Static testing is a software testing method that examines a program — along with any associated documents — but does not require the program to be executed. Dynamic testing, the other main category of software testing, requires testers to interact with the program while it runs. The two methods are frequently used together to ensure the basic functionalities of a program.
Instead of executing the code, static testing is a process of checking the code and designing documents and requirements before it’s run to find errors. The main goal is to find flaws in the early stages of development because it is normally easier to find the sources of possible failures this way.
It’s common for code, design documents and requirements to be static tested before the software is run to find errors. Anything that relates to functional requirements can also be checked. More specifically, the process will involve reviewing written materials that provide a wider view of the tested software application as a whole. Some examples of what’s tested include the following:
Some benefits of static testing include the following:
Static testing is carried out with two different steps or techniques — review and static analysis. Static review is typically carried out to find and remove errors and ambiguities found in supporting documents. Documents reviewed include software requirements specifications, design and test cases. The documents can be reviewed in multiple ways, such as in a walkthrough, peer review or inspection.
The next step, static analysis, is where the code is analyzed. The evaluation is done to find any structural defects that could lead to errors when the program runs.
Some other techniques used while performing static testing include use case requirements validation, functional requirements validation, architecture review and field dictionary validation.
Use case requirements ensure possible end-user actions are properly defined. Functional requirements will identify any necessary requirements for the software. Review of architecture analyzes the business-level processes. Field dictionary validation will analyze user interface fields.
Static testing can also be conducted manually or automated with various tools.
The first step in static testing is reviews. They can be conducted in numerous ways and look to find and remove errors found in supporting documents. This process can be carried out in four different ways:
Dynamic testing assesses the feasibility of a software program by giving input and examining output.
The biggest difference between static and dynamic testing is that the code must compile and run in dynamic testing. Static testing can be performed without the application running. Functional behavior and performance are checked to confirm if the code works properly.
Static testing will analyze the code, requirements documents and design documents, while dynamic testing will look at the functional behavior of software systems such as memory usage and performance.
Static testing essentially gives an assessment of code, while dynamic testing will try to find active bugs. From a time and cost perspective, dynamic testing is often more expensive than static testing.
The two types of testing are not meant to be mutually exclusive, however. Ideally, they should be used together. Static testing is about the prevention of defects, whereas dynamic testing is about finding active defects.
Types of dynamic testing include unit testing, integration testing, system testing and performance testing.
Static testing tools can be used to automate the static testing process. Some examples include the following:
Open source PaaS is a good option for developers who want control over application hosting and simplified app deployment, but not…
PaaS is a good option for developers who want control over application hosting and simplified app deployment, but not all PaaS …
It is challenging to find the right balance between performance, availability and cost. Learn how to enable and apply AWS Compute…
To establish the right development team size, managers must look at each member’s responsibilities and communication paths, as …
While it’s not necessarily easy to become certified in microservices architecture, there are plenty of courses you can take to …
The Golden Hammer antipattern can sneak up on a development team, but there are ways to spot it. Learn the signs, as well as some…
With fewer tools and data repositories to wrangle and Elastic cluster management outsourced to SaaS, Dish Media’s ops teams …
Rightsizing Kubernetes workloads requires maintenance to be effective, so set up a Kubernetes capacity plan to prepare and …
Observability tools can give developers and IT administrators better insight on applications to improve delivery, performance and…
When you compare Scrum vs. Kanban, you realize there are as many similarities as there are differences. Here we help you choose …
Do you know Java? Are you trying to learn TypeScript? Here are five differences between TypeScript and Java that will make the …
The job a product manager does for a company is quite different from the role of product owner on a Scrum team. Learn key …
Many organizations struggle to manage their vast collection of AWS accounts, but Control Tower can help. The service automates …
There are several important variables within the Amazon EKS pricing model. Dig into the numbers to ensure you deploy the service …
AWS users face a choice when deploying Kubernetes: run it themselves on EC2 or let Amazon do the heavy lifting with EKS. See …
All Rights Reserved, Copyright 2006 – 2022, TechTarget
Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
25 October 2018, Berlin: An employee shows the new mobile POS system at the Deutsche Bahn … [+]
Software applications go both ways. Horizontal software applications are those apps that could apply to a wide variety of use cases across any industry and work in the hands of almost any user – think about Word, Excel, the core functions of most databases as well as a whole selection of apps a user might find on their smartphone such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Google Maps and so on.
These are horizontal apps, they’re multi-use-case and multi-applicable, if not quite perfectly multi-purpose in the widest possible sense.
Then there are vertical applications.
A vertical application could be (to conjure up some extreme and less radical examples), a retail cash register software solution specifically built for the needs of golf professional shops, with unique Point of Sale (PoS) functions for shop merchanise, golf course booking slot options and player equipment repair management functions.
Equally and perhaps more broadly, a vertical application could be a Field Service Management (FSM) application designed to look after engineers’ interests when on gas maintenance visits, building inspections or some form of repair job. Often still custom-coded to the use case in hand depending upon its level of adaptability, vertical application software suite and platform providers strive to build as much customizability into their tools as possible so that they can apply to as broad a range of deployments as possible.
Why the fuss and focus on vertical apps?
Because we’re at that watershed-tipping-inflexion point where the enterprise software industry has produced a weight of product that now enables us to start looking after more specialized use cases. In truth, the golf shop app example stems from a real world app that stretches back to the 1990s, but there are now enough tiers of automation and data analytics intelligence for us to start thinking about this more directly.
Indeed, as Kaitki Agarwal of A5G Networks, Inc. has already noted here this year in a Forbes Technology Council Expert Panel story, “Industries are transforming and technologies are converging. In the past, platform developers or application developers did not necessarily need insight into other technologies such as Machine Learning (ML), 4G, 5G functions and so on. In today’s world, it will become important for developers to be ‘T-shaped’ – that is, to have deep vertical knowledge as well as horizontal knowledge and expertise.”
This notion of T-shaped development is perhaps meant to convey a broad base upper layer of knowledge i.e. competency with operating systems, popular programming languages, widely used development environments and established software delivery methodologies such as the Agile (CAPS A deliberate) approach. But, crucially, it will also incorporate a long tail stem (the vertical part of the T) where a developer’s knowledge extends downwards into an industry or use case specialism… and this is why we sometimes now use the term ‘domain experts’ i.e. people that know the nuances of the coalface.
The complexity of modern software development makes the concept of a full-stack developer nonsensical suggests Joe Drumgoole, senior director of developer relations at cross-platform document-oriented database company MongoDB. He points us to the fact that in 2003 Eric Evans wrote “Domain Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software”.
“Even then [in 2003], Evans put domain knowledge and ‘bounded contexts’ at the center of software design.. A bounded context establishes a domain that a single team can work on independently of others. The contextual firewall is then the Application Programming Interface (API) or the contract between the technology service consumer and the originator,” explained Drumgoole.
He further notes that this was an extension of ‘design by contract first established by Bertrand Meyers in the 1990s. The point is that complexity has always been a problem and the solution is never ‘programmers must just get better’ somehow. Instead, we have developed better and higher-level abstractions.
“Hence single node databases begat distributed databases, TCP/IP begat HTTP, and RPC begat REST,” said MongoDB’s Drumgoole.
Getting software application developers to understand the business and the market need is key to success in any successful company. This means that developers can work in cross-functional teams alongside Line of Business (LoB) team members and speak the same language around problems, rather than simply looking at the technology involved.
In Cassandra-centric database company DataStax’s ‘State of the Data Race’ report this year, as many as 91 percent of respondents from organizations with a strategic focus on deploying enterprise software applications that use data in real-time said that developers, business owners and data scientists are working in cross-functional teams – hence the potential for greater development of vertical applications.
“Companies win by empowering teams closest to the customer experience or business process to roll up their sleeves, dig in and make a difference in a quick, Agile fashion. That includes understanding the minutiae of the industry and how its processes work in practice. Shared curiosity and drive are critical for every role, including developers,” said Bryan Kirschner, vice president strategy at DataStax.
It seems clear, any organization is going to have distinctive relationships with its customers and business processes that are broken down in their own special ways. Delays and disconnects happen when business owners who don’t fully understand technology try to communicate with developers… who, in turn, don’t fully understand the pain points or the upside opportunity.
“The notion of a ‘vertical’ application might be a slightly odd notion in some senses – I mean, all applications are used in a vertical setting, essentially,” said Marne Martin, IFS’s president of service Management, EAM, and Global Industries. “What I would say is that you can come at the enterprise software market from a best-of-suite solution perspective (i.e. an end-to-end suite of applications where integration is inherent), or a best-of-breed solution (where functionality is more specialized, but some level of integration to other systems will be needed). Companies need to evaluate their current landscape together with their business goals and ambitions – and then recognize the pros and cons in their decision in terms of speed of roll-out, impact on customer service, operational efficiencies… and so on.”
Given the discussion thus far then, does the scenario (or perhaps spectre) of Line of Business domain-specific software application development mean programmers and other software engineers working in a dedicated stream will pigeon-hole themselves into a role they can’t transfer out of?
“This is not a concern that the software industry should have – and vertical specialism is happening at every level from the way the cloud hyperscalers [AWS, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure] are bringing new services to market… and the way we as technology platform makers are honing and aligning services today,” said an upbeat Prakash Vyas, head of portfolio at OutSystems, a company known for its low-code and application modernization approach.
For Vyas, it’s more a question best of breed technologies developing at a more cerebral higher level and of developers embracing those innovations with a view to gaining competency and skills, but retaining what he calls a ‘transferability of experience’ across use cases, even when working in narrower industry vertical scenarios.
“Many industries share commonalities or system characteristics that other companies are in fact trying to learn from others that they see as leading the way. For example, if you’ve supported a high-touch sales organization in financial services you may be well set up to do the same in healthcare, because organisations in that sector have similar relationships with patients. So vertical software development is not a closed shop – the message to developers should be: excel at what you do, strive for more, apply it to the requirements in hand, think about how you might also be able to help others,” summarized OutSystems’s Prakash.
Despite our (hopefully) creative use of a television-themed title for this piece (and yes, we realize that nobody younger than Generation-X will know what a TV horizontal hold knob was, or possibly still is, we can now perhaps think about technology growth in more than one plane.
The technology industry likes, no loves, no… adores talking about scale; it’s a means of validating expansion, augmentation and enhancement to guarantee the future worth of tech in general. But rather than just thinking about scale for upward growth, we can now think about vertical scale for the number of users and size of data estate in a horizontally expanding fashion.
Vertical software is real, please do not adjust your set.
An intranet is a private network of endpoints, servers, content, and frontend UI for productive employee experiences.
An intranet is defined as a network of endpoint devices and servers with a content engine and frontend systems that allow users to access company information in one place, talk to each other, collaborate on files, and enjoy a social media-like experience – operating within a private, secure perimeter. This article provides an overview of the intranet. It explains what an intranet is, how it works, and how it is accessed. It also discusses the critical components of an intranet system.
An intranet is a network of endpoint devices and servers with a content engine and frontend systems that allow users to access company information in one place, talk to each other, collaborate on files, and enjoy a social media-like experience – operating within a private, secure perimeter. 
An Example of a Desktop Intranet Built Using Microsoft SharePoint | Source
The intranet is a restricted network used to securely communicate corporate information and computer resources among workers inside an organization. It improves communication inside a business and facilitates team member access to vital information, connections, applications, forms, and corporate record databases. A database containing the usernames of all workers with network access privileges is frequently employed to manage intranet security.
Intranet software emerged alongside the web in the 1990s, with the primary distinction being that intranets are private (and hence safe), while the net is an open, accessible network.
Owing to the security it provides, an intranet is used chiefly for information interchange, updates, data storage, and workflow management. Users may also be aware of an extranet, which is an intranet that is available to anyone outside the company, such as your clients or business partners.
Intranet security and functioning require a web server that controls requests for data stored on the server. The web server finds and delivers specified files to the appropriate user. Additionally, One must create a content management system to oversee intranet content creation, publication, and upkeep.
In addition to local area networks (LANs) and lease lines linked to wide area network resources, an intranet may also comprise many connected LANs. The intranet web server utilizes transmission control protocol (TCP/IP), HTTP, and additional internet protocols. An intranet often connects to the web and other resources outside the organization through one or more gateway computers.
To access the workplace intranet, employees must have an individual network password and be connected to the business’s local area network (LAN). Using only a virtual private network (VPN) or another secure connection, remote workers access the intranet. The VPN enables users who aren’t linked to the required LAN to access the intranet and receive the same services and data as users who are registered on the LAN.
Intranets are also made available via hosted software packages. Instead of a private server, a company obtains intranet software that performs the same functions as conventional intranets. Some modern intranets link to various corporate applications akin to social networking services.
See More: What Is FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)? Meaning, Working, and Uses
To develop an intranet system (rather than choosing a hosted solution), a business would require the following components:
The intranet software’s primary aim is to link workers throughout the organization. For enterprises adopting remote and flexible work, this involves working with team members on work-related tasks, providing easy accessibility to team documentation and workspaces, and ensuring that all team members are always linked to vital business information. Intranets are virtual workplaces where workers congregate, collaborate on projects, provide feedback on new initiatives, store objectives, and communicate across the organization.
See More: Wifi 5 vs. Wifi 6: Understanding the 10 Key Differences
The primary characteristics you need in an enterprise-grade intranet are:
The critical aspect of an intranet is the centralized storage of an organization’s vital data. Employees need to be able to locate the information they want without becoming lost in a labyrinth of hyperlinks. Intranet search engines must be robust and capable of indexing all intranet material. In search, organizations should increasingly seek to use metadata and artificial intelligence (AI).
Modern intranets are designed for worker mobility. Many workers want flexibility in their jobs, and the vast majority require a secure network wherever they are. A cloud-based intranet enables employees to work from anywhere and provides them access to necessary tools and widgets, whether at the office or on the move.
The bulk of company documentation resides digitally nowadays on a server, a hard drive, or an email inbox. An intranet may centralize them, making them readily discoverable and available to end users. With a centralized repository, you can be confident that everybody has the most up-to-date version. And you may cease filling the inboxes of others. In addition, the intranet should facilitate the organization of your content into distinct libraries.
Communication hubs promote the sharing, socialization, and collaboration of workers. Whether you need to send out content organization-wide, share the newest user interface concepts with a small group, or want a location to discuss the upcoming social event, hubs enable workers to engage rapidly and target the appropriate individuals. Additionally, users need to be able to broadcast instant messages to a single recipient or an entire group.
When appropriately utilized, org charts may be instructive and foster cooperation and innovation. The intranet must give workers an easily accessible organizational chart that presents competencies, resources, and contact details in a simple manner. Users must be able to search by individual, department, geographic area, and talent. Administrators should maintain authority over the material displayed to particular workers. One may accomplish this by establishing a hierarchy.
It is unavoidable that any intranet will necessitate regular maintenance and updates to guarantee that the material offered is correct and valuable. Adding a picture or modifying material shouldn’t be complicated or time-consuming. Surprisingly, many systems need the assistance of technically competent individuals to perform these duties. But the intranet should ideally have a simple edit function to make changes and updates.
Most companies utilize an intranet to provide internal information, such as news articles. The intranet should include content creation tools as user-friendly as top content management systems. Key features must include text editing, picture uploading, audience, launch date selection, social sharing, commenting, and “like” capabilities.
The mobile-centric culture of today has simplified intranet accessibility for workers. Responsive design implementation offers quick intranet accessibility on smartphones and other mobile devices, culminating in an excellent user experience. With such a mobile intranet, workers can check in from anywhere, allowing quicker responses. It provides workers with a more comfortable method to communicate and consume information.
Effective file management may not seem as exciting as other features, but it is essential for workers. It simplifies administrative tasks, such as locating paperwork and important information. Outdated documents are frequently one of the significant difficulties with intranets. Ensure that your file management functionality enables you to allocate ownership rights to specific users to prevent this.
See More: GSM vs. CDMA: Understanding the 10 Key Differences
Intranet homepages serve a crucial function since they are often the entry point to intranet material and, occasionally, the digital workplace as a whole. To maintain traction, a homepage must thus aggregate messages, provide connections and navigation to the information and systems workers need, and be compelling and aesthetically pleasing.
Some duties, despite being commonplace, slow employees down. Consequently, you should seek out a business intranet site that can streamline — and automate — many of these monotonous tasks. Things such as documentation approval, task creation, and duty assignment may not require much time individually, but they can accumulate over time. The greater the degree to which you can automate workflows, the more effort your users can devote to other crucial aspects of their tasks.
One must be able to tailor your intranet to the brand and requirements of your company. There may also be organizational variations from one department area to the next. Intranet technology may also be capable of learning from its consumers and allowing them to design the sites they want. This is due to features such as personalized accounts, labels for projects and abilities, authored or liked material, etc.
A non-integrated network becomes isolating and challenging to utilize. An intranet connected with other apps, like Google Workspace, SharePoint, and Teams, may provide users with a variety of information and capabilities. Complete integration with existing business suites facilitates access and fosters a unified work environment. One should also search for third-party connections through application programming interfaces (APIS), such as HR planning, communications, survey tools, etc., that enrich your organization.
Businesses store critical and confidential information on their internal communication platforms that they must safeguard against hackers, malware, data breaches, and hostile assaults. Additionally, organizations seeking a more secure internal network may consider migrating to cloud-based systems, which offer additional protection of cloud security.
On unique intranet sites and pages, one may structure company strategy, regulations, service contracts, HR data, and anything else. Distributing information in this manner may break down departmental silos and provide everyone with a central location from which to access resources. Company pages must be adaptable and user-friendly and permit workers to receive updates.
On an intranet, a learning center is an excellent approach to facilitating team member education. It offers workers a single area to acquire training content, guides, and other resources. HR may also utilize your intranet for new employee orientation, including the safe exchange of corporate information before a team member’s official start date.
Organizations on a global scale require solutions that can service them in different locations. A multilingual intranet guarantees that all workers, regardless of their native language, get access to the same data and capabilities. Users can use built-in translation tools to localize material or professional translators for more precise translations.
Blogs are the cornerstone of team member participation in your intranet initiative. They allow the team member to share views, opinions, anecdotes, and recommendations, and they also help colleagues better understand one another. Although top-down data is crucial to internal communications, an intranet that offers employees a voice is what fosters team member participation. This platform’s democratization reveals itself through forums, social commentary, and, most notably, blogging.
See More: Modem vs. Router: Understanding the Key Differences
To maximize the investment in intranet software (whether self-owned or hosted), it is essential to adhere to the following best practices:
The intranet should be where both formal and informal private communications are posted and discussed. The first stage is discouraging and eliminating alternative internal communication channels, such as newsletters, lengthy email threads, obsolete chat applications, etc. Otherwise, your employees will be inundated with irrelevant content to them or their teams, and they will cease frequently monitoring the intranet.
Early intranets mainly consisted of lists of links. In the modern day, however, intranets have expanded to incorporate file management and corporate newsletters. The most effective intranets are designed with a recognizable social experience to accommodate an ever-younger workforce.
An intranet SWOT assessment helps determine what your network must do. This is a lengthy procedure, but the initial step is to record as much information as possible about the communication platforms your staff is now using. If you currently have an intranet, examine its statistics to see how your workers utilize it and what features should be enhanced.
The messages posted on your intranet cannot consist only of HR-written corporate news. To keep your users interested and active on the platform, you must push postings that speak to their interests and acknowledge their contributions to the organization. You will continue to broadcast vital developments, but the news feed should focus on the individuals who make your organization what it is.
Intranets assist various organizational processes, such as HR self-service, information management, internal comms, leadership comms, and collaboration. Due to the intranet’s extensive usage and influence throughout the company, businesses need sustained participation from various stakeholders, including HR, IT, internal communications, senior leadership, and others. Typically, organizations should represent this engagement in continuous governance.
Typically, businesses gather statistics on adoption and use, reach, engagement, user happiness, search outcomes, the individual success of various content types, and more. However, measuring is most effective if there is a consistent approach to continuous development. When measuring, ensure you examine and comprehend what the results imply, make modifications or adjustments, remeasure to determine the effect, and then make more modifications.
See More: What Is Network Topology? Definition, Types With Diagrams, and Selection Best Practices for 2022
In recent years, the usefulness of the intranet has come under question. As companies shift to employee experience platforms, is a purpose-built intranet necessary? The answer is YES. It provides a highly customizable and secure space for collaboration, engagement, and productivity, which also serves to strengthen company culture. That is why research firm Technavio estimates that the intranet software market will grow by over $15 billion by 2026, aided by the rise of cloud computing.
Did this article fully explain what an intranet is, and what it does? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you!
Technical Writer
Popular Articles
