We’ve spoken before about how critical testing is at the end of any software development project. Software testing is something you should never skip after months of hard work. However, when presented with the choice of white-box testing and black-box testing, you might be wondering which is the best option for your project.
Keep reading as we discover the differences between these two testing options. Our team will be here to recommend the best testing for our next collaboration to ensure your software is fully functioning at all times. You could also consider a combination of the two options, which will offer you a powerful way of testing in the future.
What is black-box testing?
Let’s begin our comparison of the two testing options by looking at black-box testing. Black-box testing is broken down into three types of testing: functional, non-functional, and regression testing. The main aim of this type of testing is to reduce the chance of an emergency in the future. If your system crashed, you would know that you have a backup in place thanks to black-box testing.
The different types of black-box testing
Each of the three different types of black-box testing works differently. We’ll ensure that we choose the right type of testing for any project we work on, which will help to ensure your software is fully functioning before its released to the world.
Functional black-box testing
Functional black-box testing allows testers to check a piece of software without even knowing how it performs certain actions. Each piece of software we create is made from modules, which come together to create the software. We can test each of these modules one at a time. Instead of testing the finished software and finding endless bugs, we’ll know that there are no bugs in each component before they come together.
Black-box testing works with a list of valid and individual inputs. There should also be boundary cases, and these will showcase the expected outputs of any given action. By testing a wide range of different issues, you’ll find that we can see if inputs return the value we expect. Of course, our team will be here to help with black-box testing. We don’t expect you to conduct this yourself, which is why we always recommend discussing testing at the start of any project.
Non-functional testing
Non-functional testing focuses on other expected behaviours, which might include screen flow, network traffic, and response times. When we conduct non-functional black-box testing, we’ll set up a simulated test environment. From there, we can see how systems will perform when we apply pressure to them. These tests are automated, which helps to save time and energy on this project.
Regression testing
The final type of black-box testing we use is regression testing. This is testing of the whole system and would incorporate both functional and non-functional testing. When we adjust something in one module, we have to ensure it does not impact anything else within the software. We can also automate this process, which saves a lot of time when it comes to black-box testing at the end of our work.
White-box testing – what is it?
To help you decide whether black or white-box testing is the best option for your next project, you’ll want to learn about white-box testing as well. This is when we test the internal structure of the software module. We are referring to testing the code that we use in the software, which should be done alongside black-box testing.
There are a few reasons to conduct white-box testing alongside black-box testing. Firstly, we do this for security reasons. Code can often be unsafe and may result in data leaks or major issues for your business. By fixing inefficiencies after white-box testing, we can ensure we configure your software in the best way possible.
White-box testing helps to improve performance efficiency, and we’ll check all of the paths and data flows within a piece of software. White-box testing works to examine the inner paths and check they are functioning properly. This will ensure that we meet system requirements every time. There are many reasons for conducting white-box testing, which is why we recommend a combination of black-box and white-box testing for most projects.
The best solution – use a combination of white-box and black-box testing
For most software development projects that we work on, we would recommend using a combination of white-box and black-box testing. Black-box testing can’t be skipped on any project. We need to do this to ensure your system is working as expected. This is something we will always do before launching a piece of software. The good thing about black-box testing is that you need very little coding experience. You are looking more at how the system works instead of dealing with the inner workings of the code.
White-box testing is something you’ll need to leave to the professionals. A knowledgeable programmer will use the right tools to conduct this complex type of testing. However, we recommend outsourcing this work to ensure your software is working properly. You’ll find that the extra time you allocate for testing pays off in the long run. The more time you spend testing your software, the more likely you’ll be to have a fully functioning solution for your business. Software development is something that companies invest a lot of time and money in. For that reason, never skip out on testing at the end of this work.
BSPOKE Software will be happy to discuss testing before starting work on any software development project. Contact us today for more information about working together and testing your current software to resolve any issues you are currently facing.
