What Is Monkey Testing in Software Testing?

Monkey testing is a software testing technique that involves random and unpredictable inputs to evaluate the behaviour of a system. It is an exploratory approach where testers or automated tools simulate random user interactions with the application or system under test. The goal of monkey testing is to identify unexpected behaviour, crashes, or errors that may occur when the system is subjected to unpredictable inputs.

In monkey testing, no predefined test cases or user scenarios are designed. Instead, random inputs are generated and fed into the system, such as random clicks, keystrokes, or gestures. The system’s response is then observed to check if it handles these inputs gracefully or if it exhibits unexpected behaviour, crashes, or becomes unresponsive. This technique helps uncover hidden bugs, edge cases, or vulnerabilities that may not be discovered through traditional test cases. It explores unpredictable scenarios that users might encounter, ensuring the system’s resilience and stability in real-world usage.

Monkey testing can also automate using specialized tools that generate random inputs and perform repetitive actions, making it a cost-effective and time-efficient approach. However, monkey testing has limitations. It may not provide precise information about the cause of failures, and false positives or false alarms can occur.

List of Monkey Testing Tools

Several tools are available for performing monkey testing, providing developers and testers with the necessary capabilities to conduct random and automated testing. Here are some popular tools used for monkey testing:

• Monkey Runner

A monkey runner is a tool provided by the Android SDK that allows for the creation and execution of automated functional tests for Android applications. It provides a Python API to write scripts that can simulate random user actions such as tapping, swiping, and typing.

• Appium

Appium is an open-source automation tool that supports both Android and iOS platforms. It allows for the automation of mobile applications, including monkey testing. With Appium, random actions can be simulated, such as tapping, scrolling, and entering text, to test the behaviour of mobile applications.

• UIAutomation

UIAutomation is a testing framework provided by Apple for automating iOS applications. It enables the execution of monkey testing by generating random gestures, events, and inputs to simulate user interactions with the application.

• Fuzz Testing Tools

Fuzz testing tools, such as AFL (American Fuzzy Lop) and Peach Fuzzer, can also use for monkey testing. These tools generate random inputs or mutate existing inputs to test for unexpected behaviour or vulnerabilities in software applications.

Advantages of Monkey Testing

Monkey testing offers several advantages when used appropriately in the software testing process. Here are some of its benefits:

• Monkey testing can uncover issues or errors that might not discover through traditional test cases. By generating random inputs, the tool explores unpredictable scenarios and interactions, allowing for the identification of unexpected behaviour or defects.
• It has the potential to uncover hidden bugs or edge cases that are not covered by predetermined test cases. The random nature of the inputs can expose vulnerabilities or errors that would otherwise go unnoticed.
• Monkey testing can be automated, reducing the time and effort required for testing. The tools used for monkey testing can generate and execute random inputs automatically, freeing up resources for other testing activities.
• Monkey testing can be a cost-effective approach to identifying critical defects in the software. It does not require the creation of extensive test cases or user scenarios, making it a suitable choice for early-stage testing or when time and resources are limited.

Disadvantages of Monkey Testing

While monkey testing offers several advantages, it also has some limitations and potential drawbacks. Here are a few disadvantages to consider:

• Lack of Precision

Since monkey testing involves random and unstructured inputs, it may not provide precise information about the specific cause of failures or issues. This can make it challenging to debug and fix the problems identified during testing.

• Limited Test Coverage

Monkey testing alone cannot provide complete test coverage. It is a complementary testing technique that should use in conjunction with other testing approaches to ensure comprehensive coverage of the system under test.

• False Positives

Due to its random nature, monkey testing may generate false positives or false alarms. It can trigger errors or crashes that are not necessarily caused by defects in the system but rather due to random combinations of inputs.

• Time and Resource Intensive

Depending on the complexity of the system and the number of random inputs generated, monkey testing can be time and resource-intensive. The large volume of random inputs may require significant computational power and result in longer test execution times.

Good to Read:- Gorilla Testing: Definition, Features, Advantages, Disadvantages

Example of Monkey Testing

Consider a mobile messaging app that allows users to send text messages, images, and videos to their contacts. During monkey testing, the testing tool randomly interacts with the app’s user interface, simulating various user actions without any predefined test cases or scenarios.

For instance, the tool might randomly tap on different buttons, input random text into message fields, send random media files, swipe between conversations, or even shake the device to trigger different actions. The purpose is to observe how the messaging app handles these unpredictable inputs and whether it maintains stable functionality and performance.

The monkey testing tool could generate hundreds or thousands of random actions, stressing the app and identifying potential issues. The aim is to uncover any unexpected behaviour, crashes, or errors that may occur due to these random interactions.

Through monkey testing, testers can identify potential issues such as crashes when sending unexpected file formats, freezing or unresponsiveness when flooded with random messages, or unexpected behaviour when the user interface interacts with an unexpected sequence.

By incorporating monkey testing alongside traditional testing techniques, such as functional testing and user scenario-based testing, the mobile messaging app can be thoroughly evaluated for its stability, resilience, and ability to handle unpredictable user interactions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, monkey testing is a valuable technique in software testing for uncovering hidden bugs, vulnerabilities, and unexpected behaviour. By generating random inputs and observing system responses, monkey testing provides insights that traditional test cases may miss. It can perform manually or with specialized tools, such as Monkey Runner, Appium, or UIAutomation. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of monkey testing helps testers and developers make informed decisions about its usage.

---

Keep your product Bug-free Contact Us & Hire top-rated software test engineers from Devstringx Technologies