In the world of software testing, there are many methods that can be used in software quality assurance. Testing the entire system as a whole is a common practice before the final release; however, testing each component individually is equally important. Such tests that involve the smallest part of the system to be tested are called unit tests. A unit test can take any form like a method or a class.
Unit tests can be very helpful in simple as well as complex scenarios. In the simplest of situations where a correct username and an incorrect password is provided for a “login service,” unit test can be used to validate the password. If the test fails to validate the password, the system is expected to return the “Invalid password” message. Here, the idea of unit testing lies in isolating the “login” service from the system.
There are various components involved in a unit test operation, which get the things go in the right way. However, the three most essential pillars have been discussed below.
Constancy
Trustworthiness is the key factor while performing unit testing. If you don’t trust it, then there is no point in performing it. A successful test always gives you confidence; however, you must know when it’s not working as expected. In such situations you can make some changes and then run the tests. Here, the red-green refactor cycle should be enough to ensure the test outcome. If all the tests turn out to be green, it ensures that the module is fine and you need not have to check it any differently.
Maintainability
Tests need to be maintained in the same way as the production code. A change in the production code might affect some of your tests. This raises serious concern, as the tests need more attention in most cases.
Public methods like contracts need to be tested more. This would reduce a considerable amount of time spent on maintenance. Moreover, if you specify a few contracts, these are less likely to be changed as frequently as the private methods. However, testing a private method is a bad design sign and is not at all considered good.
Another important thing is to remove duplication. This can be followed by moving dynamic parts at a different place. This can be easily accomplished by using the common test “set up” method or the factory method. The tests can be split into further classes if a different “set up” is required.
Readability
You need to read as well as understand the specifications. Being an executable blueprint, the readability factor helps in naming convention.
The above-mentioned points could prove to be helpful in creating and performing better unit tests. This would assist in bringing success to your software QA testing process.
