Smoke Testing vs System Testing

Smoke testing and system testing are two different types of software testing that serve distinct purposes in the development process.

Smoke Testing

Smoke testing is a preliminary type of testing that aims to quickly verify if a software system’s major functionalities are working as expected. It’s often performed after a new build or release to ensure that the critical features are operational before proceeding with more in-depth testing. Smoke testing typically covers the entire system or application but focuses on core functionality rather than detailed testing.

Characteristics of smoke testing

1. It’s a subset of acceptance testing
2. It’s usually documented and scripted
3. It verifies basic, critical functionalities
4. It’s performed early in the testing process

System Testing

System testing, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive form of testing that evaluates the entire system against specified requirements. It examines how different components of the system work together and verifies that the system meets its functional and non-functional requirements.

Characteristics of system testing

1. It’s more extensive and detailed than smoke testing
2. It covers all integrated components of the system
3. It verifies both functional and non-functional requirements
4. It’s typically performed after integration testing but before acceptance testing

Here’s a tabular comparison of smoke testing vs system testing

Based on	Smoke Testing	System Testing
Purpose	To verify basic functionality and stability	To evaluate the entire system against specified requirements
Scope	Covers critical functionalities	Comprehensive testing of the entire system
Depth	Shallow, quick tests	In-depth, detailed tests
Timing	Early in the testing process, often after a new build	After integration testing, before acceptance testing
Duration	Short, typically a few minutes to a few hours	Longer, can take days or weeks
Focus	Stability and critical path testing	Functionality, performance, and compliance with requirements
Objective	To decide if the build is stable enough for further testing	To ensure the system meets all specified requirements
Performed by	Developers or testers	Dedicated testing team
Bugs Found	Major, show-stopper bugs	All types of bugs, including minor issues

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In summary, while smoke testing is a quick check to ensure basic functionality, system testing is a thorough examination of the entire system’s performance and compliance with requirements. Smoke testing is often used as a precursor to more in-depth testing phases, including system testing.