We do begin to wonder in this modern age whether computers will start doing a lot of the tasks and jobs that we are paid to do or enjoy doing. But can computers take over everything and are they always best at the job?
In terms of Quality Assurance (QA) for computer applications, a lot of this work can be done quicker by computers, and sometimes more effectively. However, there are several examples where humans are more superior at this task than computers. There are also examples where computers are certainly inept to provide the right kind of output. In this article we look at whether humans are still necessary for app testing.
The Human Touch
Humans know how it feels to be a user of the application. We can even judge the aesthetics of the app and whether we find the colours garish or if we find the words hard to make out. This is such an emotive feeling that it would not always be possible to program a computer to feel this. Similarly, we can tell how user-friendly an application is. We can establish and realise when something good is made much simpler than it currently is.
Remember, if the users find the application to be confusing, they will use a competitor’s app instead. Your business needs to avoid this. Global App Testing is a business that prides itself on the human touch. The company will provide functional testing services to locate as many bugs and relay that information to you in a timely, professional manner. Read more here about what Global App can do for you.
What is Functional Testing?
Functional testing is made up of eight main areas. The first, smoke testing, tests if the app is, in basic terms, doing what it should be. Then further testing such as unit testing ensures that each part of the app does its job in the simplest way possible. Component testing will ensure that each component of the app is working as expected. Integration testing will then check that each of those components works correctly together. Regression testing will test that any amendments to fix bugs have not affected the functionality of the app. Sanity testing is similar in that it checks that any amendments have fixed the bugs. System testing shows that the application meets the business requirement.
The final testing phase is user acceptance testing which will check that the app will work in the real world. This is one area where humans excel.
The Downsides of Using Computers for Testing
A computer cannot always pick up the idiosyncrasies of punctuation or language and can therefore miss errors that a human could immediately detect. Another example of this is that you may have used a correctly spelt word, but it may be the wrong word for the sentence. A human would pick this up where a computer may not.
A computer will only ever be as good as its programmers and if they have forgotten to add this to the computer design, then the mistakes will slip through the net. Trained humans, on the other hand, will spot the errors the computer has missed.
Humans, again, will think about real situations such as username duplication. There needs to be something in place to deal with this. A human would want assurance that the user would be told if their username has already been used and may even get the system to state what similar usernames are still available. Humans can look at the bigger picture and not just a tick box list that is programmed into a computer.
We are led to believe, and it is quite often the case, that computers are faster than humans and therefore are always cheaper to use. They do not need to stop for breaks that humans need or even need five minutes to think and refresh themselves. This is very true in some situations.
However, if we consider very unusual scenarios that a human would be aware of, it will take much longer to program a computer to look at these than for a human to pick up on them. The development of the program may also take a lot of time. This will be of no benefit to a client or business that is working to tight deadlines or trying to be the first to release a new app. Remember, the stakes are often high when it comes to new software.
The Power of Communication
The next reason why a human is superior to a computer for app testing is one that we will never be able to replace by automation. Humans can speak to each other on the same level. The very fact that we are human makes us superior in this way.
Testing of a new application is often done by many people in many different places and they all need to be able to tell each other about their findings. A delay in communication or not communicating the right way using the familiar jargon, can cause duplication of work and great time delays. This is not something that you would want for your client or your business.