Comprehensive Explanation to Direct Benefits of Automation Testing in Apps

Is your application compatible with newer or updated mobile operating systems? How well your mobile app performs in both the most recent and previous iterations of a given scenario? If the answer is no, you simply require backward and forward compatibility testing which are two extensions of compatibility testing.

What is Compatibility Testing?

Compatibility testing is a type of software testing that falls under the non-functional testing category and is done on an application to determine whether it can run on various platforms & conditions. When the app is stable, it would help if you chose this testing type. The purpose of this testing is to determine whether generated software applications work on various software, networks, hardware platforms, browsers, etc. 

A software application's ability to function correctly across various browsers, databases, operating systems (OS), mobile devices, networks, and hardware is determined by a compatibility test. Compatibility testing is a type of non-functional software testing that is used to assure reliable applications and client satisfaction. It tests elements including usability, dependability, and performance. For programs to operate successfully, compatibility testing is essential. They ought to be carried out each time a build is made stable enough to be tested. Forward and Backward compatibility testing are the two main categories of compatibility testing:

Backward Compatibility Testing:

Testing previous versions of a program or piece of software to ensure that it works well with more modern hardware or software is known as backward compatibility testing, often referred to as downward compatibility testing. 

Testing for backward compatibility is crucial since some users might use the application on outdated hardware. Testing for backward compatibility may make sure that fresh builds continue to function on outdated hardware or operating systems. This testing is done to see how the hardware or software behaves and how well it works with earlier versions. Because all the changes from the earlier versions are known, this testing is predictable. In this type of testing, a tester considers these questions for the app he is developing:

1. Is every older application and API compatible with the new version/platform?

2. Does the upgraded gadget with the new version and platform function as it did before?

3. Does the updated device's new version/platform not destroy existing device and customer data?

4. Is the user interface (UI) for the applications still aesthetically pleasant and functional across all applications?

5. Is the device's new version or platform upgrade as good as or better than the old one?

6. Are the devices' security still in check?

7. Is the device's a new version/upgraded platform compatible with previous hardware, such as the battery and its backup, charging and the device's current charge state, camera, flash, network, calls, display UI resolutions, etc.?

Forward Compatibility Testing:

This testing evaluates a piece of software or hardware in upcoming or new hardware/software builds to ensure that it works with the more recent build. This procedure is employed to examine the functionality and suitability of the hardware or software concerning recent or new versions. Forward compatibility testing is challenging to forecast because it is unclear what modifications the subsequent versions will contain.

The set of environments or platforms that the application is anticipated to operate on should be specified before starting a compatibility test. To give priority to these tests and set aside less critical ones, a test strategy should be created to identify the application's most critical issues.

To guarantee that the test results closely reflect what a user would experience, environments that imitate the end user's experience, such as desktops, cellphones, laptops, and tablets, must be set up depending on the product that is meant for testing. The tester must have enough familiarity with the various platforms, hardware, and software under test to understand what the intended behavior is under different circumstances.

When it comes to professional and reliable forward and backward compatibility testing, we recommend opting for solutions from WeTest where one will discover a full suite of APP Compatibility Testing, Mobile Game Compatibility Testing, and PC Game Compatibility Testing. Clients will get the option to submit customized test cases, testing on real and in-demand hardware, and detailed reports which will help them quickly identify the issues and fixes.

Wrapping up:

Forward and backward compatibility testing is both crucial and is frequently used in the software testing world. Forwarding compatibility refers to the verification and testing of newly generated software or hardware to determine whether it is compatible with upcoming releases of other platforms. Forward compatibility testing is a little bit more challenging than backward compatibility testing since all of the dynamics of the future compatible platform(s) are not necessarily known. Backward compatibility is the process of determining whether newly developed software or hardware is compatible with earlier platforms or not. Backward compatibility testing is far more predictable than forward compatibility testing in this situation because all of the dynamics of the possibly compatible platform are known.