Software Testing - What is your definition?

Being a Software Tester, I test software almost on a daily basis [if you count the testing activities that I perform when at home!]. But the different definitions for the term “Testing” or “Software Testing” that I have heard/read till now in my short 2 years career as a Software Tester, keep fascinating me! Whenever I ask someone to define “Software Testing”, most of the times I use to get a yet another definition for it.

I understand and agree that the variation in definitions of a term is seen in other scientific and technological fields too. But I am not sure why, I keep getting a feeling that this is unusually high in the testing world! You name a word related to testing and you would find at least a dozen (can be hundreds too) of definitions for it. This is evident from the number of definitions we see for a simple word like “Testing” or “Software Testing” itself! As a small exercise (and for fun) ask each of your test teammates to define “Testing”/“Software Testing”. [Actually I did it myself!] You would be surprised to hear the variety of definitions for a common term like “Testing”. Although you all might be working in the same test team and working on the same test project, you would get surprised by the way each of you define (understand) testing.

Recently I came across few more definitions for “test” and “testing” that interested me.

Testing is a process of gathering information by making observations and comparing them to expectations. - Dale Emery and Elisabeth Hendrickson

A test is an experiment designed to reveal information, or answer a specific question, about the software or system. - Dale Emery and Elisabeth Hendrickson

I think the “gathering information by making observations” part is a very important aspect of testing and a tester should always strive to hone this skill. I believe that we (testers) are information providers. We provide product related important information to the stakeholders of the project and help them in taking vital decisions. Finding bugs or defects may be just a part of the “information gathering” process. But overall, a tester should be efficient in questioning the product and should be able to evaluate it.

Coming to the varieties of definitions of “Testing”, I must admit that I have had at least 8 different definitions for testing at different stages of my testing career! My own definitions kept evolving as I was exposed to more insight and knowledge of testing.

As of today, I subscribe to James Bach’s definition of testing: “Testing is ‘questioning’ a product in order to ‘evaluate’ it”

I am equally moved by Cem Kaner’s definition of testing too: “Testing is an Empirical technical investigation done to provide stakeholders, information about quality of a product or a service.”

I follow the above definitions as they best match with my own understanding of testing. When I say so, this does not mean that I am NOT open to other definitions of testing. I might heartily agree to other definitions of testing too (as I did in the earlier case of - Dale Emery and Elisabeth Hendrickson’s definition for test and testing), if they sound credible and make sense to my own understanding of testing.

In any case, I would certainly like to hear your definition(s) for testing. So, what is your definition of “Testing”/“Software Testing”? Feel free to let me (and others) know about your definition(s) by leaving behind your comment.

Happy Testing…

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About Debasis Pradhan

Debasis has over a decade worth of exclusive experience in the field of Software Quality Assurance, Software Development and Testing. He writes here to share some of his interesting experiences with fellow testers.