What is software unit testing and why is it important

1. What is software unit testing and why is it important? A fundamental check is provided by the unit testing method in order to make sure that the application meets its software design specifications and thus works as per the expected requirements. This testing method helps developers to write code in a more effective manner. Unit testing is considered to be the first phase of the Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC) process and thus plays a significant role in the software testing activity. In this article, you will get to know the significance of unit testing. What is unit testing? It is a testing method where individual components of a code known as units are tested. The objective is to check whether all the individual units are working as per the expected requirements or not. In certain scenarios, unit tests are written first by the developers and then code is written. This approach is also known as Test-Driven Development (TDD). The strategic application of unit tests will: Detect defects in the early stages of the software development life cycle process Code readability is increased Code reuse is enabled and Deployment velocity is enhanced. Following are the five key points that depict the importance of unit testing: 04 03 01 02 05 Extensive documen- tation The intricacies of software metrics are reduced The quality of the code is enhanced Streamlining safe refactoring The cost factor 1. The intricacies of software metrics are reduced: The intricacy of coding is analyzed. With further conditioning, the code structure gets more detailed and thus it becomes more difficult to obtain a good measure of unit test coverage. Unless the testers initiate the unit testing process, this aspect of the software structure is generally hidden. Although the nature of the software metrics can be ascertained through code coverage, but, still, it will not prove to be worthwhile. 2. Streamlining safe refactoring: If a specific project is using CI/CD practices, then specific features can be added to the software throughout the software development process, which, in turn, leads to code changes. The coding process is made more agile and simpler through the tactical implementation of unit testing. Each unit is checked by developers to find and fix bugs/issues and then the tested units can be connected to the other parts of the product. 3. Extensive documentation: Developers can make optimal use of documentation to learn about the functionality that has been provided by the unit test and then use it accordingly. To know about the module’s features and how to use it, developers can just look at the unit tests, so that a basic understanding of the module’s interface (API) can be obtained. 4. The quality of the code is enhanced: In certain scenarios, tests are being written by developers before the actual coding begins. This scenario where tests are written first is known as “test-driven development.” The possible problems that may arise are investigated by the developers so that eventually code can be written in a much better manner. The process of finding bugs is accelerated. If due to any changes, the code breaks, then developers will be in a position to know the cause of broken code and how it can be fixed at the earliest. 5. The cost factor: The cost of finding a bug or issue in unit testing is comparatively lower than the cost of detecting and correcting errors in other levels of software testing. Basically, when bugs or errors are detected at the later stages of the software development process, then a lot of cost and time can be consumed to tackle and solve them amicably. For this specific reason, unit testing is performed, so that costs are reduced and development time is saved to a great extent. CONCLUSION If you are looking forward to implementing unit testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a leading software testing services company that will provide you with a rewarding and productive testing roadmap that can truly justify all your project specific requirements. www.TestingXperts.com To know more about our services please email us at info@testingxperts.com USA | CANADA | UK | NETHERLANDS | INDIA | SINGAPORE | SOUTH AFRICA © 2022 TestingXperts, All Rights Reserved © www.testingxperts.com