Software testing relies on verification and validation to ensure software meets design requirements and client expectations, respectively. While these terms are often confused, they play distinct roles in the testing process. This article delves into the importance and differences between verification and validation in software testing.

Verification in software testing

Verification is the process of confirming whether the software’s design and development match the specific requirements. These requirements serve as the foundational inputs for the software development phase. The coding of any software is executed based on this specifications document.

Verification is carried out to ensure that the evolving software aligns with these specifications throughout each stage of its development life cycle. It validates that the code’s logic corresponds with the outlined specifications.

Depending on the intricacy and scale of the software application, the software testing team employs various verification methods, such as inspection, code reviews, technical evaluations, and walkthroughs. Additionally, the testing teams might utilize mathematical models and computations to make anticipatory assessments about the software and to validate its code logic.

Moreover, verification assesses whether the software team is constructing the product correctly. It is an ongoing process that commences well before the validation procedures and continues until the software application is validated and ready for release.

Advantages of Verification Testing

Early and consistent verification diminishes the occurrence of bugs and defects that could emerge in subsequent stages of development.
Through verification at each phase, developers, product managers, and stakeholders gain deeper insights into potential enhancements needed for the product in upcoming stages.

Even if all bugs cannot be resolved immediately, verification aids Quality Assurance (QA) teams in anticipating emerging issues.  This will allow them to better prepare to address them when they arise.

Verification ensures that the software remains closely aligned with customer and business requirements throughout its development. This minimizes unnecessary efforts for developers as the development progresses.

When to Use Verification Testing?

Verification tests should be conducted at every development stage prior to the implementation of any new feature.

For instance, consider a button labeled “Add to Cart.” Before designing this button, verification tests should scrutinize all relevant requirements established during the ideation and brainstorming phases.

Suppose the documentation specifies that the button must be black with white lettering, not exceeding dimensions of 10mm X 10mm, and it must remain consistently visible in the top right corner of each website product page. Additionally, an identical button, in terms of text, color, and size, should be positioned beneath each product on the page.

Thoroughly review both design and requirements documents before initiating the button’s design. This ensures the documentation of all necessary specifications prior to commencement.

This meticulous verification process should be applied to every feature or element on the page to ensure adherence to established guidelines and prevent oversights by the developers.

Validation in software testing

Validation is typically conducted after the entire software development process has concluded. Its primary objective is to determine whether the client receives the product they expected. Unlike verification, which examines the internal processes and technical details, validation concentrates solely on the output of the software.

The purpose of validation is to ascertain if the software team has developed the appropriate product. Software teams employ various validation techniques, such as white-box testing and black-box testing, throughout the development process to ensure the final product meets customer requirements. These techniques complement verification activities, which focus on building the software according to specifications.

White Box Testing involves validating the software application using a predetermined set of inputs and data. In this method, testers compare the output values to the input values to confirm that the application produces the expected output as specified in the requirements.

Black Box Testing focuses on three critical variables: input values, output values, and expected output values. This approach allows to ensure that the actual output of the software aligns with the anticipated or expected output.

Advantages of Validation Testing

Validation tests can uncover any bugs or issues that might have been overlooked during the verification phase.

If the specifications are found to be incorrect or inadequate, validation tests will identify these shortcomings. Although addressing these issues may necessitate additional time and effort, it prevents the release of substandard products into the market.

Validation tests ensure that the software aligns with and meets customer demands, preferences, and expectations under various conditions, such as slow connectivity or low battery levels.

Furthermore, these tests are essential to confirm that the software operates seamlessly across different combinations of browsers, devices, and operating systems, thus verifying its cross-browser compatibility.

When to Use Validation Testing?

Execute validation tests after completing each feature or phase in the development cycle. Unit tests, a type of validation test, exemplify this by being performed after each unit of code is set up.

Integration tests are conducted after multiple modules have been individually completed and are prepared for integration.

A critical component of validation testing involves conducting cross-browser tests. Quality Assurance (QA) teams must ensure that every function, feature, and design element performs and appears as intended across various browser-device-OS combinations.

Purpose of Verification and Validation in software Testing

The primary objective of Verification & Validation is to ascertain that the product aligns with all customer requirements. Once results are obtained, they demonstrate the product’s capability to perform as intended and fulfill its designated purpose.

How are Verification and Validation Testing Conducted?

There are several methods for software quality assurance:

1. Peer Reviews: This entails sharing the software product with individuals for feedback. Reviewers can offer insights into the product’s quality and pinpoint any potential issues.
2. Assessments: An expert team evaluates the software product, highlighting potential flaws and crucial areas needing attention.
3. Walkthrough: This involves presenting the software to individuals for questions and feedback, aiding in the detection of possible issues.
4. Desk-Checking: This method reviews the software’s source code to ensure the algorithms and code operate correctly.

Tips for Effective Verification and Validation

Consider the following key recommendations:

1. Define clear verification and validation objectives: Establish specific aims for the process to attain the desired results.
2. Utilize suitable verification methods: Choose appropriate techniques, such as inspections or testing, to evaluate the system’s accuracy and completeness.
3. Create a comprehensive test plan: Develop a detailed strategy outlining the system’s scope, timeline, resources, and evaluation criteria.
4. Perform thorough testing: Conduct extensive tests to detect any system defects, errors, or inconsistencies, ensuring adherence to all specified requirements.
5. Engage stakeholders throughout: Involve relevant parties to collect feedback, address issues, and validate that the system aligns with their expectations.
6. Document and monitor outcomes: Keep detailed records of all activities, including identified issues and their resolutions, to maintain traceability and accountability.

Popular Test Automation Tools for Verification and Validation

1. Testsigma

Testsigma is a no-code test automation platform that enables test automation using simple English without requiring coding skills. It offers the convenience of automating tests for web, mobile, APIs, and desktop applications all from a single interface, and claims to do so five times faster.

Being a cloud-based solution, Testsigma allows users to create an account, automate tests, execute them, generate reports, and integrate with existing CI/CD pipelines seamlessly.

2. Selenium

Selenium is an open-source automation framework for web application testing. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools and libraries that support browser automation. Testers can write scripts in multiple programming languages like Java, Python, or C#.

Selenium can mimic user interactions, execute actions such as clicking buttons or inputting text, and validate expected outcomes, making it a preferred choice for functional and regression testing of web applications.

3. Appium

Appium is an open-source project that serves as an ecosystem for UI automation across various platforms. It supports automation for a wide range of app platforms, including mobile (iOS, Android, Tizen), web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari), desktop (macOS, Windows).

It also supports TV platforms (Roku, tvOS, Android TV, Samsung). Appium’s flexibility and versatility make it a popular choice for automating tests across different devices and platforms.

Difference between Verification and Validation Testing

Verification

• Focuses on the accurate development of the product
• Often referred to as static testing.
• Includes methods such as Inspections, Reviews, and Walkthroughs.
• Involves checking work-products (not the final product) against specified requirements.
• Quality assurance is part of verification testing.
• Does not involve code execution.
• Helps identify bugs early in the development phase.
• Conducted by the Quality Assurance team to ensure alignment with customer requirements.
• Precedes validation testing.
• Aims to verify that inputs yield expected outputs.

Validation

• Focuses on confirming if the developed product is correct.
• Often termed as dynamic testing.
• Includes testing types like functional testing, system testing, integration, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
• Involves checking the software during or at the end of the development cycle against business requirements.
• Quality control falls under validation testing.
• Involves code execution.
• Identifies bugs left out during verification.
• Conducted by the testing team to validate the application.
• Follows verification testing.
• Aims to validate if users accept the product.

Verification vs Validation software Testing and Automation

The integration of automation into both verification and validation processes has become increasingly prevalent, offering a multitude of benefits that enhance efficiency, reliability, and overall quality.

Consistency and Repetition

One of the primary advantages of incorporating automation into verification and validation testing is the assurance of consistent and repetitive test execution. Automated test scripts perform tasks in a uniform manner every time during execution. This will eliminate the variability that often accompanies manual testing.

This consistency ensures the evaluation of the software under the same conditions. This will reduce the likelihood of overlooking defects due to human oversight or inconsistency.

Minimizing Human Error

Human error is an inherent aspect of manual testing, where even experienced testers can make mistakes due to fatigue, oversight, or misinterpretation of test cases. Automation mitigates this risk by executing tests precisely as programmed, adhering to predefined steps and criteria without deviation.

By minimizing human intervention, automation significantly reduces the chances of introducing errors into the testing process, thereby enhancing the reliability and accuracy of test results.

Eases the Testing Process

Automation facilitates rapid test execution, enabling testers to run a large number of test cases in a considerably shorter timeframe compared to manual testing. This acceleration is particularly beneficial for agile and DevOps environments where frequent code changes necessitate quick turnaround times for testing.

We can execute automated tests overnight or during off-peak hours, maximizing efficiency and ensuring that testing does not impede the development cycle or release schedules.

Early Defect Identification

One of the most valuable aspects of automated testing is its capability to identify defects early in the development lifecycle. We can integrate automated tests seamlessly into the continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, allowing for immediate feedback on code changes.

This early detection of defects enables developers to address issues promptly, reducing the time and effort required for bug fixes and contributing to the development of a more robust and reliable final product.

Broadening Test Coverage

Automation empowers organizations to broaden their test coverage by facilitating the execution of a vast array of test cases that would be impractical or time-consuming to perform manually.

Automated tests can simulate complex user scenarios, edge cases, and load conditions, providing comprehensive coverage that ensures the software’s functionality, performance, and security across diverse environments and usage scenarios.

Cost-Effectiveness

Setting up automated testing frameworks and scripts incurs a significant initial investment, but automation becomes cost-effective in the long run. We can execute automated tests repeatedly at no additional cost, unlike manual testing which requires continuously allocating resources for test execution.

Moreover, automation reduces the reliance on manual testers, allowing organizations to allocate human resources to more strategic and creative tasks that require human intuition and expertise.

Conclusion

To sum up the integration of automation into verification and validation testing is a game-changer for the software development industry, offering unparalleled benefits in terms of consistency, reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. By leveraging automation, organizations can accelerate their testing processes, identify defects early, broaden test coverage, and ultimately deliver high-quality software products that meet customer expectations and stand the test of time in today’s competitive marketplace.

As automation evolves and advances, its role in shaping software testing and development grows more pivotal. With the support of a skilled team like Bobcares, you can get this technology to enhance your business.