What is Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)?

Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) is the process of testing software applications throughout their development cycle to ensure that they meet the required quality standards. It is an essential process that ensures the functionality, performance, security, and usability of the software.

STLC includes several stages that a software product must go through before it is released to the market. These stages include planning, preparation, execution, and reporting. The first stage, planning, involves identifying the scope of testing, determining the test objectives, and defining the testing strategies and test plans. The preparation stage involves developing test cases, test data, and test environments, and preparing the test scripts. The execution stage involves executing the test scripts and analyzing the results. The reporting stage involves preparing test reports and communicating the test results to the stakeholders.

STLC is essential for any software development project, as it ensures that the software meets quality standards and is free from defects. It helps to identify and resolve defects early in the development process, reducing the cost of fixing defects later in the development cycle.

STLC also helps to ensure that the software is delivered on time and within budget, as it enables the project team to monitor and control the testing activities. By following the STLC process, digital businesses can ensure that their products are of high quality, reliable, and meet the needs of their customers.

STLC vs. SDLC: Key Differences

Here are seven key differences between the two models:

Purpose:

The primary purpose of SDLC is to guide the development of software from its inception to its deployment, while STLC is focused on testing and validating the software during the development cycle.

Activities:

SDLC consists of a series of stages or phases, such as requirement gathering, design, coding, testing, deployment, and maintenance. In contrast, STLC is focused specifically on testing activities, including test planning, test design, test execution, and defect management.

Scope:

SDLC covers the entire software development process, from requirements gathering to maintenance, while STLC is focused only on the testing phase.

Deliverables:

SDLC produces a variety of deliverables, including project plans, design documents, source code, and user manuals. In contrast, STLC produces test plans, test cases, test reports, and defect reports.

Approach:

SDLC is a more comprehensive approach to software development, while STLC is a narrower and more focused approach to testing.

Timing:

SDLC is an end-to-end process that spans the entire software development cycle, while STLC is a subset of SDLC that focuses only on the testing phase.

Flexibility:

SDLC is more flexible and can be adapted to different software development projects, while STLC is a more rigid process that is focused solely on testing activities.

Overall, SDLC and STLC are two complementary processes that work together to ensure the successful development and deployment of software. While SDLC covers the entire software development process, STLC focuses specifically on testing and validating the software during the development cycle.

Key Phases of STLC

There are several phases involved in the STLC, and the key phases are:

Requirement Analysis:

In this phase, the software requirements are analyzed and documented. This involves understanding the client’s requirements, identifying the scope of the project, and determining the testing objectives.

Test Planning:

In this phase, the testing team prepares a test plan that outlines the approach, resources, and schedule for the testing process. This includes identifying the testing types, techniques, tools, and environments to be used, as well as defining the roles and responsibilities of the team members.

Test Design:

In this phase, the testing team designs the test cases, scenarios, and scripts based on the requirements and test plan. This includes identifying the input data, expected outcomes, and validation criteria for each test case.

Test Execution:

In this phase, the testing team executes the test cases, scenarios, and scripts according to the test plan. This involves running the tests and recording the results, as well as identifying and reporting defects.

Test Reporting:

In this phase, the testing team prepares test reports that summarize the testing process and results. This includes documenting the test cases executed, defects found, and overall quality of the software product.

Test Closure:

In this phase, the testing team evaluates the testing process and the software product against the testing objectives and criteria. This involves reviewing the test reports, identifying areas for improvement, and making recommendations for future testing activities.

Role of STLC in SDLC

STLC is a subset of SDLC that focuses on testing activities within the software development process. The STLC is an essential component of SDLC, as it ensures the quality and reliability of the software application being developed.

The primary role of STLC in SDLC is to ensure that the software application meets the functional and non-functional requirements specified during the requirement analysis phase of SDLC. The STLC helps to identify defects and errors in the software application, ensuring that they are detected and corrected before the application is released into the market. This process helps to reduce the cost of fixing defects and errors that may be discovered after the application has been released to the end-users.

The STLC also helps to ensure that the software application is delivered on time and within budget. By identifying defects and errors early in the development process, the STLC helps to minimize delays in the software development process. This, in turn, helps to ensure that the software application is delivered on time and within budget, which is critical to the success of any software development project.

Best Practices of STLC for DevOps-driven Businesses

With the emergence of DevOps-driven businesses, the role of STLC has become even more critical. Here are seven best practices of STLC for DevOps-driven businesses:

Shift-left testing:

The shift-left approach is a DevOps practice that involves testing early in the software development life cycle (SDLC). STLC should be aligned with the shift-left approach, where testing starts in the requirements gathering phase itself. This helps identify defects and issues early in the process, reducing the cost of fixing them later.

Automated testing:

DevOps-driven businesses rely heavily on automation, and STLC is no exception. Automated testing helps reduce the testing time and allows for frequent and faster releases. Automated tests should be created as part of the development process, and the tests should be integrated with the CI/CD pipeline.

Continuous testing:

Continuous testing is an integral part of the DevOps pipeline. It involves running automated tests at every stage of the pipeline, including development, testing, staging, and production. Continuous testing helps identify defects and issues early, allowing for quicker resolution.

Test environment management:

Test environment management is crucial in DevOps-driven businesses as it involves multiple environments, including development, testing, staging, and production. It is essential to manage the test environment effectively, ensuring that it is identical to the production environment.

Collaborative testing:

Collaboration between developers, testers, and operations teams is crucial in DevOps-driven businesses. Collaborative testing involves working together to identify issues and defects, enabling quicker resolution.

Performance testing:

Performance testing is essential in DevOps-driven businesses as it helps ensure that the application meets the performance requirements. Performance testing should be automated, and the tests should be run continuously to ensure that the application can handle the expected load.

Security testing:

Security testing is essential in DevOps-driven businesses as it helps ensure that the application is secure. Security testing should be automated, and the tests should be run continuously to identify security vulnerabilities early.

In summary, DevOps-driven businesses require STLC practices that are aligned with the shift-left approach, automated, continuous, collaborative, and include performance and security testing. Implementing these best practices can help ensure that software products meet the high standards required in DevOps-driven businesses.

Conclusion

STLC, or Software Testing Life Cycle, is a structured approach to software testing that helps ensure the quality of software products before they are released to the market. It involves a series of testing phases, each with its own set of objectives and deliverables. By following a well-defined testing process, STLC helps ensure that software products are thoroughly tested and free from defects before they are released to customers. This leads to higher customer satisfaction and fewer issues with the product in the long run. Hence, it is evident that following an STLC approach to software testing can help digital businesses improve the quality of software products, reduce costs, increase efficiency, promote better collaboration, and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.

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