Positive Testing

July 12, 2019

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What is Positive Testing?

Positive testing is performed to verify the correct functioning of different entities of a software product along the lines of expected behaviour in response to valid data input. Software applications like website and mobile apps require entities like text boxes and text forms. Positive testing tests the correct functioning of these entities. This ensures that the product meets the expectations and specifications of the customer.

Positive Testing Example

The main goal of positive testing is check if a product gives an error message when it should and doesn't respond in the negative when it fed with valid data. To better understand this form of testing, it's quite helpful to make use of an example.

Let's take the example of a password box in an application requiring the use of alpha numeric characters to secure transaction for online recharge coupon. The password box will pass the test for positive testing if it allows the transaction to take place based on correct feeding of input data, which is the correct password employing the use of BOTH alphabetical AND numerical characters.

How To Perform Positive Testing?

There are two test techniques that are highly recommended while performing Positive Testing:

1. Boundary Value Analysis.
2. Equivalence Partitioning.

Boundary Value Analysis:

The test cases are designed with pre defined ranges or boundaries within which the input data should have its values. In this way, all input values within the boundary limits of this range shall be utilised for positive testing. Whereas all input values falling outside this range shall form part of test cases for negative testing. This strategy also helps to differentiate positive testing with negative testing.

Equivalence Partitioning:

The test cases are built upon division of input data into partitions. Data values from each of these partitions are tested once. Suppose we have to build test cases with alphabets between A and M from the English alphabet system. If we divide the data in to partitions of 13 letters each of A to M and N to Z, then values from partition A to M will form input data to be considered for positive testing.

Conclusion

Positive testing plays an important role for verification of normal functioning of basic entities found in most websites such as option for logging in and Text boxes for feeding of general data during form filling. It is necessary to ensure confidence in quality of such features of a product that is bug free and suffers no glitches.You can also read our next article on positive and negative testing here.