What is the Difference Between Build and Release in Software Testing

The main difference between Build and Release in Software Testing is that Build is a version of a software the development team hands over to the testing team for testing purposes while Release is a software the testing team hands over to the customer.

Software development is a complicated process. It is difficult than writing a usual computer program as the customer operates the final working product. Therefore, it is essential to test the software. Testing is the process of verifying and validating that the software is working as expected according to the requirements. It helps to reduce costs and to deliver a working, usable product to the customer. Build and Release are two terms in development and testing.

Key Areas Covered

 1. What is Build in Software Testing
     –Definition, Functionality
2. What is Release in Software Testing
   –Definition, Functionality
3. What is the Relationship Between Build and Release in Software Testing
  –Outline of the Association
4. What is the Difference Between Build and Release in Software Testing
 –Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Build, Release, Software Testing

 What is Build in Software Testing

After developing the software module, developers convert the source codes into a standalone form or an executable code. Then the development team hands over the build to the testing team to perform testing. Build is in the testing phase; it may have already undergone testing or not. Software testing team checks this build. If it consists of multiple bugs and if it does not meet the requirements, then the software testing team rejects that build.  Builds occur prior to the release, and they are generated more frequently.

What is Release in Software Testing

The release is the final application after completing development and testing. After testing the build, the testing team certifies that software and delivers it to the customer. It is possible for one release to have several builds. Therefore, it is the software delivered to the customer after completing the development and testing phases. Moreover, the release is based on builds, and it can have several builds.

Relationship Between Build and Release in Software Testing

• A single release can have multiple builds while the release is based on builds.

Difference Between Build and Release in Software Testing

Definition

Build refers to the standalone software artifact generated after converting the source code to an executable code that can be run on a computer. A release, on the other hand, is the distribution of the final version of an application. Thus, these definitions explain the fundamental difference between Build and Release.

Association with Testing

Thus, testing is a major difference between Build and Release. Build is still in testing phase (may be already tested or yet to be tested) while release no longer requires testing.

Basis

Development team hands over a build to the testing team while the testing team offers the release to their customers.

Occurrence

Another difference between Build and Release is that build occurs frequently while release occurs occasionally.

Conclusion

There is a distinct difference between Build and Release although these two words are often used interchangeably. The main difference between Build and Release in Software Testing is that Build is a version of the software the development team hands over to the testing team for testing purpose while Release is the software the testing team hands over to the customer.

Reference:

1. “Software Build.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Sept. 2018, Available here
2. “What Is Build? – Definition from Techopedia.” Techopedia.com, Available here
3. “What Is Release? – Definition from WhatIs.com.” SearchSoftwareQuality, Available here

Image Courtey:

1. “What is software testing” By Zappys Technology Solutions (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr