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It also will check the implicit and explicit assumptions made by the code, if any.
Nevertheless, unit testing is a detailed procedure with multiple steps.
Therefore, testing before submission of the work is necessary to ensure this and reflect your standard of work.
It is also a valuable skill to learn.
So, lets understand what unit testing is and why it is important for organizations and developers.
What is Unit Testing?
The main purpose of unit testing is to check every individual part is working as per the clients requirements.
It can have many inputs but a single output.
It is useful when re-writing or refactoring a piece of code.
What are the types of Unit Testing?
Unit testing is further divided into two types.
Lets discuss them one by one.
This may lead to human error, such as typo errors, steps omission, and more.
Automated testing:The machine performs the same task of unit testing and executes the test script previously written.
With automated unit testing, you could test a single sequence or complex sequence that yields the same result.
It is more reliable and powerful than manual testing.
Thus, maximum organizations use an automated approach to test their software.
But there is a small limitation, i.e., quality issues.
The quality ultimately depends upon the pre-written code.
Why is Unit Testing important?
It allows developers to verify all the defects that are present in the units before deployment.
It also exposes even the smallest edge cases and makes you write better code with confidence.
Furthermore, when you test your code, sometimes it forces you to think differently while performing individual testing.
This can lead to better design ideas.
It is similar to the proofreading process that let you enhance your code style.
Agile Process
Unit testing makes your coding process more agile.
This can be costly and risky.
But if you have the tests in place, you’ve got the option to refactor code confidently.
Early Bug Detection
Catching bugs before the integration process is always beneficial and time-saving.
This will save time, and the quality of the code will improve.
It costs you more to fix as you have to change a bigger part.
Early detection will not only reduce your costs but also saves you time.
What are the different Unit Testing techniques?
Here, the tester knows the internal functionality.
So, it involves testing the functional aspects of a software solution or software.
The working process involves input, processing, proper test planning, and output or final report.
It checks the scenario of the system.
#3.Gray-Box Testing
Gray-box testing is referred to as semi-transparent testing.
It is a combination of white-box and black-box testing.
Here, the user is partially aware of the softwares internal functionality.
It involves multiple testing, including matrix testing, pattern testing,regression testing, and orthogonal pattern testing.
How to write a Unit Test?
Well, writing a unit test code is similar to developing any code, but with some differences.
Basically, you are your own customer when it comes to unit testing.
You must think like you are the customer and test each individual part to fulfill your expectation.
Do the same for each part of the larger program and write effective code to test your own code.
Figure out the issues and get to the point immediately.
What are the Best Practices in Unit Testing?
It would be beneficial to adopt best or standard practices to get high-quality results with efficiency and accuracy.
What are the limitations of Unit Testing?
So, it might be unable to catch all the errors in your program.
Unit testing is only effective when you use it with other software testing methods.
The main limitation is that it cant show the absence of errors.
It can only show the presence like other types of testing.
Both have their own meaning in the field that showcases their individual advantages.
On the other hand, functional testing tests the whole program functions according to the user requirements.
Unit testing code is easy to write plus execute for the next step.
It comes under the white-box technique.
The main purpose behind testing is to isolate every unit or module in the code to test each individual.
On the contrary, writing a functional test code is more complex.
It comes under the black-box testing technique.
The main purpose of functional testing is to test the entire software applications functionality.
#3.Unit testing can cover edge cases and code branches.
But it’s crucial that you write a large number of test cases to test each corner.
In functional testing, you do not need to write a higher number of testing cases.
It covers software or software functionality.
#4.Unit testing has a low maintenance cost.
Here, a developer writes the code in the same programming language.
It also depends upon the number of lines of code.
However, the maintenance cost for functional testing is higher than unit testing.
To test the functionality, a tester doesnt need the same programming language to write codes.
This test covers the requirements of the end-users.
You will write unit test code in the development phase.
As said earlier, it is written by developers to test their programs.
In contrast, the functional test code is written by testers after the development stage.
it’s possible for you to use this test when you test the functionality of each feature.
A little change in the software doesnt affect much on the functionality side.
#6.Popular tools for writing unit tests are Mockito, TestNG, NUnit, JUnit, and more.
During the development process, the developer writes and runs the unit test code to catch bugs easily.
