Test Design
Black-Box Testing
Testing based on requirements and specifications without knowledge of internal code structure.
Full definition
Black-box testing (also called specification-based testing) evaluates software behavior based on requirements and specifications, without examining internal code. The tester sees the system as a 'black box' — inputs go in, outputs come out, and the internal logic is invisible.
Black-box test design techniques:
- Equivalence Partitioning
- Boundary Value Analysis
- Decision Table Testing
- State Transition Testing
- Use Case Testing
Advantages:
- No programming knowledge required
- Tests from the user's perspective
- Independent of implementation — tests remain valid if code is refactored
Limitations:
- Can miss code-level issues (dead code, unused paths)
- May have redundant tests without knowing the code structure
- Hard to achieve complete code coverage
Most manual QA testing is black-box. It's the foundation of functional testing and the starting point for any tester's career.