Software testing - Alpha Beta and Gamma testing

In software development, testing is usually required before release to the general public. The development phase is known as the alpha phase. Testing during this phase is known as alpha testing.

In the first phase of alpha testing, developers test the software using white box techniques. Additional verification is then performed by a black box or box techniques. This is usually done by a team of testing. This is often known as the second phase of alpha testing.

Once the alpha phase is complete, the development comes into the beta. Software versions, known as beta versions are released to a limited audience outside the company. The software is released to groups of people so that new evidence could ensure that the product has some flaws or errors. Sometimes, beta versions are made available to the public and open for increasing the comments field to a maximum number of future users.

During the beta testing, informally called 'closed beta test is restricted to black box techniques despite a core of test engineers are likely to continue with the white box testing in parallel with the beta testing. Thus, the beta term can refer to the stage of software closer to the release to be "alpha" or may refer to a particular group and the process is doing at the time. So it could be a tester for further work in the white box testing, while the software is "in beta" (a stage), but he or she would then not be part of "beta test" (group or activity). Evidence of gamma rays is a little-known informal phrase referred disparagingly to the release of "Buggy" (defect-ridden) products. There is a technical term among testers, but an example of referential humor. Cynics have referred to all software releases as "gamma test" because the defects are found in almost all trade, commodities and software available to the public over time. (Some types of inclusion, and highly specialized process control software are tested more thoroughly and subjected to other forms of guarantees rigorous quality software, especially that "criticism of life control" team, when a mistake can result in injury or death). (see I vars Peterson fatal flaw for counter examples).

If alpha and beta refer to the stages of the software before release (and implicitly the size of the testing community, and the limitations of test methods), white box, black box, and the gray box refers to the ways in which the examiner access to the target.