the values at limits or boundaries, hence the name. A specific scope of values are acceptable by the system or not is decided by the procedure of Boundary Value Testing. It is helpful in lessening the number of tests performed and is generally suitable for the systems where input is inside decided ranges.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Black Box Testing is a versatile and essential method in software quality assurance, focusing on evaluating software functionality based on input and output without delving into the internal code structure. Its primary aim is to ensure that software meets its specified requirements through various types of testing, including regression, functional, and non-functional testing. By concentrating on the software’s behavior and performance, Black Box Testing integrates seamlessly into the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and employs various test strategies like Decision Table Testing, Equivalence Class Testing, and Boundary Value Testing to optimize test coverage and efficiency. This approach is crucial for validating the functionality and usability of software applications in a user-centric manner.

source: This article was originally published at https://testgrid.io/blog/black-box-testing/