Documentation testing being part of non-functional testing and a type of black box testing is the most important testing as it ensures that documentation about how to use the system match exactly with what the system does as, a convincing part of the system changes in the last minute testing and improvement of the system. Documentation testing includes the plans, results, and testing of a system or system component. Its types include test case specification, test plan, test procedure, test report and test log. It is about the testing of all the documents stating, defining, explaining and reporting or validating requirements, procedures followed and results. Documentation testing starts with the beginning of the very first software process and is cost effective as it saves a lot of money. Hence if documentation of software will not be writing it will cause serious cost and scheduling problems. So Documentation testing is about checking the spelling and grammar to review any ambiguity or inconsistency between what functionality it performs and what it is supposed to do. Why software documentation testing is not considered as much important as other types of testing may be we are mistaken somewhere in defining the Documentation testing. Documentation testing is the most critical as it checks the grammar, ambiguity, and inconsistency in the functions to be implemented and performed. Product documentation is as much important as the product itself. Hence if documentation will be indigent, non-existent, or completely wrong it will not only affect the quality of the product but also the company. Unlike the past where you just have to run a grammar check to ensure the quality of a small document; now a day software document consists of a major part of the software development that is 70% to measure. Assuring that documentation is correct is part of the software tester. Documentation is about the testing of all the documents created prior and after the testing of software. Documentation testing will give so much benefit if it will be performed early in the development process. As documentation is seventy percent of the whole software development process so ensuring the quality of the document is critical for a good product. Any delay in the testing of the document will increase the cost. Some common artifacts about software development and testing can be specified as Test cases, Test Plan, Requirements, and Traceability Matrix. Documentation testing can be performed using two methods one of them is verifying the document by checking spellings and grammar using the available tools and the second one states the need of manual reviewing of documents to discover errors, ambiguity, and inconsistency. Four key areas for testing a document includes instructions, Examples, messages, and samples. Instructions will be needed to step by step execute the test scenarios for looking errors or their omission. Further examples can be provided to elaborate the GUI components, syntax, commands and interfaces to show executed outputs or pin points. Inconsistencies also needed to be taken care of with errors as they can confuse the users and these ambiguities will cause much damage if the user of the system will be a novice. So inconsistencies are important to fix. Examples will be needed in case of any problem that occurs to the user. Novice Users will check the documentation for any confusion as they are not supposed to be so much knowledgeable about the system any always come to the documentation for any confusion and we should be able to address the problem. Documentation problems can be handled in formal ways just the same way as the coding problems. Defect reporting tools and tracking tools are common solutions for handling defects just like as they are handled in code. Informal means for handling the documentation problems are also in use. An important thing to note here is that testing problems exist a tester can find it and fix them and a feedback loop can be reporting can be created for reporting them.
Documentation testing being part of non-functional testing and a type of black box testing is the most important testing as it ensures that documentation about how to use the system match exactly with what the system does as, a convincing part of the system changes in the last minute testing and improvement of the system. Documentation testing includes the plans, results, and testing of a system or system component. Its types include test case specification, test plan, test procedure, test report and test log. It is about the testing of all the documents stating, defining, explaining and reporting or validating requirements, procedures followed and results. Documentation testing starts with the beginning of the very first software process and is cost effective as it saves a lot of money. Hence if documentation of software will not be writing it will cause serious cost and scheduling problems. So Documentation testing is about checking the spelling and grammar to review any ambiguity or inconsistency between what functionality it performs and what it is supposed to do. Why software documentation testing is not considered as much important as other types of testing may be we are mistaken somewhere in defining the Documentation testing. Documentation testing is the most critical as it checks the grammar, ambiguity, and inconsistency in the functions to be implemented and performed. Product documentation is as much important as the product itself. Hence if documentation will be indigent, non-existent, or completely wrong it will not only affect the quality of the product but also the company. Unlike the past where you just have to run a grammar check to ensure the quality of a small document; now a day software document consists of a major part of the software development that is 70% to measure. Assuring that documentation is correct is part of the software tester. Documentation is about the testing of all the documents created prior and after the testing of software. Documentation testing will give so much benefit if it will be performed early in the development process. As documentation is seventy percent of the whole software development process so ensuring the quality of the document is critical for a good product. Any delay in the testing of the document will increase the cost. Some common artifacts about software development and testing can be specified as Test cases, Test Plan, Requirements, and Traceability Matrix. Documentation testing can be performed using two methods one of them is verifying the document by checking spellings and grammar using the available tools and the second one states the need of manual reviewing of documents to discover errors, ambiguity, and inconsistency. Four key areas for testing a document includes instructions, Examples, messages, and samples. Instructions will be needed to step by step execute the test scenarios for looking errors or their omission. Further examples can be provided to elaborate the GUI components, syntax, commands and interfaces to show executed outputs or pin points. Inconsistencies also needed to be taken care of with errors as they can confuse the users and these ambiguities will cause much damage if the user of the system will be a novice. So inconsistencies are important to fix. Examples will be needed in case of any problem that occurs to the user. Novice Users will check the documentation for any confusion as they are not supposed to be so much knowledgeable about the system any always come to the documentation for any confusion and we should be able to address the problem. Documentation problems can be handled in formal ways just the same way as the coding problems. Defect reporting tools and tracking tools are common solutions for handling defects just like as they are handled in code. Informal means for handling the documentation problems are also in use. An important thing to note here is that testing problems exist a tester can find it and fix them and a feedback loop can be reporting can be created for reporting them.