You might build wonderful software, and everything may seem to look fine. But then, there comes an issue when someone uses it. To avoid this situation, testing is required. 

Static testing is carried out during the early stages of development to prevent errors from occurring because it is easier to identify the sources of problems and rectify them. This is a very important aspect of web development. 

In this blog, I will introduce you to what is static testing, the benefits of static testing, what are static testing techniques, and the types of static testing. I will also introduce you to some tools for static testing.

Let's get started!

What is Static Testing? 

Static testing is a software testing method that is used to check for software problems without executing the code of the software application. It is performed to ensure that the software is free of defects. 

In order to discover faults in the code before it is run, static testing is used. Early-stage fault detection is the primary objective. When it comes to finding the root cause of a problem, it is usually easier to do so this way.

Prior to the program being run, the code, design documentation, and requirements are often static tested to look for errors. Functional requirements can be examined for everything that is relevant to the task at hand. This will entail examining written resources that provide a more comprehensive picture of the software under test as a whole.

Benefits of Static Testing

There are a lot of benefits to static testing in App or web development. 

  • Detection and rectification of any coding mistakes in the early stage of development. The time it takes to repair any errors is reduced, which saves money early in the development process.
  • It is at this stage that the software's overall functionality can be improved through user feedback. For example, when dynamic testing begins, there will be fewer errors discovered. This means that code is easier to maintain in the long run.
  • The procedure will provide developers with a clearer picture of the software's quality problems.
  • Using automated techniques, this process can be completed in a short amount of time.
  • Static testing can help improve the flow of information amongst project members.

What are Static Testing Techniques?

Static analysis and review are the two techniques used to conduct static testing. Standard practice calls for the identification and correction of mistakes and ambiguities in supporting documentation during a static evaluation. Requirements specifications, design plans, and test cases are among the documents reviewed.

Following this, developers' code is evaluated using static analysis. During the evaluation, any structural flaws that could lead to errors are discovered. Static testing techniques include use case requirements validation, functional requirements validation, architecture review, and field dictionary validation.

What are the Types of Static Testing?

Static testing can be said to be of the following types:

  • Software inspections
  • Walkthroughs
  • Technical reviews

Software Quality Inspections

Software quality problems can be addressed by software quality inspections, which allow errors to be detected and removed during the software development process. A minimum of four people are needed for the inspection process.

Walkthrough

In comparison to inspection, walkthrough is an informal method that requires significantly less physical effort. The following individuals make up a typical walkthrough team: a co-coordinator, developer, recorder tester, maintenance oracle, standard beaver, and agent. 

There are fewer steps involved in a walkthrough, and it does not require a check to guide it or a written report to document the job that the team did. The individual who is going to act as a test subject brings a limited number of paper test cases with them to the meeting. The inspection process should contain a follow-up procedure that is comparable to the one outlined in the walkthrough procedure. 

Technical Reviews

The purpose of technical reviews is to provide management with evidence that the software development process is being carried out in accordance with the objectives that were originally outlined, as well as to evaluate the software in the context of development standards, guidelines, and specifications. 

A review is comparable to an inspection or walkthrough, with the key difference being that management is included on the review team. Review agendas reveal an emphasis that is less on technical issues and moves instead toward oversight as opposed to an inspection. 

Before conducting the review, the moderator will collect and disseminate all of the documents for everyone on the team to look at. A record of the events of the meeting, a list of any faults found, and the advice of the review team ought to be the result of the review.

What are Static Testing Tools?

It is possible to automate the process of static testing by making use of tools specifically designed for static testing. Some examples of tools are as follows:

PyCharm is a Python integrated development environment (IDE) that contains functionality for static code testing. Python and other web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, are supported by the tool. It comes with a number of other useful utilities, such as a debugging function.

Another example of a static testing tool that can assist with code analysis is SourceMeter, which supports the programming languages C/C++, Java, C#, and Python. It also has the capability to integrate with other static testing tools such as PMD.

Wrapping up

Static testing is a very important part of web development. I hope this blog helped you understand what is static testing and why it is important. The blog also covered what static testing techniques are and the types of static testing, which include software quality inspections, walkthrough testing, and technical reviews. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Static testing, also known as static analysis or static code analysis, is a software testing technique used to evaluate code, design, and documentation without executing the program. It is primarily applied at early stages of the software development lifecycle, such as during code development, code reviews, and before dynamic testing (testing through actual execution).

Static testing, also known as static analysis, involves the examination of code, design, or documentation without actual program execution. It aims to uncover issues like coding standards violations, code readability problems, and potential errors early in development. In contrast, dynamic testing involves executing the software to assess its behaviour, performance, and functionality under various conditions. It identifies runtime issues such as bugs, crashes, and performance bottlenecks.

STLC, or Software Testing Life Cycle, is a systematic process for planning, designing, executing, and managing software testing activities throughout the software development life cycle. It ensures that testing is conducted in a structured and organized manner to identify and rectify defects, verify the software's functionality, and ensure its quality.

Testing is performed at various levels of the software development process to ensure the quality, reliability, and functionality of the software. The levels of testing are categorized into these phases: Unit Testing, Integration Testing, System Testing, Acceptance Testing, Alpha and Beta Testing, Regression Testing, Smoke Testing, Load Testing and Performance Testing and Security Testing.

Ajay Kumar is an expert in web testing. He writes about automated and manual testing, designing test cases, tracking bugs, and performance testing. His clear and helpful content makes testing easier to understand and helps improve software quality. Ajay’s dedication to his work makes his writing valuable for everyone.