End to End testing helps check if the application is working as expected at every level of integration. The test is performed to check all the critical functionalities: communication, Sinterface, database, network, etc. In addition, the strategy seeks to simulate real-world user scenarios to evaluate the system for integration and data integrity. Let’s see to a quick guide for QA beginners.
Why is End to End Testing essential?
Many-a-times, the application is connected or integrated into the database outside its environment. End to End testing ensures that the application is working smoothly right from thebeginning to the end.It includes testing everything right from front-end to back-end, interfaces and endpoints.
End-to-end testing can also be fully automated. Manual testing is still necessary nowadays, but learning test automation has benefits for both testers and users. Automation testing tutorials are available online so anyone can learn the ropes of automation easily. The availability of easy-to-use tools also contributes to the shallow learning curve of automation testing.
End-to-end testing is done after the system testing of any software system has been completed.
End-to-End Testing Procedures:
The tester must follow the steps below to commence and complete any End to End testing.
- Examine the needs. Understand how the software needs to work in every area.
- Setting up a test environment that meets the requirements.
- Examine your software and hardware needs.
- Make a list of how each system should respond.
- Make a list of the testing methods that will be needed to test these responses. In addition, include detailed descriptions of the standards (language, tools, etc.) that must be met in each test.
- Create test cases
- Run tests, analyse the results, and save them.
How to create Test cases?
The End to End test design framework has 3 components:
- Building user functions
- Create conditions based on the user’s role
- Construct a Test Scenario
- Building User Functions: As part of the construct user functions, the following actions should be completed:
- Make a list of the system’s characteristics and their associated components.
- For each feature or function, make a list of the input data, action, and output data.
- Determine the functions’ interrelationships.
- Determine whether the function is reusable or self-contained.
- Create conditions based on the user’s role: As part of the build conditions, the following operations are carried out:
- Creating a set of conditions for each defined user function
- The sequence, the timing, and the data conditions are examples of conditions.
- Construct a Test Scenario: Creating a Test Scenario for the stated user function
Vertical & Horizontal Test: Vertical and horizontal end-to-end testing are the two types of end-to-end testing. In the horizontal variation, testing occurs across several apps, and is utilised most frequently. From top to bottom, a vertical end-to-end test examines each layer of an application’s design.
Best Practices for End to End Testing:
- Performing tests orderly: Since tests are bound to be complicated, the tests must be conducted in a structured way. Unit and integration tests can be initially done to resolve first-level errors.
- Keeping the Exception testing at low: End to End testing is best utilised to evaluate typical user scenarios. Use integration testing or low-level unit testing for exceptional user scenarios.
- Think like a user: When you perform end-to-end testing, you must imagine what a real user shall encounter while using the application. The user’s mindset will help in developing the app and launching a more quality one.
How doe we track the progress of end to end testing:
- Preparing the test cases: Develop appropriate test cases to test each feature in the software. Creating a report depicting the rate at which current vs. planned test cases.
- Details on the flaw: It is critical to track the percentage of found, closed, or opened problems each week. It assists testers and managers in keeping track of bugs and supervising their resolution by assigning defects based on priority.
- Following a weekly test: Each week, a percentage-based report on test completion is critical. The essential parameters in this scenario are the test cases that are now being executed, those that are not being done, and those that have failed.
- Time spent on testing: A comparison between the scheduled time for testing and real-time spent on the test.
Example of End to End testing:
Let’s say you are purchasing movie tickets through an online theatre booking service. So the steps involved by the user will be:
- Opening the application
- Looking for a movie to book.
iii. Reserve your seats.
- Examine the payment gateway.
- Examine the message confirmation for the reserved tickets.
- Close the application.
All these have to be tested, and this is called end-to-end testing.
End-to-end testing evaluates the entire system flow and boosts confidence by discovering bugs and boosting subsystem test coverage. Failure of any subsystem can bring the entire system down, which is a big risk that can be avoided by End-to-End testing. There are many tools available in the market to perform End to End Testing. You can pick the best that suits your requirement and perform the end-to-end tests. This test is essential to launch a successful application in the marketplace.
