Introduction to Adhoc Testing
Adhoc testing is random or informal testing which can have the capability of breaking the system. This is usually unplanned and there are no testing techniques like designing test cases, creating test cases involved. It can be done on any part of the application. The main aim here is finding issues or defects in the system by randomly checking parts of the code. It follows the technique of error guessing. It can be done by people who have worked on the application before and can easily find out errors or issues by performing this kind of testing.
How is Adhoc Testing performed?
Adhoc testing is performed in multiple ways. This can be done at any time. This may be in the beginning, middle or towards the end of the project testing. There are three ways in which Adhoc testing is performed. They are as below:
- Buddy Testing
- Pair Testing
- Monkey Testing
Let us have a look at these in detail
1. Buddy Testing
As the name suggests, it can be said that two buddies, a tester and a developer will be working together. They will be chosen to work on a particular module. As soon as the developer completes the unit testing and the tester has some cases in mind they both can work on that module. By doing this kind of testing you can ensure that the new future or functionality is being checked through a broader aspect for both the developer and tester. The developer can understand the various scenarios through which the code will be going and think from that perspective.
While the tester can get the developer’s perspective of the existing design and it will help in avoiding the invalid scenarios in test cases. This will help in avoiding invalid defects. Both parties can think like one another and get a clearer view of the application under development and testing. It also helps in developing better test cases and developers to have a better design. This usually takes place once the unit testing is completed.
2. Pair Testing
In this testing, two testers work together on a module. They have a common setup done for testing purposes. By implementing this kind of testing it is taken care that both testers find ways to detect a greater number of defects in the application built. They share the work of testing and also make necessary documentation of all the observations they have made together. A maximum number of scenarios can be found by using this kind of testing.
3. Monkey Testing
This testing is performed at the unit testing level. The person testing the module tests the application in a completely random way. This is done in order to check if the system can withstand any crashes at any point in time. By doing this kind of test many defects can be found which could have been left earlier. This test can also break the system by which we can understand the performance issues, if any, are persistent. There would be no test cases here just like for others.
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Adhoc Testing Techniques
The basic idea behind choosing Adhoc testing is that testers working without any test design or without any test cases being created. It makes sure that testing performed is complete and the way is useful in finding effectiveness in the testing that is being done. The main way of testing any application in this type of testing id being as random as possible. You can hop from one module to another and perform an activity. The system must not break down. The main aim of this system is to find defects that can be missed during normal testing.
This technique will also give an insight into the entire application and the guessing can be done by the tester who has expert knowledge of the system. You can also involve another tested or even invite the developer so that we do not have any kind of scenario missed while testing. When two people sit together, brainstorming is quite beneficial. We can find defects which have been escaped previously. BY using this technique, the chances are more of finding the defects are more.
Adhoc Testing Tools
There are no specific tools used in Ad hoc testing. As a result, all tools which are already being used to test the application can be used as and when required. For example, to check a particular module Selenium is being used. Selenium can be used to test modules deployed after the previous module. This can help in speeding up the process and getting accurate details. Similarly, other tools like QTP, Cucumber can be used for any type of Adhoc testing whenever needed.
Advantages of Adhoc Testing
- The main advantage of this type of testing is that the tester does not have to follow the traditional process of testing. They can test the application in any way they like. This helps them in getting to know the system better.
- When there is no time for proper testing Adhoc testing can be a savior and help in getting defects that could pass to production.
- It saves the time of tester as there is no need for any documentation. Here it focuses only on testing and understanding the architecture better and finding any issues if they exist.
Disadvantages of Adhoc Testing
- It is not possible to trace the scenarios which are tested as there is no documentation involved.
- The test cases can be repetitive which can lead to wastage of time.
- The efficiency of testing here completely depends upon the tester.
Conclusion
Adhoc testing is an effective way of finding issues at runtime. Adhoc testing is can be done by an experienced tester who knows about the existing system. There is no need for documentation and it can be done with developers by side. Different perspectives to testing can bring up issues that do not reach production and as a result help in saving a lot of money. It proves to be cost-effective and productive.
