What is Non-Functional Testing?

Non-Functional Testing is a type of testing used to evaluate a software application’s performance, usability, dependability, and other non-functional characteristics. It is intended to test a system’s readiness according to non-functional criteria that functional testing never considers.

Non Functional testing is essential for confirming the software’s reliability and functionality. The Software Requirements Specification (SRS) serves as the basis for this software testing method, which enables quality assurance teams to check if the system complies with user requirements. Increasing the product’s usability, effectiveness, maintainability, and portability is the goal of non-functional testing. It aids in lowering the manufacturing risk associated with the product’s non-functional components. 

Core Objectives of Non-Functional Testing

Non-functional testing caters to the following objectives:

1. Improving the usability, effectiveness, maintainability, and portability of the product
2. Reducing the production risk and expense linked to the product’s non-functional features.
3. Improving the installation, configuration, execution, management, and product monitoring.
4. Analyzing the measurements and metrics that should be gathered and produced for internal study and development.
5.  Improving the knowledge of current technology and product behavior.

Characteristics Of Non-Functional Testing

• Non-functional testing should be quantifiable. Therefore adjectives like “good,” “better,” “best,” etc., have no place in this type of testing.
• It is doubtful that exact figures will be known at the beginning of the requirement process.
• It’s crucial to prioritize the requirements.
• Make sure that in software engineering, quality attributes are accurately identified.

Types Of Non-Functional Testing

1. Performance Testing

Performance testing eliminates the causes of the software’s sluggish and constrained performance. The software’s reading speed should be as quick as possible. One must create a well-organized and precise specification about the desired speed for Performance Testing. Otherwise, it won’t be evident if the test is a success or a failure. Example: When 1000 users use an application simultaneously, the load time shouldn’t exceed 5 seconds.

Tools Used: LoadRunner, Apache JMeter, WebLOAD.

2. Load Testing

The system’s loading capability is tested during load testing. The system can handle increasing simultaneous users because of its loading capacity. If you want to run a quick website speed test, check your speed scores.

Tools Used: Neoload, Load Multiplier.

3. Security Testing

Security testing is used to find the software application’s weaknesses. The testing is carried out by looking into the design of the system and the mindset of an attacker. Finding the parts of the code where an attack is most likely to occur allows for creating test cases.

Tools Used: ImmuniWeb, Vega, Wapiti

4. Portability Testing

The software’s ability to run on many operating systems without experiencing any bugs is tested for portability. The software’s functionality under the same operating system but with varied hardware is also tested in this test.

Tools Used: SQLMap.

5. Accountability Testing

Accountability testing helps identify if the system is functioning correctly or not. A function ought to produce the same outcome for which it was designed. The system passes the test if it produces the desired results; else, it fails.

Tools Used: Mentimeter.

6. Reliability Testing

This testing assumes that the software system operates without error under the predetermined parameters. A certain amount of time and processes must be used to run the system. The reliability test will also fail if the system fails under certain predetermined circumstances. For example, all the web pages and links should be reliable.

Tools Used: Test-retest, Inter-rater.

7. Efficiency Testing

This testing looks at how many resources were used and how many were required to construct a software system.

Tools Used: WebLOAD, LoadNinja.

8. Volume Testing

A type of software testing called volume testing involves exposing the software to a significant amount of data. It is additionally known as flood testing. By increasing the data in the database, volume testing is done to evaluate the system’s performance.

Tools Used: HammerDB, JdbcSlim

9. Recovery Testing

Recovery testing evaluates how well an application can bounce back from crashes, hardware failures, and other issues of a similar nature. Recovery testing involves intentionally breaking the software in several different ways.

Tools Used: Box Backup, Bacula.

10. Responsive Testing:

Responsive Testing allows you to evaluate your design on many screen widths for a “real” test of “adaptivity” instead of predefined screen widths. Test for responsiveness by DesignModo You can adjust the screen’s width after entering the website’s URL to watch how your user interface adapts to accommodate it in real time. A smooth experience on various digital devices is the main objective of evaluating responsive websites. We increasingly rely on technology to get things done because of the convenience it has brought to the globe.

Tools Used: Responsinator, Screenfly, Google DevTools Device Mode

11. Visual Testing

The solution to such issues is visual testing, sometimes known as visual UI testing. It checks if every user sees the software user interface (UI) correctly. Visual tests verify that each element on a web page has the proper shape, size, and placement. Visual testing assesses an application’s visible output and compares it to the outcomes anticipated by design. In other words, it assists in identifying “visual bugs“, which are separate from strictly functional bugs, in the way a page or screen appears.

Tools Used: Percy, PhantomCSS, FBSnapshotTestCase, Gemini, Needle (Uses Python).

Non-Functional Testing Parameters

Listed below are the non-functional testing parameters:

1. Security: This parameter specifies how a system is protected from planned and unplanned intrusions from both internal and external sources. This is examined through security testing.
2. Reliability: The consistency with which a software system consistently completes the required tasks without error. Reliability Testing is used to test this.
3. Efficiency: The capacity, quantity, and response time a software system can manage.
4. Usability: The simplicity with which a user can engage with a system, learn how to use it, and prepare inputs and outputs. Usability testing verifies this.
5. Availability: The parameter establishes the user’s dependence on the system during operation. Testing for stability verifies this.
6. Scalability: The word describes how much a software program can raise its processing power to handle a rise in demand. This is examined through scalability testing.

Advantages of Non-Functional Testing

• It offers a greater degree of security. Security is a crucial component that keeps systems safe from online threats.
• It guarantees the system’s capacity for loading so users can use it concurrently.
• It raises the system’s efficiency.
• No need to write test cases more than once because they are never altered.
• Compared to other testing procedures, there is a smaller overall time commitment.

Percy by BrowserStack is a visual testing and review platform that helps teams automate visual testing. It captures screenshots, compares them against the baseline, and highlights visual changes. 

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