SECTION 06 / 14
Testing: check the system before release
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Testing ensures the software behaves according to the requirements; many bugs might still exist in the system. Bugs can cost a lot of money: a study showed that in 2002 software bugs cost the US economy around $59.5 billion, and in 2016 this number jumped to $1.1 trillion. Failure to address bugs can even cause severe catastrophes.
| Testing | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Unit | A single part (usually one class or one function) in total isolation |
| Integration | After testing individual parts, test how parts work together as a whole |
| Acceptance | Check whether users' requirements are actually met by testing the application with end users |
Alpha testing vs Beta testing
Alpha and beta are the two types of acceptance testing.
Alpha: conducted by internal employees in a lab/staging environment; goal: catch as many issues as possible before the product is released to the public.
Beta: conducted by actual users in a real-live setting.
REMEMBER Unit = one part; Integration = parts together; Acceptance = needs of real users.