How is Graphical User Interface (GUI) testing done?

The term GUI testing is a self justifying term and states that it is a testing that tests the graphical user interface of the software system or application against its specifications and requirements mentioned in the specifications documents.

This article is all about the testing of some of the aspects of a graphical user interface. All the aspects of a graphical user interface are tested using a whole lot of testing techniques.

The test cases are generated by a test designer who has all the knowledge about the application and the tests are designed as such that they cover all the functionality of the system.

1. Steps for Testing of the Text Box
- Firstly, the requirements of the text box are identified and the default values of the text box and the button are tested without any text in the text box.

- The second step is the checking of the NULL condition in which it is checked that whether or not a text of NULL value can be saved.

- Thirdly, the space condition is checked which ensures that a text box can save a space character.

- Fourth, the boundary value condition is checked in which the minimum and maximum text holding value of the text box is tested.

2. Steps for Testing of the Radio Buttons

- Radio buttons are the buttons that are used in making a selection in the lists that contains options that mutually exclusive and only one option has to be selected.

- In the radio button testing it is tested that whether or not clicking on one of the options deselects the other one.

3. Steps for Testing of the Command Buttons

- The working of the command button i.e., whether or not it is following the command which has been evoked. The execution of the command is also tested.

4. steps for Testing of the Aesthetic Conditions

Aesthetic conditions regarding the colour of the background, resizing of the screen, color of the field prompts, font of the text, spelling of the prompts etc are tested using appropriate testing methodologies.

5. Testing of the validation conditions
This testing tests the validation process of the GUI using various white box testing techniques.

6. Steps for Testing of the Usability Conditions

- Usability conditions of the GUI of the applications are tested by the users since a direct input is obtained from the users and is focussed up on the capacity of the product to match with the standards specified by the user.

- Usability refers to the ease of use of any software artefact and it gives a measure of the ease with which the interaction between the user and the application takes place.

- Testing the usability conditions often helps the developers to understand the needs of the customers and helps in focussing the whole development process towards the needs of the customers.

- The rate of the sales and the task completion increases and the number of enquiries in the call center is also reduced.

- Usability is also an effective technique to increase the experience of the end user making it easier to understand and more intuitive.

- The usability testing can also be carried out by the expert evaluators instead of making users do that. The below mentioned aspects are tested:
(a) Performance
(b) User friendliness
(c) Efficiency
(d) Visual design
(e) Consistency

7. Steps for Testing of Data Integrity Conditions

- This era is marked by the increasing demands for the accountability and mobility and thus data integrity conditions need to be tested.

- This is done by using different white box testing techniques for different conditions.

8. Steps for Testing of the Data field checks and Alpha field checks

It is tested whether or not the data fields accept the data of their specified type.