Difference between Static and Dynamic Testing

Introduction

Software testing over the past few years seems to have gained much recognition in the software development lifecycle (SDLC). After all, high-quality products aren’t developed overnight just by believing in them. One has to be thorough with the process. Now software testing overall as a concept is a pretty vast area so it is impossible to cover the entire topic all at once. Fortunately, as the title suggests the following post mainly focuses on static and dynamic testing, what are they, how are they beneficial in the long run, basically static vs dynamic testing - which is better to pick.

What is Static Testing?

Another popular term for static testing is verification testing or non-execution testing. This is one of the best software testing methods used to examine the program successfully, and do you know what’s the best part here, it doesn’t require the program to be well-executed. Static testing is one kind of testing that is successfully performed on a specific piece of software. And all this is done without executing the actual code. While testing, software professionals tend to review and validate the product as well as its supporting documents.

Static testing mainly focuses on checking the code and designing different documents as well as requirements right before it begins finding all the relevant errors. The ultimate objective is to find an appropriate flaw within the early stage of development because it turns out to be way easier to look out for reliable sources of possible failures in a short time.

Now why is there a need to perform static testing in the first place? Well, there are a plethora of reasons to perform static testing such as:

Finding as well as addressing proper defects and errors at a very early stage
Overall leads to enhancement in regards to productivity and efficiency
Cost-effective measures and reduced timeline
Most important of all, the number of defects is automatically reduced which could be found in the later process.

So what are the requirements, what should be kept in mind while conducting static testing?

Business requirements documents
Functional or system requirements
Unit test cases
Prototypes
Test Data
DB fields dictionary spreadsheets
Test plan strategies
Traceability matrix documents
Performance test scripts/automation

Benefits of Static Testing

Here I would like to focus on certain benefits of static testing

Quick detection of coding errors and not just detection they are corrected absolutely in no time.
Reduced unnecessary expenses and costs, especially in the early stages
Time scale reduced for development
Not just software testers but also developers now have a better idea regarding the quality issues found in the software.
With the help of automated tools, code can be easily expedited.
Proper documents are reviewed
And it may also interest you to know that static testing can enhance communication immensely between teams.

Top Tips for Successful Testing

Train members while working on the process
Try focusing on things that matter the most
Try to keep the process as formal as you can, maintaining proper decorum and culture is important
Try planning and tracking every possible activity deliberately
If you happen to find any possible delays which might sooner or later hinder test execution, remove them as soon as possible.

So if you are willing to discover consequences at a pretty early stage or if you are willing to reduce testing costs and development time, or if you want to enhance development productivity and avoid unnecessary reworking, then choose static testing right away.

What is Dynamic Testing?

This method of software testing usually involves seamless execution of the software and a good evaluation of its overall behavior during runtime. Now other names for dynamic testing are functional testing. This means, it mainly focuses on testing the overall software’s functionality. How the software behaves under different conditions or inputs.

Analyzing the dynamic behavior of the code is what Dynamic testing is all about. The process is meant for testing both input and output values which are further analysed and rectified. Further, I would like to mention the ultimate purpose of conducting dynamic testing.

Finding relevant errors and bugs - Here it is extremely important to expose relevant flaws, bugs, and issues so that the functionality remains intact and your effort doesn’t get wasted at all.
Verifying the behavior of the system - It is very important to double-check whether the software is operating in pre-determined aspects and complies with the existing company requirements, regulatory standards, and user expectations, or not.
Performance assessment - Now it is extremely important to ensure that the software developed is satisfactory on all kinds of levels including performance, reaction, use of resources under different circumstances, and a lot more.
Trustworthiness - The next purpose of conducting dynamic testing is to ensure trustworthiness. It is very important to examine the software’s dependability and this is possible by determining how well it performs especially under typical operating conditions, and what happens in case of unexpected faults and crashes.
Test data - Here dynamic testing also assists in verifying the overall precision and consistency of the data so that nothing but reliable and most significant information is being passed.
Scalability - Lastly, it is performed to see whether the software is capable of growing and handling more and more workloads or not. Also what if there is some kind of decline in performance?

Types of Dynamic Testing

White Box Testing

This software testing method is conducted to check on how the entire system is performing based on code. This is mainly conducted by developers or white box testers who have an appropriate knowledge of programming.

Black Box Testing

This type of testing is conducted to verify the overall functionality of the system and here professionals are mainly asked to execute the complete test suite the best part is there is no need for any programming knowledge.

Functional Testing - Unit testing, Integration testing, System Testing, Acceptance testing
Non-Functional Testing - Performance testing, recovery testing, compatibility testing, security testing, usability testing

Benefits of Dynamic Testing

It is very important to validate the overall performance of the software application
Ensures absolute reliability and consistency
Premium use of automation tools is possible
Uncovered flaws that are pretty hard or complex for static testing can be easily revealed here.
The software is executed from end-to-end leading to error-free code and seamless improvement in the product’s quality and success.
Potential security issues can be easily identified leading to great improvements and well-secured application development.

Static vs Dynamic Testing - Which one is better?

Factors	Static	Dynamic
Define	This type of testing is mainly performed to look around for potential errors without needing to execute the actual code	This type of testing is conducted to properly analyze the dynamic behavior of the code.
Purpose	Prevention of errors and defects	Fixing appropriate errors and defects
Cost	Less costly	A bit-more costly
Time and Process	Shorter time and verification procedures.	Longer time and validation procedure.
Techniques	It includes Informal reviews, walkthroughs, technical reviews, code reviews, and inspections.	It involves functional and non-functional testing.

Final Verdict

Static testing is a pretty important part of the software development lifecycle and it doesn’t have to be limited to testers, it even includes business requirement reviews, functional requirement reviews, design reviews, code walkthroughs, and test documentation reviews. Static testing is a continuous procedure. Whereas Dynamic testing is a more hands-on activity where professionals are asked to work in real-time and not while reviewing any documents or artifacts. This process is more formal than static testing and involves accurate defect reporting and rectification.

So I hope you did find the following post insightful. In case you have any doubts or queries, feel free to mention them in the comment section below.