What Is Functional Software Testing And Why Is It Needed?

Each software has to undergo a series of special tests to guarantee that it is performing well. Functional software testing is one of the key trials you should put your application, site, or program through. Each piece of software has certain functional requirements written on paper, and it is up to developers to make the actual product comply with them. Functional testing is necessary to ensure that the app or website meets the expectations. To receive the best results and have your software tested efficiently, it is recommended to involve professional functional testing services.

What is evaluated during functionality testing? 

QA specialists are the ones who work with functionality testing when it comes to evaluating a piece of software. There is a set of things that have to be tested thoroughly to ensure your software meets all functionality requirements. Modern companies often use the expertise of QA outsourcing teams to achieve the best results. Functional testing provided by experienced testers covers the following issues:

• Key functionality – testing the main functions of an app or website;
• Usability – evaluating the basic usability of the software. This is necessary for finding out whether a user can utilize the program easily and efficiently;
• Accessibility testing – checking whether the software is accessible for the target user;
• Error testing – this type of testing ensures that in case any error occurs, an appropriate error message appears on the screen.

Performing various tests is a crucial part of the QA process. Some Quality Assurance metrics examples include the number of passed or failed tests, the number of bugs found during testing, the number of hours dedicated to testing, etc. 

How does this process work?

The process of software and web application testing follows a similar pattern every time. Here is how functional software testing generally works:

• Read about the features this software requires and find out what functions need to be checked.
• Create input data based on the functionality requirements.
• Establish the required output based on these specifications for each feature.
• Execute test cases.
• Compare the received outputs with your expected results.

Functional testing focuses on the ability of your software to perform a certain task, as opposed to non-functional testing, which concerns the software performance as a whole. This type of testing does not look at the processes themselves but evaluates their results.

The advantages of functional testing

Functional testing is crucial for the success of your software. It is always better to consult with a software testing agency before releasing your product. Here are the key benefits of functional testing:

• This testing ensures that your software does not have defects.
• It guarantees customer satisfaction when the software reaches its user.
• This process ensures that every single feature of the software operates smoothly and efficiently.
• Security of your software is essential, and functional testing contributes to the overall safety of the program or site tested.
• It reduces the amount of risk and financial losses that might occur due to the software being flawed.

To put it simply, functional testing is something you need to do to make sure that your software is a high-quality product without defects.

Types of functional testing

There are a few different techniques of functional testing applied in different situations: 

• Black box. The functionality is tested without diving into the program code itself or other internal processes. This type of testing is based solely on the requirements for the software.
• Smoke tests. A number of tests are conducted before going through more precise testing. The main goal of this testing is to ensure that each separate feature operates correctly before testing them all together.
• Integration tests. This testing checks whether the software operates correctly when integrated with other programs.
• White box. It involves knowing everything about the program’s code and testing its functionality. This type of testing is usually performed at earlier stages, while black box tests go afterward.
• User acceptance. This is the last stage of testing, which involves actual users evaluating the software. It is needed to verify that the software operates perfectly in real-life scenarios while still complying with all the requirements.

Regardless of the type of software you are working with, it must go through professional functional testing. This type of testing basically verifies that specific software meets all specifications and works as it should. Make sure to involve a powerful QA team to make your software flawless.