Testing is one step you should not skip when developing applications. There are many bugs, and if you don't detect and remove them, it can affect the overall behavior of your application and gives hackers a chance to find vulnerabilities when using the application. Having errors is part of the bugs, resulting from incomplete requirements, not getting expected results, and unexpected results.
Some commonly used errors are functionality, communication, syntactic, calculations, and missing command errors. This guide will look at the common testing errors made during the development process.
1. Calculation errors
Most calculation errors result from your software's wrong formulas, logic, mismatch, and other issues. Some of the common calculation issues include:
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Use of bad logic: It happens when you use a wrong formula; for example, some programmers may use division instead of multiplication.
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Truncation: It usually happens when you remove the remaining decimal part of a number. For example, if a programmer gets 4.8 and puts it at 4.0, it can result in a calculation error when running the application.
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Having data type mismatch: There are different types of programming, from variables, strings, and integers. For example, if you were to use an integer but use a string, the application will like to throw an error during testing.
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Use of incorrect order during calculation. Some of them may need formulas like BODMAS to implement when performing calculations.
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Rounding off: When you round off a number to the nearest one, it can throw an error. For example, instead of 4.89, you use 5, which can result in an error.
2. API errors
Most of the software uses API as a form of communication to extract and share different data. Some of the APIs automate different services, and there are four versions of API: partner, private, public, and composite. There are different APIs, from payment, booking, OTP, etc. Some of the errors one can get during the API include:
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Your software has invalid responses when dealing with different field sizes of the API.
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Using null values sometimes may return null entries, which may cause errors during the testing.
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Many software developers use different caching programs like Redis, Memcached, etc. One must be keen when caching; otherwise, you may get different errors during the testing.
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Use of poor coding practices that may result in bugs and errors during testing.
3. Data handling errors
You must be aware of how you handle your software handles data. Some of them can throw an error during the testing process. Some errors are fixable once you find the leading cause of the problem. Sometimes the whole process can be challenging, and getting the correct data with the results can be tough.
4. Content errors
It happens mainly with the content of the website or application. It helps the software's end user, and these errors are prevalent nowadays. Common testing errors from testing include;
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Having poor layout from colors, spacing, styling, and other capitalization.
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Use long messages instead of short and straightforward ways.
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Use of wrong spellings. It shows you don't care how the users feel about your software.
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If your software has long messages, for example, if a customer is filling out a job application form, you can use a progress bar; if your software lacks such, those are parts of the error.
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Lack of communication guides and documentation.
5. Hardware and software errors
After developing a website or application, you must test it on different hardware and software platforms like Windows, Mac, browsers, and operating systems. If you test and find any errors, fix them by making several changes.
6. Having automation errors
Different errors may arise during the automation process when developing an application. Some of the practices include:
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Select all the iframes and ensure all of them work. Ensure all the locators work to ensure it receives no error. In case of any error, control how the iframes work.
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If you use some vital information like ids, names, and paths and somehow they are incorrect, ensure you fix it using different tools.
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Using wait time. When using front-end resources like JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and images, one must look at the elements and reduce loading and wait time.
7. SSL Certificate errors
When developing an application or website, ensure the SSL is well encrypted. You can buy SSL certificates from reliable dealers like well-known SSL providers like ClickSSL or direct CAs. You may find an error when you test your software without an SSL. In some cases, performing testing without SSL can be risky, and you may be attacked.
8. Functional errors
Functionality is the way how the software works. When it is hard, the software fails to work. It normally happens when, for example, some buttons meant for a specific purpose do not perform the intended work. Other functional errors that may also exist include:
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Having poorly done manuals and documentation that lacks the main information about the application and website.
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The use of a poor user interface can confuse the user and leave it for another application and website.
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Having bad intentions instead of performing the intended one. For example, if the website's site has a download button for a particular file but isn’t working, that is a functionality error.
9. Control flow errors
Control flow describes what the application should follow and do. Most of the common ones are else, if else, among others. When using control flow, you must ensure that it meets the right conditions, and if that's not the case, you may get an error during testing. To correct the errors, implement different conditions to avoid throwing errors at the user.
Conclusion
When carrying out different quality control practices, you should be keen to notice and fix the errors. Leaving the errors unresolved can be costly and must be a priority for any software development team. All the teams must have testers to find errors during the early stages of development. It makes the whole fixing cheaper than when you get hit by a hacker. Other teams can also develop checklists they must meet during deployment.
