Smoke Testing Examples: 7 Essential Steps for Unbelievable Results

Introduction to Smoke Testing

In the world of software development, which moves at breakneck speed, making sure you’re on the right track is super important. Well, that’s exactly why smoke testing’s there. It’s like the initial step that quickly checks whether your software’s core functions are working right after a new build is rolled out. So, how do you nail a smoke test? Let’s dive in and find out together!

Why Smoke Test?

Rapid Feedback

Smoke testing gives you fast feedback about how an application is doing, helping catch big problems early so you don’t end up wasting time on a faulty build.

Cost-Effective

By keeping things straightforward and quick, smoke tests offer an affordable way to spot major issues before moving on to more thorough testing phases.

Enhances Quality

Smoke testing keeps the major parts of the software running smoothly, which lays a solid base for the more detailed testing that follows, bumping up the software’s overall quality.

How to Perform Smoke Testing

Step 1: Identify Critical Features

First up, figure out the vital features of your app that need to work perfectly; otherwise, the app’s value takes a hit.

• Login/Registration
• Main Navigation
• Key User Actions (e.g., submitting forms)
• Basic Data Display

Step 2: Create Test Cases

Come up with simple test cases to check these key functions. Remember, keeping it simple is crucial!

Step 3: Execute Test Cases

Run each test case, whether you do it by hand or using tools like Selenium or Cypress. Here’s a little preview:

        Steps:
        - Open the application in a browser.
        - Enter valid login details.
        - Hit the 'Login' button.
        - Check if you end up on the dashboard page.
        Expected Result: You should successfully log in and land on the dashboard page.

Step 4: Report Findings

Note down everything — yep, every single pass and fail — and let folks know about any failures right away to get problems fixed quickly before more detailed testing.

Examples of Smoke Testing

Imagine you’re running a smoke test on an e-commerce site:

Example 1: User Login

Making sure users can easily access their accounts is a must, so this test is high on the list. Here’s what you do:

• Fire up the site in a browser.
• Pop in a valid email and password.
• Click the ‘Login’ button.
• Expected Result: You get in no problem and find yourself on your account dashboard.

Example 2: Product Purchase

Checking if the buying process works is critical since it supports one of your big business goals — revenue. Here’s how you do it:

• Drop a product in the cart.
• Head to checkout.
• Add payment details.
• Finish the purchase.
• Expected Result: The purchase goes through, and you get an order confirmation.

Tools for Smoke Testing

Boost your smoke testing with these great automation tools:

Selenium

Famous for automating web browser tasks, Selenium supports several programming languages, making it a favorite for lots of developers looking to automate smoke tests across browsers.

Cypress

With its speedy execution and support for modern apps, Cypress is a strong choice, giving a smooth automation experience that’s tailor-made for the web today.

Best Practices for Smoke Testing

Keep It Simple

Stick to clear and simple tests. Smoke tests should be quick and focused on functions with high value, avoiding any time-black-hole complexity.

Automate Where Possible

A solid automation toolkit means your smoke tests will be consistent and fast, so find yourself some reliable tools to keep those test cycles running smoothly.

Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

Weaving smoke tests into your CI/CD pipeline makes sure issues are caught early in development, keeping everything on track and saving developers’ precious time.

Conclusion

Smoke testing is like the backbone in the big machine of software testing, making sure the important bits in your app are doing what they should. By adopting the best practices for smoke testing and the right tools, you’re setting yourself up to fine-tune your development process, boosting software reliability and quality.

So, what do you think? Ready to up your software game with these smoke testing tactics?

Resources

Get more into the nitty-gritty of smoke testing with these resources:

• Selenium Documentation
• Cypress Documentation
• CI/CD Guide by Atlassian