Article

Black Box Vs White Box Testing

Mar 4, 2024
Testing101

In the field of software testing, some methods are used to find defects and evaluate the quality of the product. Among them are White-Box Testing and Black-Box Testing. Let’s see what each of them is about.

What is Black Box Testing?

 

Black Box Testing

Figure 1 – Black Box Testing. Source: instatus.

Black Box Testing is the method that does not consider the internal structure, design, and product implementation to be tested. In other words, the tester does not know its internal functioning. The Black Box only evaluates the external behavior of the system. The inputs received by the system and the outputs or responses it produces are tested.

What is White Box Testing?

 

White Box Testing

Figure 2 – White Box Testing. Source: instatus.

The White Box Test method is the one that looks at the code and structure of the product to be tested and uses that knowledge to perform the tests. This method is used in the Unit Testing phase, although it can also occur in other stages such as Integration Tests. For the execution of this method, the tester or the person who will use this method must have extensive knowledge of the technology used to develop the program.

Black Box Vs White Box Testing

To simplify the distinction between the two, let’s look at the comparison table:

Black Box Testing White Box Testing
Description The Black Box Test is a test that only considers the external behavior of the system; the internal workings of the software are not taken into account. The White Box Test is a method used to test software taking into consideration its internal functioning.
Executed By It is carried out by testers. It is carried out by software developers.
Testing Phase This method is used in System Testing or Acceptance Testing. This method is used in Unit Testing or Integration Testing.
Time Consumption It is the least time consuming. It is most time consuming.
Testing Focus It is the behavior testing of the software. It is the logic testing of the software.
Aliases It is also known as data-driven testing, functional testing, and closed box testing. It is also known as clear box testing, code-based testing, structural testing, and transparent testing.
Suitability for Algorithm Testing Black Box Test is not considered for algorithm testing. White Box Test is well suitable for algorithm testing.

Key Differences

  • Black Box Test only considers the system’s external behavior, while White Box Test considers its internal functioning.
  • Implementation knowledge is not required when applying Black Box Testing, unlike White Box Test.
  • It takes less time to perform Black Box Testing than White Box Testing.

Key Similarities

White Box Testing and Black Box Testing have different functionalities. Still, both tests guarantee that it is possible to have the best version of the software and that the system performs without problems as desired.

 

In This article

Join our newsletter

Share this article