What Is Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC)?
A software testing life cycle (STLC) is a series of steps software developers, and testers use to ensure that a software product works as intended. It involves planning, executing and evaluating the effectiveness of the software testing process. STLC aims to identify potential vulnerabilities and glitches in software and fix them before the software is released to end users. The STLC process typically begins with an analysis of testing requirements, where developers identify scenarios where a lack of testing could lead to software vulnerabilities or glitches. This step is crucial because it helps ensure that testing is comprehensive and practical. Once testing requirements have been identified, teams move on to test planning, where they make concessions for the specified requirements. Test planning involves defining the scope of testing, identifying test cases, and creating a test plan. After test planning, teams move on to test execution, where they perform the tests that have been planned. During test execution, testers work through the test cases that have been identified and look for any issues or bugs in the software. They also perform regression testing for more complex user interactions and retesting for more troublesome elements than the average code module. Once testing is complete, teams move on to the closure phase, ensuring that everything that needs to occur has been completed. This includes documenting test results, preparing final reports, and recommending future improvements. Closure is essential because it helps ensure that the testing process is complete and adequate. It is important to note that the software testing life cycle differs from the software release or development life cycle. While testing is an essential part of both processes, testing is just one of many software development and release steps. Recently, some organizations have changed how they approach release and testing life cycles. For example, some organizations use a process known as "devops," which bridges development and production environments and ensures that software is released promptly and efficiently. Other organizations may call on end users to assist in identifying software issues, a process often occurring in the open-source community. In conclusion, the software testing life cycle is critical to the software development and release process. It helps ensure that software products are reliable and effective and that any issues or bugs are identified and fixed before the software is released to end users. The STLC process involves several steps, including testing requirements analysis, test planning, execution, and closure. While the software testing life cycle is different from the software development and releases life cycle, it is essential to ensure that software products are reliable and effective.
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