Smoke Testing in Software Engineering
Smoke Testing in Software Engineering
Smoke Testing in Software Engineering, also called build verification or sanity testing, is an initial check done on software builds to ensure basic functions work before deeper testing begins. Its main aim is to confirm that key parts of the software operate correctly and no major issues stop further testing.
Smoke testing helps catch early problems or integration issues, so teams can fix them early and smoothly move to the next testing stages.
What is Smoke Testing in Software Engineering?
- Smoke Testing is also known as “Confidence Testing” or ”Build Verification Testing”.
- This testing is done after developing the software product. Smoke testing is done on the particular build.
- In this testing, software build is evaluated hence the name is “build verification testing”.
Notes to Remember –
- Smoke testing is inspired from the hardware testing in which device passed the test if it did not catch smoke once it was turned on.
- Software product consists thousands of source code files so the process of creating an executable program from these source code files is known as “software build”.
- This process can be time consuming and complicated.
- Smoke testing is a kind of performance testing which is used to check the critical functionality/ working of the program.
- If the test fails, build is declared as unstable.
Software developers or testers performed smoke testing on the build. - The objective of this testing is to reject badly broken application so that the Quality Assurance team does not waste time and resources installing the software application.
- Smoke test can be manual or automated.
Need of Smoke Testing in Software Engineering:
- To find defect in software product.
- To test the basic functionality of the software product.
- This testing is done for measure the stability of an application.
- Smoke testing is performed to save time and resources for installing the software application.
- It shows that the product is ready for testing.
Types of Smoke Testing in Software Engineering:
Smoke testing is a quick check to see if the basic functions of software work correctly. It helps identify any major issues before deeper testing begins.
There are two main types of smoke testing:
- Manual Smoke Testing
In this type, testers manually run a set of basic tests on the software. They check if key features like logging in, saving data, or opening files are working. It doesn’t require any automation tools; instead, testers follow a checklist to ensure everything is functioning as expected. - Automated Smoke Testing
This type uses automation tools to run the basic tests. It’s faster and more reliable because the tests are programmed to run automatically. Once the software build is ready, the automated tests run to check the key functions without human intervention. This saves time and reduces the chances of human error.
In simple terms, smoke testing is like a quick health check-up for software, ensuring that it’s ready for further, more detailed testing.
Levels Applicable For :
- Integration Testing Level
- System Testing Level
- Acceptance Testing Level
Advantages of Smoke Testing in Software Engineering:
- It uncovers defects at a very early stages.
- It is easy to perform.
- Reduces the risk of failure.
- Saves efforts, time and money.
- Runs quickly if automated.
- Least integration risks and issues.
- Smoke testing improves the overall quality of the system.
- This testing gives faster feedback
Disadvantages of Smoke Testing in Software Engineering:
- It is possible to find bugs after smoke testing.
- Smoke testing runs quickly if automated otherwise a lot of time wasted on manually executed the test cases in large projects.
- This testing is a non-exhaustive testing with limited number of test cases because of which we are not able to find critical defects.
- Smoke testing cover only the basic functionality, it does not cover the detailed testing .
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FAQs
Smoke testing is a broad and shallow test conducted to ensure that the basic functionalities of a software build are working correctly. It’s like a quick check to validate that the build is stable enough for deeper testing.
Sanity testing, on the other hand, is narrow and deep, focusing on specific functionalities after minor changes or bug fixes.
- Use smoke testing after receiving a new build to check its stability.
- Use sanity testing after a patch or fix to ensure the specific issue is resolved.
A smoke test suite generally includes the following:
- Login/Authentication functionality
- Navigation between key pages or modules
- Critical business functions (like placing an order, searching for products, submitting a form)
- Basic input validation
- Connectivity with databases or external APIs
These are selected because failure in any of them would block further testing.
Yes, smoke testing can and should be automated for efficiency, especially in CI/CD pipelines.
Benefits of automation in smoke testing:
- Speeds up validation of new builds
- Reduces manual effort and chances of human error
- Ensures consistency in testing across environments
Automation tools like Selenium, Jenkins, and TestNG are often used to run smoke test cases after every build deployment.
Skipping smoke testing can lead to:
- Wasted QA efforts on unstable builds that crash or behave unexpectedly
- Delayed project timelines due to late discovery of critical issues
- Increased cost of bug fixing in later stages of development
Smoke testing acts as a gatekeeper – preventing buggy builds from reaching the main QA cycle.
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