Software Testing Trends to Watch out for this year

“As Ironic as it seems, the Challenge of a Tester is to Test as Little as Possible. Test Less, but Test Smarter” - Federico Toledo

Since technology is ever evolving and ever changing; the IT industry is marked by continuous inflow of new trends and waves. One such area which keeps on being heavily affected as a result of technological changes, is that of Software Testing.

This has been most vividly visible in the domain of software design, software development, software delivery and so on. This implies that technological advancements keep on affecting the entire software testing process as is evinced in the growing inclination towards shift left testing.

For instance, one of the raging Trends in Software Testing in 2014 was that of mobile app testing; while that in 2015 was that of scriptless testing. As the emphasis shifted on mobile friendly websites, mobile web testing became one of the predominant Software Testing Trends in 2016.

Some of the factors like cost optimization, digital transformation market responsiveness and so on, became the dominant concerns which began to shape Software Testing Market Trends.

In this blog, we shall look at the Top 10 Software Testing Trends. The list is definitely not exhaustive, but it would cover the current trends in Software Testing in line with the Software Testing Industry Trends.

What are Software Testing Trends?

Software testing trends refer to the latest practices, techniques, and tools used in the software testing industry to improve the quality of software and streamline the testing process. These trends are shaped by the evolving needs of the software development industry, advances in technology, and changes in software development methodologies.

Keeping up with the latest software testing trends, including performance testing, is essential for testing professionals to ensure that they are using the most effective and efficient methods to test software applications.

By following these trends, testing professionals can ensure that they are delivering high-quality software that meets the needs of users and stakeholders while keeping up with the demands of a rapidly evolving industry.

10 Latest Trends In Software Testing This Year

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

This is perhaps one of the most discussed Trends in Software Testing of current times. 

The application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the field of Software Testing, is still in a nascent stage. However, the hype around the way in which these technologies could revolutionize testing is already evident. 

In the field of Testing, AI seeks to make use of automation through ML for delivering better results. 

AI/ML algorithms help in the generation of improved test cases and test scripts. Moreover, it helps in the generation of test data which is specific to the modules of the application under test. 

Artificial Intelligence can prove to be useful in detecting any loopholes in testing and predicting test coverage even before the execution of the test.

Agile and DevOps

This is one of those Software Testing Trends which has been an ongoing process for quite some time. 

While the Agile model has largely been an answer to the challenge of responding to swiftly changing requirements, DevOps is seen as an answer to the demand for speed. 

The Agile model encompasses faster product life cycles, small autonomous teams and quicker releases of products. Moreover, it is all about continuous integration, faster delivery and frequent deployments. The underlying principle is to promote user satisfaction. 

The DevOps culture is based on the idea of bringing the Software Development team and the Operations team together. It covers rules and practices which help to promote collaboration and integration of activities between the two teams. 

DevOps is seen as a viable solution to organizations which are seeking to shorten the span of software development life cycle from development to operation to delivery. 

One of the current trends in Software Testing with respect to the DevOps culture, has been the emergence of QAOps. QAOps is based on the fusion of DevOps and QA (Quality Assurance). 

The idea of QAOps rests on pushing the testing process into DevOps and allowing QA testers to work in tandem within developers.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Technologies are highly inter-linked and development in one sphere is bound to have an impact on other domains as well. 

Emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Cognitive Computing and so on, have all been responsible for positively propelling the case of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), which is gradually gaining ground as one of the top Software Testing Trends. 

RPA can be understood as a form of automation technology which is based on the creation, deployment and management of metaphorical software robots which copy human action in their interaction with digital systems and software. 

As one of the key emerging trends in Testing, Robotic Process Automation can help in automating repetitive tasks in order to do away with human intervention. Thus, it reduces the burden of the tester. 

These software robots are able to comprehend the message on the screen, navigate systems, extract data, complete the right keystrokes as well as execute a large number of predefined actions.

Automation Testing

This is one of those Software Testing Industry Trends whose importance became all the more evident with the adoption of the DevOps culture. 

Test Automation is considered to be an important process in the DevOps model as it provides for Continuous Testing (CT) and Continuous Delivery (CD). This is possible because Automated Testing helps in launching multiple scripts which can be run at any hour. This facilitates testing of numerous configurations and systems in parallel and provides more room for in-depth manual testing. 

Automation Testing is also beneficial in terms of speeding up the release cycles, guaranteeing quality software delivery as well as increasing test coverage. 

Through resource optimization, it helps in reducing costs. 

Since Automation Testing entails the usage of Automation tools in the execution of test cases, the test results produced are held to be more reliable. 

The advent of popular Automation Testing Tools like Selenium, TestComplete, Katalon and so on, have only helped in rendering Automation Testing more and more effective.

Know all about Automation Testing; check out our blog on “What is Automation Testing”

Security Testing

In response to the rapid spurt in cases of cyber attacks and data breach, investment in Security Testing has evolved as one of the new trends in the field of Testing. 

Security Testing might encompass quality testing of applications, security of software as well as protection from server attacks. 

Accordingly, Security Testing itself can be of different types like Penetration Testing, API Security Testing, Security Audits and so on. 

Security Testing is carried out with the objective of ensuring integrity, authorization, confidentiality, availability, non-repudiation and authentication. 

Security Testing is also directed towards the cloud environment which an organization might be using for testing and deployment.

User Testing

One of the rapidly growing and future trends in Software Testing is that of User Testing. 

Guaranteeing good user experience is one of the non-negotiable objectives of Testing. Accordingly, validating UX has evolved as one of the dominant trends in Software Testing. 

User Testing involves a strategy which is based on the involvement of real users as testers for testing the functions as well as the interface of applications, services and websites. 

This is one of the methods for acquiring valuable feedback from the end users themselves on how they feel about the product. This also helps in incorporating suggestions which could help in improving the product.

IoT Testing

The Internet of Things (IoT) can be understood to encompass the entire range of physical objects with processing ability, sensors, software and other technologies which connect and exchange data with other systems and devices over the Internet. 

The number of active IoT devices is continuously on the rise and the number is projected to be around 50 billion by 2030. This implies that IoT Testing has evolved as one of the key Software Testing trends. 

IoT ecosystems are extremely complex because of their intricately connected nature. This renders the need for testing these devices all the more important. 

IoT platform comprises four components: data center, network communication, sensors, and application. While conducting IoT Testing, it will be important to outline a specific testing strategy for each of these elements. 

Success in IoT Testing is dependent on a reliable and secure network. It is required to be conducted by testers who are highly skilled and have considerable experience in testing embedded systems or hardware.

Blockchain Testing

Terms like Cryptocurrency, Blockchain Technology, Non-Fungible Token (NFTs), did emerge as raging buzzwords through 2021 and are likely to be in the forefront in years to come.  

While individuals have been earnestly pursuing these technologies in the hope of making huge profits; Blockchain Testing has emerged as one of the prime Software Testing Trends. 

Transactions involving Cryptocurrencies or NFTs are facilitated through the Blockchain technology. Moreover, they involve huge sums of money and as such ensuring its security is a must for safeguarding the financial assets of individuals across the globe. 

Blockchain testing involves verifying the correctness, completeness, and consistency of blockchain transactions and data.

Blockchain testing also involves ensuring the security, privacy, and confidentiality of blockchain data and transactions.

It requires creating and validating blockchain transactions and blocks in a controlled and repeatable manner.

It also involves testing the performance, scalability, and resilience of blockchain networks under different load and stress conditions.

Chatbots

The overwhelming pressure on the service sector, pushed the need for instituting chatbots as front-line responders, to new heights. 

This was especially evident in the work from home culture which was given a push during the Covid pandemic. As remote working became a new norm, many companies adopted chatbot support for better user experience. 

This has evolved as one of the current as well as future trends in Software Testing as Chatbots became crucial in not only resolving queries, but also helping millions of people across sectors, by being available 24x7. 

Efficient functioning of chatbots entails the need for rigorous testing and is one of the core processes of Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

Big Data Testing

As the significance of Big Data is on the rise, the importance of Big Data and Analytics Testing is witnessing an upsurge too. 

Big data testing is the process of verifying the quality and reliability of data that is large in volume, velocity, and variety.

Big data testing involves testing of data ingestion, processing, and transformation pipelines, as well as data storage and retrieval mechanisms.

It makes use of specialized tools and technologies, such as Hadoop, Spark, and NoSQL databases.

Big data testing also involves testing security and privacy aspects of data, such as data encryption and access controls.

Big data testing requires collaboration between data scientists, developers, testers, and business analysts to ensure comprehensive testing coverage.

Conclusion

The field of technology is a highly dynamic one. The ever evolving technological innovations have had a huge impact on all fields and Software Testing is definitely one of them. This resulted in the emergence of newer and newer Software Testing Industry Trends.

In this blog, we have looked at some of the current trends in Software Testing like DevOps and Automation Testing; as well as future trends in Software Testing like AI and RPA.  On the whole, these Software Testing Trends are ones which are quite likely to rule the field of Testing in the time period designated.

It will only be interesting to witness more and more new trends in years to come.

A professional who has gained immense traction in recent times is that of a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET). As someone skilled in software development as well as software testing, these individuals are assets for organizations. 

We, at Syntax Technologies, provide you with the incredible opportunity for developing expertise in consonance with that of an SDET. Read more about our SDET Training course.