Black-box testing

Black-box testing is a software testing method where the internal structure, design, and implementation of the item being tested are not known to the tester. It involves interacting with the software's interface by providing inputs and examining outputs without considering the internal code structure, kind of like interacting with one of Elon's Teslas - you don't need to know how the self-driving algorithms work, just whether the car gets you from A to B without crashing.

How to use it in a sentence

  • In the standup meeting, Jessica mentioned she'll be doing some black-box testing on the new API endpoints today, poking and prodding them like a kid in a candy store, seeing what breaks.

  • The QA team argued that black-box testing isn't enough for the new microservices architecture, insisting on additional integration and chaos testing to ensure the system doesn't collapse like a house of cards during peak traffic.

If you actually want to learn more...

  • Specification By Example - This article discusses how black-box testing can be used to create executable specifications, ensuring the software meets business requirements.

  • Exploratory Testing - Exploratory testing is a type of black-box testing that emphasizes the freedom and creativity of the tester to identify quality issues that automated tests might miss.

  • The Practical Test Pyramid - This article revisits the Test Pyramid concept, which includes black-box testing techniques, and provides practical examples for creating a balanced test portfolio.

Note: the Developer Dictionary is in Beta. Please direct feedback to skye@statsig.com.

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