ISTQB FOUNDATION 4.0 | Tutorial 19 | Test Types | White Box Testing | Black Box Testing | TM SQUARE

Summary

This tutorial delves into the ISTQB Foundation Level certification, focusing on Chapter 2.2.2 about test types, specifically white box and black box testing. It clarifies misconceptions, emphasizing that white box, a structure-based approach from the code level, and black box, a specification-based approach without code knowledge, are independent and can be applied at various testing levels. The video also dispels the myth of other 'colored box' testing methods, asserting that only white and black box testing are standardized, with each having its unique place in the QA community.

Takeaways

• 📚 The tutorial is about ISTQB Foundation Level certification, focusing on Chapter 2 which discusses testing throughout the SDLC, specifically on test levels and types.
• 🔍 The session clarifies the confusion around white box and black box testing, emphasizing that they are two independent approaches and not classifications within unit testing.
• 💡 White box testing is a structure-based approach that derives tests from the system's implementation, such as code, architecture, and workflows, aiming to cover the underlying structure adequately.
• 👨‍💻 White box testing is often used for unit testing and non-functional testing due to its efficiency in identifying and fixing bugs at the code level.
• 🔑 The main objective of white box testing is to ensure the test coverage of the system's internal structure reaches an acceptable level.
• 📦 Black box testing is a specification-based approach that derives tests from external documentation such as requirements, business models, and use cases.
• 🎯 The goal of black box testing is to verify the system's behavior against its specifications without knowledge of the internal code or architecture.
• 👥 Black box testing is typically conducted by testers who interact with the system's user interface, simulating user behavior and checking for expected outcomes.
• 🛠 Both white box and black box testing approaches are important and have their own place in the testing process, with different levels of efficiency and focus.
• 🔄 It is possible to apply both functional and non-functional test types at any test level, with different techniques used to derive test conditions and cases.
• 🚫 The tutorial refutes the existence of other 'colored box' testing methods beyond white and black, stating that these are merely internal naming conventions and not part of the standard testing methodologies.

Q & A

What is the main topic of this tutorial?

The main topic of this tutorial is the explanation of white box and black box testing as part of the ISTQB Foundation Level certification, focusing on their definitions, differences, and applications in different testing levels.

Why are people often confused about white box and black box testing?

People are often confused about white box and black box testing because they mistakenly believe there is a classification that unit testing is a type of white box testing or vice versa, while in reality, these are two independent approaches that can be used at any level of testing.

What is the primary objective of white box testing?

The primary objective of white box testing is to cover the underlying structure of the system by the tests to an acceptable level, which involves understanding the code, architecture, workflows, and data flows.

How does a tester approach system testing using the white box approach?

A tester using the white box approach for system testing would work at the code level, executing the code to see the desired output, which allows for faster identification and fixing of bugs.

What is the difference between white box and black box testing in terms of tester's knowledge?

White box testing requires the tester to have a good understanding of the code and internal structure of the system, while black box testing is conducted without knowledge of the backend code, focusing on the system's behavior against its specifications.

Why is white box testing mainly used for unit testing?

White box testing is mainly used for unit testing because it allows for efficient testing at the code level, where the tester can quickly execute code and identify deviations, making it suitable for testing the smallest pieces of code.

How does non-functional testing relate to white box testing?

Non-functional testing is often conducted using the white box testing approach because it focuses on the system's architecture and interactions rather than the user interface, making it a suitable method for this type of testing.

What is the main objective of black box testing?

The main objective of black box testing is to check the system's behavior against its specifications, which is based on external documentation such as requirements, business models, and use cases.

Can black box testing be applied at any testing level?

Yes, black box testing can be applied at any testing level, including unit testing, integration testing, and system testing, although it is more commonly used for system and acceptance testing.

What is the significance of understanding both white box and black box testing approaches?

Understanding both white box and black box testing approaches is significant because it allows testers to choose the most appropriate method for different testing scenarios, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the system's functionality and behavior.

Are there any other 'colors' of testing besides white and black box testing?

No, according to the standard, there are no other 'colors' of testing besides white and black box testing. Other terms like gray box, red box, blue box, and yellow box are internal naming conventions of different organizations and are not recognized in the standard.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Understanding White Box and Black Box Testing

This paragraph introduces the topic of white box and black box testing within the context of ISTQB Foundation level certification, specifically focusing on Chapter 2.2.2. The speaker clarifies misconceptions about the relationship between these testing approaches and unit testing. White box testing is described as structure-based, deriving tests from the system's code or internal structure, with the goal of covering the underlying code to an acceptable level. The speaker emphasizes that white box testing is not limited to unit testing but is also used in non-functional testing. The paragraph also introduces black box testing as an alternative approach, which is based on specifications and external documentation, aiming to check the system's behavior against its requirements.

05:01

🔍 Exploring the Differences and Applications of Testing Approaches

The second paragraph delves deeper into the differences between white box and black box testing, emphasizing their independent nature and applicability at various testing levels. It discusses the efficiency of white box testing for unit testing and API testing, as well as its use in non-functional testing. The paragraph also explains black box testing as a specification-based approach, conducted without knowledge of the system's internal code, and its common use in system testing and acceptance testing. The speaker refutes the existence of other 'colored box' testing methods beyond white and black, stating that these are merely internal naming conventions without standard recognition. The paragraph concludes by highlighting the importance of both approaches and their flexibility in being applied at different testing levels, including the early involvement of performance testers in the development cycle.

Keywords

💡ISTQB Foundation Level Certification

The ISTQB Foundation Level Certification is a globally recognized qualification for software testers. It signifies a foundational understanding of software testing principles and practices. In the video, this certification is the context for the tutorial, which aims to educate viewers on various aspects of software testing.

💡SDLC

SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle, which is the process of creating software and the sequence of stages that a software product goes through from its conception to its retirement. In the script, the discussion revolves around testing within the SDLC, emphasizing the importance of testing at different stages of software development.

💡Test Level

Test Level in the context of the video refers to the different stages at which testing can occur, such as unit, integration, system, and acceptance testing. The script discusses the application of different testing approaches at various test levels.

💡White Box Testing

White Box Testing is a method where the tester has access to the internal structure of the system and tests the software based on its code. The video clarifies that it is a structural-based testing approach and is commonly used for unit testing and non-functional testing, as it allows testers to understand and verify the internal workings of the software.

💡Black Box Testing

Black Box Testing is an approach where the tester checks the functionality of the software without any knowledge of its internal workings. The script explains that this method is specification-based and focuses on the system's behavior against its requirements, often used for system testing and acceptance testing.

💡Unit Testing

Unit Testing is the process of testing individual components or units of a software to determine if they work correctly. In the video, it is mentioned that unit testing can be performed using both white box and black box approaches, although white box is more common due to its focus on the internal code structure.

💡System Testing

System Testing involves testing the complete, integrated software system to evaluate its compliance with specified requirements. The script indicates that system testing is typically conducted using black box testing to ensure the system behaves as expected from a user's perspective.

💡Non-functional Testing

Non-functional Testing assesses aspects of a system that are not related to its functionality, such as performance, usability, and security. The video emphasizes that non-functional testing is often conducted using white box testing to examine the underlying architecture and code for potential issues.

💡API Testing

API stands for Application Programming Interface, and API Testing is the process of verifying the functionality and reliability of an API. The script mentions that API testing is often performed using white box testing to understand and test the code-level interactions within the system.

💡Test Approach

A Test Approach in the script refers to the methodology or strategy used for testing, such as white box or black box testing. The video discusses the suitability of different test approaches for various testing scenarios and emphasizes that they are not restricted to specific test levels but can be applied flexibly.

💡Performance Testing

Performance Testing is a type of testing that focuses on the speed, stability, and scalability of a software application. The video script uses performance testing as an example of non-functional testing that can be conducted using a white box approach to identify issues like memory leaks or unused variables at an early stage.

Highlights

Introduction to the tutorial on ISTQB Foundation level certification, focusing on Chapter 2 about testing throughout the SDLC.

Exploration of test types, specifically white box and black box testing, addressing common confusion in the QA community.

Clarification that white box and unit testing are independent approaches, not classifications of one another.

Explanation of white box testing as a structure-based approach, deriving tests from the system's implementation.

Discussion on the efficiency of white box testing for unit testing and non-functional testing levels.

Insight that white box testing is not restricted to unit testing but can be applied at any level.

Introduction to black box testing as a specification-based approach, contrasting with white box testing.

Description of black box testing's focus on the system's behavior against its specifications without knowledge of the backend code.

Highlight of the importance of user perception in testing and its relation to black box testing.

Mention of the potential longer turnaround time for fixing defects in black box testing due to the lack of direct code interaction.

Statement that both white box and black box testing approaches are valuable and have their own place in the testing process.

Emphasis on the applicability of functional and non-functional test types at any test level, with different focuses.

Example given of performance testers joining unit testing to identify memory leaks or unused variables, illustrating the flexibility of test approaches.

Myth-busting regarding the existence of testing types beyond white and black box, clarifying that other 'colors' are not standard.

Encouragement for continuous learning and exploration in the field of testing, with an invitation for questions and comments.

Closing remarks with a reminder of the value of understanding the context in testing methodologies.

Transcripts

Hello friends and greetings for the day

welcome back to another tutorial on

istqb Foundation level certification we

are in Chapter 2 talking about testing

throughout the sdlc and uh still

continuing with 2.2 that is test level

and test types as a part of this

particular segment today we'll be

continuing with

2.2.2 that is test types and we will be

talking about white box and blackbox

testing

[Music]

well today we are talking about

something very very crucial because most

of the world and entire QA Community

almost most of them are pretty confused

with this particular topic many times

when I do sessions and ask people and

this quick question that hey what do you

mean by white box they say it's a type

of unit testing or sometime people say

that white box is type of unit testing

or unit testing is a type of white box

and that's how they classify and

remember what is white box testing but

let me tell you very clearly today that

there are no such classifications these

are two independent approaches and can

be used at any particular level if you

want you can do unit testing with white

box or if you want you can do system

testing with white box but it's just not

efficient enough and that's where we

have some best practices what we are

following today and we use white box

mainly for unit testing as of now and

most of the non-functional levels yes

you must be getting surprised to know

that it's not that unit testing is

restricted to white box level or being

used as a white box testing approach but

all the non-functional testing or most

of the non-functional testing is used or

conducted by using white box testing

approach so let's Deep dive into this

and try to understand more about that

what is the difference between these two

approaches and how this is applicable to

any particular level which we conduct in

testing so the very first thing we're

talking about is white box testing white

box testing is a structure-based and

derives test from the systems

implementation which is basically the

code or internal structure which

includes the code architecture workflows

data flows Etc the main objective of

white box testing is to cover the

underlying structure by the test to the

acceptable level now in simple words all

we are trying to say that assume that

there is a person who is working in the

organization and trying to test the

system if this person has a very good

understanding of what is code what is

the program what is the architecture and

what is the workflow behind the screen

and in order to test this this person

will certainly prefer working on the

back end that is at the code level and

run the code to see the desired output

because it's convenient for this person

to go and execute a code and at the same

time it would be very fast for him or

her to quickly fix a bug if the

deviations are observed so we don't

don't really have to wait for someone to

understand our effect or kind of like

you know explain a third person that

what could be wrong how to reproduce a

effect and so on so in white box testing

it becomes pretty much faster but again

I can talk about simple programs like

unit the smallest piece of code which I

can test at a time of course these are

not recommended at a very huge level

like system level or acceptance level

but it's not restricted that means it's

not necessary that you can only use it

at unit can't use it at integration but

for example if I talk about API testing

which is interfaces uh application

programming interfaces I certainly go

with white box right and many of

non-functional do make use of it so it's

just an approach if you're testing on

the back end at the code level by

executing the code and looking for the

desired outputs you call it as white

post testing approach on the other hand

we do have another approach called as

blackbox and when it comes to the

blackbox test approach we talk about it

is based on the specification based and

derives test from documentation external

to the test object which is more of like

requirements business model use cases

Etc the main objective of blackbox

testing is to check the system's

Behavior against its specification and

again this is generally being conducted

by the tester so the very important and

most common points here is to talk about

that black box testing is something

which happens without the knowledge of

the backend code so say in simple words

if I'm a person who's trying to conduct

testing on a system but I don't have

zero knowledge on coding and programming

or internal architecture of the system

now if in case I'm supposed to test it I

would certainly prefer a front-end

approach which is a UI specific approach

like a user I'll try to interact with

the system enter the desired inputs and

look for desired outputs by clicking

buttons and this this Behavior certainly

is referred to as blackbox because you

are just limited to the external

boundaries of the body right and in that

case this is something which is limited

to people who are test Engineers because

generally we say that user perception is

equally important however the approach

is slightly different here here it may

take other way around a little longer to

fix the defects it may take little you

know longer to explain someone that what

did you find as a tester in terms of

defect and then developer will work on

it you have a longer turn around time

and so on so forth but the most

important thing here is the biasing that

two people are different not the same

person is trying to test and at the same

time user perception is equally

important if I don't work on the front

end it may not fulfill the needs of the

user interface or the expectation of the

user needs in that context both the

approaches are very much standing at

their own place if you have a question

in your mind that which one is the best

best then answer is both of them but of

course best applicable at some typical

levels right so generally system testing

and acceptance testing are conducted

using blackb testing and that's very

common approach to be used but when it

comes to non-functional as I told you we

prefer using wbox because there we don't

worry about UI but we are more worried

about architecture and interactions in

that context blackbox is again not

limited to system if you also want you

can do it at acceptance and few other

non-functional level like usability okay

usability does not get into the hardcore

coding so put together these are the two

uh approaches what we wanted to talk but

before we wind up we also have a quick

note for you to remind you and summarize

that all the four above mentioned which

means the functional nonfunctional white

box and black box these test types can

be applied to all test levels although

the focus will be different at each

level different test techniques can be

used to derive test conditions and test

cases for all the mentioned test types

so this is what I was trying to convey

you that they are not restricted it's

not a hard-coded classification that

this would fall under this particular

level and that would fall under this

particular level no any of these

approaches any of these functional and

non-functional test types can be used at

any level be unit testing integration

how is that even possible for example a

performance test engineer can always

join unit testing and start reviewing

the code in terms of identifying the

memory leaks or wild pointers or things

like variables which are defined but

never used or variables which are used

but never sorry declared but never used

and things which are used but not

declared so these all turn on to the

degrading of the performance so

performance testers do not wait for the

system to be ready in order to get

started of course the executions will

happen after system testing but the

kickoff can happen

right at the beginning itself so that's

how it makes a lot of sense also to add

another important keynote here which I

experienced in my journey so far there

are no other colors in testing except

white and black okay we don't have gray

box testing we don't have red box blue

box yellow box the internet is filled

with a lot of information which does not

make any sense okay these are all

internal naming conventions of different

organizations as for the standard we do

not have anything beyond White white and

black okay so that's all from this

particular tutorial team should you have

anything else feel free to comment below

I'm always there to address your queries

and answer them well till then keep

learning keep exploring keep

understanding the context thanks for

watching the video team and happy

[Music]

learning