Test Case

A Test Case is a set of conditions or steps under which a tester determines whether requirement upon a software application is satisfied or not. To complete a requirement it may take one or many test cases as there can be hierarchy of requirements.

A Test Case generally contains three states:
1) Input data to the system
2) State of the system at which data is to be input
3) Output expected from the system.

Test cases involve Value based analysis, Boundary based analysis and True/False based test cases.
Test cases are the part of Test Plan.
A Test Plan must contain at least one test case in order to execute it.

Example: Below is a simple test case example for login screen.

1. Go to login page.
2. Enter user id.
3. Enter password.
4. Click on 'Submit' button
5. Verify user is logged in(by seeing username in welcome message).

Beta Testing in Software Engineering

In the Beta Testing in Software Engineering, software product is used by the customer at one or more customers site. User or user groups records the bugs after using the software. This testing is done with the first release of the product. It is also called live testing. It is not controlled environment testing. Beta testing is significant because before the final release of the software product several minor issues get fixed. This testing is conducted after alpha testing.

 

Alpha Testing

Alpha Testing is the testing in which bugs are detected which were not found in other tests. It is performed to identify all possible bugs before releasing the software product. This testing is performed at the developer's site by the Customer. That's why it is said to be done in controlled environment. In this, Customer uses the software system and gives input  and  reports found bugs which further are fixed by the developers.

In this testing developer guides the customers about the application and records defects and issues during testing.