Software testing life cycle refers to all the activities performed during testing of a software product. In other words, we can say, it is a sequence of different activity, which is only performed by the testing team to ensure the product quality. STLC is a subpart of SDLC.
There are six phases involved:
1.Requirement Analysis: In this the requirement documents are analyzed and validated, and scope of testing is defined. Test Manager/Test lead analyze the requirement in testing perspective. In Oder to identify the testable requirement, we need to do functional and nonfunctional testing based on the requirement document. They will also cover do they have enough resources and tools, what are the testing approach/testing technique they are going to take.
Identifying the details about the test environment in this phase only actual test is going to happen. They will also analyze automation feasibility and based on the SRS document they analyze and prepare RTM (Requirement Traceability Matrix)
Automation feasibility Report: Based on the application size and application feasibility, complexity, and network – for answering all these question, Test lead/Test Manager they will give score for each category. If the score goes above 100, they will go for automation, if it is below 50 then they will start manual testing, if the score rate is 50 – 70 then Testing team will give POC (Proof of concept) to the client.
Proof of concept: Giving demo for the particular testing requirement to the customer and get confirmation from the customer for the automation testing.
Requirement traceability matrix: It is an excel document where they will map the business requirement with test cases. Predominantly we do this to identify the missing test cases and to find the test coverage that how many test cases are covered for the particular business requirement/ user story.
2.Test Planning: In this phase, test plan strategy is defined, estimation of test effort is defined along with automation strategy and tool selection is done.
Two documents prepared by Test lead and Test Manager which is Test plan and Test strategy.
Test plan document: It contains all the planning activities like what the scope of the project is, features to be tested and features not to be tested, cost and time estimation, risk and mitigation, staffing and training to the team.
3. Test case preparation: For the test case preparation, we have to prepare the test scenario document. Test scenario is a document which contains, what are all the functionalities need to be tested on the application.
Test case is a document, how the functionality needs to be tested. Test steps are important to check the functionality. Test case should be short and precise and understandable.
Test Strategy: It vary from organization to organization. Inside organization test strategy will be same. Test strategy is a high-level document that will be prepared by the lead or manager which contains the overall test approach to do the entire testing activity.
If there is a no time, they will adjoin the test strategy to the test plan document to save time so that the test approach will be additionally added into the test plan.
4. Test Environment:
Test environment is also called as Testbed. A set of software, hardware and network need to be configured for the entire process. Once all these environments are configured, we can start testing. Once we write the test case and once the environment is ready, test data will be prepared in the environment phase. Once build is ready, we can start smoke testing. Once the smoke testing pass, we can start system testing. If the smoke testing fails, then tester will reject the build and communicate to the developer.
5. Test Execution:
Executing the test case what the tester have designed and find the defect. Once he/she identifies then he will communicate to the developer and development team will fix the bug and send back to the tester and tester will do retesting. He will report bug in excel and log the defect in Jira.
6. Test closure:
Test closure can happen when there is no high priority/ severity bug and at the end of the sprint they will prepare test summary or test closure report.
Test closure report:
Test case report can be created based on how many test cases they have created. Out of test cases how many they have executed and how many pass or fail. Out of failed, how many got opened. If opened, how many high severities, how many low severities. If they have low severities, they will close the cycle.