Smoke Testing Meaning
Smoke testing is a type of software testing that is performed to ensure that the most important functionality of a software application is working correctly. It is usually performed early in the testing process, before detailed testing has begun.
The goal of smoke testing is to identify any major problems with the software as quickly as possible. If the software fails the smoke test, it is generally not tested further until the problem has been fixed.
Smoke testing is often used to test the build integrity of a software application. It is a way to quickly verify that the application is stable and can be tested further. Smoke tests are typically quick to execute and cover a broad range of functionality. They are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to provide a high-level overview of the application’s stability.
Smoke testing is often used in conjunction with other types of testing, such as unit testing, integration testing, and functional testing. It is a valuable tool for ensuring that the software is stable and ready for more detailed testing.
When do we do smoke testing
After software build: When a new build of a software system is created, smoke testing is used to quickly verify that the software can be installed, launched, and the basic functionality is working as expected.
After major changes: When major changes are made to the software system, such as adding new features or modifying existing ones, smoke testing is used to ensure that the critical functionality of the system is still working as intended.
Prior to regression testing: It is often performed before a full regression test to ensure that the basic functionality of the software system is still working as expected, and it is worthwhile to proceed with a full regression test.
After maintenance activities: Smoke testing is also used after maintenance activities, such as server upgrades or database backups, to ensure that the software system is still functional and ready for further testing.
How to do Smoke Testing ?
Identify the critical functionalities: The first step is to identify the critical functionalities of the software system that need to be verified during the smoke testing. These functionalities are usually the ones that are crucial to the software system’s overall performance and success.
Create a test plan: Next, create a test plan that outlines the specific steps and scenarios to be tested during the smoke testing. The test plan should include the expected behavior and the actual behavior of the software system for each critical functionality.
Set up the testing environment: Before performing smoke testing, ensure that the testing environment is set up correctly, including the software system, test environment, and any necessary tools or resources.
Execute the test cases: Run the test cases identified in the test plan to verify the critical functionalities of the software system. The focus should be on ensuring that the software system is working as expected for these critical functionalities.
Analyze the results: Analyze the results of the smoke testing to identify any issues or defects that may need to be addressed. If any critical functionality is not working correctly, it may indicate that the software system is not ready for further testing and development work.
Report the findings: Document the results of the smoke testing and report any defects or issues identified during the testing process to the development team for further action.
Sign-off: Once the this testing is completed and all critical functionalities are verified as working correctly, sign off on the testing process, and proceed with further testing.
Smoke Testing Example
- Launch the web application in a browser.
- Verify that the homepage loads correctly.
- Click on various links on the homepage to ensure that they work and do not produce any errors.
- Perform a search on the web application and verify that the results are returned as expected.
- Create a new account on the web application and verify that the account is created successfully.
- Log in to the newly created account and verify that the login is successful.
- Log out of the account and verify that the logout is successful.
Advantages:
Quick identification of major issues: It can quickly identify any major issues with an application, allowing teams to fix these issues before more extensive testing is done.
Reduced risk of failure: By identifying and fixing major issues early on, smoke testing can reduce the risk of the application failing during later stages of testing or after it has been released to the public.
Cost-effective: It is a quick and relatively simple process, making it a cost-effective way to ensure the quality of an application.
Improved customer satisfaction: By identifying and fixing major issues early on, smoke testing can help ensure that the application is of high quality when it is released to the public, leading to improved customer satisfaction.
Increased confidence in the application: By finding and fixing major issues early on, smoke testing can increase the confidence of the development team in the quality of the application.
Disadvantages :
Limited scope:It is a relatively high-level test that is designed to quickly identify major issues. As such, it may not catch all issues with an application, and more extensive testing may be needed to identify and fix more subtle issues.
False negatives: In some cases, this testing may not identify an issue that exists in the application. This is known as a false negative and can lead to the issue being missed until a later stage of testing.
Limited usefulness for large applications: It is generally more useful for smaller applications, as it may be difficult to determine which features are the most important for a large application.
Potential for human error: Like any testing process, smoke testing is subject to human error. Test cases may be written incorrectly, or the tests may be executed incorrectly, leading to incorrect results.
Time-consuming to set up: While smoke testing itself is relatively quick, setting up the test cases and determining which features are the most important to test can be time-consuming.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, smoke testing is a critical testing process that helps ensure that the most important functionalities of a software system are working correctly. It is a quick and straightforward process that can be performed early in the testing cycle to identify critical issues before more comprehensive testing is performed. By verifying the critical functionalities of the software system, smoke testing helps save time and resources, as it allows testers to focus on more complex areas of the software system.
Moreover, it helps to build confidence in the software system and ensure that it is ready for further testing and development work. Overall, this testing is an essential part of the testing process and should be performed systematically and methodically to ensure that all critical functionalities are verified effectively.