White box testing is a type of functional testing that highlights on the internal structure of an app rather than its functionality. It’s not uncommon for companies to use different types of white box testing to ensure their product is as robust as possible. This blog post will discuss 7 different types of white box tests and provide examples, so you know what they are.
Types Of White box testing
1.Unit Testing:
Unit testing is a fairly straightforward white box test. It tests the structure of a program at the smallest level. The idea is to check whether individual sections of source code are working per design or not. It can also be used to see if specific points in the code are reached or whether any lines are executed during program execution.
For example, a developer has written a C# method called ComputeTax(). A unit test would call this method with different parameters to see if the result is correct each time.
2. Smoke testing
Smoke testing is an initial white box testing that may be performed when delivering a large project or releasing software for internal use. The purpose of smoke testing is to ensure basic functionality. This involves a cursory check to see if the “heart” of a program is working. This usually involves black box testing, but it doesn’t have to be.
For example, you may run a smoke test on a newly developed software program to ensure that the program’s main functions work as expected.
3. Sanity Testing
Sanity testing is a more in-depth type of white box testing used to verify a system’s basic functionality after major changes, such as code refactoring or updates to the database. To sanity test a system, you would run all the unit tests and smoke tests that you normally would, but you would also test specific use cases known to break the system.
For example, after making some changes to a web application’s code, you might sanity test the application by loading it in a browser and performing some basic tasks, like entering data into form fields and clicking on buttons.
4. Code coverage testing
Code coverage testing is used to measure the degree to which the source code of a program is tested. This type of white-box testing is usually done by tools that “trace” the program’s execution flow and generate reports on what lines of code were executed.
For example, you can use code coverage tools to determine what percentage of your source code is being executed during the testing of a program. This can help spot code sections that are not essential to the program’s success or are difficult to maintain.
5. Data flow testing
Data flow testing is used to determine how data flows through an application by checking individual paths through all components in an application. It is performed by tracing the path of data from input to output.
For example, you can use data flow testing to see if certain inputs result in the expected outputs. This can help you to identify errors in your application.
6. Path testing
Path testing is a type of data flow testing that checks the flow through an application along a particular path. Testing aims to ensure that data travels along expected paths through an application, regardless of its starting point or the inputs used to produce outputs.
For example, one might perform path testing by entering various incorrect inputs into an application and comparing these with the results obtained when using the correct inputs. This would help identify any differences between the expected outputs and those that are reproduced.
7. Statement testing
Statement testing is a type of data flow testing that checks whether individual lines of source code perform as expected or not. This type of white box testing verifies the behavior of each line of code in an application.
For example, you can use statement testing to see if a particular line of code is executed when a particular condition is met. This can help point out problems with the code.
Final thoughts
After getting an idea about different types of white box testing, we can conclude that white box testing is a process that checks the internal structure and elements of the system and tests for its proper functionality. By performing white-box testing, we validate our logic and reasoning behind specific functionalities, making our product strong and efficient. White box test cases are designed during the development phase of the software and help in early bug detection. It’s also a great way to measure the quality of the source code.
Why HikeQA
At HikeQA, we perform all white box testing before handing over the product to our clients. We have a team of skilled testers who are well-versed in various white box testing techniques and can help you identify and mitigate any security vulnerabilities in your system. If you’re looking for an experienced team to perform white box testing on your software, don’t hesitate to contact us at HikeQA.
