Test automation 101

Automation Testing or Test Automation is a software testing technique that performs using special automated testing software tools to execute a test case suite. On the contrary, Manual Testing is performed by a human sitting in front of a computer carefully executing the test steps.

Manual testing is performed by a human sitting in front of a computer carefully executing the test steps. Automation testing means using an automation tool to execute your test case suite. The automation software can also enter test data into the system under test compare expected and actual results and generate detailed test reports.

The goal of automation is to reduce the number of test cases to be run manually and not eliminate manual testing all together.

why automated testing

Automated testing is important due to the following reasons:

1. Manual testing of all workflows all fields all negative scenarios is time and cost consuming.

2. It is difficult to test for multi-lingual sites manually.

3. Automation does not require human intervention. you can run automated tests unattended or overnight.

4. Automation increases the speed of test execution and test coverage.

5. Manual testing can become boring and hence error-prone.

which test cases to automate?

Test cases to be automated can be selected using the following criterion to increase the automation ROI.

which test cases to automate?

Test cases to be automated can be selected using the following criterion to increase the automation ROI.

· Test cases that are executed repeatedly.

· Test cases that are very tedious or difficult to perform manually.

· Test cases which are time-consuming.

· High risk, Best business-critical test cases.

The following category of test cases is not suitable for automation.

· Test cases that are newly designed and not executed manually at least once.

· Test cases for which the requirements are changing frequently and test cases that are executed on an ad hoc basis.

Stages of Automation testing life cycle

1. Determining the Scope of Test Automation

Application modules that can be automated need to be identified from the ones which cannot. Important factors such as the cost of the automation tool, the size of the testing team, and expertise related to the automation process need to be identified and considered. Feasibility checks should be performed before starting automation testing, these include test case automation feasibility and AUT automation feasibility checks.

2.Selection of the Appropriate Automation Tool for Test Automation

It is the second phase of the ATLM process. Identifying the right automation testing tool is critical for the automation testing life cycle since automation testing is highly dependent on the tool used. The developers need to consider budgetary constraints, the familiarity of the team with the automation tool used, along with resources available with the team. The choice of the automation tool also depends upon the flexibility and intuitiveness of the team using the tool. The test engineer should define and evaluate the criteria for a pilot test for the automation tool. Testing personnel should then evaluate it based on the different criteria stipulated by the test engineer.

3.Developing the Test Plan, Test Design, and Test Strategy

It is the next phase of the automation testing life cycle; it involves setting up a test automation framework. The testing team determines the test standards and guidelines as well as the software and hardware and network system to support the testing environment. It also determines a preliminary testing schedule, the data requirements for the test and error tracking system, an associated tracking tool, and a method to control the configuration and staging environment for the test.

4. The Test Environment should be Set Up

The testing team needs to track and schedule the test environment, set up and install test environment software as well as link network resources and hardware.

Important Areas for the Test Environment Setup

• The production data needs to be the same as that of the test environment otherwise it becomes a problem when code changes are made in the production environment.
• A checklist of all models, systems, and applications need to be made for the test.
• A front-end running environment needs to be in place to perform load testing for analyzing the capacity of the product for handling web traffic.
• Testing should be done across numerous client operating systems.
• Tests should be done across all browsers and their versions.
• Set up a staging environment such as an isolated database server.
• All configuration/ installation guidelines end-user manuals must be stored in a central database.

The best method is to copy production data to the test environment so that the test engineer can find problems without corrupting the product data.

5.Developing the Automation Test Script and its Execution

To execute the script, the automation testing team must ensure that all the scripts are properly running, they need to take notice of the following processes,

• The test Scripts should be created based on actual requirements.
• A common function method must be created, to be used throughout the test process.
• A structured reusable script must be created so that other team members can easily understand it.
• The codes should be reviewed for test scripts for proper quality assurance.

After the Test Script is successfully Developed the following Processes must be followed:

• It should contain all functional aspects of the test case
• The test script should be done on multiple environments and multiple platforms.
• Test Scripts must be executed in batches to save time and resources.
• A bug-report should be written for failure cases.
• The Test team must comply with a strict schedule, and all evaluations of the outcomes of the test should be evaluated and executed.
• All documentation should also be prepared during this phase.

To test the system as a whole, plans are designed for the system, unit, user acceptance, and integration testing, are run. Code profiling, which discovers instances of inappropriate scaling of algorithms and resource utilization, must be done at the time of unit testing.

6.Test Analysis and Generation of Test Results and Reports

After the completion of all the tests, the team analyses and identifies particular functionalities and components that experience several problems in test reports. Analysis indicates any requirements for additional tests or procedures. Analysis of test results can confirm if the test scripts or procedures executed have errors or not. This is the end phase of the automation testing life cycle and all test reports must be shared with clients or stakeholders at this stage.

Test automation tools

Success in any test automation depends on identifying the right tool for the project. With a plethora of open-source and commercial automation tools to choose from, automation Testing tool selection can become tricky. Here is a curated list of top automated tools

1. Kobiton

2. TestProject

3. Ranorex

4. Selenium

5. Subject7

6. Zeuz

7. TestArchitect

8. LambdaTest

9. HP UFT (aka QTP)

10. Watir

11. IBM Rational Functional Tester

12. Zephyr

Selenium

Selenium is an open-source web automation tool, currently in demand, and widely used tool in the market. It can automate across multiple OS Like Windows, Mac, and Linux and browsers like Firefox, Chrome, IE, as well as Headless Browsers.

The selenium test script can be written in programming languages like Java, C#, Python, Ruby, PHP, Perl, and JavaScript. Selenium offers a record and playback features with its browser add-on Selenium IDE. The powerful Selenium WebDriver helps you create more complex and advanced automation scripts.