Let’s go step by step, Manual Testing is the process of testing software without using automation tools/scripts. 👇
What is Manual Testing?
Manual Testing is the process of testing software without using automation tools/scripts.
In this process, testers play the role of end users and manually execute test cases, interacting with the software to find bugs, issues, or missing requirements.
- It checks whether the application works as expected.
- It requires human judgment, intuition, and creativity to explore functionality.
- Tools may be used for tracking (like JIRA, Bugzilla) but not for execution.
✅ Example: Clicking buttons, filling forms, verifying output manually.
Why Manual Testing is Important?
- Automation cannot catch everything (like UI/UX issues, usability problems).
- Manual testing is the foundation before moving to automation.
- Best suited for small projects, ad-hoc testing, usability testing, exploratory testing.
History of Software Testing
The history of software testing evolved along with software engineering:
1. 1940s – 1950s (Early Computing Era)
- First digital computers (ENIAC, UNIVAC).
- Testing was done by developers themselves while programming.
- No separate testers; debugging and testing were seen as the same activity.
2. 1960s – 1970s (Birth of Testing Discipline)
- As software grew complex, testing emerged as a separate activity from debugging.
- Concept of test planning, test cases, and test design introduced.
- First testing methodologies (white-box & black-box testing) were proposed.
- IBM and other companies formalized Quality Assurance (QA).
3. 1980s (Structured Testing)
- Testing became part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
- Standards like IEEE for software testing were created.
- Specialized roles like QA Engineers, Testers emerged.
- Focus shifted from just finding bugs to preventing defects.
4. 1990s (Rise of Independent Testing & Tools)
- Independent testing teams formed.
- Manual testing dominated but test management tools (HP Quality Center, Rational TestManager) appeared.
- Software testing became a career path.
5. 2000s (Automation & Agile Era)
- Rise of Automation Testing tools (Selenium, QTP, LoadRunner).
- Agile and Scrum methodologies required continuous testing.
- Still, manual testing was crucial for exploratory & usability testing.
6. 2010s – Present (DevOps & Continuous Testing)
- Testing integrated into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI).
- Shift-Left Testing: Testing begins early in development.
- AI & Machine Learning in testing is growing.
- Manual testing remains relevant, especially for:
- Exploratory testing
- UX/UI validation
- Ad-hoc and domain-specific testing
✅ In Summary:
- Manual Testing = Human-driven testing without automation.
- History of Testing evolved from debugging (1940s) → structured methodologies (1970s) → independent testing teams (1990s) → automation & Agile (2000s) → DevOps & AI-driven testing (today).
