In the software testing world, every tester tries to optimize the validation's manpower. The normal practice is using Black Box Testing to optimize their test cases which will be used as guideline when you validate your software.
Black Box Testing
Black Box Testing is a method which testers use for test case design to reduce the testing manpower when they have no idea about software's internal algorithm. Testers only know the input and its expected output from the software which is based on specification.
The advantage of Black Box Testing is:
- Test Cases can be designed as soon as specifications are ready.
- Programming skill is not required. Business user can involve easily.
- Help to identify ambiguity and contradiction in specifications.
Pairwise Testing (All-pairs testing)
In this article, I will introduce you to the Pairwise Testing (All-pairs testing) which can help you design the validation for a feature that related to many inputs. The key idea of this technique is "The most bugs in software are introduced by a single input parameter. The next one is introduced by interaction between pairs of input parameters." So, Pairwise Testing (All-pairs testing) is initiated for finding these bugs which is used to design test cases for validating all possible combinations of each pair of input parameters. The number of test cases will be less than validating all possible combinations.
Someone may have question why we do not validate only single input parameter. Yes, you may do that way. However, it is up to your software's feature. Let's imagine if we have to validate MS Excel's formula which contains 10 input parameters which are used together to calculate for the result. Do you still use single input parameter? No, you can't. Then, someone may ask why we don't validate all possible input parameters. It will take too much manpower and this is why we need to use Pairwise Testing (All-pairs testing) to reduce testing manpower.
To get the list of test cases for software validation we need to use some algorithm to extract them because it is hard to do manually. There are many available free tools and commercial tools on the internet that can help you for this purpose.
I hope that this article will help you have more idea about this design method which can improve your software validation activity and discover hidden bugs easily.
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Related source: Basic concept: Black Box Technique: Pairwise Testing (All-pairs testing)
Danai Ongvuttivate
My personal blog: Testing A Software
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