Software testing tools can be defined as the tools that are used to test the software. Software testing tools are incorporated during the software testing process to guarantee performance, thoroughness, and firmness in testing the software products. Integration and unit testing is performed by these tools. The tools are incorporated to realize all the needs of planned testing activities. In addition to this, these tools perform as commercial software testing tools. The software quality is assessed with the assistance of different testing tools.
According to various statistics:
- 47% of testers use software testing tools such as Xray, PractiTest, Team Foundation Server, and HP ALM for testing and quality assurance.
- 44% of the developers incorporate issue tracking tools on a daily basis, whereas 10% utilize tools to code reviewing like CodeScene, Review Assistant, and Collaborator.
- 68% of the testers use Jira, whereas 26% of the testers use GitHub as an issue tracking tool.
This shows that the majority of the testers have adopted software testing tools to test the software; some of the software testers are still not adopting these tools. This could be because of the reasons below:
- Attractiveness Is Focused Over Usability
It has been observed that the developers of the software testing tools focus too much on attractiveness. As a result, the aspect of usefulness of the software is compromised. Therefore, the interface of the software looks attractive but fails to support the workflow of the tester. This is because; the main focus of usability is on goal attainment and supporting the flawless experience of the workflow.
- Insufficient Flexibility of The Software Testing Tool
Some of the testers are still reluctant to adopt these tools. This is because; these too fail to support the varying requirements of the test environment. These tools are a bit complex when it comes to usage. Usability must take into consideration aptitudes, needs, particular goals, and the variety of tool users.
- Do Not Support The Changing Requirements
The usability must offer task flows for expert users and novice, and support the movement in between those levels. Therefore, it is very important to keep in mind one thing, that the requirement of the testing keeps on changing and software testing tools must be designed in a way that it supports the varying requirements.
- Maintainability and Portability of The Tool is Often Ignored
Portability is defined as the ability of the software to be transferred into another system flawlessly. The testing environment, software being tested, testers, and the tests everything changes with the passage of time. Usability is important but not enough, portability and maintainability of the tools and testability are also very important.
- The Aspect of Reliability and Security Is Overlooked
Reliability can be defined as the degree to which a system, service, or product will perform its envisioned functions adequately for a particular time period. Therefore, the software testing tool must be reliable. This will lead to the generation of more accurate outcomes. Security could be defined as the approach regarding the protection against undesirable attacks and hacker risks. As a result, software continues to work flawlessly under potential risks.
Conclusion
After viewing the discussion above, it can be concluded that usability is an important feature of the success of the testing tool. However, it is not impossible to attain during the designing phase of the software testing tool. The testers are from a diverse range of experiences and backgrounds. Therefore, it is not a surprise that these tools cannot be used for everyone.
