Functional testing is a type of software testing in which software is tested against functional requirements/specifications with the intention to find bugs and defects. It is different from system testing as functional testing verifies a program by checking it against the design document, while system testing validates a program by checking it against the published user or system requirement.
Six Steps Of Functional Testing
- The identification of functions that the software is expected to perform,
- The creation of input data set based on the function’s specifications,
- The determination of output based on the function’s specifications,
- The execution of the test case,
- The comparison of the actual and expected output, and
- To check whether the application works as per the customer’s needs.
Types Of Functional Testing
There are four main types of functional testing, namely smoke testing, sanity testing, regression testing and user acceptance testing. Each type is briefly discussed below:
- Smoke Testing
This type of testing is conducted to check the stability of a built. It is the initial phase of testing to ensure whether a build is in a testable condition or not. - Integration Testing
A type of testing where software modules or components are integrated together and tested as a whole. - Regression Testing
Regression testing is conducted after any modification to the application under test. The main focus of regression testing is to verify that the modifications have not broken any functionality that had been previously working. - User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
UAT is performed by the end users/client to verify whether the system is working as per the given requirements or not. In other words, software is tested in the ‘real world’ by the intended audience.
Functional testing is a key element for enhancing the quality of the developed software. The risk of releasing a new product without rigorous quality assurance has greater implications now than ever before due to the ever-changing expectations and demands of the end users. Finding experienced and independent software testers, who are not biased by the development unit, is crucial to the success of a quality product.
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