In the last tutorial, we had a discussion about Smoke Testing, its uses, the importance of Smoke Testing, benefits, and informal, and formal Smoke testing.
To know more about Smoke Testing, please visit the following link:
As we know, Smoke testing, also known as build verification testing, can be used as a verification method to ensure that the product is stable and 100% functional. In other words, it is the easiest method available to test all the functions of an app.
Let’s move on…
So in this tutorial, we are going to discuss how to perform Smoke Testing, and different ways to perform Smoke Testing.
How to perform Smoke Testing?
The approach to smoke testing is not a right or wrong one, and strategies can vary from organization to organization.
As time goes on, your organization will form a unique approach to smoke testing. You may want to consider using the following steps to implement smoke tests in your production environment.
Step 1. Determine the number of smoke test cases you will require.
Before you begin, you should identify the test cases you want to analyze. The test cases you choose should give you a good idea of the product’s core functions.
You also want to avoid testing features that are less important than the others. Therefore, it is a good idea to be selective when running test cases.
Step 2. Build Smoke Tests.
Once you have identified the smoke tests you want to run, the next step is to write test scripts for them. Ideally, you should always use a single script for smoke testing. Using a single script increases testing flexibility.
Step 3. Run Smoke Tests.
The next step is to run smoke tests on your build after you create them. Once this is complete, you can proceed with analyzing the results.
Step 4. Analyze smoke tests.
If the build passes your smoke test, you can move it to the functional team for testing. The test can be sent back for rework if it is a failure.
It is obvious that teams often run multiple smoke tests during a development cycle. So don’t be afraid to ask your developers to make changes to your product.
During the analysis stage, it is important to adjust your expectations to your own requirements.
Different ways to perform Smoke Testing
Organizations usually start with manual smoke testing. This involves checking to ensure that the roadmap does not negatively impact core functions. The software should be returned to the developers for further iteration if there are underlying issues.
The process repeats until the software is inspected. Automated testing typically comes into play after you define a set of smoke tests. Smoke tests can be automated to run large numbers of tests at a time and shorten the testing process before the software goes to QA.
Limitations of Smoke Testing
There are a few limitations that you should be aware of when testing smoke. Here are some of the limitations mentioned below:
- Smoke testing requires proper documentation, which is why a specialized testing team is required.
- If a software build is not stable, it can sometimes be a waste of time to smoke-test it.
- If the application has some minor changes, it is not worth doing a full smoke test of the whole application.
- The tests will not be run against invalid input or negative test cases.
- You may find critical issues arise in integration and system testing even after testing the whole application for bugs.
- It’s important to eliminate any bugs or issues left in smoke testing before moving on to the next phase.
- Smoke testing is fully scripted, so special manpower is needed.