Unit tests help in finding regressions, test error cases and reduces the requirement for manual testing significantly. Unit tests also help in improving the code quality, e.g. if you are not able to write a unit test for a particular scenario, then it typically means that the code needs to be refactored. For a better understanding of the topic, I recommend reading Kent Beck’s book on unit testing ‘Test-Driven Development by Example’.
Having said that, here are my comments on Unit testing –

● Any *newly*developed app feature should not be considered complete until a unit test has been performed. This means, the development estimates should always include the unit testing time. For example, a developer might build a feature without writing a unit test and perform manual testing instead for which he might spend 24 hours plus an additional 24 hours to fix bugs and regressions. Instead, it would be better to spend 48 hours or less for building a feature by writing the unit tests, as it will ensure that the code quality is better. The developer will have more confidence in the code after completing the unit test. Unit testing is particularly useful for identifying regression bugs, as the same tests can be reused to prevent future regressions.

● Some existing applications do not have any unit tests because they have been developed by developers who have not prioritized unit testing, or may not have been aware of its benefits. When new developers who are aware of unit test concepts start working on the application, they should not necessarily interrupt the work to start writing unit tests for all components immediately. Instead, the process can be undertaken gradually. For instance, if they are working on specific components that lack tests, they should take the opportunity to write unit tests, at least to verify the newly added functionality. It is important that the project manager takes care of estimates for development time for writing unit tests for old components. Over time the code coverage for these components will increase and at some point in time, it may become sensible to set a goal specifically to increase test coverage.

Advantages of unit testing –
1. It reduces the level of bugs in the production environment.
2. It builds confidence in the developer.
3. It allows the code to be easily refactored or changed.
4. Regression bugs can be caught easily.

Disadvantages of unit testing –
1. In our experience, writing unit tests requires about 20-30% more time at the beginning of the project. For a complicated project, it may require even more time.
2. If the architecture/design of the project is not correct from the beginning, then tests need to be rewritten when the project is re-architected. This can turn into a major time loss.
3. For big/complex projects, unit testing alone is not enough. Typically, integration tests and e2e tests will be required alongside the unit tests to have proper test coverage.

As developers, we always look to reduce costs whilst still fulfilling all the project requirements. Unit testing can play a big role in achieving this. Unit testing helps any developer to produce bug-free and quality software with confidence.
Over the years, MetaSys has successfully built a robust testing environment to build custom software solutions. Feel free to reach us and do share your feedback in the comments section below.

Why use Automation Testing?

With continuous development in software technology, it is becoming extremely challenging to maintain the quality and efficiency of the development process. Testing is one of the crucial activities of the software development process, and the irony is that it is often neglected because of time and cost. Traditional manual testing methods are tedious and time-consuming. Also, it is tough to test each and every functionality of the software manually. Test automation helps to improve the speed and quality of the development process.

At MetaSys, we use  automation testing for many of our projects to deliver within timelines and within budget. As an application keeps on evolving, the number of regression test cases to be executed keeps increasing and becomes extremely time-consuming. Regression testing refers to the re-running of tests to ensure that previously tested software still performs after a change. Despite its importance, regression testing is particularly tedious and repetitive as many of the same test cases are executed for every sprint release cycle. We often employ the Agile testing methodology, which follows the philosophy ‘Test early, test often’. With tight schedule sprints, it becomes very demanding to execute the required testing. Automation testing is essential to maintaining software quality alongside fast paced development.

Using automation regression testing has significantly increased our test coverage, and thereby improved the quality of the software we deliver to our clients.

Advantages of Automation Testing over Manual

Process of Automation Testing   

At MetaSys we follow the following seven steps for automation testing.

1. Select the automation testing tool and framework based on testing requirements. Some key points include the availability and cost of licenses, what type of testing is necessary (Load/API/Mobile/Functional testing) and whether it is a desktop or web app. Some of the tools that we use will be listed later in this article, but some automation frameworks are listed here:

• Data-Driven Automation Framework
• Keyword Driven Automation Framework
• Hybrid Automation Framework
• Behaviour Driven Development(BDD) Framework
• Test-Driven Development(TDD) Framework

2. Define the scope of the automation testing process and decide all the functionalities in the application which will be automated.

• Identify test cases which cover most of the functionality.
• Identify which test cases can be automated and which cannot.
• Clearly define In-Scope and Out-Of-Scope items for a

3. Plan and strategize the testing activity.

• Identify all deliverables for automation testing.
• Identify risks and measures to mitigate risks.
• Plan and schedule timelines for scripting and execution.

4. Design and Develop automation test scripts, focusing on the following points:

• Test cases which need to run for every build. Eg. Login.
• Test cases which need to be executed with different types of data.
• Test cases which need to be executed on the different platforms.

5. Execute all automated test scripts on the same or different browsers/OS/devices as per the testing You can schedule script runs for a predefined time interval too.

6. Analyse results by checking the test results report and sending a report to the development team.

7. Maintain all test scripts in accordance with the latest changes in the application.

Automation Testing Tools   

There are many automation testing tools available on the market. Some tools are open source, and some are paid so we choose the tools according to the requirement and available budget.

Here’s a list of some commonly used Automation Testing tools:

At MetaSys, we use different automation tools and frameworks as per the requirement of the project.  We have expertise in functional, regression, performance, API and mobile testing using a wide range of automation tools.

At MetaSys, we have a team of experienced testers who test solutions using appropriate tools. Feel free to reach out to us at https://development.ikf.in/metasys1/contact for more details.

There are four points that we consider when defining our testing strategy.

1. The first point is determining which devices and browsers will be used for testing. This is entirely dependent on the project requirements, and the development team analyses the application use cases to make the selection based on the following principles:

• For web applications, we usually test on the three most commonly used browsers (Chrome, Firefox and Safari). If time allows for more extensive testing, we will also test on other browsers like Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge.
• For Device testing of web applications, we choose the devices based on the functional requirements and priorities of the applications. In other words, if a web application is supposed to run especially well on any particular device we focus the testing on the corresponding commonly used browsers with the appropriate resolution. For instance, for the Android platform we focus on Chrome and Firefox, whereas for the iOS platform we focus on Safari and Chrome.
• For Native applications we directly test the application on the devices themselves, rather than using an emulator. This provides the most accurate feedback in terms of functionality and application performance.

2. There are instances where the project timeline and/or budget limits the amount of testing that we can do. It is very important to identify these situations, and to develop strategies in order to still deliver high quality software to the client. At MetaSys we handle these cases by focusing on high level general testing, which covers most of the UI and the functional part of the applications.
3. For functional testing of web applications, we utilise automation as much as possible. For repetitive testing of browsers, we usually design automated test cases. Using automation not only helps save the time of the testers, it is also very useful for retesting resolved issues. We use the Selenium WebDriver tool for automation testing and the Microsoft Team Foundation Server 2019 and the Microsoft Test Management tools for bug reporting and test case management.
4. For web applications, we put a strong emphasis on performance, in addition to the ‘look and feel’., The speed of the app is one of the most important factors that determines the user experience. For performance testing we use the Apache JMeter and New Relic tools which give very accurate results regarding the application performance. The New Relic tool also provides an analysis of database query level problems, and gives many more reports and real time graphs. This helps significantly with troubleshooting, and improving performance.

At MetaSys, We have a team of experienced Dot Net developers who build solutions using Microsoft technologies. We have done web application development using ASP.Net Core, .Net & ASP.Net Framework, Visual Studio, Microsoft SQL Server, MVC, Team Foundation Server, Javascript and JQuery. For more info. https://development.ikf.in/metasys1/dot-net

Agile testing is also referred to as Shift Left testing, whereas DevOps is referred to as Shift Right testing. This article aims to clarify the terminology, and to explain the practices involved in both. Reading this article will not only help you understand these practices, but will also give you insight into how to appropriately apply them.

The major difference between Shift Left and Shift Right testing practices, is the stage of the release cycle at which they are applied. Shift Left is applied during the development phase, and Shift Right is applied at the production stage.

What is Shift Left Testing?

Shift Left Testing, or Agile Testing, follows the philosophy ‘Test Early Test Often’. Our previous blog article on Agile Testing can be found here: https://development.ikf.in/metasys1/blogs/agile-testing.

Shift Left Testing uses very early customer feedback to improve the quality of the release, allowing the product to reach the market sooner, and can therefore lead to a much better ROI.

There are a number of practices that can be included in Shift Left testing:

• Unit Tests – Often created to make the development process more agile and improve the quality of code at the unit level. Developers usually write unit tests for component testing.

• Service Virtualization – When developing software components there is likely to be a dependence on other components such as web services and APIs. For typical testing, these services need to be in place and running at the time of development. However, if these services are not available at the right time, it may lead to a dela Service virtualization involves simulating service behaviour such as requests and responses, and sample stubs of that specific service are used to continue with development and testing.

• TDD (Test Driven Development) – TDD is a development technique where tests are written before code is written. This reduces the number of bugs from passing on to the next phase, as the tests allow for early detection of many errors.

• BDD (Behaviour Driven Development) and Testing – BDD is a development technique where the focus is on building an application from an end-user and business perspective. BDD focuses on system-level behaviour rather than on component level behaviour. It requires developers, testers, BAs and business participants to understand and define application behaviour in different circumstances.

• Load Testing – In this practice, the developer tries to understand system behaviour and performance under different peak conditions and tries to improve the system performance with heavy loading conditions in mind.

 Advantages of Shift Left Testing:

• Testing Early Testing Often helps to catch defects early and reduces the cost of fixing errors.
• Short feedback cycles from customers contributes to improvements in customer satisfaction.
• Maximizing automated testing and minimizing manual testing helps the product to reach the market earlier.

 What is Shift Right Testing ?

Shift Right Testing, or DevOps, in the production environment can be seen as a post-production activity, where monitoring of the product performance provides feedback from end users.  It follows the philosophy that a continuous feedback loop between users and developers is essential for the success of the product.

With Shift Right testing, a completely built and fully functional application is tested by the real end-users and the real-time data is used to improve performance and remove functional bottlenecks in the system.

There are a number of practices that can be included in Shift Right testing:

• App Performance Monitoring – monitoring in the production environment can be performed using various tools like AppDynamics and New Relic (for more information on New Relic visit our blog article: https://development.ikf.in/metasys1/blogs/improve-performance-of-web-applications).

• API Monitoring – API performance and behaviour is monitored in the production environment using tools like Postman, AppDynamics and New Relic APIs.

• A/B Testing – This refers to testing an application for various non-functional aspects like usability and The process involves comparing two versions of the same page and determining which performs better.

• Canary Deployment – This is a deployment strategy to reduce the number of defects in production. In this strategy, the application is made available to a small subset of users first. The application performance and behaviour is then monitored for a short time period, usually a few days. Based on user feedback, a decision is made regarding whether or not the application is ready to be rolled out.

Shift Right Testing Advantages:

• Shift Right practices are important for getting behaviour and performance data, which allows identification and removal of bottlenecks and improvement of application stability.
• It allows for load and performance test scenarios which are almost impossible to achieve in development and test environments.
• It provides increased test coverage and scope for automation to save time and effort.

 At Metasys, we have extensive experience in both Shift Left and Shift Right Testing practices, and follow both as per the project requirements.

To stay in the game, businesses have to move into the digital world. With this arises the need to make sure that their web applications, e-commerce sites, banking applications are safe, secure and not vulnerable to being attacked by hackers friendly or otherwise.

Security testing plays a key role here; by helping an organization to identify vulnerabilities to any kind of security attacks. Thereafter corrective measures can be taken to address the gaps in security. Security testing is a type of testing to check whether an information system protects data from outsiders, unwanted intruders and maintains functionality as it was intended. Basic aspects that a system must comply and adhere to are:

• Authentication: Only valid users are allowed to enter/log in the system.
• Authorization: Only valid users are able to access the content or information they are trying to access.

For example – In a company; employee, manager, the administrator will have different access rights based on their role.

• Availability: The software application should always be running so that information and services are available whenever needed.
• Confidentiality: Here information and services are only shown when requested and that too only to the intended users.For example, employees financial information will be available only to the concerned finance team/head not everyone.
• Integrity: This means that information is right and up to date.In Security Testing the Tester must design tests to cover all the above-mentioned aspects.

Types of Security Testing

• Vulnerability scanning: Here the entire system under test is scanned to find loopholes and vulnerable signatures.
• Penetration testing: Here the tester has to think like a hacker to destroy the system and is a sort of simulated hacker attacking the system from outside.
• Ethical hacking: Attacking the system from within to find out security flaws is Ethical hacking.

Process Steps

• Risk assessment: All the above tests are conducted and the flaws and vulnerabilities are identified. These risks are then classified as High, Medium and Low depending on certain aspects.
• Fix the Issues: The issues are studied in detail and then fixed by the development team with high-Risk items given a higher priority.
• Security Review: The entire cycle of testing and assessment is repeated. The frequency is determined by the organization based on the type of business and their perceived vulnerability to attacks. There is also a periodic review to check whether the security standards have been implemented properly. With the increased sophistication of hacker attacks, it is essential that security standards are upgraded to deal with the latest threats.

What do Security Testers need to test?

Some very basic guidelines in ensuring whether an application is secured or not are:

• Passwords are always in encrypted form.
• Browser back-forward buttons do not break the secure login process.
• An unauthorized user is not able to access pages he is not authorized for. Sessions should time out after a specific time when a user is not active.
• Invalid content should not get uploaded and should be disallowed.
• Test with random data which is included in requests.
• Test using random data which is included as parameters.
• Test using encoded random data included as parameters.

Website Security Testing tools in the market:

There are a variety of security testing tools available in the market. A few of these are listed as below:

• Vega
• ZAP (ZED Attack Proxy)
• Wapiti
• BeEF (Browser Exploitation Framework)
• Google Nogotofail
• NTOSpider
• Brakeman
• SiteDigger
• NMap (Network Mapper)
• OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project)

Security testing must be started at an early stage to minimize defects and costs of maintaining the quality. It is a good practice to understand the security requirements for an application at the time of requirement gathering, this ensures that quality and security of the end product will be appropriate to the business need.

Security should be an integral part of the software application and is an important factor in winning customers trust and confidence.

MetaSys Software offers web application development using secured and robust technologies like.NET, PHP MySQL and/or FileMaker. If you are looking for any consultation on these technologies? Then please feel free to contact us.

Agile methodology is a lightweight and effective development method.  Scrum is a Framework that supports it.  The main focus is on quick response to the customer requests or wish lists and an iterative method for application development and testing. Work is completed and reviewed in a set period of time which is called as ‘Sprint’. All iterations are of the same duration. At the end of each iteration, a working feature of the product is delivered to the customer.
How agile methodology in software development works:

1. All requirements are in the form of a feature list and are added to the Product Backlog. The feature list is described in the form of a user story.
2. The backlog list is prioritized and each user story is estimated.
3. Based on the team size, sprint duration and complexity of the user story, a set of features is selected for each Sprint.
4. Individual tasks are distributed among developers involved in the sprint.
5. Development and Testing are carried out for all features selected in the sprint.
6. A daily scrum meeting is conducted by the scrum master whose job it is to keep the team focused on the goal. Active participation from each individual of the scrum team is required. The meeting agenda is restricted to what was done yesterday and what you plan to do today and whether there are any known obstacles or risks.
7. At the end of the sprint, a working feature of the product is delivered to the customer and immediate feedback from the customer is captured.

The role of Agile Testing Team:

• In Agile testing, testing starts as soon as sprint development is done. The customer or product owner is involved with the progress of the software development. The whole team approach is to deliver a set of features which meet the customers’ current needs. The entire team works at the same workplace to allow for active collaboration. Throughout the sprint, the tester closely works with every team member and product owner to ensure better product quality and functioning. Team Interaction and active participation of each individual play an important role in Agile testing.

Why should one follow Agile testing methodology?

• Testing starts at an early stage in the software development and features are tested within each Sprint improving quality of the product.
• Defects are identified and either handled within the same sprint or added to the product backlog –to be taken care of by developers in the upcoming iterations while working on similar/relevant features.
• Since defects are identified early in the development process, it reduces defect cost
• Regular customer feedback increases the morale of the team and helps in improving the quality of the upcoming sprint work.
• Priority features can be delivered early so that the customer does not have to wait too long. Low priority tasks can be completed later on. There is a flexibility to change scope/story points of the sprint based on the changes in customer requirements.
• More focus on working software and Less focus on documentation.

MetaSys Software is a software services company with offices in Mumbai, India and Toronto Canada. Our team has experience in different development methodologies but we mainly prefer the agile approach to delivery. If you are looking for software outsourcing then contact us.