Who should test the application? The deciding battle whether to hire a tester or a developer is never-ending. The objective is to verify and validate the application while finding the defects before its release and ensuring its quality.
While developers aim at creating and developing the application to its best, testers aim at ensuring the application design is of good quality.
One of the most important factors differentiating a developer and a tester is that the developer stops testing when the application works once while the tester starts testing when the application works. Also, it depends on the mindset that reflects their attitude toward the development of the application.
Hence, if you are struggling with who can test your application better, then you need to understand how they work. We’re sure at the end of this write-up, you will know the answer.
How does a tester test?
A tester…
1) Tries out both the beaten path and the “odd ways” of testing an application
- Testing may sound like a common process. A tester is a person who is responsible for trying out all the necessary usage scenarios for the best working of an application.
- Testers follow both the regular testing process and their unconventional ways to ensure that the application works as expected.
- A tester is more focused on addressing defects and resolving them before the application can be deployed to users.
- Hence, a tester follows both the beaten path and odd ways to try out several different approaches to do the same thing. The agenda is to determine whether a specific combination of steps may lead to application failure or unexpected results.
2) Tests the same thing over and over again until gets 100% of the expected results
- Tester idealizes the process of continuous testing. A tester starts the testing the moment it becomes available.
- This type of application testing can also rely on test automation that is integrated with the deployment process.
- Though automated testing enables the application to be validated in realistic test environments. However, an ideal tester urges to test the application over and over again.
- A result-oriented tester is focused on improving the application design and reducing risks.
3) Doesn’t limit to the usual process of what needs to be tested and how it needs to be tested
- A tester is involved in assessing many stages. Ideally, organizations maintain test assets to track what an application builds to test.
- However, a tester is not limited to what needs to be tested. A tester gains access to assets such as requirements, codes, models, test scripts, design documents, and test results.
- A tester is completely aware of the parameters of what needs to be tested and how it needs to be tested.
- An ideal tester focuses on user authentication and audit trails to help companies meet compliance requirements with minimal administrative effort.
4) Don’t assume that it will work every time and everywhere
- A tester is determined to offer perfection when it comes to testing results. Hence, a tester analyzes the success of testing based on reports and analytics. It eventually helps other team members to share status, goals, and results.
- A tester never assumes that the same process will work every time and everywhere. Thus, a tester incorporates advanced tools to integrate project metrics and present results in a dashboard.
- This particular practice makes the tester super confident and lets the teams quickly see the overall health of the project.
- A tester tests to establish the parameter that defines the development of the application while monitoring relationships between development, test, and other significant elements.
5) Never satisfied even if it works in the most ways, needs the application to work in every way
- A tester knows that testing can be time-consuming. Still, the tester is never satisfied with regular procedures even if it works in most ways.
- Several automated software testing tools are used to complete the testing process. However, a tester feels incomplete with automation and runs manual testing or ad-hoc testing to be 100% sure.
- The tester is more focused on making sure that the application works in every way irrespective of any circumstances.
- A tester is not ready to accept that automated testing helps implement different scenarios and test differentiators. The tester never feels satisfied until the application works in every bit possible way.
How does a developer test?
A developer…
1) Follows the obvious way like how an application is meant to be used
- A developer is quite practical in the process and works on the application the way it is meant to be used. Once the features of the application have been nailed down, the developer is supposed to convert them into an actual application.
- The developer uses a variety of tools that include programming language, integrated development environments, data structures, staging serves, and more to get the application started.
- Once the primary development of the application is completed, a developer tests the application in a regular, necessary way to make sure the application runs the way it should.
2) Tests once and gets satisfied if the feature works fine
- Mostly, a developer follows a definite testing process where the developer writes down and executes basic test cases.
- Ideally, this process helps to determine whether the application is structurally sound and performing properly or not. Once the results are in favor, the developer makes the end call and finalizes it.
- The developer would only test once if the results are accurate in one try. The developer feels satisfied if the features of the application work fine and even work in usually used ways.
3) Doesn’t explore and is limited to what needs to be tested
- Ideally, a developer is focused on unit testing that is not similar to the way a tester does. The process is followed by developers to determine any necessary bugs while ensuring the application works as expected.
- If everything seems good, a developer won’t make extra effort to explore more possibilities of any glitches while using the application.
- Developers are aware of bugs that can’t be identified by them. Their mind-sets are focused to follow the usual testing process and report the functioning of the application.
Conclusion:
During the testing process, both the tester and developer work in their best possible ways to give 100% favorable results. However, certain parameters can’t be examined by the developer. And this is where the tester’s role comes in.
