Test Less but Test Smarter With Black Box

A) What is Black Box Testing:

Black Box Testing, also known as Behavioral Testing, is a software testing method in which the internal structure/ design/ implementation of the item being tested is not known to the tester. These tests can be functional or non-functional, though usually functional. This method is named so because the software program, in the eyes of the tester, is like a black box; inside which one cannot see. This method attempts to find errors in the following categories:

• Incorrect or missing functions
• Interface errors
• Errors in data structures or external database access
• Behavior or performance errors
• Initialization and termination errors

B.)  How is Black Box Helpful for Testers:

The testers having lack of knowledge of the internal structure can easily perform testing. These kinds of testers get a document or a brief that explains what software is supposed to do. Moreover, black box testing also avoids the need to have knowledge about the implementation details and is based on software specifications and requirements.

C.) Why is Black Box Testing used:

Black Box Testing primarily focuses on the inputs and outputs of the software system. Any system can act as a black box to test. It can be any custom application or OS or browser.

• Black Box Testing caters to the need to test the application based on programming language like Java.
• Java Black Box testing can help cover the maximum code using black box test cases.

D.) What are Black Box Testing Techniques:

Following are some of the techniques that are used for designing black box tests.

• Equivalence partitioning: It is a software test design technique that involves dividing input values into valid and invalid partitions and selecting representative values from each partition as test data.
• Boundary Value Analysis: It is a software test design technique that involves determination of boundaries for input values and selecting values that are at the boundaries and just inside/ outside of the boundaries as test data.
• Cause Effect Graphing: It is a software test design technique that involves identifying the cases (input conditions) and effects (output conditions), producing a Cause-Effect Graph, and generating test cases accordingly.

E.) What are the Tools used for Black Box Testing:

Black Box Testing Tools are mainly record and playback tools. These tools are used for regression testing that to check whether the new build has created any bug in previous working application functionality. These record and playback tools records test cases in the form of some scripts like that of  TSL, VB script, Java script, Perl.

F.) What are the advantages:

Black Box Testing also known as Behavioral Testing has the following advantages:

• Tests are done from a user’s point of view that help in exposing discrepancies in the specifications.
• Testers need not know programming languages or how the software has been implemented.
• Tests can be conducted by a body independent from the developers, allowing for an objective perspective and the avoidance of developer-bias.
• Test cases can be designed as soon as the specifications are completed.

G.) What are the disadvantages:

• Only a small number of possible inputs can be tested and many program paths will be left untested.
• Without clear specifications (which are the situation in many projects),the test cases will be difficult to design.
• Tests can be redundant if the software designer/ developer has already run a test case.