Parasoft Review: Quick and Scalable End-to-End Automation

Parasoft is an intelligent automated testing and quality platform of tools that span all stages of the software development lifecycle.

Parasoft’s automated quality testing technology ensures high-quality, secure, and compliant software delivery. The Parasoft Continuous Quality Testing Platform works seamlessly with current development toolchains throughout the CI/CD pipeline, enhancing development experiences and business outcomes for software development and test professionals and leaders.

Developers like their robust static code analysis, unit testing, and code coverage tools, including SAST capabilities, operate directly within the most common IDEs. Their award-winning API testing and service virtualization automate the testing of contemporary microservices and cloud applications.

Bringing all of this together, Parasoft’s premier reporting and analytics dashboard provides a centralized perspective of quality, helping organizations deliver confidently and thrive in today’s most crucial ecosystems and development initiatives—security, safety-critical, Agile, DevOps, and continuous testing.

Which industries does Parasoft serve?

Parasoft provides testing services for embedded safety-critical software in businesses such as:

• automotive
• mil-aero
• medical devices
• industrial automation
• rail

In addition, Parasoft provides end-to-end testing for business online and mobile apps in sectors such as:

• finance
• government healthcare and insurance
• hospitality
• retail
• e-commerce
• telecommunications

Types of Test Automation

Parasoft automates tests across the whole software development life cycle. They provide automated software testing for all forms of software, ranging from small devices to major business programs. Thier solutions include automated testing for safety certification and functional testing to confirm business operations from individual unit components to APIs and user interfaces.

To validate your end-to-end application experience, you require a complete set of testing skills that include:

• Code analysis to ensure compliance, safety, and security requirements.
• Generate test scenarios for functional unit, API, and user interface testing.
• Test maintenance and self-healing to prevent wasteful build failures.
• Reusability of security, load, and performance nonfunctional tests.
• Manage test environments for complicated systems. Certbolt products can be integrated with Parasoft solutions to enhance testing capabilities.

Products

a. C/C++Test

C/C++test is a robust software test automation tool for ensuring the safety, security, and dependability of C and C++ programs. Parasoft’s C/C++test is tightly integrated with major IDEs like Eclipse and MS Visual Studio, providing a unified testing solution that includes static analysis, unit testing, structural code coverage, and requirements traceability to produce high-quality C and C++ code.

Teams may automate the testing process by including C/C++test into the CI/CD pipeline and using its command-line interface.

Integrating Parasoft C/C++test into the software development of embedded safety- and security-critical programs can help you detect faults early on and save money. Maintain compliance with various functional safety, security, and coding requirements.

Capabilities

1. Static Analysis

Parasoft C/C++test, a unified development testing solution for C and C++, employs the most comprehensive set of source code analysis techniques (pattern-based analysis, dataflow analysis, abstract interpretation, metrics, and more), verifies code quality with the industry’s largest number of checkers, and provides actionable workflows to assist the team in prioritizing findings and fixing defects in the code. The static analyzer in Parasoft C/C++ test covers the most popular security and functional safety requirements, and  other industry-specific coding standards.

2. Unit Testing

Parasoft C/C++test provides developers with a full C++ and C unit testing framework, allowing them to write, perform, and maintain tests. Parasoft C/C++test’s unit testing capabilities are integrated with popular IDEs and offer multi-metric code coverage analysis, a robust stubbing and C mocking framework, and automated cross-platform execution. These capabilities are simple to use, minimize the complexity of creating the unit testing framework, and boost developer productivity.

3. Code Coverage & Traceability

Parasoft code coverage solutions give crucial input on the testing process’s completeness and thoroughness by linking test results to coverage data.

4. Runtime Analysis

Parasoft C/C++test detects runtime flaws, stability concerns, and security vulnerabilities, such as memory leaks, null pointers, uninitialized memory, and buffer overflows, by monitoring the runtime when running a host-based or embedded program or conducting C unit tests. This is suitable for use cases in the automobile sector, as ISO 21434 cybersecurity regulations expose blind spots in road vehicle software.

5. Security Testing

Parasoft’s comprehensive C/C++ security testing solution enables users to protect their programs professionally and efficiently. A complete solution that supports cybersecurity standards and tooling to help users identify the underlying cause of software security issues and achieve secure-by-design for today’s connected device software.

6. Software Testing

Parasoft’s functional safety solution helps organizations to achieve testing and software quality criteria outlined in standards publications such as ISO 26262, ISO 21434, EN 50128, IEC 61508, and DO-178B/C. Parasoft helps teams to automate the testing processes and software certification process demanded by these standards, significantly reducing the extensive manual labor that would otherwise be required.

7. Reporting and Analytics

Parasoft’s rich reporting tools put the outcomes of the Parasoft C/C++ test in context. Test results may be immediately viewed in the IDE or transferred to Parasoft’s web-based reporting system, DTP. In DTP, reports may be created automatically as part of CI builds and printed for code audits in safety-critical organizations, and findings from several builds can be aggregated (allowing the team to see the code without having to access it in their IDE).

b. C/C++test CT

C/C++test CT is a scalable solution designed for big and small teams with software safety and security requirements in C and C++ applications. Unlike previous tools that are limited to certain IDEs or GUIs, C/C++test CT fits smoothly into a variety of CI/CD processes and desktop environments.

It interfaces well with major open-source unit testing frameworks such as Google, and Boost. Test, CppUnit, and bespoke solutions. These are augmented by C/C++test CT’s code coverage, requirement traceability, and reporting capabilities. C/C++test CT’s adaptability reduces IDE requirements, making it container-compatible and a useful VS Code plugin. It is TÜV-certified for use in the development of safety- and security-critical applications.

Integrating Parasoft C/C++test CT into your CI/CD workflow can improve code quality and increase development efficiency. Automate testing and assure compliance with functional safety requirements for embedded safety and security applications.

Capabilities

1. Structured Code Coverage

Parasoft code coverage solutions give crucial input on the completeness and thoroughness of the testing process by linking test results to coverage data.

2. Functional Safety Compliance

Parasoft’s functional safety solution helps organizations to achieve testing and software quality criteria outlined in standards publications such as ISO 26262, ISO 21434, EN 50128, IEC 61508, and DO-178B/C. Parasoft helps teams to automate the testing processes and software certification process demanded by these standards, significantly reducing the extensive manual labor that would otherwise be required.

3. Reporting and Analysis

Parasoft’s rich reporting tools put the outcomes of the Parasoft C/C++ test in context. Test results may be immediately viewed in the IDE or transferred to Parasoft’s web-based reporting system, DTP. In DTP, reports may be created automatically as part of CI builds and printed for code audits in safety-critical organizations, and findings from several builds can be aggregated (allowing the team to see the code without having to access it in their IDE).

4. Bidirectional Requirements Traceability

Link open-source unit testing frameworks’ test cases to your requirements. Verify test findings with code coverage to provide full traceability for safety and security-critical applications.

c. dotTest

Parasoft dotTEST automates software quality processes in your C# and VB.NET development projects. Deep code analysis augmented with AI and ML reveals dependability and speeds up the repair of static analysis results. Code coverage, requirement traceability, and automated compliance reporting make it easier to meet security requirements and operate in safety-critical businesses.

Capabilities

1. .NET Static Code Analysis

Parasoft dotTEST validates C# and VB.NET code quality and ensures compliance with industry and security standards (such as OWASP, CWE, UL 2900, or PCI DSS) by employing the most comprehensive set of static analysis techniques to validate code and prevent defects at the earliest stages of the software development process.

2. .NET Test Impact Analysis

Parasoft dotTEST optimizes test execution by determining which tests are aligned with updated code and automatically performing just the tests required to validate code changes, lowering test completion time.

3. .NET Structural Code Coverage

Parasoft’s C# and VB.NET code coverage solutions give crucial input on the completeness and thoroughness of the testing process, which is an absolute must-have for any organization that values high-quality source code.

4. .NET Security

Parasoft dotTEST integrates essential industry security standards into Microsoft Visual Studio as if they were part of the product. DotTEST may be used to assess compliance with major security standards (OWASP Top 10, CWE Top 25 plus On the Cusp, PCI DSS, UL 2900, and so on) to detect, expose, and repair mistakes, as well as ensure that your C# and VB.NET code functions properly. 

5. Reporting and Analytics

Developers and managers may use advanced Parasoft dotTEST reporting and analytics to prioritize codebase issues, including automatically recognizing which tests need to be performed depending on build modifications. The results of test runs may be seen on the desktop, online, or as static HTML reports, independent of where they were run.

d. Insure++

Even highly experienced engineers can make mistakes while allocating, utilising, and releasing memory in complicated software, resulting in difficult-to-find defects that may appear only after the product has been operating for a long period. Parasoft Insure++ detects memory leaks and inappropriate access in the C/C++ environment.

Use Insure++ to cut your development costs and remove hours of tiresome debugging.

• Automatically identify memory issues, runtime errors, and security flaws such as memory corruption, memory leaks, buffer overflow/underflow, and stack overruns.
• Use detailed coverage reports to track testing progress in your code and third-party libraries.
• Visualise memory allocations and deallocations using graphical displays, and correlate them with program runtime actions.

Capabilities

1. C/C++ Memory Debugging

Parasoft Insure++ is a comprehensive memory debugging tool designed for C and C++ program developers. Erratic programming and memory access issues include heap corruption, rogue threads, memory leaks, array out-of-bounds, and erroneous pointers. Parasoft Insure++ analyses application code and reports on various potential static violations using a cutting-edge code parser and hundreds of heuristics.

Parasoft DTP collects findings from various testing methodologies, offering intelligent and continuous monitoring of testing outcomes for better visibility into what works and what doesn’t.

e. CTP

Parasoft Continuous Testing Platform (CTP) uses graphical representations to easily visualize your test environments and dependencies. The web-based interface enables teams to organize and collaborate on testing operations, as well as supply virtual environments.

Capabilities

1. Environmental Health Checks

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the functional testing process at the system level, from environments and components to service endpoints. When processes fail, the Parasoft Continuous Testing Platform informs users of environmental concerns, allowing them to investigate and determine the root cause.

2. Environment Diagrams

Map the interdependencies between actual and virtual components across the test environment to ensure that architects, developers, and testers are all on the same page. View and control the relationships between the application under test, backend services, and third-party APIs to gain a better knowledge of the environment architecture.

3. Virtual Test Data

Capture, organize, exchange, and reuse realistic test data to reduce data friction and enable more effective testing. CTP uses a straightforward web-based interface to provide data as a model that is simple to comprehend, alter, mask, and expand during data production, simplifying the process of producing safe test data.

4. Test Environment Replication

On-demand deployment of test environments (real and virtual services) allows automated tests to run constantly. Clone and automatically reconfigure all virtual assets associated with a reusable test environment. Parasoft CTP can quickly convert your environment into an independent test sandbox.

5. Test Report Archive

Save test execution task reports to the Continuous Testing Platform database so that you can readily analyze pass/fail history with detailed error messages. Thorough documentation aids compliance audits.

6. Code Coverage for Microservices

Improve software quality and reduce the danger of untested code. Collect code coverage data for distributed microservices from automated functional test runs for APIs, web UI, end-to-end, and other features to readily discover places with low test coverage. Use test impact analysis to discover which test scenarios should be performed when individual microservices change. 

7. Event Monitor

Enable monitoring of components in your environment to log and examine traffic events, as well as construct virtual assets from received messages. View events such as request messages sent, responses received, etc.

f. Selenic

Improve your existing Selenium web UI test library or rapidly develop new ones with a versatile Selenium partner that works well with your Agile DevOps environment. Parasoft Selenic addresses typical Selenium issues with AI-powered self-healing to reduce runtime errors, test effect analysis to significantly reduce test execution time, and the ability to record new scenarios using a Chrome plugin to generate Page Object Model Selenium code.

Capabilities

1. Improved Selenium Testing

Agile teams must deliver an outstanding user experience for application interfaces, and many utilize Selenium as their testing framework of choice. However, Selenium test cases face standard UI testing issues such as maintainability, stability, and high execution durations. Automation testing is crucial for validating the consumer experience.

2. Address Test Execution Issues

Parasoft Selenic uses AI heuristics to assess whether failures are caused by an actual regression in the application. Run your Selenium tests in sequence or parallel with confidence, knowing that Parasoft Selenic’s self-healing feature, which includes better locator and wait condition methods, will discover unstable tests, alter them on the fly during execution, and show you how they were maintained going.

3. Create More Accurate Selenium Tests

Parasoft Selenic’s Recorder allows you to capture UI activities in the Chrome browser. The Recorder also creates locators with elements unique to Salesforce, Guidewire, and other corporate apps. Following the capture, utilize the recording to generate pure Java-based Selenium tests with assertions that are readily maintained and developed using the Page Object Model.

4. Test Only The Changes

Instead of needing to run hundreds of time-consuming tests to determine the quality of a build, Selenic optimizes your Selenium test suite to run just the tests necessary to check code changes between builds. More efficient testing provides faster feedback.

5. Deliver Insights From The Selenium Test Results

Integrated smart analytics combine test results and correlate Selenium tests with requirements and code coverage to provide total traceability. Benchmark the performance of your Selenium tests and produce early alerts for out-of-range results in your apps to avoid surprises shortly before release.

6. Use Artificial Intelligence to Detect and Help Fix Broken Tests

Parasoft Selenic not only reveals test execution errors but also recommends code solutions. Locator recommendations may be transferred immediately into the integrated development environment, allowing for one-click test modifications and future testing success. Concentrate on the genuine issues rather than waste cycles on unsuccessful test runs.

g. Virtualize

Parasoft allows you to construct virtual alternatives that behave exactly like the real thing. Parasoft Virtualize, a service virtualization solution, allows testers and developers to emulate services or data when access is restricted or inconsistent. The tools produce findings that can be readily shared with other testing teams and visualized for faster problem identification and troubleshooting via an intuitive codeless interface.

Capabilities

1. Service Virtualization

Service virtualization is crucial for converting test automation into continuous testing. Parasoft Virtualize’s simple processes allow users to access full and realistic test environments by imitating services that are beyond your control or unavailable. This allows teams to create and test their applications early and more thoroughly.

2. Test Environment Management

Parasoft Virtualize offers a robust, user-friendly online interface for managing the virtual assets associated with service virtualization, allowing customers to handle every element of their test environment, from creating multiple response kinds and behavior to adjusting performance parameters.

3. Test Data Management

Parasoft’s test data management platform takes data from current systems, allowing you to rapidly manage, mask, model, and produce new data. With Parasoft’s self-service interface, you can quickly reuse test data in your virtual services, saving time on test data administration.

4. Integrated API Testing

Parasoft Virtualize works smoothly with Parasoft SOAtest to improve test automation by shortening test environment provisioning time and matching test scenarios with environment instances that preconfigure the usage of both real and virtual services. This integration allows users to generate exactly the proper sort of behavior for every test case.

5. Reports and Analytics

Reporting covers more than simply test results, particularly in the context of service virtualization. Parasoft Virtualize delivers comprehensive capabilities for understanding and reporting on the health of your environments, as well as assisting managers in determining the ROI of their service virtualization investment.

Solutions

Today’s “continuous everything” DevOps procedures demand rapid software releases. However, you cannot afford to leave your software untested. Parasoft’s AI-powered technology combines automated testing and deep code analysis into your development workflow. You get high-quality software out the door faster—and for less money.

It is not sufficient for code to be inventive. It must perform as intended while also being safe, trustworthy, and secure. To address this expanding list of criteria, businesses need a range of coding, functional safety, and security standards to be included in the coding process. Parasoft’s automated software testing tools continually inspect code to verify compliance.

Pricing

Get tailored pricing and fully customized solutions to meet your business needs. Receive unmatched support while shaping the future of your technology.

• Customer-oriented characteristics
• Training and certification programs are completely free
• Product updates are provided for free
• Premium support programs
• Best practices for professional services and execution

Reviews

1. G2

Final Thoughts

The innovation you require. You are confident in your experience. From development to QA, Parasoft’s complete software testing solutions save time, effort, and money while providing safe, dependable, and compliant software. Use their AI-powered automated testing solutions to ensure continuous quality across your CI/CD process.

Parasoft’s AI-powered software testing platform and automated test solutions enable organizations to consistently produce high-quality software.

It is an excellent investment for those looking for an extensive testing platform that can scale with complicated project requirements. For teams who prioritize quality and efficiency, Parasoft SOAtest provides genuine value for money.