Functional testing is a type of testing that is performed as a part of software quality assurance (QA) to verify that each function of the software application operates according to the specified requirements. It focuses on testing what the software does and ensures that it performs the tasks it's supposed to do accurately and efficiently.
Functional testing validates software behaviour against requirements to ensure it meets users' expectations.
Different types of functional testing include:
- Unit Testing: - Tests individual units or components of the software in isolation. - Often performed by developers to verify that each unit works as expected. - Example: Testing a function or method within the code to ensure it produces the expected output for a given input.
- Integration Testing: - Checks interactions between different units/modules to ensure they work together as intended. - Validates interfaces and interactions between integrated components. - Example: Verifying that data passed between modules or systems is exchanged correctly.
- Smoke Testing: - Conducted to check the basic functionalities of the software to ensure stability before performing detailed testing. - Helps identify critical issues early in the testing cycle. - Example: Verifying if the software launches successfully and basic functions are accessible without major errors.
- System Testing: - Evaluates the behaviour of the entire system/software as a whole. - Validates whether the software meets specified requirements. - Example: Testing the complete functionality of an e-commerce website including user registration, product browsing, checkout process, etc.
- Regression Testing: - Verifies that recent changes or enhancements in the codebase have not adversely affected existing functionalities. - Repeatedly testing the unchanged parts of the software to ensure they still work after modifications. - Example: After implementing new features, conduct tests to ensure that previously working features haven't been negatively impacted.
- Acceptance Testing:
- Validates if the software meets the business requirements and is ready for release.
- Confirms that the software satisfies user needs and expectations.
- Example: Conducting user acceptance tests (UAT) where end-users verify if the software meets their business requirements.
Functional testing is crucial to verify software requirements. It helps identify issues early in development, reducing defects reaching end-users. reliability and meet end-user r
