In a QA cycle, we capture various metrics to gauge the testing we have done against the baseline values according to industry standards. In this article, we are using an AI model to make the release sign-off decision, calculated with automated metrics.

AI-Enabled Model

AI-based release decision, often referred to as AI model deployment or rollout, involves determining when and under what conditions an AI system should be put into production or made available to end-users. Here are some key considerations for making AI-based release decisions:

Model Evaluation: Before making a release decision, it’s essential to thoroughly evaluate the AI model’s performance using appropriate metrics. This evaluation should include various aspects, such as accuracy, precision, and any other relevant performance indicators. The model should meet predefined quality and accuracy standards.

Here is the AI model designed…

Based on the above, the most important decisions are arrived at, which are mentioned below:

Release Tollgate Decision

This decision entails the criteria for Production Readiness, determining whether to sign off for production or not. The decision is based on the provided values.

Quality Quotient

The Quality Quotient is a percentage derived from established metrics used for assessing and improving software quality. The following parameters are captured, and the quality quotient is determined with a predefined formula. The decision is based on the following range of values: 0% to 98%.

Testing & Validation

Extensive testing is necessary to identify and address potential issues, including edge cases that the AI model might encounter. Testing should cover a wide range of inputs to ensure the system’s robustness. Validation involves verifying that the AI model’s performance aligns with business objectives and requirements to contribute to the desired goals.

Use Cases

This model is evaluated for two projects. One is in the social media domain, which has weekly pushes to production. We have the model with the process of capturing the status of tests and defects through tools like JIRA and qTest. The captured data is fed into a dynamic dashboard with built-in formulas for calculating the metrics needed for sign-off.

The results are greatly helpful in making the release decision. We have some feedback mechanisms which helped to evolve the model and we are recommending the same to the customer.

The second one is for a fortnightly release financial domain project. Here the model gave indicative results for making the release decision.

Release decisions should be data-driven and grounded in a well-defined process that considers the AI system’s technical and business aspects. It’s crucial to strike a balance between delivering AI solutions swiftly and ensuring they adhere to quality, ethical, and security standards. Regularly reviewing and updating the release criteria is essential as the AI system evolves and new information emerges.

The post AI-Enabled Metrics for Release Decision appeared first on Indium.

Developing software applications involves leveraging technologies and established practices. When building a healthcare solution like an interactive chatbot, integrating Chat-GPT, Test-Driven Development (TDD), and the Cucumber framework enhances development and delivers user-centric solutions.

a) Chat-GPT, an OpenAI language model, generates human-like text responses. By integrating Chat-GPT into a chatbot, developers create conversational user experiences using natural language processing.

b) Test-Driven Development (TDD) prioritizes creating automated tests before coding. Following TDD ensures the chatbot functions as intended, meets requirements, and provides expected responses.

c) Cucumber, a popular Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) tool, enables collaboration between technical and non-technical stakeholders. It creates human-readable feature files that describe system Behavior. With Cucumber, developers validate the chatbot, generate tests, and maintain a shared understanding of requirements.

Why do we need integrated technology in healthcare applications?

Without Chat-GPT and Test-Driven Development in the Cucumber framework, the healthcare industry may face several challenges and limitations in terms of communication, efficiency, and quality assurance.

2.1 Let’s understand how these technologies can support and enhance healthcare applications:

Communication Challenges:

• Limited interactive communication with patients, leading to misunderstandings.
• Inability to provide personalized responses, resulting in unsatisfactory experiences.
• Difficulty handling patient inquiries efficiently.

Efficiency Concerns:

• Manual handling of queries is time-consuming for healthcare professionals.
• Inability to automate tasks, increasing workload.
• Potential errors in responses due to human factors.

Quality Assurance Limitations:

• Inconsistent responses across healthcare professionals.
• Difficulty validating healthcare applications, leading to bugs and security issues.
• Inadequate documentation of software requirements.

2.2 Integrating Chat-GPT and Test-Driven Development in the Cucumber Framework addresses these challenges:

Improved Communication:

• Chat-GPT enables interactive and personalized communication with patients.
• Test-Driven Development ensures accurate and reliable responses.

Enhanced Efficiency:

• Chat-GPT automates query handling, freeing up professionals’ time.
• Test-Driven Development identifies and addresses issues early.

Quality Assurance and Documentation:

• Test-Driven Development with Cucumber validates application functionality.
• Cucumber supports clear documentation and a shared understanding of requirements.

This integration enables developers to build intelligent and reliable chatbots, improving user experiences in healthcare and other domains.

How do we integrate the technology into a healthcare application?

Flowchart on the end-to-end process structure

A detailed example of how we can integrate Chat GPT, Test-Driven Development (TDD), and the Cucumber framework in a healthcare solution:

3.1 Define feature files:

Create a feature file using the Gherkin syntax provided by Cucumber.

For example, let’s consider a feature file called “HealthcareChatbot.feature” with the following scenario:

3.2 Write failing step definitions:

3.3 Implement the chatbot system:

To integrate the Chat GPT API using Python, follow these steps:

a.  Set up the project:
• Create a new directory and set up a virtual environment.

b. Install the necessary libraries:
• Install the required Python libraries (e.g., Flask, requests).
• Install the Chat GPT API library, if provided.

c. Create the chatbot module:
• Create a Python file for the chatbot and import the necessary libraries.
• Set up Flask for user interactions.

d. Implement user input processing:
• Define a Flask route to receive user inputs.
• Extract the user’s query from the request and pass the query to the chatbot logic for a response.

e. Integrate with the Chat GPT API:
• Import the API library or module and authenticate with valid API credentials.
• Make a request to the API with the user query and retrieve the generated response.

f. Process and format the API response:
• Extract relevant information from the response in a user-friendly format.

g. Implement the chatbot logic:
• Handle healthcare queries and generate responses.
• Integrate with external healthcare APIs and databases if needed.

h. Connect the chatbot module with Flask:
• Define routes and endpoints for interactions and responses.
• Invoke the chatbot logic and return the response.

i. Test and refine:
• Interact with the chatbot through defined routes for testing.
• Continuously improve based on user feedback and requirements.

j. Deploy and scale:
• Deploy the chatbot on a suitable hosting platform.
• Configure the infrastructure for scalability.

Here is an example of how we can implement the chatbot module that handles user inputs and generates responses based on healthcare-related queries:

Flowchart on explaining a simplified healthcare chatbot

This is a simplified implementation of a healthcare chatbot in Python. The process_user_input function generates responses based on predefined rules for healthcare queries. If a query doesn’t match the rules, it calls the get_chat_gpt_response function to fetch a response from the Chat GPT API. The get_chat_gpt_response function sends a POST request to the Chat GPT API endpoint with the user query as the prompt.

The API response is extracted and returned as the chatbot’s response. To customize the chatbot, expand the process_user_input function for more healthcare queries and advanced logic. Remember to replace ‘YOUR_API_KEY’ with your actual Chat GPT API key.

Benefits of Integration

1. Engaging experiences: Chat-GPT creates interactive and satisfying interactions.

2. Reliable system: TDD ensures requirements are met and bugs are caught early.

3. Collaborative communication: Cucumber supports BDD for inclusive behaviour definition.

4. Iterative development: TDD enables incremental enhancements and easier maintenance.

5. Clear requirements: Cucumber’s feature files serve as executable documentation.

6. Faster feedback: TDD and Cucumber provide quick issue identification and adjustments.

Combining Chat-GPT with TDD in the Cucumber framework builds a reliable and user-centric chatbot. TDD’s iterative approach and Cucumber’s collaboration enhance development and communication, resulting in realistic and high-quality responses that meet requirements.

Conclusion

The implementation is a healthcare chatbot system that integrates the Chat GPT API for realistic responses. It uses TDD principles with the Cucumber framework. Developed in Python with Flask, the chatbot processes user inputs, integrates the Chat GPT API, formats responses, and implements healthcare logic. The Flask web server handles user interactions, while the chatbot handles healthcare queries and potentially integrates with external healthcare APIs or databases.

The post Enhancing Healthcare Solutions with Chat GPT, TDD and Cucumber appeared first on Indium.

In the modern era of software development, collaboration among team members is more important than ever. With teams spread across different locations and time zones, communication and coordination become critical factors for the success of a project. This is where collaboration tools like GitHub and Microsoft Teams come into play. GitHub is a popular platform for hosting and collaborating on software development projects, while Microsoft Teams is one of the leading communication and collaboration tools used by many organisations.

Integrating GitHub and Microsoft Teams can create a seamless workflow for developers, project managers, and other stakeholders involved in a project. It enables teams to stay up-to-date with the latest changes in a project, collaborate on issues and pull requests, and streamline communication for efficient project management.

By integrating GitHub with Microsoft Teams, teams can receive real-time notifications on various events in their GitHub repositories. This can include notifications on issues, pull requests, commits, comments, releases, and deployments. This means that team members can stay informed about the latest developments in a project even if they are not actively working on it at the moment. This can help ensure that all team members are aligned and working towards the same goal.

 Integrating GitHub and Microsoft Teams is especially beneficial for remote teams, as it can help bridge the communication gap and enable teams to work together seamlessly, regardless of their physical location. By leveraging the capabilities of these tools, teams can improve their productivity, streamline their workflows, and achieve their goals more efficiently.

In this blog, we will explore the three important and different aspects of integrating GitHub and Microsoft Teams, including setting up webhooks, configuring connectors, generating workflows, customizing notifications, and troubleshooting common issues. We will also discuss the benefits and use cases for this integration, and how it can help teams collaborate more efficiently. By the end of this blog, we will have a good understanding of how to integrate GitHub and Microsoft Teams, and how it can help our team work together more effectively.

Why sending GitHub notifications to Microsoft Teams is important for project management.

Project management requires effective communication, and contemporary technical improvements have made it simpler to build more effective communication channels. An effective tool for team collaboration and communication is Microsoft Teams. GitHub is a well-liked website for code management and teamwork on software development projects. Integrating GitHub with Microsoft Teams improves project management significantly by establishing a flexible and productive platform for collaboration.

GitHub offers a range of notification options for project activity like issues, pull requests, commits, comments, releases, and deployments. However, in a busy development environment where team members are frequently preoccupied with other tasks, these alarms may go unnoticed or ignored. By integrating GitHub with Microsoft Teams, project managers and team members can receive real-time notifications on all project activity, ensuring that they are always informed and ready to address any issues.

The integration provides a central area for all project communication and collaboration. Teamwork can be promoted and the need for separate communication channels for different project activities is removed when team members can communicate in the channel to discuss and provide input on specific project tasks. Team members can stay in touch and informed thanks to this centralised platform for communication, which promotes accountability and transparency in the project.

Furthermore, the integration can improve project management efficiency by reducing the amount of time spent checking GitHub for new activity. Instead, the notifications are sent right to the relevant Microsoft Teams channels, providing team members with immediate access to important project changes. By doing this, it is less likely that important concerns will be overlooked or disregarded, and it is ensured that project stakeholders will be promptly informed of any changes that might affect the project’s budget or timeline.

Setting up a webhook method to receive GitHub notifications in Microsoft Teams

The processes to send notifications of GitHub issues, pull requests, pushes, merges, commits, comments, releases, and deployments to the Microsoft Teams channel using the webhook technique are as follows:

Step 1: In Microsoft Teams, create a webhook. Select the relevant channel by navigating there and clicking the three-dot icon. Find the “Incoming Webhook” connector by choosing “Connectors” and searching. Click “Create” after selecting the connector’s name and image of choice. The connector’s produced webhook URL should be copied.

Step 2: Configure the webhook in GitHub: Click “Settings” after finding the desired repository. Choose “Webhooks” from the menu on the left. the “Add webhook” button. In the “Payload URL” section, paste the webhook URL that the connector produced. Decide which events we wish to be notified about. the “Add webhook” button.

Step 3: Configure the payload Create the JSON payload to be transmitted to the Microsoft Teams channel by configuring the payload. Use the supplied payload format template or modify it to suit our needs. The necessary data, such as the commit message, author, timestamp, etc., should be included in the payload.

Step 4: Test the webhook: Make a code commit, push, pull, merge, or develop in the GitHub repository to test the webhook. Verify whether the webhook initiates the notice and transmits it to the Microsoft Teams channel.

Trigger the notification through Action Secrets and workflow YAML to a custom team channel.

The steps listed below can be used to send notifications about issues, pull requests, pushes, merges, commits, comments, releases, and deployments to a Microsoft Teams channel via GitHub action secrets and workflow YAML:

Step 1: Create a Microsoft Teams channel: To receive GitHub notifications, we must first create a channel in Microsoft Teams.

Step 2: Create an incoming webhook in Microsoft Teams by clicking on the three dots next to the channel name, choosing “Connectors,” and then choosing “Incoming Webhook.” To configure the webhook and get the webhook URL, follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 3: Make the GitHub action ready: Wherever we wish to configure the notifications, we can create a new GitHub repository or go to an existing source. Next, make a new file called “notify-teams.yml” in the “.github/workflows” directory. The workflow that initiates the notification is contained in this file.

Step 4: Configure the workflow. YAML: Specify the events that cause the notice by configuring the workflow YAML in the notify-teams.yml file. We can configure the workflow to start when a code commit, push, pull, merge, or develop event occurs, for instance. Additionally, we must specify the payload format and webhook URL.

Step 5: Create the GitHub secrets. We must create a GitHub secret in order to safely send the webhook URL to the process. Create a new secret with the value of the webhook URL we discovered in step 2 and the name “TEAMS_WEBHOOK_URL” by going to the repository settings, selecting “Secrets,” and creating a new secret.

Step 6: Test the notification: Once the workflow YAML and GitHub secret have been configured, test the notification by triggering one of the events listed in the YAML file. In order to confirm that the notification was delivered correctly, check the Microsoft Teams channel.

Installing and integrating the GitHub Application in Teams for a subscribed notification

The methods to install GitHub from Microsoft Teams apps and sign up for notifications are as follows:

Step 1: Go to the Teams area on the left-hand side of Microsoft Teams by opening it.

Step 2: Choose the channel where we want to receive notifications by clicking the team where we want to add the GitHub app.

Step 3: Search for “GitHub” under the Apps area by clicking the “+” button in the upper right corner of the page.

Step 4: To add the “GitHub” app to our team, click on it and then choose “Add”.

Step 5: Upon installation, the app will ask us to log in with our GitHub account. To log in and grant the app access to our GitHub repositories, adhere to the on-screen instructions.

Step 6: Select the repository we wish to get notifications for after logging in, then click the “Subscribe” button.

Step 7: Select the occasions, such as fresh pull requests, issues, or commits, for which we wish to receive notifications, and then click the “Subscribe” button once more.

Step 8: By selecting the channels we wish to receive the alerts on, we may personalise them by clicking the “Manage notifications” button.

Step 9: Once the notifications have been configured, click the “Save” button to save our modifications.

Following these instructions, we will get instant notifications anytime a new event happens in our GitHub repository in our Microsoft Teams channel. This connection can enhance team cooperation and keep us informed of the most recent codebase changes.

Best practises and customising GitHub notifications for better readability in Microsoft Teams

Project management would not be possible without GitHub notifications, which keep developers informed of updates and changes to the codebase. These notifications have even more strength when linked with Microsoft Teams, empowering team members to work together and communicate clearly. But because GitHub generates so many notifications, it is easy for crucial messages to get lost in the noise.

 It’s crucial to customise the alerts and adhere to several best practises to make sure that GitHub notifications are understandable and actionable in Microsoft Teams. We can follow the instructions listed below:

1. 1. GitHub can produce notifications for a wide range of activities, from code pushes to pull requests. Choose which events to send notifications for, Select the most crucial events, and only send notifications for those, to prevent spamming our team with notifications.
2. 2. Adjust notification settings: GitHub gives us the option to adjust notification settings for specific repositories, giving us more control over the alerts we get. We can decide, for instance, to only get notifications for a certain kind of event or to completely silence notifications for a certain repository.
3. 3. Use keywords and filters to make sure notifications are simple to search for and easy to take action on. For instance, we can configure filters to only display notifications for a certain file or issue, which will make it simpler to identify and fix issues.
4. 4. Use simple and concise wording: Use clear and concise language to ensure that notifications are readily understood. Avoid using acronyms or technical jargon that other team members might not understand.
5. 5. Utilise integrations: GitHub is only one of several tools with which Microsoft Teams can be integrated. By utilising these integrations, we can make sure that notifications are delivered to the appropriate team members at the appropriate time, enhancing productivity and teamwork.

Conclusion

Microsoft Teams and GitHub integration can greatly enhance team communication and project management. Team members can keep updated about code revisions, pull requests, and other critical updates via real-time notifications, ensuring that everyone is on the same page. There are numerous ways to start notifications, like installing GitHub apps in Microsoft Teams and using GitHub Actions secrets and workflow YAML. Every technique has its benefits and can be tailored to meet certain project requirements.

Using a clear and simple message, offering context, and emphasising important information like merge conflicts or unsuccessful builds are all best practises for customising notifications. The notification templates can also be altered by teams to fit their tastes and branding. Teams can enhance the readability and efficiency of GitHub notifications in Microsoft Teams by adhering to these best practises, resulting in more effective collaboration and improved project outcomes. Overall, modern software development teams aiming to optimise their workflows and increase productivity should consider integrating GitHub notifications with Microsoft Teams.

The post GitHub Event Request Notification to Teams Channel appeared first on Indium.

Behavior Driven Development (BDD) is another test development process derived from TDD. In BDD, testers create tests for the user behaviors. The Gherkin file is used for creating scenarios for end-to-end tests.

TDD vs. BDD Comparison

What is Gherkin?

Gherkin is a simple structured language that helps to create behavior-based tests using simple English, file can be read and understood by anyone in the software development team.

Gherkin is mostly used to define the tests to cover the end-to-end workflow. Writing scenarios in an independent/standalone way without creating dependency on each other is important.

Each scenario in a Gherkin file will be considered a standalone test.

Gherkin files should be saved with a .feature extension to automate the scenarios.

Many assume that writing feature files in the Gherkin language is easy, but it’s not. Though Gherkin uses simple syntax (Given, When, And, Then…), it has to be used wisely to define meaningful steps. It’s moreover like an art.

Preparing Gherkin is not just documentation work. A person involved in preparing Gherkin files has more responsibility as they are converting system requirements into system behaviors from a user perspective.

Best practices in preparing gherkin feature files.

Avoid lengthy descriptions.

We must keep the Title & Description short; when the description is long, the readers may skip the lengthy description.

Scenario Background.

The scenario Background adds some context to each scenario. It is like a pre-requisite for scenario execution. Though writing Background is not mandatory like scenarios and steps, they can throw more context on the test and reduce the repetition of steps as they can act as pre-condition.

If there is no Background detail to add to any scenario, we may add some additional detail that are required or help to complete executing the scenario.

For Example:

• Test Data,
• Experiment files used for this test,
• Database connection,
• Other interface connectivity,
• Etc.…

Scenario.

Prepare scenarios using clear statements as we document the requirements in user behavior format. Project stakeholders can access these documents for various reasons, such as to read and understand the requirement, to automate the tester to develop a script, and for future reference.

Project members have different levels of application understanding. We must consider this and prepare Gherkin files from lay man’s perspective.

Preparing scenarios at a high level (or) using too many statements is not recommended. Prepare only apt scenarios and steps.

The scenario is high level.

Scenario with too many statements.

Scenario with apt statements.

Pass accurate input parameters.

Always mention the accurate values in the input parameters, sometimes, the results may vary, and our scripts will fail. By passing accurate values, we can save much time, such as failure analysis, script rework, re-execution, etc.

Scenario Outline?

Using “Scenario Outline” is always good, especially when testing with N input parameters of similar workflow.

There are many advantages when we use the syntax “Scenario Outline.”

1. We can pass many parameter values using the same parameter key.
2. The number of statements in the Gherkin file will reduce.
3. Readability is good.
4. Easy to maintain when there is an update or rework.

Using “Scenario” syntax:

Using “Scenario Outline” syntax:

Avoid Technical Terms.

Do not use any technical term (or) coding language in the Gherkin file, as it may not be understood by a non-technical person in the project.

Use the present tense

There is no such rule to prepare a Gherkin file only with the present tense, but I would suggest using the present tense wherever it is possible. It will keep the readers engaged with the application.

Statements with past/future tense.

Statements with the present tense.

Maintain the same naming convention.

We should maintain the same naming convention in all the scenarios inside the Gherkin file. Also, try to maintain all the Gherkin files in the project.

Add more negative scenarios.

This is a common rule applicable to any kind of testing. It is always good to have more negative scenarios in your test scripts. It helps us to validate the application, especially in negative situations. Like how effectively the application is designed, developed, and built to handle unexpected user behaviors.

For instance, does the application show a proper error message to users in unexpected workflow, how quickly can an application recover, any data loss, etc.

Alignment

We must ensure that all the lines are properly aligned inside a Gherkin file.

Always prepare the Gherkin file perfectly, as this will be the first impression to others about the document and its quality and content. It creates interest in the readers and helps them to complete reading quickly.

Avoid Spelling Mistakes

Not a major mistake, but spelling mistakes should be avoided in the Gherkin file. It will create a bad impression on the readers. Keep the content of the file simple without mistakes.

Make sure we enable the spell-check option while working on Gherkin files.
Sometimes spelling mistakes may not be highlighted in red lines, which means we haven’t installed the spell check extension and must install and enable it.

For Ex: “Code Spell Checker” & “Spell Right” extensions.

Process-related best practices can also be considered in the project.

• Gherkin file review/approval process.
• Collect all the Gherkin files and place them in a common repository.
• The Gherkin file should be updated whenever there is a change.
• Provide access rights to everyone in the project.
• Read-only access to the Gherkin folder (except leads/manager) 
• Maintain proper folder structure.
• Maintain version controlling.
• Periodic backup and maintenance.
• We can involve the functional team in preparing Gherkin files if the automation team fully engages with scripting work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, following best practices in preparing Gherkin feature files is crucial for effective and efficient software development. By adhering to guidelines such as writing clear and concise scenarios, using descriptive language, organizing scenarios with proper structure, and involving stakeholders in the process, teams can improve collaboration, facilitate test automation, and ensure the delivery of high-quality software. Implementing these best practices empowers teams to create feature files that are easily understood, maintainable, and valuable assets throughout the software development lifecycle.

The post Best practices in preparing gherkin feature file appeared first on Indium.

Grey box testing is a software testing technique that includes the elements of black box testing and white box testing. It involves testing a system or application with partial knowledge of its internal workings. In other words, the tester has some knowledge of the software’s internal structure, but not the complete knowledge that a white box tester has. This makes grey-box testing a more realistic and efficient approach to testing than black-box testing, while still providing some of the benefits of white-box testing.

You can use a technique called “grey box testing” to troubleshoot the software and identify its weaknesses. It can be used as an objective, non-obstructive form of penetration testing. In this kind of testing, the focus is on an application’s internal workings rather than how those workings interact with one another.

Outcome-based grey box testing

Efficient Testing: Grey box testing allows testers to focus their efforts on specific areas of the system that are likely to have defects, which helps to reduce testing time and costs.

Realistic Testing: Unlike black box testing, grey box testing provides insight into the system’s internal workings, making it more realistic and closer to how end-user interact with the software.

Comprehensive Testing: Grey box testing allows testers to access the system’s front-end and back-end, which helps identify defects that may be missed in black box testing.

Better Test Coverage: With access to some of the system’s internal workings, grey box testing can help identify more comprehensive test cases, leading to better test coverage.

Improved Quality: By identifying defects that may be missed in black box testing, grey box testing can help improve the overall quality of the software.

The Process

In grey box testing, test cases are generated based on algorithms that assess internal states, application architecture knowledge, and programme behavior rather than by testers having to design test cases from scratch.

 Steps to follow, while performing Grey Box testing:

• Identifying and choosing Inputs from white and black box testing approaches.
• Identify possible outputs from these inputs.
• Identify key paths for the testing level.
• Identify sub-functions for deep-level analysis.
• Identify responses for sub-functions.
• Detect probable outputs from sub-functions.
• Perform sub-function test cases.
• Assess and verify results.

Also read:  IoT Testing Challenges and Solutions: Overcoming the Unique Obstacles of IoT Testing.

Layers of Grey box

Grey box testing involves examining each layer with greater depth.

Database Testing: During grey box testing of a database application, the tester may have access to the database schema but not the source code. As a result, they can more effectively and realistically test the database’s features.

API Testing: In API testing, a tester may have knowledge of the API’s internal structure and data flow, but not the complete code. This allows them to identify any issues in the API functions or data handling.

Security Testing: In security testing, a tester may know the system architecture and security protocols but not have entire knowledge of the source code. This helps them to identify any security vulnerabilities that may be missed in black box testing.

Performance Testing: The tester may know the system architecture and data flow, which allows them to identify any bottleneck or performance issues in the system.

Inference

By reducing bugs at an earlier stage of the life cycle, grey box testing can help to improve quality by identifying defects in all the layers.

It offers some insights into how the system functions internally, making it more realistic and thorough. The transition to Grey Box testing is inevitable given how quickly digital technologies are developing. Higher quality and less expensive results will result from moving left and towards the earlier testing phase.

The post Techno Functional QA – Moving towards Grey Box Testing appeared first on Indium.

So, how do companies ensure they have a properly designed website or app that serves its purpose to the letter? Well, full-stack development is the answer! Businesses find full stack development ideal, as it covers both the backend and frontend sides of the portal. If you’re looking to embrace full stack development for your portal but have doubts, here is why you should give it a shot and a success story to inspire you.

What is Full Stack Development?

Full stack development is the end-to-end software development approach, which encompasses both front and back ends. The front end covers the user interface elements (UI), whereas the back end covers various “internal” components, such as application workflows and business logic.

In full-stack development, developers work on a product’s server-side and client-facing components, whether a website, web or mobile application. Since full-stack developers can work simultaneously on both front and back ends, they build better products faster and more efficiently.

Why Should Businesses Embrace Full Stack Development?

As a company, you want to get the best results and services from your website or application. Full-stack development enables you to build state-of-the-art products by integrating the latest technologies to streamline the development process and enhance the efficiency of your software. Here are some top reasons why you should choose full-stack development for your company:

1. Streamlined Operations and Improved Efficiency

Full-stack development allows organizations to speed up app development and transformation to improve their operations. Embracing full-stack development enables you to build dynamic solutions that can adapt to changing user demands and automate various processes.

For instance, a custom-built document management system designed using the full stack development approach can help manage various elements, such as new sales, warranties, and services. Such a solution can store a wide range of document types, including images, Word-Files and PDFs. Various programming languages can be used to integrate features, such as filter and search options, to ease website navigation and enhance the ability to find documents. All these features minimise process delays, reduce overreliance on spreadsheets, and improve the overall process effectiveness.

2. Enhanced User Experience

User experience (UX) is important as it tries to satisfy the customer’s needs. Creating an outstanding user experience is crucial because it helps maintain customers and build brand loyalty. Also, a meaningful UX enables you to define your customer journey throughout your website, which is key to improving your products.

With full-stack development, you can build solutions that go above and beyond to meet your customer’s demands. For instance, it allows you to integrate analytics for monitoring and analyzing customer engagement and communication systems to help you stay connected with your customers. This way, you can enhance your competitive power by delivering customer-centric services.

3. 100% Ownership

Companies often rely on third-party applications to process various services. This means they don’t have total control over the services they deliver. Also, third-party service providers usually charge high licence costs while offering less-customizable solutions. What’s more, it puts your applications and data at risk should a security breach occur in the third-party processes.

However, full-stack development enables you to create custom internal solutions that address your unique requirements. To meet the demands of emerging markets, these solutions are highly adaptable. Additionally, you will have total control over the product, which implies that neither your data nor your applications are accessible to any third-party providers.

4. Saves Time and Cost

Full-stack development enables businesses to build and deploy apps faster and more efficiently because developers have end-to-end company visibility. Also, it facilitates seamless transitioning between frontend and backend elements since developers can manage both sides. What’s more, you only need a few individuals to get the job done, sparing huge contractual and operational costs.

Read this as well; it might be interesting: Increased Revenue Can Be Achieved Through Rapid Application Development.

Applying Full Stack Development: A Success Story Client

The client is a pioneer in providing technology-related and consulting services to the power and utility industry. Functioning in diverse fields, such as transmission, distribution, line construction inspection, material inspection, and so on, requires an in-house web portal that builds dynamic forms for line construction inspection. At first, the client was using a third-party application for their portal. This application wasn’t cost-effective, as the client incurred high license costs. Also, the app had limited customizability, which restricted the client from adopting business-specific services and features.

Business Requirements

The client encountered a number of issues with the form builder portal that was already in place. The following requirements required the development of a new, customised dynamic portal:

• Create a multi-sided and dynamic form builder portal that meets the client’s requirements
• Integrate several built-in features, such as monitoring day-to-day tasks, feeding transmission line details, and generating automated workflows.
• Reduce the time required to generate a form
• Create a highly responsive and automated web portal that could effectively manage large volumes of data.

Planning Preparation

To create an effective, business-specific custom form builder portal, Indium Software, a leading tech solutions provider, performed an assessment to determine pitfalls in the current form builder portal. Some key findings were:

• The current form builder portal was inefficient, time-consuming, and expensive.
• Basic functionalities such as data retrieval and processing require manual intervention
• The existing portal for the form builder was static and had limited functionalities, which couldn’t be extended, making it difficult for the client to adapt to changes in user demands.

Solution

A custom portal for the form builder was created by Indium Software’s team of certified full-stack developers as a way to address the outlined business requirements. Following were the steps that made up this remedy:

• Building an interactive multi-sided web portal developed using open-source technologies
• Using Sisense JavaScript dashboards that are embedded into the Universal Windows Platform using iFrame.
• Adopting single sign-on (authentication using Auth0) to minimize password fatigue and allow only relevant records to be viewed by each logged-in user
• Building a UI that allows the admin user to create a responsive form with drag-and-drop options and archival functionalities.

The full-stack development team at Indium used a number of tools, including Angular 8 for the front-end user interface and the frontend backend, as well as MongoDB, REST API, Java, and Spring Boot framework for the backend. Admin users would be able to view APIs and audit logs with the new portal. Additionally, the new portal offered the ability to dynamically enable the creation and triggering of workflows (assign, email notifications, etc.) for each form, as well as the ability to create email templates with tokens for each form. Additionally, users would use the portal to upload any kind of media files to the S3 bucket.

Business Impact

The client benefited significantly from adopting Indium Software as their full-stack development partner. Here are the key highlights of what the business achieved:

• The time required to create a form was reduced by 70%
• 85% of the system functionalities were automated, including data retrieval, QA report generation, and data processing.
• By leveraging Auth0 and SSO authentication, the security was enhanced by 80%
• The real-time dashboard in a unified web portal elevated customer satisfaction and improved the user experience

The post Frontend to Backend: How Full Stack Technology Can Help You Build Custom application Development appeared first on Indium.

Software development methodology contributes to being a wide assortment of proven practices and practical ideas which are useful for the management of software projects in an efficient manner.

In other words, it is the package of different processes. 

Software testing methodology is recognized to be a wide assortment of testing types and strategies that are beneficial in certifying and ensuring that the application which has been tested accomplishes the requirements and expectation of the clients.

The test methodologies are inclusive of integration testing, unit testing, performance testing, and system testing.

Here is a list of the different types of software development and testing methodologies:

Waterfall Model

In this model, the progress of software development continues through a bunch of phases such as design, requirement analysis.

In the model, the next phase starts with the completion of the earlier phase. The very first phase in the model happens to be the requirements phase in which different project requirements are defined in a complete way prior to the beginning of the testing.

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In this phase, the test team is known to brainstorm the test strategy as well as the scope of testing after which the test plan is drafted in detail.

With the completion of the software design, the team will continue the execution of different test cases with an eye to ensuring that the developed software functions according to the expectations.

In this process, the testing team progresses in the immediate next phase as soon as the past phase is accomplished.

The advantages of this methodology are many:

• Waterfall works based on clear, well-defined set of steps. The progression is, therefore, intuitive
• It determines the objective clearly and at an early stage of the testing process, thus enabling teams to stay focused on the goal
• The Waterfall method, because it is methodical and sequential, transfers essential information coherently. It means collaboration within the team is seamless

Iterative development

This model involves the division of the huge project into several small parts. Every part is known to be subjected to a wide array of iterations of the model.

With the end of the iteration, there is a development of the new module or there is an enhancement of the existing model.

The module is known to be integrated into the architecture of the software after which the complete system is tested.

With the completion of the iteration, the whole system is subjected to the testing process.

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The feedback which is received from the testing can be availed immediately and gets incorporated in the immediate next other cycles.

It is possible to reduce the testing time which is needed in the iteration successively in accordance with the experience, which is earned from the previous iterations.

The primary benefit of the iterative development happens to be the test feedback which can be availed at the other end of every cycle immediately.

Agile methodology

An astonishing 71 percent of companies are implementing the Agile methodology as of 2021, while 60 percent of organizations report growth in revenue and boost in profits after adoption of the Agile approach, according to HBR.

The traditional software development functions on the premise in which the various requirements of software are consistent throughout the project.

With the rise in complexity, the requirements need to go through a bunch of different changes and evolve in a consistent manner.

There are times when the customer cannot say what he wants exactly with security. Via the iterative model, this issue is addressed in a proper manner and is based on the waterfall model in a complete manner.

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In the agile software testing services, the development of software continues in different incremental and rapid cycles.

Emphasis is given to the clients and developers, and interactions between the customers instead of tools and process.

The agile methodology involves responding to change instead of extensive planning. The incremental testing is known to be used in a wide array of agile development processes.

Thus, each release of the project needs to be tested in a thorough manner. This ensures that each and every bug present in the system should be fixed prior to the next immediate release.

Extreme programming

It contributes to being a sort of agile process which is dependent on the short development cycles.

The project gets divided into a series of simple engineering tasks. The programmers are known to code the simple piece of software after which they reach the clients for getting their feedback.

There is the incorporation of the different review points from the customers after which the developers will be proceeding within the other immediate task.

Developers require working in pairs in extreme programming. The needs of the clients keep changing in a consistent manner in this cycle.

Conclusion

You need to keep in mind that the methodologies are not set up for the testing of the software code.

You should not take the bigger picture into consideration and it is a prerequisite that the goal of the project needs to be satisfied with the aid of the testing procedure.

Realistic scheduling contributes to being the key to the implementation of the testing process in a successful manner.

It is necessary that the schedule should accomplish the requirement of the individual member, present in the team. In order to ensure that each and every member of the team are on the same page, you require providing the well-defined deliverables.

You need to ensure that the deliverables comprise of the direct content without the ambiguity.

With the completion of scheduling and availability of defined deliverables, the testing team needs to have the capability for the formulation of the proper test approach.

The post Software Development & Testing Methodologies – A Complete Guide appeared first on Indium.