Category
>Information Technology

How to perform a Boundary Value Analysis?

Vrinda Mathur
Oct 21, 2022

One of the most common case design techniques for black box testing is boundary value analysis. It is used to test boundary values because input values near the boundary are more likely to contain errors.

When we perform boundary value analysis testing, the tester focuses on whether the software is producing correct output or not while entering the boundary value. The upper and lower limits of a variable are represented by boundary values. Assume age is a variable in any function with a minimum value of 18 and a maximum value of 30, and both 18 and 30 are considered boundary values.

The basic assumption of boundary value analysis is that test cases created with boundary values are more likely to fail. The boundary values are 18 and 30, so the tester pays more attention to these values; however, this does not mean that the middle values, 19, 20, 21, 27, and 29 are ignored. For each value in the range, test cases are written.

Also Read | 10 Types of Software Testing

What is Boundary Value Analysis?

The fundamental premise of boundary value analysis is that test cases with boundary values are more likely to fail. Because the boundary values are 18 and 30, the tester focuses more on these values; however, this does not mean that the middle values, 19, 20, 21, 27, and 29 are ignored. Test cases are written for each value in the range.

Boundary Value Analysis (BVA) is based on testing boundaries at partitions (remember Equivalence Partitioning!). BVA is an equivalence partitioning extension. This is only useful if the partition is ordered and contains numeric or sequential data. A partition's boundary values are its minimum and maximum values.

We have seen that there is a high likelihood of finding defects at the partition's boundaries (for example, a developer using >10 instead of >= 10 for a condition). Equivalence partitioning alone was insufficient for detecting such flaws. As a result, the need to define a new technique for detecting anomalies at partition boundaries arose. This is how boundary value analysis came into play.

Boundary value analysis can be used at all levels of testing and is primarily used for a variety of numbers, dates, and times.

BVA is another Black Box Test Design Technique used to find errors at the boundaries of the input domain (tests the behavior of a program at the input boundaries) rather than in the center of the input. The basic idea behind boundary value testing is to choose input variable values that are: minimum, just above minimum, just below minimum, a nominal value, just below maximum, maximum, and just above maximum. That is, there are two boundaries for each range, the lower boundary (the start of the range) and the upper boundary (the end of the range), and the boundaries are the beginning and end of each valid partition.

We should create test cases that put the program's functionality to the test at the boundaries, as well as with values just inside and outside the boundaries. Stress and negative testing both include boundary value analysis.

Also Read | 5 Tools Every Software Developer Should Try!

How to do Boundary Value Analysis?

As discussed before, boundary value is a software design technique used to determine test cases that are covered by one error.

So, BVA is a test case design methodology that focuses software testing efforts on cases near the limits of valid ranges. Boundary value analysis is a technique for improving equivalence partitioning. Better than equivalence partitioning, boundary value analysis generates test cases that highlight errors.

The goal of boundary value analysis is to focus testing on error-prone areas by precisely pinpointing the boundaries of conditions (for example, a programmer may specify > when the requirement states > or =).

To create boundary value analysis test cases, you must first identify which boundaries exist at the interface of a software component. This must be accomplished using the equivalence partitioning technique. The concepts of boundary value analysis and equivalence partitioning are inextricably linked.

Using boundary value analysis, you must now choose a test case for each side of the boundary between two partitions. This would be 0 and 1 for the lower boundary and 12 and 13 for the upper boundary in the preceding example. Each pair contains a "clean" and a "dirty" test case. A "clean" test case should yield a valid program operation result. A "dirty" test case should result in a correct and specified input error treatment, such as value limiting or the use of a substitute value, or, in the case of a program with a user interface, a warning and request to enter the correct data.

Example & Importance of Boundary Value Analysis

Boundary Value Testing is a popular software testing mechanism in which data is tested based on boundary values or between two opposite ends, which can be from start to end, lower to upper, or maximum to minimum. This testing procedure was developed to select boundary values based on inputs at different ends of the testing range. This black box testing strategy was introduced following equivalence class partitioning, in which classes are partitioned first, followed by a partition at the boundaries.

Most articles provide insufficient explanations for this concept. Let us use an example to demonstrate this.

Assume you're putting your weight into a website. The site will calculate your BMI based on your weight and height (BMI). In the weight input field, you can enter values ranging from 30 to 150 kg. The weight input field accepts only natural numbers (positive integers).

Example of Boundary Value Analysis

In this case, if you use the same method to create the boundaries, you will get:

Age = 30, 31, 149, 150 are valid boundary conditions.
Age = 29, 151 are invalid boundary conditions.

Consider the same scenario, but this time the weight input field accepts decimal numbers to one decimal place. The boundary conditions, in this case, will be:

Age = 30.1, 149.9, 150
Age = 29.9, 150.1 are invalid boundary conditions.

Did you notice a difference? On either side of the boundary, we take the smallest acceptable value. If we use 30.01 as the value, we end up testing the software for two decimals when only one decimal place is required. It is a distinct test condition that should not be confused with the Boundary value.

The number of boundary values tested divided by the total number of boundary test values identified can be used to calculate the boundary coverage for a partition.

Importance:

When there are a large number of test cases available for testing and checking them individually, this testing is very useful.

After equivalence class partitioning and analysis, test data is analyzed at the boundaries of partitioned data.

This testing method is known as black-box testing because it focuses on valid and invalid test case scenarios and assists in determining the boundary values at the extreme ends without compromising any effective test data useful for testing purposes

This is also in charge of testing where a large number of calculations are required for any type of variable inputs and for use in a variety of applications.

The testing mechanism also aids in the detection of errors or faults at the partition's boundaries, which is advantageous because most errors occur at the boundaries before the applications are submitted to the clients.

Equivalence Partitioning:

Equivalence Partitioning is the process of dividing the test input data into a range of values and selecting one input value from each range. This is a black box test design technique that can be used to calculate the effectiveness of test cases at all levels of testing, including unit, integration, and system testing.

We cannot test all possible input domain values because the number of test cases would be prohibitively large. The input data is divided into different classes in this method, with each class representing the input criteria from the equivalence class. Then we choose one input from each class.

This technique is used to condense an infinite number of test cases into a finite number while still ensuring that the selected test cases are effective and cover all possible scenarios.

The boundaries between partitions are tested using boundary value analysis. It enables us to partition a set of test conditions into partitions that should be treated the same. The Equivalence partitioning will reduce the number of test cases to a finite list of testable test cases that cover all possible outcomes.

Equivalence class partitioning is another name for equivalence partitioning. The input domain data is divided into different equivalence data classes in this method, which is generally referred to as 'Valid' and 'Invalid.' The inputs to the software or system are classified into groups that are expected to behave similarly. As a result, it reduces the number of test cases to a finite list of testable test cases that cover all possible scenarios.

Equivalence partitioning is another type of black box test design technique that involves dividing the input data into multiple ranges of values and then selecting one from each to calculate the effectiveness of the given test cases.

Because there are many possible test cases in software testing, reducing this infinite number to a finite number allows testers to produce more precise results. And, because this technique follows a specific formula, testers can be confident that the selected test cases are effective and cover every possible scenario.

You should also look at literary analysis examples and samples. It is clear from how equivalence partitioning is defined that boundary value analysis and equivalence partitioning are related.

Various techniques are required for designing and testing a large set of data for creating a major application, and boundary value testing plays an important role in achieving 100 percent efficiency, quality, and reliability in testing procedures.

Also Read | What is Penetration Testing?

Latest Comments

belindahicks51

Oct 23, 2022

Real Spell Caster 2022/2023 Get Your EX Lover Back No Matter Why They Left You, Contact DR PETER Whatsapp +1(646) 494-4360 drpeterspellcaster21@gmail.com Hello friends, This is my testimony on how my husband came back to me.. I want to say a very big thanks and appreciation to DR PETER spell caster for bringing back my husband who left me for almost 2 year, I feel like my life is completely over, so one day as i was surfing on the internet for recommend spell caster who will help me to bring my husband back, Finally i met a writing how so many testimony talking about how DR PETER help to restore relationships back within some few days, I laugh it out and said i am not interested but because i was so desperate, i decided to give it a try so i contacted the spell caster called DR PETER and explain my problems to him, and he was so nice and also consoling which was really great, then he started the love spell luckily within 48 hours my husband really called me and started apologizing for all he had caused me and be begging me to accept him back and we are living together and happily married I am the happiest woman on earth today because DR PETER has done a wonderful deeds in my life and i will continue to share this testimony, contact him on his email drpeterspellcaster21@gmail.com OR drpeterspellcaster@yahoo.com directly on WHATS-APP +1 (646) 494-4360 Blog: https://drpeterspellcaster22.blogspot.com/ Website: https://drpeterspellcaster.wixsite.com/my-site-1

belindahicks51

Oct 23, 2022

belindahicks51

Oct 23, 2022

belindahicks51

Oct 23, 2022

belindahicks51

Oct 23, 2022

belindahicks51

Oct 23, 2022

craigakohler01

Oct 24, 2022

I am eternally grateful to XAP CREDIT SOLUTION and will ensure that I keep recommending XAP because they're the best credit repair company for helping me fix my credit score from 470 to 805 within a period of 5days. We had the issues of not being able to rent an apartment or own a house; to obtain a loan to clear my son’s school fees wasn’t possible as a result of poor credit score. I had several late payments to the extent my car was almost repossessed hence I couldn’t meet up with the payment. XAP changed the narrative just after I contacted them. This company has proven beyond reasonable doubt that they are experts in credit repair. Therefore, I strongly recommend you contact via 🅔🅜🅐🅘🅛:🅧🅐🅟🅒🅡🅔🅓🅘🅣🅢🅞🅛🅤🅣🅘🅞🅝@🅖🅜🅐🅘🅛.🅒🅞🅜 🅞🅡 🅣🅔🅧🅣 +❶ (❽⓿❶) ❾❽❽ ❾❽❾⓿to any person who may need the services of a legit hacker. They’re very swift. Note: I wasn’t paid in any way to write this 5 star review.

soniawalcott67

Oct 25, 2022

I'm super excited guys, my name is Sonia from Los Angeles, California, I tried getting a car loan sometime last year but my credit score of about 521 ruined the process. Since I was in desperate need of a car due to the nature of my new job, I resorted to making online research on how I could restore my credit to a minimum of 650 to enable me to qualify, after a few months of searching, I bumped into a blog and found positive reviews about HACK VANISH CREDIT SPECIALIST, So I reached out to them to explain my credit situation, they requested my info and necessary details and were able to get every derogatory item on my report erased and increased my FICO score to 788 within 6 days, I was amazed. They are fast and reliable. Anyone looking for a credit solution below is their contact details: Email: HACKVANISH @ GMAIL. COM Phone No. + 1 ( 7 4 7 ) 2 9 3 -8 5 1 4

Olivia Lucas

Oct 26, 2022

Hi Everyone Join me as I share the wonderful work of Dr Kachi to say thank you for always making people smile with Lottery Winning Number Dr Kachi, who help me win a lot of money few weeks ago on lottery spell, I love playing lottery but I have never won, and i always have believe that I will win a huge amount in lottery game someday, I search online how to win a lottery and faithfully i came across Dr Kachi website: https://drkachispellcast.wixsite.com/my-site when someone was testifying how Dr Kachi helped him to win a lottery Mega Millions, i contacted Dr Kachi and told him I need the lottery winning number to win my game. he gave me lucky winning numbers and tell me to go play my game Dr Kachi also instructed me on how to go about it, after played my Mega millions lottery ticket on Friday and to my greatest surprise my name came out as a winner, i won $60,000,000.00, Mega Millions i have never seen such money all my life, but with the help of Dr Kachi now i have that much. If you need lotto winning number do not give up contact him or you want money solution and become RICH just visit Dr Kachi: Email: drkachispellcast@gmail.com Call and WhatsApp number: +1 (209) 893-8075

Olivia Lucas

Oct 26, 2022

How to perform a Boundary Value Analysis?

What is Boundary Value Analysis?

How to do Boundary Value Analysis?

Example & Importance of Boundary Value Analysis

Importance:

Equivalence Partitioning:

Share Blog :

Trending blogs

Latest Comments

belindahicks51

belindahicks51

belindahicks51

belindahicks51

belindahicks51

belindahicks51

craigakohler01

soniawalcott67

Olivia Lucas

Olivia Lucas