5 Popular Tools for Testing Blockchain Applications

The emergence of Blockchain technology has modified the IT space with serious developments including the supply chain of numbers, data, money, and people. It is interesting to know that software testing organizations have suitably adopted blockchain technology due to its extremely prospective nature. The effectiveness of this technology to cater to different testing requirements is a prime phase that has made QA companies curious enough to collect comprehensive blockchain knowledge.

We cannot deny the fact that blockchain is surely one of the advanced technological blessings which are able of shaping various industries in the future. However, the availability of experts well informed of its applications is less or expensive to hire. As a consequence, companies aren’t able to include blockchain-based apps without proper testing. QA companies list such problems as difficulties as they wish to access blockchain app testing for quality and stability.

At present, the best software testing companies are filled with the expertise and resources needed to productively test various components of the blockchain app. This write-up helps you get a clear insight into the importance of Blockchain testing and the popular tools needed for examining blockchain-based apps.

Blockchain: What’s it about?

Blockchain is a digital ledger whose records are piled together in little blocks forming a continuous chain, therefore the name blockchain.

Blockchain holds unique attributes that make it special. For example, it is decentralized, and that suggests each transaction that is appended onto the chain has to be replicated so that each node has the same copy.

Secondly, once you append a record to the chain, you cannot edit or recall it. While these unique features make this ledger special, they also render it difficult. So proper testing and validation must be performed before deploying a blockchain.

What is the Process of Blockchain App Testing?

The testing procedure typically includes functional testing to analyze various functional aspects. Moreover, testers also review app performance by finding possible issues and suggesting important tweaks that favor its readiness in terms of launch. Few other important sections of blockchain app testing involve:

Application programming interface testing or API testing ensures testers that the concerned application is able of formatting and managing API requests excellently.

Node and shared ledger testing including all heterogeneous components to assure the streamlined functioning of the applications. This is marked important since it supports the security analysis of the system and its opposition to potential attacks.

Popular tools for Testing Blockchain Applications

Testing a Blockchain application not only assures its quality and maximizes the test coverage, but it also reduces the risks that are connected with incomplete knowledge that could affect the software development process.

Here are 5 popular tools for testing your blockchain applications:

1. BitcoinJ:

It is a library for carrying out operations with the Bitcoin protocol. This Java-based framework is particularly designed for Bitcoin-based apps that allow interaction with the actual BTC network along with various testing activities. There is no requirement to download the standardized BTC Core files via Bitcoin.com for employing this tool. By executing the functions in this library, you can give and receive Bitcoins in a real-time setup.

2. Ethereum Tester:

There is another open-source blockchain testing library that is available in the form of a Github repository. With a simplified setup and flexible API support for various testing requirements, Ethereum Tester can be observed as a highly capable testing tool.

3. Populus:

This framework holds the testing practicality of Ethereum which is well integrated as a collection of attributes intended at testing contract deployment. Populus is principally generated around the py.test framework, thereby, maintaining its relatively easy implementation.

4. Embark:

You can put your trust in this testing framework that is mainly correlated with the development of decentralized applications (dApps) which run on different systems. The effectiveness of Embark is highlighted through its conformity with IPFS, Ethereum blockchain as well as a decentralized communication platform like Orbit and Whisper. 

5. Truffle:

For Ethereum developers, it is a generally mentioned name that incorporates impressive testing features, including automated contract testing. This blockchain testing framework is provided with abilities that surpass testing functionality, such as operating with famous test runners like Chai and Mocha.

Challenges to Blockchain App Testing

The confirmation to adopt Blockchain technology comes with some intrinsic challenges because the shift in the technology itself is very significant. Aside from standard testing and authorization such as functional testing, non-functional testing, performance testing, security testing, and integration testing, there is a requirement for specialized testing abilities to actively promote the testing teams.

Below stated are some of the prevalent challenges associated with Blockchain app testing which shouldn’t be overlooked by testers.

1. Lack of Experience

One of the prominent challenges to blockchain testing and development of applications is the poor experience with the right methodology within the Blockchain arena. Accumulating knowledge and cultivating additional skills to include Blockchain applications is no doubt quite expensive.

2. Verify Block and Chain Size

Even though you stand by standard blockchain testing and execute necessary tools, the investigation for block size and chain size is extremely essential. Precise determination of block size and chain size will assist avoid any sort of failure associated with Blockchain applications.

3. Security

If security testing is not enough, it can start the creation of Blockchain applications that are prone to attacks at the user level, network level, and mining level.

4. Substandard Test Scheme

Lesser significance is given to testing when matched to the overall programming process. Such routine results in creating a Blockchain app development domain with fewer or almost no dedicated testers for reviewing and assessing Blockchain products. Presently, the testing strategy being performed is substandard leading to inefficient Blockchain app testing.

Also Read: MVP Testing: How Does It Make A Difference?

Bottom line

Testing a blockchain is vital to assure the bugs in a decentralized ledger are eliminated. This ultimately preserves a business against the negative outcomes of blockchain poor operation. There are several blockchain testing tools available on the market, including development frameworks with testing abilities. The ultimate choice would depend on your development strategy and the test types required for your app’s continuous functioning.

Need to implement blockchain testing? Think no more! TestUnity provides the testing services on-demand, serves with projects of any scale, and is ready to start with a few days’ advance notice. Choose to team up with a QA services provider like TestUnity. Our team of testing experts specializes in QA and has years of experience implementing tests with different testing software. Get in touch with a TestUnity expert today.

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