Testing and Debugging are important processes in software engineering. Testing and Debugging seems to be similar but they are quite different. The main difference between Testing and Debugging are testing is the process of identifying defects or errors in the software system while debugging is the process to to fix those defects or errors that affect the working of software.

Differences between Testing and Debugging

What is Testing?

Testing is the process of verifying and validating that a software or application is bug-free, meets the technical requirements as guided by its design and development, and meets the user requirements effectively and efficiently by handling all the exceptional and boundary cases. The purpose of software testing is to identify the errors, faults, or missing requirements in contrast to actual requirements.

Types of Testing

Following are the types of software testing:

1. Manual Testing
   • White Box Testing
   • Black Box Testing
   • Gray Box Testing
2. Automated Testing
3. Functional Testing
   • Unit Testing
   • Integration Testing
   • System Testing
4. Non-Functional Testing
   • Performance Testing
   • Usability Testing
   • Compatibility Testing

What is Debugging?

Debugging is the process of fixing a bug in the software. It can be defined as identifying, analyzing, and removing errors. This activity begins after the software fails to execute properly and concludes by solving the problem and successfully testing the software. It is considered to be an extremely complex and tedious task because errors need to be resolved at all stages of debugging.