Whitebox testing
“White box testing” (also known as clear, glass box or structural testing) is a testing technique which evaluates the code and internal structure of the program.
In white-box testing the tester is concentrating on how the software does it. For example, a structural technique may be concerned with exercising loops in the software.
This method is named so because the software program, in the eyes of the tester, is like a white/ transparent box; inside which one clearly sees.
Definition by ISTQB
- white-box testing: Testing based on an analysis of the internal structure of the component or
system.
White Box Testing Techniques:
- Statement Coverage –This technique is aimed at exercising all programming statements with minimal tests.
- Branch Coverage – This technique is running a series of tests to ensure that all branches are tested at least once.
- Path Coverage – This technique corresponds to testing all possible paths which means that each statement and branch is covered.
WHITE BOX TESTING ADVANTAGES
- Testing can be commenced at an earlier stage. One need not wait for the GUI to be available.
- Testing is more thorough, with the possibility of covering most paths.
WHITE BOX TESTING DISADVANTAGES
- Since tests can be very complex, highly skilled resources are required, with thorough knowledge of programming and implementation.
- Test script maintenance can be a burden if the implementation changes too frequently.
- Since this method of testing it closely tied with the application being testing, tools to cater to every kind of implementation/platform may not be readily available.
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