What is Smoke Testing? How to do with EXAMPLES
Testing with Smoke
When it comes to software testing, smoke testing is a process that determines whether a software build that has been deployed is stable or not. Smoke testing serves as a confirmation for the quality assurance team that they can proceed with further software testing. It consists of a bare minimum of tests that are run on each build to verify software functionality. Build Verification Testing and Confidence Testing are other names for the process of smoke testing.
For the most part, we are checking to see that the important features are functioning properly and that the build that is being tested does not contain any show-stoppers.
In this case, the regression test is a mini and rapid regression test of major functionality. It is a straightforward test that demonstrates that the product is ready for testing. This assists in determining whether the build is flawed to the point where any further testing would be a waste of time and resources.
Testing with Smoke
Learn more about the comparison between smoke testing and sanity testing.
The results of the smoke tests qualify the construction for further formal testing. The primary goal of smoke testing is to detect major problems before they become serious. Smoke tests are intended to demonstrate the stability of a system and its conformance to specifications.
One or more product functions can be implemented using a build that contains all of the necessary data files and libraries. Reusable modules and engineered components are also included in a build.
You will learn the following things in this tutorial:
When do we do smoke testing
Smoke Testing is carried out whenever new software functionalities are developed and integrated with an existing build that has been deployed in a quality assurance/stage environment. It checks to see if all critical functions are functioning properly or if they are not.
In this method of testing, the development team sends the build to the quality assurance department. The subsets of test cases are selected, and then the testers run the test cases on the build that has been selected. The application is tested against the critical functionalities by the quality assurance team. The purpose of this series of test cases is to identify and report on errors that have occurred during the build process. If these tests are successful, the Quality Assurance team moves on to Functional Testing.
Any failure indicates that the system must be returned to the development team for further investigation. Whenever there is a change in the build, we conduct Smoke Testing to ensure that the system remains stable.
As an illustration, a new registration button is added to the login window, and the build is updated to include the new code. On a new construction project, we conduct smoke testing.
Who will do Smoke Testing
After the build has been released to the QA environment, Smoke Testing is carried out by the QA engineers/QA lead. Whenever a new build is released, the quality assurance team determines the major functionality of the application to conduct smoke testing. The QA team looks for potential show-stoppers in the application that is currently being tested.
Sanity testing is a type of testing performed in a development environment on the code to ensure that the application is correct before releasing the build to the quality assurance team. Typically, it is a narrow and in-depth examination. It is a process that verifies that the application under development meets the requirements for its fundamental functionalities.
Sanity testing determines the completion of the development phase and decides whether to pass or not to pass software products for further testing phase.
Why do we do smoke testing?
Smoke testing is critical in software development because it ensures the correctness of the system during the early stages of development. We can save time and money by doing so. As a result, smoke tests are used to restore the system to its proper working order. Only after we have completed the smoke testing will we begin the functional testing.
Smoke testing will be used to identify all of the potential show stoppers on the construction site.
After the build has been released to QA, smoke testing is performed. The majority of software defects are discovered during the early stages of software development, thanks to the use of smoke testing.
Smoke testing makes it easier to detect and correct major defects, which saves time and money.
Smoke testing allows the quality assurance team to identify defects in the application’s functionality that may have been introduced by the new code.
The major severity defects are discovered through smoke testing.
Example 1: Logging window: After clicking the submit button, the user can proceed to the next window with a valid username and password.
For example, a user is unable to sign out of a website.
How to do Smoke Testing?
It is common practice to perform Smoke Testing manually, but there is the possibility of automating the process. From one organization to the next, it may be different.
Manual smoke testing is done by hand.
In most cases, smoke testing is performed manually. From one organization to another, it takes a different approach. Smoke testing is performed to ensure that the navigation of critical paths operates as expected and does not interfere with the operation of the system. Once the build has been released to quality assurance, high-priority functionality test cases must be created and tested to identify any critical defects in the system. If the test is successful, we will proceed to functional testing. Failure to pass the test results in a rejection of the build, which is then returned to the development team for correction. QA begins smoke testing a new build version with a new build version for the second time. Smoke testing is carried out on new builds and will be integrated with older builds to ensure that the system continues to operate correctly. Before conducting smoke testing, the QA team should ensure that the appropriate build versions have been used.
Automation is used for smoke testing.
Regression Testing is carried out through the use of automation. We can, however, use a set of automated test cases to run against Smoke Test in addition to manual test cases. The use of automation tests allows developers to check the build as soon as a new build is ready for deployment, eliminating the need to wait for the build to be checked.
When a new software build is deployed, rather than having to repeat the tests manually each time, previously recorded smoke test cases are executed against the new software build. This step, checks to see if the major functionalities are still functioning properly. The build can be corrected and redeployed as soon as the test fails if the build does not pass the test. We will save time and ensure a high-quality build for the QA environment as a result of this.
The test engineer records all manual steps that are performed during the software development process using an automated tool.The cycle of smoke testing
The flow chart below illustrates how Smoke Testing is carried out. After the build has been deployed in QA and the smoke tests have been passed, we will move on to functional testing. If the smoke test fails, we will stop testing until the problem with the build has been resolved.
Examples of Smoke Testing to Help You Learn
- The cycle of smoke testing
- Smoke testing has several advantages.
- Here are a few of the benefits of using smoke testing equipment.
Advantages of Smoke testing
- Testing is simple to carry out.
- Defects will be identified in the early stages of the process.
- increases the overall quality of the system
- reduces the likelihood of an accident
- The road to progress is less difficult to navigate.
- reduces the amount of effort and time spent on tests
- It is simple to identify critical errors and to correct those errors.
- It has a quick response time.
- Integration risks are kept to a bare minimum.
Sample Smoke Test Cases Example
| T.ID | TEST SCENARIOS | DESCRIPTION | TEST STEP | EXPECTED RESULT | ACTUAL RESULT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valid login credentials | Test the login functionality of the web application to ensure that a registered user is allowed to log in with username and password | 1. Launch the application 2. Navigate the login page 3. Enter valid username 4. Enter valid password 5. Click on the login button |
Login should be a success | as expected | Pass |
| 2 | Adding item functionality | Able to add the item to the cart | 1. Select categories list 2. Add the item to the cart |
The item should get added to the cart | Item is not getting added to the cart | Fail |
| 3 | Sign out functionality | Check sign out functionality | 1. select sign out button | The user should be able to sign out. | The user is not able to sign out | Fail |
What will happen if we don’t conduct smoke tests?
If we do not conduct smoke testing in the early stages, defects may be discovered at a later stage, when it is more cost-effective to conduct the testing. Furthermore, defects discovered at a later stage can be show stoppers because they can prevent the delivery of deliverables from taking place.
Summary:
Smoke testing should be performed on every build without fail in software engineering because it aids in the detection of defects in the early stages of development. Smoke test activity is the final step before the software build enters the system stage. Smoke tests must be performed on each build before it can be put through its paces. This applies to all new development as well as major and minor system releases in the future.
Before performing smoke testing, the quality assurance team must ensure that the application under test is running on the correct build version. It is a straightforward procedure that takes the shortest amount of time to evaluate the stability of the application.
Smoke tests can reduce the amount of time spent testing and can improve the overall quality of the application. Smoke testing can be performed manually or automatically, depending on the needs of the client and the needs of the organization.