Sanity testing is a model of regression testing to make sure a particular part of the software is still working after a bug fix or a functionality improvement. This kind of QA is different from smoke testing as it is usually focussed only on one or two functionalities whereas smoke testing is aimed at all main functionalities. When the test fails, QA reject the build and send it again to the developers for a fix.

Sanity testing will not use prewritten scripts and is typically performed when a rapid test is required to see if the build is functional. A QA expert will discover the new features, functionality modifications or fixes and then confirm that the new implementation works as expected. The QA crew will additionally make sure that the present functionalities still work as expected. If the new and related functional tests pass, the QA tester will approve the build as a pass.

Advantages: -

The major benefit of sanity testing is that it reduces the time cost for a specific regression testing. As it is focussed on a particular area, this kind of QA presents a rapid assessment and minimises needless effort. This kind of QA helps us to notice errors in the early stages of software development and helps minimise time wastage in development cycles. Instead of waiting for all of the testing to be completed, the developers rely on sanity testing to determine the next steps. If the test is successful, the development crew can move onto the next task and if the test fails the build goes back to the crew for fixing. In most situations, regression testing follows a successful sanity test and that will be used to discover more bugs.

Challenges: -

One of the challenges of sanity testing is that it is commonly undocumented and unscripted and so future references are no longer possible. It might be challenging for some testers, specifically when they are new in that project. This kind of testing would not go to the design stage of testing and it is hard for the developer to pick out and discover a way to fix the issue. Also, sanity testing is targeted only on particular functionalities which may additionally leave out problems with different functionalities.

Improvement: -

To minimise the issues that occur due to testing not being scripted, an outsourced QA organisation can enforce a simple way of documenting a sanity testing process. This can be carried out by developing a test run that makes use of a pool of present test cases which can be derived from more than one modules. The consequences of these test cases are tracked to pass or fail the test, and this offers the developer and the tester a report of the testing that has been done.

Author Name: Jon Siswick-Clark