What is specification based testing? What are its advantages and disadvantages?

Specification testing as its name suggests can be defined as the type of testing in which the software product’s performance and conformance is checked with every statement mentioned in all the available documents for reference.

- This specification based testing is carried out by specification based tester.
- The documents used for specification based checking might be user manuals, formal specifications check lists, third party documents or even advertisements.
- Specification based testing ought not to cover automatic extraction of ideas of testing from the mentioned specifications and it also not covers the use of the automated program comprehension tools.
- While carrying out the specification based testing an assumption is made in which we assume that a natural language specification exists that is to be analyzed by a human being.

The following tasks are carried out by specification tester:
- To identify the sets of reference 3 documents.
- To develop the ideas for testing those are based on contradictions and ambiguities in the documents that are being used for reference.
- To develop the list of claims and items that are to be tested based on certain assertions to be tested and are listed in the reference documents. Later the ideas are associated with each other.
- To create the matrices that are traceable and that lists the assertions and the items to be tested and test cases associated with those assertions and ideas.

One of the most important unifying features of specification based testing is that the testing starts with the reference documents and the testing strategies and cases are based on what is there in the reference documents.

The following examples will make the use of specification based testing clear:

- Undo tool in paint: does not performs as specified.
- Zoom in tool in open office presentation: does not perform as specified.
- File and folder naming function in windows XP does not perform as specified.
- New profile creation tool in fire fox.
- Function for deleing form information tool.
- Help documentations are incorrect.
- Keyboard short cuts for closing windows.
- Conflict between the dream weaver and inbox manual.

The specification based testing has got both advantages and disadvantages.

- Specification based testing though being necessary is not sufficient to guard or detect certain risks.
- One of the advantages of specification based testing is that it reduces the number of test cases.
- It proves very efficient in find most of the comer cases.

- Though the bugs discovered are very small, the cannot be discovered by testing in the real system since the command sequences that have lead to these bugs would have never been caused in the real system.

- Specification based testing states the specifications as the executable properties.
- Errors can either be in the program or in the specifications.

- Specification based testing can be defined as a process that tests a software system or application based on what its behavior should be based on its specifications.

- In specification based testing, test cases are developed based on the specifications of the software system or application.

- Tests can be developed even before the actual creation of the program and its implementation.

- Without actually writing the program, a set of input data for testing can be generated based only on the given specifications and without even knowing the implementation of the test cases.

- This generated test data will be sufficient to test a software system or program that would have been written in accordance with these specifications.

- If the specifications seem to be incomplete, the assumptions can be stated about how the specifications can be clarified and completed.

What are different aspects of localization?

Localization is just the opposite of internationalization. The process of localization involves the acceptance of an internationalized software system to a particular locale or region with its specific standards and languages.

- Localization testing also forms a part of testing and typically focuses up on localization and internationalization aspects of the software products or applications.
- To localize a software system or application one needs to have the knowledge about the sets of characters which are employed in the development of today’s software product and applications.
- It also involves the basic understanding of the risks associated with the employed sets of characters.
- Localization is carried out to determine how well the build of the software product has been interpreted with a particular desired target language.
- More often and mainly localization testing helps to know that how well a particular target language has been analyzed by the build.
- For localization testing there should be a functional support within that particular locale which has already been validated because the test is founded only on the results of the globalized validation.
- The product must be globalised to a high extent and if it is not so then it will not support a given language, you will not try to give preference to that language first. But still the person has to check that the report or application which you are delivering is in a working condition or not.

Process of localizing a software product
- The process of localizing a software product or application involves the full translation of a particular application of graphical user interface and accommodate graphics for a locale.

- It also includes translation of that application program into that particular native language in the same way as the localization of business can result in a big task because the main intention for the localization of business is to implement correct business processes and practices for a locale.

- There are so many differences in how a locale conducts business. The user interface and content files are the two basic things which are mainly edited during the process of localization.

- A checklist is referred side by side during localization so as to keep a track of the process. The localization testing checklist includes the following:
1. Rules for sorting
2. Conversions in upper case
3. Conversions in lower case
4. Rules to check spelling mistakes
5. Printers
6. Operating systems
7. Size of papers
8. Text flters
9. Key boards
10. Mouse
11. Date formats
12. Hot keys
13. Available memory
14. Measurements
15. Rulers for measurement

Localization process can be initiated on a system which consists of only a few number of translators, desk top publishers or DTPs, engineers and linguists.

But the localization process is done only when certain defined conditions are there i.e., to say if there is a combination of the following aspects:

1. Independent contractors.
2. In house resources.
3. Full scope services of the localization firm.
4. Since the localization process mainly involves the translation of all the native languages in to a particular aimed string and customization of the GUI or graphical user interface, it is appropriate for the targeted market.

The software products which are offered to the international market often have to suffer a lot of domestic or in house competition which results in the blending of the localized product into a particular native language.

After the translation of the language and the updating of the graphical user interface, localization testing is needed to ensure that the software product is working well and without any problem and it also ensures that the software product is well migrated to the international market.