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Testing takes a big effort from the team. But sometimes, bugs can still be there. There's not much time or resources to test again and again, and tests fail a lot. That's where automated testing helps out. Ultimately, test automation contributes to improving the overall quality of software products while supporting faster release cycles and better resource utilization within development teams.Here, I'm explaining more about automated testing and to discover what aspects of your testing process you can automate.Image source: EPAM SolutionsHub.
In the 1970s, companies traded software without easy internet access for updates. Tests had to be coded and shipped individually, specific to each software version. Computers were becoming common, but software compatibility was limited to similar machines.Testing was tied closely to debugging since the operating environment was predictable.Around the same time, companies realised they could use existing software to test new applications, reducing manual work. This led to the creation of testing software.In the early days of automation, it was seen as a replacement for manual testing. Companies like SQA and Mercury simplified testing complex software.
However, automated testing tools often broke, hindering updates.By the 1990s, developers struggled with missed deadlines due to changes in operating systems and tools breaking testing tools. Tool manufacturers added features to reduce the need for frequent software edits.
Yet, automating testing became more time-consuming than manual testing, as most effort went into scripting rather than testing.
Despite challenges, automation persisted. GUIs, personal computers, and client-server systems boosted automation demand. The rise of the internet and cloud technology allowed easy software updates, while DevOps and Agile made automation essential. Today, web-based and commercial tools simplify automated testing with minimal coding effort. In 2018, about 72% of organizations used automation testing, with growth expected in the future asautomation becomes more integral.
Automated testing is crucial because it ensures software functionality without the need for repetitive manual testing every time changes are made. It saves time by allowing tests to run faster and more frequently than manual methods. This capability supports continuous testing with each new change, catching issues early in the development process. Automated tests also maintain consistency, minimising the risk of human error. Ultimately, automated testing enhances software quality and reduces testing costs.
Unit testing should be the highest priority, followed by integration testing and then functional testing. The types of test cases that should be automated have a lot of complex manual scenarios, especially those involving extensive data or environment setup requirements.
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Responsible for creating, implementing, and maintaining frameworks, scripts, and tools.
Develop test plans, conduct manual tests, and collaborate with engineers to ensure alignment between automated and manual tests.
They play a crucial role in automation tests, collaborating with engineers to ensure code is written with a focus on testing and automation.
They may be involved in setting up and maintaining continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines that include automated testing.
They offer advice on what should be tested and how it should be tested, adding value to the testing process.
Test managers oversee the overall testing efforts, including automation testing initiatives. They define testing strategies, allocate resources, and monitor progress to ensure testing goals are met.
Test automation is really important in software development because it makes tasks faster, more reliable, and accurate. It saves money and time by speeding up the testing process. Also, it decreases mistakes made by people and lets testers concentrate on the harder parts of the software, making sure it's higher quality overall.
Manual testers spend a lot of time searching for mistakes by exploring and testing how things work. After finding and fixing errors, they have to repeat the same steps many times.Automated testing makes this much faster. Once a test is done, it can be used again without doing everything over and over.
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Early defect detection is a big plus. Automated tests catch problems early in development, so we can fix them quickly and make better software overall. Although setting up automated tests takes some upfront work, they save time and money by cutting down on the repetitive manual testing, especially for checking old issues.Basically, automation speeds up testing, makes it more thorough, and ensures our software is strong.
Automation testing can be used effectively in various scenarios within the software development lifecycle. Here are some common situations when automation testing is beneficial:
Automate tests that need to be repeated often to save time and reduce errors.
Automation is ideal for tests that need to be run frequently to ensure consistent results.
Use automation for tasks that are too complicated or take too much time to perform manually.
Automation helps when tests cannot be easily executed manually due to their complexity or requirements.
These are quick tests to check if the main parts of the software are working right after changes.Automation helps do this fast without needing to check every detail.
Automation is used to verify if the software functions correctly according to specified requirements.
Automate tests to simulate heavy usage scenarios to assess software performance under stress.
Automate tests for essential parts of the software that are crucial to its operation or security.
Automation helps test software across different operating systems for devices to ensure compatibility and consistency.
Selenium is a widely used open-source suite of tools that allows the creation of test scripts in multiple programming languages, offering flexibility for users proficient in Ruby, Java, Node.js, PHP, Perl, Python, JavaScript, C#, and more.
Puppeteer is a test automation framework designed for direct interaction with Chrome-based browsers such as Chrome and Chromium, with additional compatibility for Firefox (Nightly Build). Its advanced capabilities and easy installation using npm or Yarn empowers users to seamlessly access and manage the DevTools Protocol.
Playwright, an end-to-end testing automation framework developed by Microsoft, has gained increasing popularity and is the preferred choice for automation testing. It offers a single API to automate Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit browsers. Playwright testing uses Node.js ,JavaScript, and TypeScript, making it versatile and accessible to many users.
Cypress is an open-source end-to-end testing framework designed for web applications. Known for its user-friendly interface and robust feature set, Cypress has quickly gained popularity in the automation testing field. It is a preferred choice among developers for quickly and effectively testing applications directly within their web browsers.
Espresso is a mobile test automation framework specifically designed for Android applications. Developed by Google, it seamlessly integrates with the Android SDK.
XCUITest is a mobile test automation framework specifically designed for iOS applications. Developed by Apple, it is seamlessly integrated with Xcode. XCUITest comes equipped with features that simplify the process of writing, running, and maintaining UI tests for iOS applications.
Appium is an open-source test automation framework designed for testing native, hybrid, and mobile web applications across diverse devices and platforms. It operates based on the WebDriver protocol, a standard API widely used for automating web browsers. Appium's flexibility allows users to write tests in their preferred programming language, Java, Python, or JavaScript.
Selendroid , often called Selenium for Android mobile apps, is a testing tool for native and hybrid mobile applications. It allows testers to conduct comprehensive mobile application testing on Android platforms. Like Selenium's cross-browser testing capabilities, Selendroid can execute parallel test cases across multiple devices.
Apache J Meter is a robust open-source tool developed by the Apache Software Foundation. Widely used for load and performance testing, it proves effective for evaluating the performance of web applications, APIs, databases, and server-based systems.
A performance testing tool from Micro Focus that supports various protocols and environments. It provides features for load testing,stress testing, and performance monitoring.
An open-source tool built on Scala, designed for load testing web applications. It uses a domain-specific language (DSL) to define scenarios and supports asynchronous HTTP/HTTPS.
A tool for performance testing of web and mobile applications. It provides capabilities for load testing, stress testing, and real-time analysis of performance metrics.
Part of the ReadyAPI suite by SmartBear, LoadUI is a tool for load testing REST, SOAP, and other API services. It offers both open-source and commercial versions.
An open-source test automation tool that supports multiple performance testing tools (such as JMeter, Gatling, and others) and provides a convenient way to run and manage tests.
An open-source load testing tool that allows you to write test scenarios in Python. It's designed to be highly scalable and is suitable for testing web applications.
An open-source load testing tool that allows you to write test scenarios in Python. It's designed to be highly scalable and is suitable for testing web applications.
AI's role in testing is set to progress from supporting testers to performing tests independently. AI algorithms could generate, run, and assess test cases on their own, adjusting to new needs. This advancement could significantly enhance testing efficiency,accuracy, and flexibility.
Automation testing could go beyond software to test integrated systems involving both software and RPA. This integration would cover end-to-end business processes and improve quality assurance across organizational workflows.
Automation might utilize AI to generate synthetic test data that closely resembles real-world scenarios. This would facilitate more comprehensive testing without exposing sensitive data.
With increased reliance on AI, there will be a growing need for testing algorithms for fairness, bias, and ethical concerns. Automation testing frameworks may evolve to incorporate these evaluations.
The rise of quantum computing could revolutionise the testing of complex scenarios that are presently difficult to simulate. By handling intricate calculations and simulations more swiftly, it has the potential to facilitate more thorough testing.
Test reporting could be made more intuitive by introducing visualisations that help stakeholders grasp the influence of testing on software quality. Insights from extensive datasets could inform decision-making processes.
Frameworks could evolve to support hybrid testing approaches, blending manual and automated tests smoothly. This would meet the need for human intuition and creativity while also benefiting from automation's efficiency.
Automated testing will be crucial in securing software applications. Sophisticated automation tools can simulate intricate security attacks to pinpoint weaknesses in systems.
Automation testing will continue to evolve alongside the software it tests. Teams will embrace a culture of continuous learning an improvement, adopting new tools and methodologies to match the changing software landscape.
In conclusion, automation testing is a critical component of any software development process. It ensures the quality and reliability of applications while reducing the time and effort required to perform manual testing. With the right tools and approach, organizations can improve the speed and accuracy of their testing, catch bugs earlier in the development cycle, and ultimately deliver better products to their customers.
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