Static testing
Static testing examines software work products without executing the code. We review requirements, design documents and source code, and run static analysis, to find defects before they reach a test environment.
Four static testing techniques
- ReviewsCollaborative
- WalkthroughsAuthor-led
- InspectionsFormal
- Static analysisAutomated
What is static testing?
Static testing examines software artifacts without executing the code. Through reviews, inspections and automated analysis, teams find defects in requirements, design specifications and source code before any code runs.
Finding a defect at this stage means it is fixed before other work is built on top of it, and the review itself spreads knowledge of the requirements across the team.
Static vs dynamic testing
Dynamic testing runs the software and compares what it does with what it should do. Static testing reads the work products instead. The two find different defects: a review finds an ambiguous requirement that no test could fail, and a running test finds a timing problem no review would see.
Static testing techniques
| Technique | Description | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | Structured examination of work products by peers or stakeholders to find defects, check compliance and confirm quality standards are met. | Collaborative |
| Walkthroughs | Author-led sessions where team members step through a document or code, discuss the details and raise potential issues. | Author-led |
| Inspections | A formal technique with defined roles and checklists. A moderator leads a systematic examination against agreed criteria. | Formal |
| Static analysis | Tools scan source code without executing it, finding coding standard violations, security weaknesses, complexity issues and likely runtime errors. | Automated |
Static testing process
Planning
Define the scope, choose the techniques, assign roles, and agree the review criteria and success metrics.
Preparation
Send the work products to reviewers, allow time for individual review, and prepare checklists or analysis tools.
Examination
Run the review, walkthrough or inspection. Reviewers record defects, violations and improvement points against the agreed criteria.
Reporting
Document every finding with a severity, assign an owner, track it to resolution, and keep metrics for process improvement.
Follow-up
Check the defects were corrected, re-review where needed, and record lessons for the next review.
Key benefits
Lower fix costs
A defect found in a requirement or design review is fixed before code, tests and documentation are built on it, so far less work has to be redone.
Early detection
Issues in requirements and design documents are found before any code is written, which stops one defect from spreading into many.
Knowledge sharing
Reviews give the team one shared understanding of the requirements and spread architectural knowledge.
Requirements nobody can test?
That is the first thing a review finds. Talk to us
Static testing is defined in the ISTQB Foundation Level syllabus. Code-level coverage techniques are on our structural testing page.
How BetterQA does static testing
We review your requirements, user stories and designs before development starts, and can add static analysis to your pipeline so code-level issues are flagged as changes come in.
Engineers who test for a living
50+ QA engineers, working since 2018. People plan and run the static testing and report what the results mean for your release.
Bugs you can act on
Every defect we find is written up in BugBoard, our own test management tool, or in your tracker, with steps to reproduce, the expected and actual result, and the environment.
A certified process
ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 27001:2022 for information security. See our certifications.
How an engagement works
- €20-45 per hour
- First month is a trial
- First two weeks complimentary if you are not happy
- 30 days' notice after that
Static testing: common questions
What is static testing?
Testing that examines software work products, such as requirements, designs and code, without executing them, through reviews and static analysis.
What are the main static testing techniques?
Reviews, walkthroughs, inspections and static analysis. The first three are done by people; static analysis is done by tools.
What is the difference between static and dynamic testing?
Static testing reads work products without running them. Dynamic testing runs the software. They find different kinds of defects, so most projects use both.
What are the benefits of static testing?
Defects are found before code is built on them, so fixes are cheaper, and reviews give the team a shared understanding of the requirements.
Is static analysis part of static testing?
Yes. Static analysis is the tool-driven part of static testing: it scans source code for standard violations, security weaknesses and likely errors without running it.
What does it cost?
Our rate is €20-45 per hour. For ongoing work the first month is a trial, the first two weeks are complimentary if you are not happy, and after that it is 30 days' notice.
Need static testing expertise?
Send us a requirements document or a module you are unsure about. We will review it and show you what a review finds before any test runs.