The Software Testing Engineer: An Essential Part Of The Software Development TeamThe testing of software is probably one of the most tedious yet important parts of the development of software. It takes a qualified software-testing engineer to have the knowledge of the intricate details involved in software to know how to make the software work correctly. Many different tests need to be performed before software is ready for release. It is only due to the intelligence and experience of these software testing engineers that we have so much software on the market. The Software testing engineer has the job of testing the software for performance, functionality, usability, security to name just a few. They are often part of the software quality assurance team as well. Although they are not have the expertise that testing engineers have, occasionally the software quality assurance engineers will also test the software. There are different types of software testing, with the main two being white box testing and black box testing. The difference between the two is the different points of view the testing engineer gets while doing the tests. The white box testing involves giving them an internal view of the software while black box testing involves the external view. Both are performed by the software testing engineer, are equally important and have their own purpose. The software testing engineers perform testing at different stages of the software development life cycle (also referred to as SKLC). The testing is broken down into individual tests such as integration testing, functional testing, unit testing, system testing, regression testing, security testing and acceptance testing. There are even smaller intricate tests that have the effect of a test within a test. Some of the tests are manual, some automated and some are tested both ways. The software testing engineers are responsible for all of these technical tests on the software. To become a software testing engineer requires a certain amount of training and education. Some engineers go to school for a Computer Science degree and some are certified with other degrees from accredited schools. There are many schools such as this online for anyone interested in becoming a software testing engineer. Some companies offer entry-level jobs in the computer department where you can either work your way to becoming a software testing engineer or they will assist you in getting your training and becoming certified. The farther the engineer goes with his training, the more he is able to do with the testing of the software from setting up simple tests right up to writing the test codes and doing the white box testing. The job is a very challenging and rewarding position that requires much knowledge and problem-solving ability. |