Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Testing

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Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Software Testing

In this article, I am going to discuss Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Software Testing. Please read our previous article where we discussed Equivalence Partitioning Techniques in Software Testing. At the end of this article, you will understand the following important pointers which are related to Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Software Testing.

1. What are Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Software Testing?
2. What is the Importance of Boundary Value Analysis for Effective Software Testing?
3. What are the Best Practices for Considering Boundary Conditions in Testing?
4. BVA Test Automation Tools
5. Example of Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Software Testing
6. What are the Advantages of Boundary Value Analysis in Testing?
7. What are the Disadvantages of Boundary Value Analysis in Testing?

What are Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Software Testing?

The core of boundary value analysis is testing the border values of both valid and incorrect partitions. Boundaries are an area where testing is likely to reveal flaws since the behavior at the edge of the equivalence partition is more likely to be erroneous than the behavior inside the partition. It searches for input values that are more likely to include errors when they are close to the border. Every partition has a maximum value and a lowest value, which serve as the partition’s boundary values. One of the most popular case design techniques for black box testing is boundary value analysis. Because the input values close to the boundary have a larger likelihood of inaccuracy, it is used to test boundary values. The tester closely monitors if the software is producing the desired output while entering the boundary value when performing boundary value analysis testing.

What is the Importance of Boundary Value Analysis for Effective Software Testing?

Boundary testing, to put it simply, is a method for evaluating the extreme ends of input value partitions. The following details will assist you in comprehending its significance:

• As these are software areas that are prone to errors, it looks for flaws in the bounds of input values.
• By conducting tests in harsh conditions, BVA testing helps to ensure top quality and reliability. This aids in avoiding mistakes and crashes.
• Because testers may evaluate a wide range of input values with fewer test cases, it significantly reduces overall effort and time.
• BVA in software testing enhances the precision of system limit testing. Providing high-quality software, in turn, contributes to improving customer happiness.
• Boundary value analysis is also economical because it reduces the number of test instances.
• It guarantees that the QA and development teams adhere to the accepted standards for software testing.

What are the Common Mistakes to Avoid While Implementing BVA in Software Testing?

Even after undergoing thorough investigation, mistakes can still occur. The likelihood of mistakes when implementing BVA in software testing will be decreased by being aware of the usual faults. Here are a few examples:

• Ignoring Internal Boundaries: Ignoring internal borders is one of the prevalent errors, as does concentrate primarily on outward limits. Therefore, for a thorough approach, you should also take internal limits into account in addition to exterior ones. For efficient boundary value analysis, it aids in detecting valid and erroneous outputs.
• Considering Every Boundary Value Equally Important: Prioritizing those values that are most likely to result in errors is crucial when considering all boundary values to be equally relevant. Considering every value to be crucial can induce you to focus excessive time and energy on values that could not even result in errors.
• Insufficient Knowledge of Input Domain Boundaries: It is crucial for every QA professional to comprehend the input domain and the boundaries associated with it. This increases the efficiency of boundary value analysis by allowing the identification of valid and incorrect inputs.
• Not Calculating the Influence of the Values on Other Parts Of the System: It is essential to determine the impact of the values on other elements of the system. Otherwise, you risk missing mistakes that result from interactions between several program components.

You can quickly deploy BVA in software testing and find important errors in the system by avoiding the aforementioned pitfalls.

What are the Best Practices for Considering Boundary Conditions in Testing?

These are a few of the finest methods for taking boundary conditions into account when testing.

• Check the system’s behavior to make sure it responds as intended when the boundary conditions are met. Verify to see if any error messages, strange behavior, or crashes occur on the system.
• Always use realistic data during testing, as this will reflect how the system will be used in practice. By doing this, you can make sure that the system can effectively handle a range of input values for practical situations.
• Equivalence Partitioning: It is quite advantageous to use equivalence partitioning to identify the test cases that correspond to various input values. This approach makes it simple to account for any conceivable input value.
• Negative testing entails testing the system using erroneous input values. These values include outside of input boundaries to find flaws.

Therefore, using the boundary value analysis techniques mentioned above will guarantee that your system runs smoothly. In the end, it will help you create a solid and dependable system.

BVA Test Automation Tools

These are only a few of the key implementations for BVA in test automation.

1. TestNG: TestNG is a testing framework that provides UI/UX testing, usability testing, and accessibility testing for unit and web application testing. Its major characteristic is the specification of test data with anticipated outcomes to make it appropriate for boundary testing.
2. Selenium: One of the most well-liked open-source automation tools for testing web applications is Selenium. By defining the minimum and maximum input values and examining the system’s reaction, it is used to test boundary values.
3. JMeter: JMeter by Apache Functional testing mostly uses Apache JMeter, a well-known load testing tool. A few of the characteristics for implementing BVA are assertions, boundary conditions, pre and post-processors, and data-driven testing.
4. HP UFT: Boundary analysis is greatly aided by the commercial test automation tool known as the HP UFT. Numerous programming languages are supported, allowing you to use them for a variety of applications.
5. Rational Function Tester: An automated testing tool that supports non-graphical and non-graphical user interfaces is called Rational Functional Tester. Additionally, it features built-in assistance that makes boundary testing possible.

Example of Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Software Testing

The values of this partition are 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29, with 18 serving as the minimum and 30 serving as the maximum. Assume there is a function that accepts a number between 18 and 30, with 18 serving as the minimum and 30 serving as the maximum value of a valid partition. The numbers fewer than 18 like 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17, and more than 30 like 31, 32, 34, 36, and 40 make up the invalid partition. To capture the behavior of the system under various input conditions, the tester creates test cases for both valid and invalid partitions.

If a legitimate number is accepted and the desired result is produced, the software system will pass the test; otherwise, it will fail. In a different circumstance, the software system should reject erroneous numbers and display an error message if one is entered.

If the product being tested complies with all testing requirements, it is forwarded to the releasing team; otherwise, the development team is tasked with fixing any bugs.

What are the Advantages of Boundary Value Analysis in Testing?

The benefits of Boundary Value Analysis are:

1. This method makes it simpler and quicker to discover flaws. This is a result of the higher defect density near borders.
2. We only choose the set of test data that is at the borders rather than testing with all test data sets. As a result, the total test execution time decreases.

What are the Disadvantages of Boundary Value Analysis in Testing?

The drawbacks of Boundary Value Analysis are:

1. This method makes it simpler and quicker to discover flaws. This is a result of the higher defect density near borders.
2. We only choose the set of test data that is at the borders rather than testing with all test data sets. As a result, the total test execution time decreases.

Difference Between Equivalence Value Analysis and Boundary Value Analysis

Equivalence Value Analysis	Boundary Value Analysis
The input data is split into partitions of valid and incorrect values in this technique.	In order to find the faults in the input center, we use a technique that involves identifying the flaws at the input data borders.
Here, the inputs to the program or application are divided into groups predicted to behave similarly.	Boundary values are ones where a variable’s upper and lower bounds are present.
It enables us to separate a group of test circumstances into a division that ought to be treated equally.	The boundaries between partitions are examined using boundary value analysis.
The amount of test cases will be cut down to a small set of testable test cases by applying equivalence partitioning, which covers all possible outcomes.	Due to the reduction in test cases from an infinite to a finite number, testing time will be shortened.
All levels of software testing, including unit, integration, and system testing, can be accommodated by equivalence partitioning.	It’s common to refer to the Boundary Value Analysis as a component of Stress and Negative Testing.

In the next article, I am going to discuss Test Management Plan in Software Testing. Here, in this article, I try to explain Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Software Testing. I hope you enjoy this Boundary Value Analysis Techniques in Software Testing article.