Grey Box Testing
Overview
Grey box testing is a software testing methodology that is a blend of both black box and white box testing methods. It is also known as translucent testing or transparent box testing. The tester who works on this type of testing needs to have access to the internal data structures and algorithms for the purpose of designing test cases, while also incorporating user perspective as in black box testing.
Methodology
The grey box testing methodology is a combination of both black box and white box testing methodologies. It involves testing the application with a limited knowledge of the internal workings of an application. In grey box testing, the tester has access to the design documents and the database. With this information, they can prepare intelligent test data and test scenarios and validate the outcomes with the expected results.
Advantages
Grey box testing has several advantages over the other testing methodologies. Some of these advantages include:
- It helps in identifying the defects from both the tester's and the developer's perspectives.
- It is non-intrusive and unbiased because the designer and the tester work independently.
- It offers a clear separation between the user's perspective and the developer's perspective, thereby maintaining objectivity.
- It provides combined benefits of black box and white box testing wherever possible.
Disadvantages
Despite its advantages, grey box testing also has some disadvantages. These include:
- Since the tester only has partial access to the source code, it is difficult to cover all possible scenarios.
- It can be difficult to create test cases without clear specifications.
- It can be time-consuming due to the need to perform both black box and white box testing.
Techniques
There are several techniques used in grey box testing. These include:
- Matrix testing: This is a method of software testing that involves defining all variables and then testing each one individually to ensure that it functions correctly.
- Regression testing: This involves re-running test cases from the existing test suite to check for any new bugs or regressions caused by changes in the software.
- Pattern testing: This involves testing the software for predictable patterns and sequences.
- Orthogonal array testing: This is a systematic, statistical way of testing pair-wise interactions by using orthogonal arrays. It is a black box testing method that is used when the number of inputs to the system is relatively small, but too large to allow for exhaustive testing of all possible inputs.
Tools
There are several tools available that can assist with grey box testing. These include:
- Selenium: This is a popular tool for automating web browsers. It provides a way for developers to write scripts in various languages such as Java, C#, and Python among others.
- SoapUI: This is an open-source web service testing application for service-oriented architectures (SOA) and representational state transfers (REST).
- Postman: This is a popular API testing tool that allows users to test, develop and document APIs by allowing users to create and save simple and complex HTTP/s requests.
Conclusion
In conclusion, grey box testing is a useful testing methodology that combines the benefits of both black box and white box testing. It allows for more thorough testing than either of these methods alone, and can help to identify defects from both the user's and the developer's perspectives.