When one talks about software testing, it is seen as a task, which has to be performed, as it is a part of the software development lifecycle. Since, it is seen only as a part of the lifecycle, it is not uncommon to see that the software testing practices used by most of the organizations are often outdated, as they continue to rely on the age old practices of testing. It is important to revamp the testing practices as they are out of tune with the modern software development practices, like the agile model, etc. There is a tendency not to take up an army of testers on board for the cost that will have to be incurred. When one asks how to improve software testing, the improvement has to be done on two levels. Improvement has to be made to the skills of the tester and improvement also has to be made to the testing process.

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Software testing is a process consisting of all life cycle activities, both static and dynamic, concerned with planning, preparation and evaluation of software products and related work products to determine, that they satisfy specified requirements, to demonstrate that they are fit for purpose and to detect defects. ~ Foundation of Software Testing by Dorothy Graham, Erik van Veenendal, Isabel Evans, Rex Black.

The above mentioned definition of software testing gives out clear pointers about what is softwtingare tes exactly. Software testing is an activity that is carried out to ensure that the software product is not only defect free, but it also meets the requirements of the end user. Th, ere has to be an automated and/or manual software testing process in place, so that the testing activities can be carried out smoothly and equal importance is laid on every aspect of the testing process. Some of the steps in the software testing process may differ based on the method used to develop the software.

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