Software Testing questions and Answers 1

Today I am going to answer some reader’s questions. Actually I am thinking to start a weekly column on “Software Testing Questions and Answers”. Usually I get dozens of mails daily asking me on some software testing queries. Instead of answering them privately I will put them collectively in posts so that many similar questions of other readers will also get addressed. You can submit your questions in comment sections of posts. Before submitting question I will strongly recommend you to search here on this site if your queries are answered previously.

So I will kick it with some questions in this post.

Shivika asks:
“I have been given the assignment to test a UI based application page. They want me to break the functionality in any way. The first page is Sign up page containing fields like username password, email, url address field and some check box selection options . I have tried all the ways in which I can test the page. Can you also please suggest that what can be possible ways in which we can test the page?”

I will cover some major negative test cases to break the sign up page:

1) See the limit of username field. I mean the data type of this field in DB and the field size. Try adding more characters to this field than the field size limit. See how application respond to this.
2) Repeat above case for number fields. Insert number beyond the field storage capacity. This is typically a boundary test.
3) For username field try adding numbers and special characters in various combinations. (Characters like !@#$%^&*()_+}{”:?><,./;’[]). If not allowed specific message should be displayed to the user.
4) Try above special character combination for all the input fields on your sign up page having some validations. Like Email address field, URL field validations etc.
5) Many applications crash for the input field containing ‘ (single quote) and ” (double quote) examples field like: “Vijay’s web”. Try it in all the input fields one by one.
6) Try adding only numbers to input fields having validation to enter only characters and vice versa.
7) If URL validation is there then see different rules for url validation and add urls not fitting to the rules to observe the system behavior.
Example urls like: vijay.com/?q=vijay’s!@#$%^&*()_+}{”:?><,./;’[]web_page
Also add urls containing http:// and https:// while inserting into url input box.
8 ) If your sign up page is of some steps like step 1 step 2 etc. then try changing parameter values directly into browser address bar. Many times urls are formatted with some parameters to maintain proper user steps. Try altering all those parameters directly without doing anything actually on the sign up page.
9) Do some monkey testing manually or automating (i.e. Insert whatever comes in mind or random typing over keyboard) you will come up with some observations.
10) See if any page is showing JavaScript error either at the browser left bottom corner or enable the browser settings to display popup message to any JavaScript error.

These are all the negative test cases. I assume that you already tested the same sign up page with all valid cases to check application is working fine as per requirements.

If above cases are not breaking the application page then don’t forget to praise the developer

If you have some killer test cases to break such applications that you learned from your experience, you can specify them in comments below.

Jayant asks:
“Normally freshers pass out have a state of their mind as “we are freshers”, recently pass outs from college and expect that the companies to recruit them should consider the knowledge base they have and further should impact them training. In true terms what is meant by fresher for an industry?”

Good question. When I was fresher I was thinking on the similar lines. But think from employer point of view. Employer will think like “Why should we hire candidates having little knowledge base and experience? and need training first before assigning any work? Well, fortunately not all employers think like this and that’s why frehsers are getting the jobs and training on the board. Thanks to the booming IT industry. Demand will continue for freshers having good educational background and appropriate problem solving skill.

Tremendous growth in number of engineering colleges resulted in significant increase in number of graduates passing out each year. And the gap is also increasing between the skill of graduates and the expectations of the companies.

Now I will focus on what industry look specifically in fresh graduates? Typically it will include:

• Problem solving and Analytical skill
• Technical skills
• Communication and interpersonal skill
• Leadership skill
• Extra activities like foreign languages, organization skills etc.

So it will be always better if you try to achieve any experience or skill before trying for any graduate jobs. You are one step ahead than those freshers having no experience at all.

This work experience typically includes:
Internship -
Internship work done in any company during or after the graduation. It may be free or paid internship

Sandwich courses -
In some courses industrial training is included in curriculum itself. It is typically of 6 months to 1 year in most of the universities. You can include this project training in your resume.

Special skill achievements through classes or companies:
Training taken from some institute or companies can be included in your work experience.

Projects:
Projects accomplished for commercial or research purpose. These are the paid or certification projects accomplished for companies during the graduation years.

All above-mentioned work will definitely count as a experience as you get actual idea of company, team work and company working culture. Find out your skill areas and what you can offer to employer before hunting for jobs. Companies always look for all-rounded candidates who can effectively utilize their skill into projects from universities, experience and extra activities.