• Specification-based testing technique is also known as ‘black-box’ or input/output driven testing techniques because they view the software as a black-box with inputs and outputs.
• The testers have no knowledge of how the system or component is structured inside the box. In black-box testing the tester is concentrating on what the software does, not how it does it.
• The definition mentions both functional and non-functional testing. Functional testing is concerned with what the system does its features or functions. Non-functional testing is concerned with examining how well the system does. Non-functional testing like performance, usability, portability, maintainability, etc.
• Specification-based techniques are appropriate at all levels of testing (component testing through to acceptance testing) where a specification exists. For example, when performing system or acceptance testing, the requirements specification or functional specification may form the basis of the tests.

• There are four specification-based or black-box technique:

• • Equivalence partitioning
  • Boundary value analysis
  • Decision tables
  • State transition testing

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