I have covered what is White box Testing in previous article. Here I will concentrate on Black box testing. BBT advantages, disadvantages and and How Black box testing is performed i.e the black box testing techniques.
Black box testing treats the system as a “black-box”, so it doesn’t explicitly use Knowledge of the internal structure or code. Or in other words the Test engineer need not know the internal working of the “Black box” or application.
Main focus in black box testing is on functionality of the system as a whole. The term ‘behavioral testing’ is also used for black box testing and white box testing is also sometimes called ’structural testing’. Behavioral test design is slightly different from black-box test design because the use of internal knowledge isn’t strictly forbidden, but it’s still discouraged.
Each testing method has its own advantages and disadvantages. There are some bugs that cannot be found using only black box or only white box. Majority of the applicationa are tested by black box testing method. We need to cover majority of test cases so that most of the bugs will get discovered by blackbox testing.
Black box testing occurs throughout the software development and Testing life cycle i.e in Unit, Integration, System, Acceptance and regression testing stages.
Tools used for Black Box testing:
Black box testing tools are mainly record and playback tools. These tools are used for regression testing that to check whether new build has created any bug in previous working application functionality. These record and playback tools records test cases in the form of some scripts like TSL, VB script, Java script, Perl.
Advantages of Black Box Testing
- Tester can be non-technical.
- Used to verify contradictions in actual system and the specifications.
- Test cases can be designed as soon as the functional specifications are complete
Disadvantages of Black Box Testing
- The test inputs needs to be from large sample space.
- It is difficult to identify all possible inputs in limited testing time. So writing test cases is slow and difficult
- Chances of having unidentified paths during this testing
Methods of Black box Testing:
Graph Based Testing Methods:
Each and every application is build up of some objects. All such objects are identified and graph is prepared. From this object graph each object relationship is identified and test cases written accordingly to discover the errors.
Error Guessing:
This is purely based on previous experience and judgment of tester. Error Guessing is the art of guessing where errors can be hidden. For this technique there are no specific tools, writing the test cases that cover all the application paths.
Boundary Value Analysis:
Many systems have tendency to fail on boundary. So testing boundry values of application is important. Boundary Value Analysis (BVA) is a test Functional Testing technique where the extreme boundary values are chosen. Boundary values include maximum, minimum, just inside/outside boundaries, typical values, and error values.
Extends equivalence partitioning
Test both sides of each boundary
Look at output boundaries for test cases too
Test min, min-1, max, max+1, typical values
BVA techniques:
1. Number of variables
For n variables: BVA yields 4n + 1 test cases.
2. Kinds of ranges
Generalizing ranges depends on the nature or type of variables
Advantages of Boundary Value Analysis
1. Robustness Testing - Boundary Value Analysis plus values that go beyond the limits
2. Min - 1, Min, Min +1, Nom, Max -1, Max, Max +1
3. Forces attention to exception handling
Limitations of Boundary Value Analysis
Boundary value testing is efficient only for variables of fixed values i.e boundary.
Equivalence Partitioning:
Equivalence partitioning is a black box testing method that divides the input domain of a program into classes of data from which test cases can be derived.
How is this partitioning performed while testing:
1. If an input condition specifies a range, one valid and one two invalid classes are defined.
2. If an input condition requires a specific value, one valid and two invalid equivalence classes are defined.
3. If an input condition specifies a member of a set, one valid and one invalid equivalence class is defined.
4. If an input condition is Boolean, one valid and one invalid class is defined.
Comparison Testing:
Different independent versions of same software are used to compare to each other for testing in this method.
Reference- http://www.softrel.org/stgb.html
63 comments ↓
it was good and valuable information about the basics of BBT.
Thanks Namita
Actually you could have observed that most of the testers in India are Black box testers. There is need to give more emphasis on this topic. So I will keep writing some more topics on Black box testing and practical methods.
Need to know about the check list cases
Really ! You have very good skill of representing this !
I want to read more and more about testing through this blog….
Thanks
its really good to know the basics in blackbox testing..thanks.please do emphasize on templates.
Comments are Excellent . I love to see such many and More Comments.
Thanks
Shridhar
can u provide me with blackbox testing interview questions?
dear all,
can u tell me what is a build? when it is started ?
bye
raj
can we test the application without having any system this question was asked in interview.And also how to generate the reports.pls suggests me
regards
raj
Priya, i will send u notes about the check list cases if u leave ur mail id and Phone no
what is prototype testing?
What is white box testing ?
White box testing is based on knowledge of the internal logic of an application’s code. Also known as Glass box Testing. Internal software and code working should be known for this type of testing. Tests are based on coverage of code statements, branches, paths, conditions.
what do u mean by framework?
wat do u mean by checklists in testing?
Hi Vijay
Recently I came across the foll. terms:
Grey Box testing
Red Box testing
Yellow Box testing &
Green Box testing
Could u pls explain the above types of testing in detail. Thanks.
hi vijay
plz tell something more about black box testing
thanks
1.What is the Difference Between Test Cases and Test Scenarios????????
2. Canu plz tell me the exacr definition of Test Scenario??
hi Rajani,
a prototype testing is a sample application without Functionality.
hi sivaguru,
test Scenario specifies required test conditions to apply on a build.
where as test case specifies detailed procedure to apply the test conditions on a build.
This is the best answer that i can give…….
Hi all,
Any sample testcases for implementing the “Graphs based testing Methods???
Articles and comments brings me often to this site.
great.
plz send me links of technical papers on black box testing if anybody know before sunday my email address is
abhasgoyal@gmail.com
I want to learn about test cases and how to write testcases for database testing and system testing
what is Posittive test case & negetive test case?
hello to everyone, i want to know the basic concepts of testing tools in brief individually, can u people let me know from where can i get this information
thank u
whaT IS SMOKE TESTING , SANITY TESTING
How we can plot a graph between test conditions and test cases in black-box testing?
@ varsha, bala
“”Red Box testing
Yellow Box testing &
Green Box testing”",
there is no terminology like this in testing industry, some can say it is protocol testing-redbox, or error message testing-red box, warning message testing-yellow box and green box- environmental testing, of cource white, black, grey box testing is there. Or else why it is called by red, green, yellow box testing, anyway it is not due to the icon\symbol present in the warning or error messages.
Vijay
hey guys, trull i learn a lot from u. …thanks
Can anyone explain to be more in details. wat is error guessing?
thankx
It is a nice presentation as well as very simple to understand.
please, keep on upgrading.
Hi,
I want to know what exactly do the term exhaustive testing ? IS it possible to carry it out ?
Thanks,
Rashmi
hey guys, trully i learnt a lot from u. …thanks
Can anyone explain more in details. ….. Tools in Black Box Testing
can any body explain testing tools in black box testing
wat abt comparison of different testing technique??
Iam a fresher in testing field. Now I’m testing a web based application. I want to know what all procedures( in WBT & BBT) I hav to do for a successful test.
Mail ID: Tammukchowdary@gmail.com
Diffrence between black box and white box testing?
wat r d levels of black box testing?
Hi Vijay,
Currently, I’m working on a functional test cases document. But I’m having difficulty in determine which of my user requirement is consider to be a functional requirement and which are non-functional. For example, one of the requirements said that the system should be able to send the request to dedicated travel agent and the other requirements said that the system should be able to convert monthly report into a .csv format. Do you think those 2 requirements consider as functional requirement? Anyone can help?.
Hi Nodeen,
It seems we have similar projects at hand and I am wondering if you would be happy to share your experience on the forum. My task is to review lines of code for inherent vulnerabilities using black-box testing. kindly holler asap
This was helpfull.. Thanx.
Would manual testing can enhance my career?
Hi
what is system integration testing??
@Abhirup
Manual Testing is as good as any other testing skills. Its just the level of specilization that matters. I’ve seen many manual functional testers went on to become Business Analysts and further more. So if you are interested in testing (be it manual), just put great efforts and you will achive great results.
Hi,
Really nice to read the article.
Generally we develop the Test Plan in a xl sheet with diff. info. in different Tabs.
Can u provide me a Standard Test Plan including all diff. types of info. !! It will be vey helpful for me….
Thanks
A. Adhikary
this black box testings can b read from s.e pressman edition software engg, try it;
its also really good;
hello
I m doing thesis on black box testing.what r problems occured in black box testing. plz send me some important links that can help me in my thesis
Hi,
What a comprehensive article on Black Box Testing! It was thoroughly enlightening too! Fantastic work, sir!
I have known only Indusa Infotech to be doing these services in Ahmedabad. Can you name some more companies in Ahmedabad which offer black box testing services..
Thanks again for the insight
Hi
where do you derive the inputs for Black Box testing?
please answer this question(asked in interview)
Thanks
i am testing java application by using jmeter testing tool.
i had prepared functional test test case summary report.now i want to prepare load test report. please any one give some idea how to prepare load test report.
mail: sunaruna84@gmail.com
with regards
sundar
Can smbdy explain in detail what is red box testing?
Wiki Ans:red box testing is used to test products on hardware devices, networking components like protocolss
Vijay says(Host):it is protocol testing-redbox, or error message testing-red box.
Can some one clarifies these ans..?
@ cool dude,
vijay is correct. in red-box testing u have to test the protocol & Error messages.
@ kalpana #49,
inputs will be given as per the Business requirement.
so the inputs are not standard depends on the business requirment.
Hi vijay,
Its a nice documnet.
It would be good if you divide the testing types in functional and non-functional.
As a testing beginner …..people want to know the basics ….
Thanks
Shiva
what are different QA methodologies
Hi Pal
In this module u use the UNIT testing as the part of BLACK BOX TESTING.
Is this correct?
Hi Praveen,
Please suggest me which book i purchase and how to start this cource initially.
Please giv me Our contact no.I need a suggestion.
My Mob.No.Is 9953178623
Can anybody explain about ‘0′ Functionality testing
the website is very useful for me thak u
i love u so much who had written this………………….its really gooooooooooood
Types of FRAME WORK IN TESTING
The Test Script Modularity Framework
The test script modularity framework requires the creation of small, independent scripts that represent modules, sections, and functions of the application-under-test. These small scripts are then used in a hierarchical fashion to construct larger tests, realizing a particular test case.
Of all the frameworks I’ll review, this one should be the simplest to grasp and master. It’s a well-known programming strategy to build an abstraction layer in front of a component to hide the component from the rest of the application. This insulates the application from modifications in the component and provides modularity in the application design. The test script modularity framework applies this principle of abstraction or encapsulation in order to improve the maintainability and scalability of automated test suites.
To demonstrate the use of this framework, I’ll automate a simple test case for the Windows Calculator program (see Figure 1) to test the basic functions (add, subtract, divide, and multiply).
The Test Script Modularity Framework
The test script modularity framework requires the creation of small, independent scripts that represent modules, sections, and functions of the application-under-test. These small scripts are then used in a hierarchical fashion to construct larger tests, realizing a particular test case.
Of all the frameworks I’ll review, this one should be the simplest to grasp and master. It’s a well-known programming strategy to build an abstraction layer in front of a component to hide the component from the rest of the application. This insulates the application from modifications in the component and provides modularity in the application design. The test script modularity framework applies this principle of abstraction or encapsulation in order to improve the maintainability and scalability of automated test suites.
To demonstrate the use of this framework, I’ll automate a simple test case for the Windows Calculator program (see Figure 1) to test the basic functions (add, subtract, divide, and multiply).
The Keyword-Driven or Table-Driven Testing Framework
Keyword-driven testing and table-driven testing are interchangeable terms that refer to an application-independent automation framework. This framework requires the development of data tables and keywords, independent of the test automation tool used to execute them and the test script code that “drives” the application-under-test and the data. Keyword-driven tests look very similar to manual test cases. In a keyword-driven test, the functionality of the application-under-test is documented in a table as well as in step-by-step instructions for each test.
If we were to map out the actions we perform with the mouse when we test our Windows Calculator functions by hand, we could create the following table. The “Window” column contains the name of the application window where we’re performing the mouse action (in this case, they all happen to be in the Calculator window). The “Control” column names the type of control the mouse is clicking. The “Action” column lists the action taken with the mouse (or by the tester). And the “Arguments” column names a specific control (1, 2, 3, 5, +, -, and so on).
For Further details Contact akbar.shaik@yahoo.com
Hyderabad
Hi vijay,
excellant job yours… thanks
i need a exact answere for two question..
1.Define Defect Density?
2.What are the techniques used to write a test case?
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