Edge cases are a common topic of discussion in software testing. The definition of “edge case” itself is pretty straightforward. But there are many different types of bugs that can fall under the category.
Edge Case Definition and Meaning
In software testing, edge cases are bugs that are uncommon for users to encounter. Note, though, that this doesn’t always mean that it’s hard to reproduce the bug.
Sometimes the bug may be happening 100% of the time – but only on an iPhone model that makes up a very small share of the customer base. Other times, the bug might be happening across browsers/devices, but only 1% of the time.
An edge case can be a minor issue – for example, an inconsistency in the exact shade of blue used on an iOS app vs. the Android version. But it can also be a bug that’s severe when it does happen – like a crash.