Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)

• Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) ensures a structured approach to testing, improving software quality and reliability.
• STLC detects defects early, reducing the cost and effort of fixes, and minimizes software failure risks.
• STLC defines clear roles, responsibilities, and deliverables, enhances efficiency, and user satisfaction
• STLC supports compliance with industry standards, making the software more robust and reliable
• The objective of STLC is to ensure software quality by using a structured testing process for early defect detection

QA Testing Lifecycle Phases

• STLC includes different phases, but following all phases isn't compulsory.
• Phases depend on the software's nature, product, time, resources allocated for testing and SDLC model.
• The phases are:
  • Requirement Analysis
  • Test Planning
  • Test Case Development
  • Environment Setup
  • Test Execution
  • Test Cycle Closure

Requirement Analysis

• Involves understanding software requirements for clarity, conciseness, testability, and deliverability.
• Activities include:
  • Reviewing the software requirements document (SRD) and other documents
  • Interviewing stakeholders
  • Identifying ambiguities or inconsistencies in the requirements
  • Identifying any missing or incomplete requirements

Test Planning

• Test planning defines the testing strategy, scope, objectives, and approach.
• Its aim is to ensure organized and systematic testing efforts.
• Key activities include:
  • Identifying the testing objectives and scope
  • Developing a test strategy, including testing methods and techniques
  • Identifying the testing environment and required resources
  • Identifying test cases to be executed and the test data
  • Estimating the time and cost for testing
  • Identifying test deliverables and milestones
  • Assigning roles and responsibilities to the testing team
  • Reviewing and approving the test plan

Test Case Development

• Scope, objectives, approach, and required resources for testing are defined in a test plan.
• Testing tools, roles, responsibilities, the test schedule, and risk assessment strategies are determined

Test Environment Setup

• The testing environment includes hardware, software, and network configurations for test execution
• Ensure that the test environment aligns with the development environment to produce accurate results

Test Execution

• Actual testing is performed where testers run test cases in a controlled environment.
• Actual results are compared with expected results to identify defects or issues.

Defect Reporting

• Defects found during testing are reported to the development team
• Defect tracking tools make it easier for the development team to track, prioritize, and resolve issues efficiently

Test Closure

• Test closure is the final stage of the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) where all testing-related activities are completed and documented.
• This process aims to ensure that all testing-related activities have been completed and the software is ready for release
• Main activities include:
  • A test summary report is created, summarizing the testing process
  • All identified defects are tracked and managed until resolved.
  • Clean up the Test environment
  • Test closure report is created, documenting all testing-related activities, objectives, scope, schedule, and resources used.
  • Knowledge transfer from testers to the team
  • Gather feedback