Software testing is and will continue to become one of the most influential components of the software development process. If done correctly, testing will help catch costly mistakes and ensure high-quality products are being delivered to the customers. There are multitudes of testing practices that are implemented on a daily basis, but these methodologies are usually divided into two testing groups; functional testing and non-functional testing. We will be giving you the low-down on both.
Functional testing is a type of testing that focuses entirely on the requirements of the software. It requires the tester to verify that each component of the software works in accordance with the specifications that the client has laid out. It is a type of black-box testing that does not require focus on the source code of the application.
During the functional testing process, each functionality is tested by inputting an appropriate input, checking the output, and then cross-examining that against the expected results that are produced by the clients and identifies the domains where the performance did not meet the expected results. Functional testing can be accomplished either through manual or automated testing.
Non-functional testing is where the focus of testing is on the non-functional aspects of the system such as reliability, performance, usability, and more. The focus here is more on how the software application will deal when forced to cope with challenging situations. If only focused on functional testing during the testing process, large issues might escape unnoticed.
Non-functional testing helps provide the user with the best experience possible as it focuses on how competent and effective the program is during certain loads and situations. It defines the way the system operates rather than the specific functions. Enabling non-functional testing allows for businesses to guarantee that the software is sturdy and reliable for its users.
So now that we have an idea of what the two types of testing look like, it is important to gain clarity on what the differences between the two are and when to use them. While both of these are designed to give the user the best experience possible, the main difference between the two is that functional testing focuses on the software meeting particular requirements while non-functional testing focuses on how well the system works.
Functional testing has an increased concentration on finding and fixing bugs, whereas non-functional testing is more concerned with the usability of and overall experience of the user with less focus on the bug searching.
The main difference between these types of testing is that functional testing focuses on the what where non-functional testing focuses on the how. With that being said, you must always conduct functional testing before you can do any sort of non-functional testing.
There is no testing without functional and non-functional testing. All of the testing techniques fall under these two. Bad quality software can be avoided when implementing both testing types as it eliminates the bugs and ensures that the user experience is actually viable. Using this testing will allow companies to save time and money.
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