The compatibility part of a testing methodology tests that the product or application is compatible with all the specified operating systems, hardware platforms, web browsers, mobile devices, and other designed third-party programs (e.g. browser plugins). Compatibility tests check that the product works as expected across all the different hardware/software combinations and that all functionality is consistently supported.

The usability testing part of a testing methodology looks at the end-user usability aspect of the software. The ease with which a user can access the product forms the main testing point. Usability testing looks at five aspects of testing, – learnability, efficiency, satisfaction, memorability, and errors.

Previously, security was something that was tested after-the-fact. With the rise in cyber-crime and the awareness of the risks associated with software vulnerabilities, application security is now something that needs to be designed and developed at the same time as the desired business functionality. Security testing tests the software for confidentiality, integrity, authentication, availability, and non-repudiation. Individual tests are conducted to prevent any unauthorized access to the software code.

There are several different types of performance testing in most testing methodologies, for example: performance testing is measuring how a system behaves under an increasing load (both numbers of users and data volumes), load testing is verifying that the system can operate at the required response times when subjected to its expected load, and stress testing is finding the failure point(s) in the system when the tested load exceeds that which it can support.

The acceptance testing part of a testing methodology is the final phase of functional software testing and involves making sure that all the product/project requirements have been met and that the end-users and customers have tested the system to make sure it operates as expected and meets all their defined requirements:

The Integration testing part of a testing methodology is the testing of the different modules/components that have been successfully unit tested when integrated together to perform specific tasks and activities (also known as scenario testing). This testing is usually done with a combination of automated functional tests and manual testing depending on how easy it is to create automated tests for specific integrated components.

The Unit testing part of a testing methodology is the testing of individual software modules or components that make up an application or system. These tests are usually written by the developers of the module and in a test-driven-development methodology (such as Agile, Scrum or XP) they are actually written before the module is created as part of the specification. Each module function is tested by a specific unit test fixture written in the same programming language as the module.

Functional Testing

Unit Testing
Integration Testing
System Testing
Acceptance Testing

Non-Functional Testing

Performance Testing
Security Testing
Usability Testing
Compatibility Testing

Software testing is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the product or service under test.[1] Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks of software implementation. Test techniques include the process of executing a program or application with the intent of finding software bugs (errors or other defects).

It involves the execution of a software component or system component to evaluate one or more properties of interest. In general, these properties indicate the extent to which the component or system under test:

• meets the requirements that guided its design and development,
• responds correctly to all kinds of inputs,
• performs its functions within an acceptable time,
• is sufficiently usable,
• can be installed and run in its intended environments, and
• achieves the general result its stakeholders desire.