The visual elements of a modern web application play a vital role in creating the link between the end-users and the software interface. This is because by using all these elements like photos, videos, and GIFs, the users can navigate through the software interface and perform their basic actions. So, the testers must maintain the stability of all these elements irrespective of the hardware and software constraints that might come with various devices. Some modern testing processes that can assist in quality assurance testing involve regression testing, cross-browser testing, and automation testing. The app developers can also consider the prospect of integrating Agile methodologies with these test cases.
Defining a proper quality assurance testing plan is crucial for utilizing all the resources available in the testing environment. So with this article, we are going to guide developers and testers through the process of planning their quality assurance testing approach.
The Trends in Modern App Testing
The modern app development industry has adapted itself to keep up with the changing industry standards and rising demands of the end users. For instance, modern apps must be accessible on multiple devices like desktops, smartphones, and even smartwatches. Moreover, the end users prefer apps that can perform multiple actions simultaneously. So to incorporate all these additional functionalities, the developers must introduce multiple complexities in the app infrastructure. These complexities could lead to several errors and bugs during the mobile app testing process.
The app developers can efficiently deal with these issues by integrating modern testing methodologies like automation testing. Automation testing is a process of automatically running multiple test instances using a series of pre-written testing parameters. While using automation testing, the developers can include multiple data sets, user statistics, and other variables to improve the testing accuracy. By properly using automation testing, the app companies can verify the usability, stability, and ease of user interaction on the application.
To properly analyze the role of automation testing in modern application development and testing infrastructure, we can go through the following features:
- As automation testing requires minimal involvement of human developers, it can run almost 24 hours around the clock, even on non-business days. So, the proper use of automation testing can massively boost the efficiency of the testing environment. It also reduces the risks of errors that can arise due to human involvement.
- Using automation testing, the system can automatically execute repetitive testing instances like regression testing, data analysis testing, and unit testing. By saving the time required for all these testing instances, the app developers can develop new features for future app updates.
- Automation testing also allows the integration of dedicated tools for improving the quality of the app that is currently being developed. While using this process, the app developers can also integrate 3rd party libraries and dependencies as per their preferences.
- The proper use of test automation can also help to save a lot of company time and resources. For instance, in the long run, the app companies can eliminate the requirements of setting up and maintaining an in-house human testing team.
Defining the Perfect Quality Assurance Plan
To assist the new testers and developers, we have mentioned some of the most important steps required for creating the perfect quality assurance testing plan:
1. Defining the Scope And Purpose of the App
The Scope of the app is very important to create the test cases. Some of the decisive factors include the target audience, apps used in the development, and the intentions for the app. The developers should also consider the future update prospects for the app and plan accordingly.
2. Finding the Key Testing Objectives
Before creating the test plan, it is very important to lay down the objectives for the testing process. Some of the most crucial testing parameters include security, reliability, and performance.
3. Selecting the Standards for Quality Testing
While creating the QA Testing plan, the developers should consider the app certifications and standard impositions. ISO is an important standard that developers must impose on their apps. Certain countries are very strict about their certifications and can completely ban the app if the developers fail to comply.
4. Defining the Responsibilities of the QA Team
QA Team members will be responsible for verifying the performance of all the elements present in the application. Modern apps consist of thousands of different UI elements that need to be verified individually. So, QA team members must be aware of their responsibilities and how to collaborate among themselves to ensure a smooth QA testing process.
5. Identifying the Metrics for QA Testing
Before beginning QA testing, the developers must have a proper idea of all the metrics they will use for this process. Some of the most important parameters include code coverage, defect rates, test pass rates, and other relevant metrics. The developers must implement all these parameters to analyze the app’s functioning and ensure it is ready to be forwarded to the production phase.
6. Creating the Test Plan
Now, it is time to create a test plan that will cover the approach for the developers in the quality assurance testing process. We would advise the app companies to include not only the development and testing teams in this process but also the production and business teams. This will help to create a basic awareness of the current status of the app development project. In this plan, the developer should also include their backup procedure in case of any error and the required tools for the test case.
7. Establishing the Procedures for Quality Control
It is very important to establish the procedures to be implemented for ensuring proper quality control like regular audits, inspections, and reviewing the core infrastructure of the application. This process will also ensure that the application code is up to date according to the modern standards of the app development industry.
8. Defining the Procedure for Issue Reporting and Resolution
While creating the quality assurance plan, the developers must also have proper plans for handling various issues that might arise during the testing process. They can include dedicated bug tracking and test management tools like Jira. There are also various cloud platforms like LambdaTest that provide dedicated solutions for generating high-quality test cases, test reports, and debugging procedures.
9. Use of Documentation and Reporting
The quality assurance testers must maintain high-quality documents about various testing procedures and communications. This will help them to regularly report to the stakeholders on the current status of the app development project. This report should also contain all the required information about the currently running, passed, and even failed test cases.
10. Training the QA Testers
It is very important for app development companies to properly train the quality assurance testers to deal with all the scenarios, expectations, and requirements of the app development project. It is also important to choose the correct testers with the required knowledge, experience, and expertise for the project. The testers need to implement a feedback cycle to understand the requirements of the trainees and customize the training process accordingly.
11. Approval and Final Implementation
After creating the quality assurance test plan, the testers must present it before the company managers, stakeholders, and other senior staff to receive the final approval. Now, it is finally time to implement the QA plan for monitoring the effectiveness of the testing project throughout the development life cycle. During this process, we would also advise the developers to closely monitor the functioning of the test cases and report any abnormality as soon as they appear in the test infrastructure.
12. Final Reporting
After completing the app development project, the developers must create a final quality assurance report summarizing all the lessons learned and the outcomes of the QA testing process. This report can be used as a reference for future projects and also for internal reporting purposes.
LambdaTest and How it Helps in Regression Testing
LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform that lets you run manual and automated tests at scale with over 3000+ real devices, browsers, and OS combinations. It is not only an average testing platform – it’s a cutting-edge cloud-based solution designed to assist with cross-browser testing of web applications. With an impressive array of advanced features and tools, LambdaTest makes regression testing a breeze, ensuring that any updates or changes to your code won’t have a negative impact on the functionality of your web application. Let us see how beneficial LambdaTest can be in your regression testing process.
- Cross-Browser Testing
LambdaTest offers a seamless way to test your website on top browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, and more. Plus, it’s the perfect solution for regression testing as it uncovers any browser-specific issues and helps you troubleshoot them effectively.
- Browser Version Compatibility
Regarding regression testing, it is important to ensure compatibility with various browser versions. With LambdaTest, you have access to a wide range of browser versions, allowing for comprehensive testing of your application across multiple releases.
- Test Script Execution
With seamless integration with widely-used test automation frameworks such as Selenium, LambdaTest empowers you to execute your automated regression test scripts on their platform effortlessly. This offers comprehensive browser coverage, guaranteeing uniform behavior across different browsers.
- Visual Regression Testing
LambdaTest’s visual regression testing feature is crucial for accurately detecting any inadvertent visual alterations that may occur between various iterations of your website. Such discrepancies, which may go unnoticed through traditional functional testing, are a key concern during regression testing.
- Parallel Execution for Speed
At LambdaTest, you can effortlessly perform parallel testing to run regression tests simultaneously, significantly reducing overall testing time. This is critical for swiftly confirming that any modifications have not negatively impacted your current functionality.
- Snapshot Comparison
LambdaTest takes snapshots of your application while it’s being tested, allowing you to compare the current version with the previous version visually. This feature helps you quickly pinpoint any visual or layout changes that may have happened.
- Responsive Design Testing
Regarding regression testing, it’s crucial to verify that code alterations maintain the desired level of app responsiveness. Thanks to LambdaTest’s array of emulators and tools, you can effortlessly test your application’s reaction to different screen sizes and resolutions.
- Bug Tracking and Collaboration for Regression Issues
Experience seamless teamwork and enhanced communication with LambdaTest’s dynamic bug tracking and collaboration features. This platform facilitates effortless resolution of issues discovered during regression testing by enabling you to capture screenshots and annotate problems for improved collaboration.
With the help of these features, LambdaTest enables teams to perform extensive regression testing, effectively verifying that any new code changes do not have a negative impact on the current functionality of their web applications on various browsers and versions.
Conclusion
All the steps that we discussed in this article will allow the developers to create a comprehensive quality assurance testing plan. It is also important to understand the importance of automation testing in the modern app development industry. So, to keep up with rising demands, the developer should learn all the new additions and integrations in these segments. It is also important to closely monitor the requirements of the target audience and customize the application for wide coverage. Lastly, the developers must remember the exact QA plan will vary depending on the specific requirements of the app development project. So, customizing the plan according to the project is one of the most crucial factors for ensuring the success of the development plan.
