Every software development process follows a Software Development Life Cycle(SDLC) to develop a quality software product. Software testing is one of the important phases as it only ensures the quality of the product. So, for that different types of software testing are performed to check different parameters or test cases.
Domain Testing :
It is a software testing technique where minimum numbers of inputs are used to access appropriate output of a system, to ensure the system does not accept invalid input values. The system is expected to give required outputs blocking the invalid inputs.
Structure of Domain Testing :
The process is quite similar everywhere when it comes to building the strategy, where the following step-by-structure is used that suits most of the scenarios:
- Think what can go wrong.
- Find a solution to handle each case.
- Pick several points to test each error.
- Take one test point to examine adjacent domains
- Then start running the test
- Check if the boundaries are faulty
- Inspect boundaries of all domains
Domain Knowledge :
Domain knowledge is a good understanding of a particular sphere i.e. a person is acquainted with a particular term of discipline. It helps to minimize the delivery cycle, improve customer service reduce development time.
Is domain knowledge required for Domain testing?
It is difficult for someone to perform effectively in a field where the person is not familiar. So a domain tester should have basic domain knowledge. It is important because:
- Online banking –
A tester must have to be an expert in online banking activities like login, bill payment, and transfers. - Retail domains –
To successfully run a domain test, the tester has to recognize how things work flow at different levels. Some examples of retail domains are warehouse management, in-store solutions, etc. - Healthcare –
A tester with a proper understanding of domain knowledge should handle a healthcare system. It is a huge risk to someone’s life when someone with zero knowledge handles the system.
Domain Testing Strategy :
We know that every domain has a boundary from which it is been defined and points near the boundaries are checked during tests. A testing process every time begins with a question. The domain testing strategy is an experiment by a QA specialist to find the solutions to these answers:
- What domain should be tested?
- How to group values into classes?
- What value should I test?
- How am I going to get the results?
A real-lifeon example of Domain testing :
Let there be a group of students on a study tour. For entertainment purposes, they have been given a ticket to perform a specific activity based on gender and age inputs. Here the entertainment facility acts as the test, age groups will be boundary values with numerous possible scenarios. Students perform activities in the following manner:
- Children less than 5 years old are to tell a poem
- Boys 5>=10 are to draw
- Girls 5>=10 are to sing a song
- Boys >10 are to compete in a sport
- Girls >10 are to participate in the quiz
- The remaining children >15 are to participate in an essay competition
Based on the given algorithm, the specialist groups the values into classes i.e. age groups, and then boundary values are picked i.e. highest and lowest age values in a group. Then different scenarios are built with expected results for each.
Skills required for Domain testing :
To be a good domain tester, one must have the following skills:
- Quick learner
- Domain knowledge
- Can work under pressure
- Technical and Programming skills
- Automation skill
- Bug hunting skill
- Communication skill
Domain testing requires knowledge of providing correct input to get the necessary output. It is also equivalent to boundary analysis testing, where input variables are examined and taken as boundary values and equivalence class values to get the desired result.
Advantages of Domain Testing :
- Identifies edge cases that can cause issues in a software system.
- Efficient use of testing resources.
- Increases test coverage by testing a wide range of values within a domain.
- Improves software quality by identifying and fixing issues in edge cases.
- Cost-effective testing technique that requires fewer resources compared to other testing techniques.
Disadvantages of Domain Testing :
- Limited scope, only focuses on a specific range or domain.
- A false sense of security, may not identify all issues outside the domain.
- Difficult to determine domain boundaries.
- May not catch complex issues that require testing of multiple variables or interactions between different parts of the system.
- May not be suitable for all types of systems, particularly those that have complex input and output parameters or that require more advanced testing techniques.
