Automation testing is a methodical procedure where a tool executes test suites in successive development cycles with little to no human involvement. This methodical procedure begins with encouraging management to incorporate automation into the software development life cycle and finishes with test script upkeep.
When Should You Choose Automated Testing?
The automated process demands a lot of brain power to start. Before considering automation testing, factors to consider include time, cost, and test difficulty.
- Decision-critical tests: Some tests are essential to the delivery of new products and to making important marketing decisions. To lower the possibility of faults or human mistakes influencing the finished product, such tests should be automated.
- Complicated tests: Tests that demand a lot of human effort ought to be automated. The team may skip the continuous data entry tasks they typically perform manually since automation testing can complete even the most difficult tasks on schedule.
- Repeated test cases: Automation tests are necessary when a test necessitates checking for errors or faults repeatedly. The team will avoid having to complete the tasks manually thanks to test automation. It will give greater space to launch new initiatives or update existing ones.
Automated Testing Process: Steps to Begin Test Automation
Check this detailed guidance for test automation that will assist you in getting started.
Persuade Management
Regardless of how keen you are to learn about and implement test automation in your organization, you are unlikely to do anything if your management is not persuaded of the advantages test automation provides. Although tools and engineers may initially seem pricey, your business will eventually gain from them. Test automation has advantages, but they do not emerge right away. Before you can test the application, you must wait two to three months for your codes to be written, tested, and able to execute consistently.
The process of convincing management about automation includes:
- Producing thorough reports on the advantages of test automation.
- Analyzing the initial costs related to buying licenses for the automation technologies and comparing them to the benefits.
- A duration before automation testing's advantages become apparent.
- The reduction of human resources needed.
Automation Tool Professionals Hiring
The acquisition of necessary expertise for the automation tools is an important step in the automation testing process. There are two types of experts:
- Automation architects
- Automation engineers
Building automation frameworks is the responsibility of automation architects, who are skilled in a variety of automation tools and knowledgeable about all the benefits and drawbacks of each one.
Automation architects work with management to choose the best automation tool by evaluating techniques and systems, and they also help create: the automation framework, scripting rules, and the proper test cases for automation.
Creators of the automated test scripts that the automation tool uses to run manual test cases are known as automation engineers. Programming expertise, particularly in object-oriented coding, is required of new employees.
The Best Automation Tool Choice
When choosing the ideal automation tool, the following aspects should be considered:
- It's significant that the tools fit your budget limit. It costs a lot to use automation tools.
- The tool needs to support the technologies you're using in your application. The tool has to support various extensions and add-ons if your application does. You can buy a single tool that supports all the technologies used in your application, or you can buy individual utilities for each feature.
- It is important to find qualified people who can use the tool. When a corporation purchases an MS-coded UI, an automation architect with only QTP experience is ineffective, thus project workers must be well-versed in various technologies.
Choosing the Programs That Are Best for Test Automation
Choosing a suitable tool, consider::
- Software's characteristics: Is it a mobile or web application? Use an automated testing tool like Selenium for mobile apps. Cypress is one of the most effective automation technologies available for the web apps
- Experience with programming: Pick frameworks, languages, and tools that the testers are familiar with and skilled at. Languages like Java, JavaScript, Ruby, C#, and others are some of the most often used for automation testing.
- Open Source or not: Based on budgetary constraints, you may decide to employ such open-source tools for automation as Cypress. It's crucial to keep in mind, though, that open-source products might not be worse than their paid equivalents.
The Automation Teams' Skills
It’s important for QA engineers and manual testers to be familiar with the principles and technologies related to the automation tool. Automation architects with technical expertise in the app under tests are a must.
The automation team needs to have suitable and sufficient training as well as enough time to develop an effective automation strategy. They must be knowledgeable about bug-tracking and any other required software. It is crucial that developers, manual testers, automation engineers, and architects work closely together.
Creating the Framework for Automation Testing
Write test scripts according to the automation framework's criteria and keep long-term maintenance requirements to a minimum. Any modifications to the application that are required, including the minimum necessary script updates. Data-driven, modular, hybrid, keyword-driven, and linear automation frameworks are all available.
Execution Strategy
Environments for running the scripts are included in the execution plan. The OS, hardware, and browser can all be chosen as environments. If a test case calls for checking in different web viewers, the automation team should build scripts that are accessible to each of the viewers. Writing the script is also a part of the execution plan; usually, the automation team is in charge of carrying it out.
Coding
The scripts must be written in an ordered manner with proper naming to prevent code loss. The source code must be kept under source control at all times. Additionally, version control and history should be kept up with. When writing the scripts, it's crucial to use the finest programming principles, including converting manual test cases into automated scripts.
Making Reports
An important function of reporting is that it gives management a view on how the application is progressing. To submit their findings to management, the development team should come up with a reporting solution, such as auto-emailing. Diagrams and tables can be used to construct test results that are easier for management to understand after each run cycle.
Updating the Script
Codes are updated to guarantee proper implementation and the smooth operation of the software. Regular script maintenance is crucial for programs to run smoothly and bug-free. Most automation projects can fail due to poor script maintenance.
Conclusion
When it is used in combination with specific principles, test automation can boost in the development of high-quality software and shorten time to release. It's crucial to realize that every testing team and company has diverse priorities. Quintagroup may assist you with outsourcing test automation specialists who follow the procedure outlined in the article. Please get in touch with us, and we'll do everything we can to meet your expectations.