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Quality Assurance in Web Integration

Quality Assurance in Web Integration

In today’s article, let’s look at the concept of quality assurance in the context of web integration. In what ways can quality assurance be tested?

Today’s information technology is evolving so quickly that there are more demands than ever on web (software) applications’ functioning and, therefore, on the calibre of their software. Quality control must thus be a key component of the process of creating online solutions.

Definition of Quality Assurance

The broad definition of quality assurance is as follows: “Quality assurance (QA) usually addresses everything from product creation to design, development, implementation, and maintenance. This activity aims to ensure that each component’s output satisfies the predetermined quality requirements.

The following actions go into ensuring quality assurance, sometimes known as “software quality assurance”:

  • confirming the fulfillment of client criteria and making sure they are consistent with the requirements of the project and the assignment
  • checking developer outputs for compliance with established standards and guidelines
  • testing to find potential flaws in systems, logic, content, and other areas
  • Naturally, the core component of testing also applies to web solutions in these processes. It is important to consider that new web pages are being tested in this area and to allow for a variety of appropriate tests, including those for web application security, the capacity to handle high visitor volumes (performance testing), browser compatibility, operational systems, and accessibility for both regular users and users with handicaps.

    Testing

    Testing is a methodical procedure that involves seeing a system operate under predetermined conditions that mimic real-world circumstances. Additionally, it focuses on the detection of mistakes, faults, and deviations from client requirements as well as on how to operate in uncertain circumstances from the standpoints of output data, stress, and security. Individual results are similarly reviewed and documented.

    Testing seeks to identify flaws as soon as feasible, at the earliest stage of solution creation, so that they may be fixed.

    Testing is sometimes confused with the notions of quality assurance, but as we saw in the previous section, testing is only one step in the quality management process.

    Testing Methods

    Numerous testing techniques are highlighted in literature and in practice, depending on the angle from which we see them.

    We may categorize the procedure according to the technique of implementation as follows:

  • Manual testing: testing done manually by the tester (user). This method’s slowness and ineffectiveness are drawbacks. However, certain tests can only be completed manually due to the human element.
  • Automated testing: Large amounts of varied testing data may be tested quickly. Using automated testing tools, we can quickly check the accuracy of pages, the operation of specific links, stress resistance, and other features in online applications.
  • Depending on the type and purpose of the testing, we can distinguish between:

  • Functional testing: This type of testing confirms that the software functionalities fulfil the needs of the client and examines how well the program/solution works across a range of SW and HW platforms.
  • Non-functional testing: This type of testing involves evaluating a system’s characteristics that are unrelated to its main goal, such as its efficiency, security, and stress levels.
  • From the standpoint of the source code, this entails:

  • Static testing involves examining the source codes directly.
  • Dynamic testing involves evaluating system properties while a program is running.
  • Depending on how information is approached, a test could be characterized as:

  • Black box: The tester solely examines the system’s exterior reaction while logging the input and output parameters. The internal workings of the system are not tested, nevertheless, in the black box test. On the other hand, it might provide distorted results because even if the given input produces the desired outcome, the system may manage the process wrong (for example, by erroneously storing the data structures, etc.).
  • White box: This method presupposes that the tester has a thorough understanding of the underlying workings of the codes and can thus “look inside the system.” The tester checks the source code concurrently as part of the test.
  • Combining the black and white box tests is the grey box test. Although the tester does not pay attention to the specifics of the source code, they are familiar with the system’s general architecture. The creation of more suitable testing scenarios has made the structure more approachable.
  • We may categorize testing into the following categories based on the amount of software development inspection that occurs:

  • Developer testing, which places a focus on functional accuracy and validity, is testing done at the lowest level, often just after developing the integrated portion of the program code.
  • Unit testing: Testing the efficiency of the smallest system units and ensuring compliance with established standards and norms are both examples of unit testing. The tests can easily be fully automated at this level.
  • Integrity testing: confirming proper communication between various system parts. Linking all components of the suggested solution is a crucial testing phase for web systems.
  • System testing involves evaluating the application as a whole. The functionality, dependability, security, and efficiency of the system are tested.
  • Let’s stop with system testing for a moment. As part of system testing, we can take a closer look at the following:

  • Performance test: evaluates how quickly input requests are responded to. examining the effectiveness of the web application in multi-user settings, as well as how they respond to a rapid rise in the volume of input data and the number of active users.
  • Security test: determining how well the system guards against unwanted access to data or source codes.
  • Usability testing: determines how user-friendly and intuitive websites are, as well as how simple it is to navigate through them.
  • Testing colour contrast and ensuring that web pages are “barrier-free,” or accessible to people with impairments (such as poor vision or hearing).
  • Stress test: a system test that focuses on identifying system faults caused by inadequate HW capacity (CPU, memory, disk, etc.).
  • After maintenance (changes to the HW or SW environments, migration, and system update), a maintenance test is performed to ensure that the system is operating properly.
  • After finishing all the aforementioned tests, it’s time for the final one – the acceptance test. This is performed following thorough system tuning and after the elimination of any faults found during earlier tests. This checks the system’s readiness for real-world use.

    Which testing technique is the best and most effective cannot be determined. Numerous variables, including project size, goals, and focus, as well as the customer’s and the testing team’s capacity, influence the choice of testing technique. However, developing the proper testing strategy from the very beginning helps us to significantly save costs while simultaneously improving the overall quality of the system.

    Experience has taught us that it is much more efficient to avoid mistakes upfront than to correct them after the fact. This is even more crucial when it comes to web integration since integrated systems depend on it and because a mistake made at one point in the chain might have serious consequences elsewhere. Therefore, it is a very excellent idea to conduct quality checks at each stage of the software life cycle, starting with the client’s unique needs and finishing with the deployment of the finished program.

    It is very useful to carry out quality tests as early as the analysis and design phase of the solution because an error in the architecture design, an incorrect functional specification, or a poorly chosen graphic design can later cause many tests to fail. As a consequence, going live is significantly delayed.

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