Software Testing And Quality Assurance Questions Long
Positive testing and negative testing are two different approaches used in software testing to ensure the quality and reliability of a software application. The main difference between positive testing and negative testing lies in the test scenarios and the expected outcomes.
Positive Testing:
Positive testing, also known as "happy path testing," focuses on validating the software application's expected behavior when it is used as intended. In positive testing, the tester verifies that the system functions correctly and produces the expected results when valid inputs are provided. The purpose of positive testing is to ensure that the software meets the specified requirements and performs its intended functions accurately.
Key characteristics of positive testing include:
1. Testing with valid inputs: Positive testing involves using valid and expected inputs to validate the system's behavior.
2. Expected outcomes: The expected results are predefined and known in advance. The tester compares the actual output with the expected output to determine if the system is functioning correctly.
3. Validating functional requirements: Positive testing focuses on verifying that the software meets the functional requirements specified in the design and requirements documents.
4. Ensuring system stability: Positive testing aims to ensure that the system remains stable and performs as expected under normal operating conditions.
Negative Testing:
Negative testing, also known as "error path testing" or "exception testing," is performed to validate the software's behavior when it encounters unexpected or invalid inputs or conditions. The purpose of negative testing is to identify potential vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and defects in the software application.
Key characteristics of negative testing include:
1. Testing with invalid inputs: Negative testing involves intentionally providing invalid, unexpected, or erroneous inputs to the system to evaluate its response.
2. Unexpected outcomes: The expected results in negative testing are often undefined or unknown. The tester focuses on identifying how the system handles unexpected inputs or conditions, such as error messages, system crashes, or incorrect behavior.
3. Validating error handling and recovery: Negative testing aims to verify that the software can handle errors gracefully, recover from failures, and provide appropriate error messages or notifications to the user.
4. Identifying system vulnerabilities: Negative testing helps uncover potential security vulnerabilities, boundary conditions, and other weaknesses in the software application.
In summary, positive testing ensures that the software functions correctly under normal conditions, while negative testing focuses on identifying and addressing potential issues, errors, and vulnerabilities when the software encounters unexpected or invalid inputs or conditions. Both positive and negative testing are essential for comprehensive software testing and quality assurance to ensure the overall reliability and robustness of the software application.