Automation Testing
Keeping the highest standard possible within the context of accelerating software delivery is of prime importance. It is automation testing that has made all the difference in allowing fast development to go along with highly effective functionality. With manual testing being personal, automation testing is designed for efficient repetitive tasks – saving time and resources.
In this guide, we are going to talk about the principles of automation testing, the advantages of automation testing, and the tools that are very useful in applying the principle. Whether you are a newbie to software testing or an advance professional who wants to upgrade your skills, this guide will teach you how automation testing can bring your software quality always to the next level.
What is Automation Testing?
Automation Testing is when a set of tools and scripts is used to automate so that test cases can be executed against the actual results for comparisons with expected results in reports. Unlike the manual testing in which one does not need to human means for executing the tests, it automates the processes for running light-effort execution of repetitive tests, which are available for regression testing, performance testing, and also other testing.
Script writing within automation testing means that the script will imitate the user interaction with the application so that it can be reused for many test cycles, speed up the testing process, and be more reliable and scalable.
The Power of Automation Testing
Automation has turned into an intrinsic element in any modern software testing strategy. There are several such advantages over traditional manual testing, and they are given as follows as to why automation is very much needed in every phase of software development today:
Quick and Effective: In contrast to a boy who does manual testing, automated testing is done extremely fast. Therefore, that much less time gives room for more testing. This results in shortened time durations to carry out testing and enforces the entire development process.
Consistency & Accuracy: It is because the human element is absent now that operation becomes so consistent and repeats with minimum chances for human error and far more accurate results.
Reusability: The test scripts that had once been written may be run over and over again throughout numerous test cycles and different projects thereby saving a greater percentage of the cost for a long time.
Scalability: Automated tests can be 3,000 times larger than the volume of tests unsupervised by man because of the capabilities of high-volume testing. Software becomes increasingly complex, so, with automation techniques, it is easy to increase the functionalities involved in automated testing.
CI/CD: Automation completely opens the way for testing to be continuous in a CI/CD pipeline. As such, bugs can be found early on in development, leading to faster releases.
Different Types of Automation Testing
Automation testing is not a one-size-fits-all. It encompasses multiple types of testing techniques that are suitable to different aspects of software development:
Regression Testing: It is one of the most common use cases for automation. It ensures that new code changes haven’t introduced any defects into existing functionality.
Performance Testing: When automated tools are used in performance testing, they simulate many users working on an application at the same time to view the application performance, load capacity, and scalability under stress.
Functional Testing: Predefined test cases are executed by automated tools to ascertain an application’s functionality. This form of testing is mainly carried out to ensure that, regardless of any changes or upgrades, the core functions of the software remain intact.
Smoke Testing: You can automate the running of a suite of simple tests that ensure the application is ready for more testing. It catches major problems in the development cycle early.
Acceptance Testing: The automated tests simulate the actions of end users testing whether or not the application meets business requirements and is fit for deployment.
Assembly Testing: Such testing verifies that software components function properly. Automated integration testing ensures that changes to one section of the system do not affect other sections negatively.
Automation Testing Tools
To reap maximum benefits from automation testing, using the right tools is critical. Here are some of the best tools that software teams are making use of today:
Selenium: One of the most used open-source tools for web application testing. Selenium supports multiple programming languages, such as Java, Python, and C#, and is generally used for automating browser interactions.
JUnit: A testing framework mainly for Java applications, JUnit is used to write and run repeatable tests. It’s an essential tool for integration and unit testing.
TestComplete: This is a commercial testing tool with functional automation capabilities, offering support for a variety of platforms, such as desktop applications, web applications, and mobile applications.
Appium: A cross-platform mobile application automated tool, in which Appium allows its testers to write tests for Android and iOS devices using a single API.
Cucumber: A BDD tool to write tests. Cucumber allows the test writers to write tests in natural languages, making it easy to understand and share.
Postman: Primarily used for API testing, Postman helps automate requests to REST APIs, validating responses and ensuring proper integration of backend services.
Benefits of Automation Testing
Automation testing requires a one-time investment in tools and script development, but long-term benefits make it a worthwhile effort:
Faster Time-to-Market: Automation speeds up the testing process, thereby reducing the overall time taken to get a product to market.
Reduced Human Error: Automation eliminates the chance of human errors, thus ensuring that tests are executed consistently and accurately.
Cost Savings: Although creating automation scripts might take time, in the long run, automation saves time and money by not having to repeat the same thing manually.
Increased Test Coverage: Automated tests can cover more scenarios and run tests more frequently than manual testing, thus helping to identify bugs earlier in the development process.
Better Resource Use: Through automation, testers who otherwise would be tedious to focus on complex testing and exploration, while automatically taking over the redundant workloads.
Automation Testing Challenges
Although automation testing yields tremendous advantages, there are drawbacks as well that organizations need to know more about:
High One-Time Set-up Cost: Creating the right automation tools might cost significant amounts, specifically to set up and train teams together with having to develop some test scripts.
Maintenance Overhead: Automation scripts need to be updated from time to time in order to maintain their effectiveness in changing applications. Tests change just as the application does and sometimes this is expensive to do.
Not Suitable for All Test Cases: All tests cannot be automated. Some tests involve lots of dynamicity, use judgment, or are run so seldom that they may not make a good candidate for automation.
Technical Skills Required: Writing and maintaining automated test scripts requires knowledge of programming and test automation frameworks, which can be a barrier for some teams.
Best Practices for Automation Testing
To get the most out of automation testing, consider the following best practices:
Start Small: Begin with automating repetitive tests, such as regression tests, and gradually expand as you gain more experience.
Use Version Control: With a version control system like Git, store your automation scripts to track changes and ensure that team members could collaborate in automation activities.
Design Maintainable Tests: Modularize and write re-usable test scripts easy to maintain as changes happen to your applications over time.
Automate High-Value Tests: Configuration Automate Tests Run More Frequently or Have Larger Data Sets to Reap the Maximum Benefit from Automation.
Integrate with CI/CD: Put the automation test in the CI/CD to discover bugs early and improve the efficiency of the development process.
Conclusion
Automated testing helps make us think differently about software quality. Automated tests save a lot of repetitive tedious hours, allowing vastly more rapid, reliable testing of software products within a company, hence increasing quality and shortening time to market. Alt Digital Technologies renders expert support for all your organization’s needs as far as automating your testing strategy is concerned, as well as scaling. The experienced team will take you from tool selection to efficient script writing and integrating automation into your development workflow.
Contact us today to help you fully realize the benefits of automation testing and bring your software quality assurance practices to the next level.