Static testing is a type of software testing that focuses on the analysis of software code to find any potential bugs and defects before the code is released. Read on to learn more about static testing, why it’s important, and how you can implement it in your own projects. There are several types of software testing.
Each one serves a different purpose, with some focusing on user experience (UX) testing, others on performance checking, and so on.
Static or source code testing falls into the category of white box testing, meaning that the tester has access to see the source code as well as its execution during test runs. Different types of static testing check for various properties in source code.
You might already have heard about linting or style checking with tools like Google Linter or Prettier – these are just some examples of static code analysis tools which help you identify and correct mistakes in your code early on during development.
This blog post will introduce you to static software testing and how it differs from dynamic tests, explore different types of static tests performed by testers, explain what linting and syntax checking are, list best practices for implementing all kinds of static tests in your project, and much more!
What is static software testing?
Static software testing is a type of software testing which analyzes the source code of a software product to find defects and errors, but unlike other software testing methods, it’s conducted before the code is actually executed.
As the name suggests, static software testing is a type of testing in which the software program is examined prior to execution.
During static software testing, the tester may look for issues related to security, performance, and code quality. When you perform static testing, you’re analyzing your code to see if it’s correct, if it meets requirements, and if there are any potential issues that you may need to address before you release it.
Why is static testing important?
As we mentioned above, all types of software testing have their own place in the software development lifecycle. What’s important, however, is the fact that you perform each of the types of testing regularly to make sure that your software is in the best shape possible before releasing it to your end users.
Static software testing is perhaps one of the most important testing types as it allows you to find and address issues with your code before it’s executed (and customers encounter them).
For example, imagine that your team is working on a new feature and everything seems to be in order – you have all the necessary requirements, you’ve identified the risks and you’ve outlined them in your test plan, your developers have implemented the feature and everything appears to work just fine.
However, while performing static testing, your tester finds a minor yet critical mistake in the code. If you had waited until the feature was almost ready to be deployed, you would have had to go back and fix the mistake, which could have taken a while and caused significant delays in the release of the new feature.
Types of static tests
There are several types of static software testing that you can perform to ensure that your code has no critical issues.
Here are the four most common types of static testing: – Linting: This testing type is all about finding code quality issues in your code and letting you know about them so that you can address them before they become a problem.
It’s usually done with automated tools that check for code formatting issues, usage of incorrect language constructs, etc. – Syntax checking:
This type of testing is done to find coding mistakes such as typos, missing semicolons, and other syntax-related issues. It also helps you find out if you’re using the right language and syntax for the code you’re writing.
– Static analysis: While linting and syntax checking focus on code formatting and syntax issues, static analysis focuses on code issues that may affect the functionality of the software. For example, static code analysis helps you find potential logic issues in your code, find potential security issues, and more.
– Regression testing: Regression testing is performed to see if a particular piece of code or a feature is still working as expected after it’s been changed or modified in some way. For example, if you’re adding new functionality to your sign-up process, you want to make sure that the rest of the system still works as expected.
Static analysis tools
As we’ve mentioned above, static analysis is a type of static software testing. It focuses on code issues such as potential issues with the code’s logic, potential security issues, and more. When performing static analysis, you’re looking for potential issues with your code, but you’re not actually executing the code.
With static analysis, you’re scanning your code and looking for potential issues. There are many static analysis tools out there.
You can use them to make sure that your code is properly formatted, that there are no syntax mistakes, that you’re using the right language constructs, etc. You can use static analysis tools to find any potential issues with your code before you even execute it.
Wrapping up
As you can see, static software testing is an extremely important part of the software development lifecycle.
It allows you to find and address issues with your code before it gets executed, which means that you can save time and make sure that your software is in excellent shape before releasing it to your end users.
Keep in mind that while every tester should perform static testing, they shouldn’t only focus on it. They should also perform dynamic testing to make sure that the code works as expected and that it can handle all the different types of inputs that it may get from the end users.
Moreover, you can also have developers perform static testing in addition to writing code and performing unit testing. With this, you can make sure that the code meets all requirements and is bug-free.
