Quality assurance is a key part of software development, testing being one of its most important elements. Both static and dynamic testing are essential for ensuring the quality of your software.
Both types of testing ensure the quality of your software in different ways. Static testing focuses on analyzing code at a semantic level to detect bugs or defects before users see it, while dynamic testing focuses on testing and validating the functionality of your software at run time.
These two types of software testing have their own advantages and disadvantages and are therefore used in different situations. This blog will explain the differences between static vs dynamic testing and help you decide when to use each one.
What is Static Testing?
Static testing is the process of analyzing source code without running or executing the code. Its goal is to find defects or bugs in the source code that can be fixed before the software is executed.
It is performed when the code is written or modified, before the software is deployed or released. The intention is to help find bugs early and save time and money by fixing them before the code is executed.
The main advantages of static testing are that it can be done whenever and wherever, with no dependencies on the environment, it is fast and you can use automated tools that can be more thorough and precise than manual testing. There is no set up, testing can be done offline, and there are no special requirements such as an internet connection.
What is Dynamic Testing?
Dynamic testing is the process of testing software by executing it and validating its functionality and behavior. Dynamic testing ensures that your software works as it is supposed to and that it meets its requirements.
It is usually done after static testing. Dynamic testing might be automated or manual, it might include executing a part of your software or require accessing the entire application.
It is done when your software is already running and it is accessible for testing purposes. Dynamic testing is often called acceptance testing, functional testing, or end-to-end testing.
The main advantages of dynamic testing are that it is done when the software is running, it can test the system end-to-end and be done on a real-life system, and it can catch problems that static testing has missed. However, it can only be done when your software is running, so it cannot be done offline or as a pre-commit code analysis.
Differences Between Static and Dynamic Testing
Static testing – Static testing analyzes code at a semantic level without executing it, hence the name static.
It is performed when the code is written or modified, before the software is deployed or released. It is intended to help find bugs early and save time and money by fixing them before the code is executed.
Dynamic testing – Dynamic testing tests software by executing it and validating its functionality and behavior. It is usually done after static testing and it ensures that your software works as it is supposed to and that it meets its requirements.
Dynamic testing might be automated or manual, it might include executing a part of your software or require accessing the entire application. It is done when your software is already running and it is accessible for testing purposes.
Static Testing Tools
– Code coverage tools: Code coverage tools measure code coverage, which is how thoroughly code is tested.
This helps you identify which parts of your code are not being tested and helps you decide how to improve your testing so that all parts of your code are covered. Code coverage can be measured both during static testing and dynamic testing.
– Static source code analysis tools: Static source code analysis tools help you detect potential bugs and find areas in your code that need improvement in terms of quality. They are usually applied to your code before it is deployed, to help you find bugs, defects, and quality issues. – Static analysis tools: Static analysis tools, also known as lint tools, find problematic areas in your code without analyzing the syntax.
They help you detect and fix common issues such as naming conventions, code formatting, code complexity, and more. – Code refactoring tools: Code refactoring tools help you improve your code by rearranging it and restructuring it in a better way.
They help you make code more readable, maintainable, and reusable, which is important for keeping the code base clean and healthy. – Static code analysis tools: Static code analysis tools are a combination of all the above tools. They can help you find areas in your code that need improvement in terms of quality and can also help you find bugs.
Dynamic Testing Tools
– Load testing tools: Load testing tools help you test your system’s capacity, performance, and robustness. They help you find bottlenecks in your application and determine how to improve it.
They can be applied both during static testing and dynamic testing. – Performance testing tools: Performance testing tools help you test your application’s performance by measuring how quickly it performs certain tasks.
They help you identify areas in your application that need improvement and help you decide how to optimize it to perform better. – UI testing tools: UI testing tools help you test the functionality and user experience of your application. They can be applied both during static testing and dynamic testing.
Summary
These two types of software testing have their own advantages and disadvantages and are therefore used in different situations. Static testing is performed when the code is written or modified, before the software is deployed or released.
It analyzes code at a semantic level and is intended to help find bugs early and save time and money by fixing them before the code is executed. Dynamic testing tests software by executing it and validating its functionality and behavior.
It is usually done after static testing and ensures that your software works as it is supposed to and that it meets its requirements. These testing types can be used in different situations, depending on what the testing team wants to achieve. Static testing can be performed when the code is written, while dynamic testing can be applied when the code is already running.
