Structural Testing - Types and Techniques

Structural testing is a type of software testing that involves testing the internal structure of a software application, as opposed to testing its functionalities. Structural testing techniques are used to check the source code, design, and architecture of the software application. In this tutorial, we will explore types and techniques of structural testing.

Types of Structural Testing

There are several types of structural testing:

1. Statement Coverage Testing: It involves testing each statement of the source code at least once.
2. Decision Coverage Testing: It aims to test each possible branch of a decision statement.
3. Condition Coverage Testing: It involves testing all possible combinations of conditions in a decision statement.
4. Loop Coverage Testing: It aims to test the number of iterations of a loop statement.
5. Path Coverage Testing: It aims to test every possible path through the source code.
6. Functional Decomposition Based Testing: It involves testing each function in the source code.

Techniques of Structural Testing

There are several techniques which can be used to perform structural testing:

1. Manual Testing: It involves reviewing the source code and testing it manually to identify errors and defects.
2. White Box Testing: It involves analyzing the source code and testing it using test cases based on the code's structure.
3. Unit Testing: It involves testing individual units or modules of a software application.
4. Integration Testing: It involves testing the interaction between different components of a software application.
5. Mutation Testing: It involves making small changes to the source code and testing whether the test cases can detect those changes.
6. Code Coverage Analysis: It is used to identify the parts of the source code that have not been tested and to determine the extent of test coverage.

Use

Structural testing is used to ensure that the internal structure of the software application is sound. By performing structural testing, developers can identify errors and defects in the source code before the application is deployed.

Important Points

• Structural tests are typically performed by developers rather than testers.
• Structural testing is essential for ensuring the integrity and quality of the software application.
• Structural testing can be time-consuming and expensive.

Summary

In this tutorial, we learned about the types and techniques of structural testing. Structural testing is important for ensuring that the internal structure of the software application is sound and free of errors. By understanding the various types and techniques of structural testing, developers can improve the quality of the software application, reduce errors and defects, and enhance the user experience.