System testing is a critical stage in the software development life cycle that ensures that the complete integrated software system meets its specified requirements. This testing method evaluates the system’s compliance with the specified requirements and evaluates its overall functionality, performance, and reliability.
What is System Testing?
System testing is a type of black-box testing that focuses on the entire system’s behavior. It is performed after integration testing and before acceptance testing. The main goal of system tests is to verify the end-to-end system specifications so that the software works as expected in the actual environment.
Example Test Scenario: “Shop Now” (Online shopping site)
Let’s consider an Online shopping site- Shop Now as our scenario. The platform allows users to browse products, add them to a cart, and complete purchases. The system comprises various components such as user authentication, product catalog, shopping cart, payment processing and order management.
Sample Test Cases for System Testing
Here are some examples of test cases that can be used to test the functionality of an online store platform:
Test Case 1: User Registration
Test Scenario: Verify that new users can register successfully.
Steps:
- Go to the registration page of Shop Now.
- Enter valid user information (name, email, password).
- Click on the “Register” button.
Expected Result: The user should receive a confirmation email, and the system should redirect to the login page.
Test Case 2: Product Search
Test Scenario: Allow users to search for products using keywords.
Steps:
- Enter a product name in the search bar.
- Click on the “Search” button.
Expected Result: The system displays a list of products that match your search criteria on a specific page of the “Shop Now” site.
Test Case 3: Add to Cart
Test Scenario: Verify that users can add products to their cart.
Steps:
- Select a product from the catalog.
- Click on the “Add to Cart” button.
Expected Result: The item should be added to your cart for “Shop Now” and the cart icon should be updated to reflect the new quantity of items.
Test Case 4: Checkout Process
Test Scenario: Validate the entire checkout process.
Steps:
- Navigate to the shopping cart of Shop Now.
- Click on the “Checkout” button.
- Enter your shipping and payment information.
- Confirm your order.
Expected Result: The user should get a confirmation of their order, and the order information should be stored in the system.
How Automation Helps in System Testing
We can use tools like Selenium for web applications to streamline the system testing process. Here is a code sample that shows how to automate the user registration test scenario using Python and Selenium:
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys
# Initialize the WebDriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome()
try:
# Navigate to the registration page
driver.get("https://www.shopnow.com/register")
# Fill in the registration form
driver.find_element(By.NAME, "username").send_keys("testuser")
driver.find_element(By.NAME, "email").send_keys("testuser@example.com")
driver.find_element(By.NAME, "password").send_keys("securepassword")
# Submit the form
driver.find_element(By.NAME, "register").click()
# Verify registration success
success_message = driver.find_element(By.ID, "success").text
assert "Registration completed successfully!" in success_message
finally:
# Close the browser
driver.quit()
Overview
System testing is an important part of software development to ensure that the entire system works properly. Checking the system against specified requirements helps to detect problems and improve the quality of the software. Using automation tools like Selenium makes testing faster and more efficient.
Adding system testing to your development process helps create a more reliable, user-friendly product, leading to increased customer satisfaction and trust in your brand.
