Software Testing - Test Automation

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Software testing is performed by both automation and manual techniques. The automation testing is performed by running the tests automatically with the help of tools. It quickens the testing activities and makes the software development faster. The suitable manual test cases are converted to automated tests and integrated with the CI/CD pipelines to make the development process quick, seamless, error-free, efficient, and more productive.

What is Software Test Automation?

The test automation involves the creation of scripts with the help of automation tools in order to verify the software. It allows execution of repetitive, and redundant test steps without the help of any manual intervention. The manual test cases which are not easy to execute are generally chosen for automation. The automated test scripts can be executed any time as they follow a specific sequence to validate the software.

The automated test cases utilize the test data, and then comparisons are made between the expected and actual outcomes. Finally, a detailed test report is generated. The main objective of test automation is to lessen the count of manual test cases. The entire automated test suite can be re-run several times in order to validate the software. However, in spite of several advantages of automation over manual testing, it can never fully replace the manual testing completely.

The test automation ultimately speeds up the testing activities to a large extent. If integrated with the CI/CD, then the automation gives even higher benefits during the software development process as it performs continuous testing and easy deployment.

Why Should we Move from the Manual to the Automation Testing?

We should move from the manual to the automation testing due to the reasons listed below −

• Manual testing requires a lot of effort, time, and is subject to human errors. Thus automation improves the overall quality of the software.
• The automation testing can detect bugs more quickly than the manual testing.
• Manual testing exposes human error however automation can be performed automatically without any human intervention.
• The automation testing improves test coverage as it is impossible to have hundred percent test coverage with only manual testing.
• The automation testing allows the test cases to be executed multiple times, thereby improving the quality of the software.

Which Kind of Tests Should be Considered for Automation?

The tests which can be considered for automation are listed below −

• End to End Test Cases
• Unit Test Cases
• Integration Test Cases
• Performance Test Cases

Which Kind of Tests Should be Considered for Manual Testing?

The tests which can be considered for manual testing are listed below −

• Exploratory Test Cases
• Visual Regression Test Cases
• Test Cases for Unstable Software

Differences Between Automated and Manual Testing

Types of Automation Testing

The different automation testing types are listed below −

• Unit Testing
• Integration Testing
• Smoke Testing
• Performance Testing
• Regression Testing
• Security Testing
• Acceptance Testing
• API Testing
• GUI Testing

Types of Test Automation Frameworks

The different types of the test automation frameworks are listed below −

1. Linear Framework

It is the most fundamental form of framework which is based on record and play features. Using this framework, the testers can develop and run the test scripts. It is mostly used by teams who do not have adequate scripting, technical and programming skills.

2. Module Based Framework

In this approach, each test case is segregated into individual modules, where each module is independent to each other. Also, there exists a driver script which keeps control over these modules. This type of framework requires extensive planning, adequate scripting, and technical, programming skills of the testers.

3. Library Architecture Framework

It is an extension of the module based framework. In this approach, each action is segregated inside the test script in the form of functions. These functions are kept in a library which is easily accessible. This type of framework gives more flexibility, and reusability. However, it requires considerable time, effort, and knowledge to develop and use this framework.

Types of Tests Should be Automated

The tests which should be automated are listed below −

• The tests which are redundant, tedious and repetitive should be considered for automation.
• The tests which are to be executed over multiple test data should be considered for automation.
• The tests which are concentrated on critical business functionalities should be considered for automation.

What are the Steps of Test Automation?

The steps of test automation are listed below −

Step 1 − The first step is to choose the correct tool for automation. This can be determined by the resources available, budget, testing goals etc.

Step 2 − The second step is to identify the scope of automation in the project.

Step 3 − The third step is to plan, design, and develop the automation scripts.

Step 4 − The fourth step is to execute the automation test scripts.

Step 5 − The fifth step is to maintain the test scripts as per the latest changes in the software.

How to Select a Test Automation Tool?

A test automation tool can be selected by considering the factors listed below −

• Ease of Use − Some of the automation tools are complex and require extensive knowledge, skills, and cost for its usage.
• Support for browsers − The automation tool selected should support cross-browser testing on multiple browsers.
• Flexibility − The automation tool selected should be flexible enough to be adopted easily.
• Ease of Analysis − The automation tool selected should support easy analysis by being able to generate quick dashboards and test reports after the execution.
• Cost − Some of the automation tools are free and open source while some have licensing and other costs.
• Support − The automation tool selected should have adequate community support to resolve the issues(especially for free tools).

Best Practices for Test Automation

The best practices for the test automation are listed below −

• The test scripts should be clear, well documented, and easy.
• The order of execution of the test scripts should be planned.
• The test scripts should be triggered for execution by the automatic scheduling feature of the automation tool.
• On considerable failures, subsequent alarms should be triggered for further analysis of those failures.
• The test scripts should be developed based on the test plans.

Tools used for Test Automation

The different tools used for the test automation are listed below −

• Selenium
• UFT
• Appium
• Silkuli
• Cypress
• PlayWright
• Apache JMeter

Advantages of Test Automation

The advantages of the test automation are listed below −

• The test automation can be performed without any manual intervention, and can be left unattended during execution. The test results are analyzed at the end of the run. Thus it makes the execution process simple, and efficient.
• The test automation improves the reliability of the software.
• The test automation increases the test coverage.
• The test automation reduces the chances of human errors on testing.
• The test automation saves a considerable amount of time, effort, and money. It has a huge return on investment.
• The test automation gives a faster feedback of the software resulting in the early detection of defects.

Disadvantages of Test Automation

The disadvantages of the test automation are listed below −

• The setting up of test automation initially requires a lot of time, effort, and cost.
• A hundred percent test automation is not possible to achieve.
• It is not feasible to automate all kinds of scenarios, and use cases.
• The test automation can be performed by testers who are experienced, and have the technical expertise, and programming knowledge.
• The test automation may give false positive or negative results if there are errors in the test scripts.

Conclusion

This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Test Automation. Weve started with describing what is software test automation, why should we move from the manual to the automation testing, which kind of tests should be considered for automation, which kind of tests should be considered for manual testing, what are the differences between the automated and manual testing, what are the different automation testing types, what are the different types of the test automation frameworks, what are the advantages for the test automation, and what are the disadvantages for the test automation. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Test Automation. It is wise to keep practicing what youve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.