What is Non Functional Testing? | Definitions, Objectives, and Types

What is Non Functional Testing?

Non-Functional Testing is used to examine a software application's performance, reliability, usability & other related non-functional features. It is intended to test a system's readiness according to nonfunctional criteria that functional testing never takes into account. Checking how many users can sign in to software at once is a great non-functional test example. Client satisfaction is impacted by non-functional testing, which is just as important as functional testing.

Apart from the question of what is non functional testing, a typical Non Functional testing will include and face these aspects:

1. Non-functional testing should be quantifiable, so adjectives like "good," "better," "best," etc. have no place in this type of testing. 

2. It's crucial to order the requirements and quality attributes are correctly identified.

3. It is unlikely that exact figures will be known at the beginning of the requirement process. 

Non-functional testing evaluates aspects of the application that don't directly affect functionality but are important for the user experience. Although they aren't functional parts of a software system, performance and reliability under stress can make or break the user experience. Non-functional test failures don't always result in a problem that users would experience, but they can point to a larger systemic issue. Non-functional tests come in a variety of forms, including performance testing, load testing, Usability testing, security testing, Maintainability testing, Scalability Testing, Disaster Recovery Testing, Compliance Testing, Portability Testing, and more. Although there are many types, Non-functional tests can be divided into four types: Performance testing, Load testing, Usability testing and. Security testing. 

Security Testing:

To ensure that your team's applications are safe and properly handle data, you should test them frequently. Depending on how exposed an application is to potential threats, security testing can range from routine penetration testing to automatic scanning. Many teams do not take this type of testing to be a component of their testing arsenal. It is wise to incorporate security testing and treat it with the same seriousness as unit testing.

Performance testing:

Performance is the focus of one crucial non-functional testing procedure. A software system is tested for performance to make sure it responds to requests quickly. Poor latency ruins the user experience, & well-written performance tests frequently find issues before the users notice them.

Load testing:

A related category of non-functional testing is load testing. Few systems can respond to a single request per second with the same speed as they can to 10,000 requests per second. A system's ability to handle peak loads and fail gracefully when it lacks the resources to handle workload spikes is verified through load testing.

Usability testing:

It evaluates how well a user interacts with the end product. It is typically a manual process that does not scale well. However, a lack of usability testing, particularly when localizing applications, frequently results in muddled and imprecise user interfaces. Incorporating this kind of testing into your software development process is time well-spent.

WeTest provides the industry's leading functional test services where clients get test cases for applications that are designed and executed by experienced test specialists, covering all function points, including specific business processes and industry-specific use cases. Also, the test project manager designs use cases for the application according to the requirements, covering the main function points and utmost aspects of testing. Whichever the type you might be working with, non functional tests should cover these objectives:

1. The product's usability, effectiveness, maintainability, and portability should all improve as a result of non-functional testing. 

2. It reduces the production risk and expense linked to the product's non-functional features. 

3. Improve the installation, configuration, execution, management, and monitoring of the product. 

4. Measurements and metrics should be gathered and produced for internal research and development. 

5. The knowledge of current technologies and product behavior should be improved.

Wrapping Up:

Before we conclude our take on the topic of what is non functional testing, it should be stated that they should be taken as tests that verify functionality are non-functional tests. Because the improvements provided by non-functional testing are not as significant, many teams give it a lower priority. If performance suffers, a user might become irritated but they might still be able to use the software. Nevertheless, non-functional tests are important, and your team should work to include them. Performance and usability are just two examples of the many non-functional qualities and components that a great testing suite will validate.