How To Perform Comparison Of Software Versions?
Any web site testing, desktop testing or mobile testing involves many different testing activities. It may be necessary to compare various versions of an application.
Usually test results of the previous software version are compared with the results of the latest version. Sometimes the parallels are drawn between more than two versions. As most modern applications are big and sophisticated the process of versions comparison is often automated.
It is quit difficult task to automate software versions comparison. Off-the-shelf tools may not be compatible with all the system versions and elements of their environments. It takes much resource and time to elaborate custom instruments for the each version under test.
A good solution for such problem is application of test-tool adapters. They enable using the same tool for all the software versions. A test-tool adapter adjusts an application to the instrument, so there will be needed an adapter for each version.
Automated testing is usually applied to the back-end of the system, to its code. A software testing company affirms that it is hard and unprofitable to automate user interface testing. Automation of such testing activities has a high risk of reporting false positives and low processing rate. It often results in waste of time and efforts.
So, in most cases it is better to perform user interface testing manually.
A test tool with an adapter performs the same test-cases against the software logic of every application version under test. Results of every test-case are recorded in results files that are of the same format for all the versions.
When all the systems are checked the results are compared. For this purpose custom instrument is often elaborated. The instrument reads the result files, compares the results and notifies when finds differences or errors.
Automation of software versions comparison can save much time but it requires careful planning and significant preparatory works.
When Automating Comparison of Application Versions It Is Necessary:
1. To Elaborate Needed Test Cases
Development of sufficient number of test cases providing sufficient test coverage is a labor-consuming work. It may be needed to select suitable tests from millions of possible variants. So, one should apply appropriate techniques, methods and instruments to do it.
2. Think Over Input Data and the Point from Which the Testing will Begin for Each Version
Testing of each version must start from the same point and the same input data should be used. In this case it will be possible to compare the received results.
3. To Create the Algorithm of Recording and Comparison of the Results
The mechanism of recording, storing, managing and evaluating the results should be thoroughly thought over and implemented.
Drawing parallels between software versions is an efficient method of finding defects in the new application version. That is why a software testing company often applies it.
Usually test results of the previous software version are compared with the results of the latest version. Sometimes the parallels are drawn between more than two versions. As most modern applications are big and sophisticated the process of versions comparison is often automated.
It is quit difficult task to automate software versions comparison. Off-the-shelf tools may not be compatible with all the system versions and elements of their environments. It takes much resource and time to elaborate custom instruments for the each version under test.
A good solution for such problem is application of test-tool adapters. They enable using the same tool for all the software versions. A test-tool adapter adjusts an application to the instrument, so there will be needed an adapter for each version.
Automated testing is usually applied to the back-end of the system, to its code. A software testing company affirms that it is hard and unprofitable to automate user interface testing. Automation of such testing activities has a high risk of reporting false positives and low processing rate. It often results in waste of time and efforts.
So, in most cases it is better to perform user interface testing manually.
A test tool with an adapter performs the same test-cases against the software logic of every application version under test. Results of every test-case are recorded in results files that are of the same format for all the versions.
When all the systems are checked the results are compared. For this purpose custom instrument is often elaborated. The instrument reads the result files, compares the results and notifies when finds differences or errors.
Automation of software versions comparison can save much time but it requires careful planning and significant preparatory works.
When Automating Comparison of Application Versions It Is Necessary:
1. To Elaborate Needed Test Cases
Development of sufficient number of test cases providing sufficient test coverage is a labor-consuming work. It may be needed to select suitable tests from millions of possible variants. So, one should apply appropriate techniques, methods and instruments to do it.
2. Think Over Input Data and the Point from Which the Testing will Begin for Each Version
Testing of each version must start from the same point and the same input data should be used. In this case it will be possible to compare the received results.
3. To Create the Algorithm of Recording and Comparison of the Results
The mechanism of recording, storing, managing and evaluating the results should be thoroughly thought over and implemented.
Drawing parallels between software versions is an efficient method of finding defects in the new application version. That is why a software testing company often applies it.
