What is Black Box, White Box and Gray Box Testing?

Black Box Testing

Black box testing is a software testing method used to test the functionality of the software without considering its internal workings. It is tested from an end-user’s perspective to see if the software delivers the expected outputs for the defined inputs. Black box testing can only be performed by testers, developers, and also end-users. In this kind of testing, it is difficult to find errors. This method is not suitable for algorithm testing. Black box testing is the least extensive and time consuming process.

Gray Box Testing

Gray box testing is a hybrid software testing method that tests the functionality of the software with partial knowledge of its internal working. This test is performed from the end-user’s perspective to identify the root cause of the issue. Gray box testing is performed by testers, developers, and end-users (for user acceptance testing only). This method is hard to find errors. This is not suitable for algorithm testing. Gray box testing is less extensive and time consuming when compared to white box testing.

White Box Testing

White box testing is a software testing method used to test the code, internal structure and workings of the software. This is performed as a part of internal testing to increase quality. White box testing can only be performed by testers and developers. This method is effective in finding small and hidden errors. This is best suited for algorithm testing. White box testing is the most extensive and time consuming process.