How to Find a Bug If You Have No Idea
Are you new to software testing or have been assigned a testing task without much experience in testing? Do you find yourself lost and not sure where to start or how to find bugs? Well, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. As a software tester with over eleven years of experience, I’m here to share my six simple tips to help you find a bug like a pro.
Tip 1
Change Your Mindset Firstly, it’s essential to relax and stop thinking about the process as bug hunting. Instead, try to use a different approach. Imagine you’re a tourist walking through a beautiful city somewhere in Europe. You see only the usual things around you like pavements, buildings, doors, and windows, but it’s also possible to recognize hidden things, the second layer of reality: icons, cactuses, and hanging laundry. Similarly, as a tester, you should try to discover unusual things in your daily routine, pay attention to your surroundings, and be more perceptive. Try to think of it as exploring and checking everything to ensure it’s correct, and bugs are merely the side effects of your checks.
Tip 2
Get to the Goal ASAP Avoid exploratory or no-goal random testing in the beginning. Instead, start with the most critical matter, and focus on the main features of your app or the main function of your new feature. After all, if you fail here, there’s no reason for further testing. So, do quality checks and get to the business goal as soon as possible.
Tip 3
Reproduce and Report As a tester, you should use your tester’s mindset and explore unusual things in your daily routine. If you find something suspicious, try to reproduce it and report it. To distinguish between a real bug, a feature, and a glitch, try to reproduce a strange thing you saw and find all similar objects or behaviors around. If you see many of them, it’s not a glitch or a failure. The second step is to ask someone about it, whether it’s a common practice or a bug. Finally, describe the bug in detail so that anyone can reproduce it.
Tip 4
Find New Ways Once you’ve tested the main functionality of your app, try to find alternative ways to achieve the same goal or second goal. It’s essential to keep exploring and experimenting with new ways to ensure the app’s stability and find more bugs.
Tip 5
Use Test Design Techniques There are several test design techniques you can use, such as boundary value analysis, equivalence partitioning, and decision table testing. These techniques can help you cover all possible test scenarios and ensure that you find more bugs.
Tip 6
Collaborate with Your Team Last but not least, it’s essential to collaborate with your team. Discuss the testing plan and approach with your team and make sure everyone is on the same page. Use collaborative tools to track and report bugs, share ideas and insights, and work together to find and fix bugs.
Conclusion
Finding a bug may seem daunting, especially if you’re new to software testing. However, by using these simple testing tips, you can improve your testing skills and find bugs like a pro. Remember to change your mindset, get to the goal ASAP, reproduce and report, find new ways, use test design techniques, and collaborate with your team. With these tips, you’ll be able to deliver high-quality software and ensure customer satisfaction.