Test automation

What is automation testing?

Automated testing is a software testing technique that uses specialized automation testing tools to automatically run a series of test cases. This method delivers faster and more accurate results compared to manual testing.

Running the same test suite repeatedly is time-consuming, but with a test automation tool, it becomes faster to write and replay the test suite when needed. It reduces human intervention and improves the return on investment for testing. Automation testing allows for easy input of test data, comparison of expected outcomes with actual results, and generating comprehensive test reports. While it requires some allocation of funds and resources, automation testing is a valuable investment for organizations seeking to streamline their software testing process.

It is the most effective way to broaden test coverage, enhance effectiveness, and improve execution speed in software testing.

Why do you need test automation?

Faster and more accurate development:
Test automation can accelerate development by swiftly executing tests and ensuring their repeatability. Additionally, it aids in mitigating the risk of failure by removing human error from the equation.
Tests are included in the build process:
Tests can be incorporated into the build process and triggered after every build completion by organizations.
Automated functional tests:
The development team can develop automated functional tests while the application software is being created, allowing them to test the changes in their environment.

Acceleration

Automation enables the early detection of crucial bugs in the software development life cycle (SDLC), supporting the shift of quality assurance towards the beginning stages.
Testing cycle optimization

Automation enables the utilization of Agile practices, including task-oriented and behavior-driven development.
DevOps transformation

Automation allows for establishing a continuous testing environment, an essential aspect of DevOps.
Granular quality assessment

Quality control in the testing lifecycle can be fortified by incorporating quality gates made possible by automation.
Competitive edge

Automation is increasingly substituting manual and model-based quality assurance (QA), becoming a necessary prerequisite in every software development project that aims to stay competitive.

Functionality

Chudovo engineers can be called upon during the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). They can develop an effective solution to automate the tedious smoke testing process and consistently assess the software developed against the predefined functional requirements.

Performance

To comprehensively evaluate your software's operational stability in various normal and extreme scenarios, rely on Chudovo for automated performance testing. We provide a framework to identify bottlenecks and limitations in the following areas efficiently:

Load testing
Stress testing
Endurance testing

Integration

Incorporate the expertise of Chudovo specialists during the initial stages of development to establish a system that proactively identifies issues and obstacles in the interactions among system modules, components, third-party tools, and other elements.

Security

Chudovo offers an automated security testing framework to enhance your CI/CD pipeline, speeding up the security QA workflow while maintaining the analysis's quality and scope. Our framework automates the following cybersecurity domains:

Vulnerability scanning
Penetration testing
Compliance testing
Static code analysis

Multi-platform operation

Chudovo can automate the labor-intensive process of verifying the uniform look and feel and seamless performance of the end product across various operating conditions. Our QA automation team offers the following:

Cross-browser testing
Cross-platform testing
Cross-device testing

6 Stages of Automation Testing Life Cycle

Deciding the scope of Test Automation:

Consider the feasibility of Automation, taking into account different perspectives. When assessing feasibility, these aspects should be addressed without fail:

Identify which modules of the applications can be automated and which ones cannot.
Determine which test cases can be automated and the methodology for automation.
Consider variables such as cost, team size, and skillset.

Choosing The Right Automation Tool

This phase guides the test engineer throughout the test tool evaluation and selection process. It begins with confirming management support and then reviews the system's engineering environment and other organizational needs to establish tool evaluation criteria. The test engineer then defines an evaluation domain to pilot the test tool.

Once these steps are completed, the test engineer can contact vendors to acquire the selected tool(s). The test personnel then evaluate the tool using the provided sample criteria. Selecting the correct Automation Testing device is a crucial stage in the automation testing life cycle, as testing heavily relies on automation tools.

Plan, Design, and Strategy

The initial stage of the automation testing life cycle process outlines the approach and goal of test automation. In this stage, an automation procedure and plan are developed. The following factors need to be considered during this process:

Selection of automation tools.
Identify the appropriate design framework after weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the testing tool.
Creating a test suite for the automation experiment in the device for test management.

Set up the Test Environment

The Automation Testing Life Cycle setup phase involves preparing a machine or remote machine for executing test scripts. It is important to consider the following key areas of the test environment:

Test Data
Multiple Browsers
Automation Framework
Tool configuration and licensing

Test Script Execution

After setting up the test environment, it is time to execute the test script. It is crucial to ensure that all test cases are functioning correctly. When developing the test script, consider the following points:

Include all relevant aspects of the experiment in the test script.
Run the scripts in different conditions and on various platforms.
To save time and effort, batch execution can be performed.
If any errors occur, create a bug report

Examine & Maintenance Approach

The final stage of the automation testing life cycle involves analyzing the results of extensive testing to identify specific areas that have received numerous issue reports.

Based on the outcome of this analysis, it is determined whether additional testing is necessary. During the maintenance phase of automation testing, the software's new functionality is tested to ensure it works correctly.

This stage is implemented when new scripts are added and require inspection and upkeep to enhance the effectiveness of the automation scripts.

Top 15 Automation Testing Tools

The Katalon Platform

The Katalon Platform is a highly scalable and user-friendly automation testing tool for various applications such as web, API, desktop (Windows), and mobile. It has gained a strong following with over one million users in the Katalon community and is the preferred choice for automation by more than 100,000 businesses. With Katalon, users can skip the need to code or build a test automation framework from the ground up. Instead, they can download the tool and concentrate on testing. Additionally, Katalon regularly updates its software to ensure compatibility with the latest platforms, browsers, and operating systems.

Selenium

Selenium, introduced in 2004, is widely recognized as the leading open-source framework for automating web testing. Its software collection includes Selenium WebDriver, Selenium Grid, and Selenium IDE.

Appium

Appium, similar to Selenium, is an open-source automation testing tool specifically designed for mobile applications. It utilizes the mobile JSON wire protocol to enable users to create automated UI tests for native, web-based, and hybrid mobile apps on Android and iOS platforms.

TestComplete

TestComplete can automate functional UI testing for desktop, mobile, and web applications. It has built-in support for over 500 controls and third-party frameworks, allowing it to handle and identify dynamic UI elements in various technologies.

Cypress

Cypress is an automation tool designed for end-to-end web testing, strongly emphasizing supporting JavaScript frameworks. It is built with a unique architecture that allows it to operate seamlessly within a browser alongside your application. It enables Cypress to have direct access to elements and execute tests faster.

Ranorex Studio

Ranorex Studio can automate GUI testing for various applications such as web, mobile, and desktop. It offers a comprehensive framework that combines low-code automation and a full IDE, making it accessible for beginners and efficient for experienced testers.

Perfecto

Perfecto is a platform for testing web and mobile applications that operate in the cloud and use automation. It offers features such as running tests across different environments, customizable capabilities, analysis of test results, and integration with various tools. Perfecto aims to make continuous testing easier for DevOps teams.

LambdaTest

LambdaTest offers cloud-based automated testing services. With LambdaTest, teams can easily expand their test coverage by conducting fast parallel testing across different browsers and devices.

Postman

The Postman tool is highly popular for automating API testing. It enables users to create various functional, integration, and regression tests. The command line interface can execute these tests automatically in CI/CD pipelines.

SoapUI

This open-source API testing tool is designed for REST and SOAP web services. It offers essential features such as automated functionality, performance, regression, and security testing. Users also have the option to upgrade to the commercial version, ReadyAPI (formerly SoapUI Pro), which provides advanced capabilities.

Eggplant Functional

Eggplant Functional is a GUI automation testing tool for mobile, desktop, and web applications. It is an integral part of Eggplant’s ecosystem. An image-based approach enables the automation of various platform and technology combinations using a single script.

Tricentis Tosca

Tricentis Tosca is an all-inclusive automation solution for testing web, API, mobile, and desktop applications. Its distinguishing feature is its model-based testing methodology, which enables users to analyze an application’s UI or APIs to develop and manage tests using a business-friendly model.

Apache JMeter

This open-source tool is specifically designed for automated performance testing, primarily focusing on web applications. Its main function is to simulate many users accessing web services and analyze the application’s performance under test (AUT). Additionally, JMeter can also be utilized for conducting functional API testing.

Robot Framework

Robot Framework is a versatile open-source framework designed for automating tests, particularly for acceptance testing and acceptance test-driven development. It utilizes a keyword-driven methodology, making it easy to begin with minimal coding effort. Additionally, it offers a wide range of tools and libraries, allowing for further customization and expansion.

Protractor

This open-source framework automates end-to-end testing specifically for Angular and AngularJS applications. It is an integrator for Selenium, WebDriver, Jasmine, Node.js, and other technologies. Protractor is also effective for regression testing with non-Angular apps.

12 Benefits of Test Automation

Faster Feedback Cycle

Test automation is crucial for speeding up the feedback process for newly developed features. By implementing test automation, you can minimize the time it takes to receive feedback and validate different stages of your product's development. It is particularly beneficial as it allows you to identify and address issues or bugs early, ultimately improving your team's efficiency.

Team Saves Time

By implementing automation in your testing process, your team can reduce the time spent validating newly developed features. It not only enhances communication with other departments, such as marketing, design, and product owners who depend on the test results, but also allows them to easily access the logs of the automated tests to stay informed about the progress.

Reduced Business Expenses

Utilizing an automated test environment can result in cost savings for your company by reducing the need for manual testing. It can have a significant impact on the overall project. However, it is important to consider that setting up and implementing an automated testing environment requires time and resources. Additionally, investing in a reliable test automation tool may be necessary to ensure the stability of the automated testing environment.

Higher Test Coverage

Manual testing has limitations on the number of tests that can be verified. On the other hand, automation enables testers to allocate time to writing new tests and incorporating them into their automated test suite. It enhances the test coverage for the product, ensuring that more features are adequately tested, thereby leading to a higher-quality application. Additionally, automated testing empowers developers to create more comprehensive tests that assess complex use cases. Lengthy tests, which are typically avoided during manual testing, can be executed without the need for constant supervision.

Reusability of Test Suite

Initially, creating an automated test suite may seem difficult. However, once you have established your suite, it becomes simple to reuse tests for different scenarios or projects. The benefit is that you can easily connect another project to your automated test suite. Having already acquired a comprehensive understanding of configuring an automated test suite and associated tools like a continuous integration (CI) pipeline, you can effortlessly apply this knowledge to establish test automation for a new project.

Faster Time to Market

Initially, constructing an automated test suite can be difficult. However, reusing tests for different scenarios or projects becomes simple once the suite is defined. The benefit is that you can effortlessly connect another project to your automated test suite. You have already acquired a comprehensive comprehension of establishing an automated test suite and all associated tools like a continuous integration (CI) pipeline. Consequently, replicating this knowledge to establish test automation for a new project is easy.

Better Insights

Automated testing offers more comprehensive insights than manual testing when certain tests encounter failures. Through automated software testing, developers gain visibility into various aspects of the application, including memory contents, data tables, file contents, and internal program states. This valuable information assists developers in identifying the root cause of any issues that may have arisen.

Improved Accuracy

Errors are inevitable for even the most skilled testing engineer during manual testing, particularly when dealing with intricate scenarios. Conversely, automated tests guarantee 100% accuracy by consistently producing the same outcome each time they are executed.

Automated Testing Provides More Features

An automated test suite can assist with additional functionalities, such as simulating many virtual users engaging with your web application to observe its behavior. Manual testing cannot accurately replicate this type of behavior. These features can greatly reduce the time spent by developers.

Less Stress on the QA Team

Implementing an automated testing strategy frees your QA team to focus on tasks beyond manual testing. It also makes the job of a QA engineer more engaging by eliminating the repetitive nature of manual testing. Testing automation allows QA engineers to develop new tools and enhance the existing testing suite with additional features.

Quickly Determine the Stability of Your Build

Test automation enables you to automate tests to assess the stability of your build. Smoke testing is commonly employed for this purpose, but it can be time-consuming and demands manual intervention from the testing engineer, like configuring databases with test data. However, through test automation, smoke testing can also be automated. You can swiftly assess the build's stability by automatically generating and setting up the necessary databases. In essence, the objective is to expedite the release of a build and automatically verify its stability.

Eliminate Human Error

Test automation reduces the chances of human error in complex scenarios compared to manual testing. While it is still possible to make mistakes with test automation, the likelihood of errors is considerably lower when using it for your test suite.

FAQ

Why should I be interested in test automation? Answer

Regression testing large mission-critical systems quickly and thoroughly is essential for businesses. Manual regression testing is time-consuming and compromises the testing process, resulting in costly delays and system issues affecting overall performance. Automation is the most practical and effective approach to ensure thorough regression testing of today's complex systems.

My testers are already swamped. Isn't automation just more work? Answer

When done correctly, automation can decrease the amount of testing required. Transitioning from manual testing to developing automated tests should be smooth and intuitive. The main time and effort savings occur during regression testing, as executing and re-executing the tests requires much less effort. While automated testing cannot completely replace manual testing, and automating everything may not be cost-effective, the benefits can be significant if done properly. Testers will spend less time on regression tests, and there will be a decrease in production problems.

When should I start the automation process? Answer

Starting automation planning early in a project can greatly benefit testers and developers. Effective communication between testers and developers can lead to a system that is easier to test and automate. Additionally, approaching manual testing with the correct approach can facilitate the automation of manual test cases. However, these advantages are unlikely to be realized if automation planning is delayed until later stages of the project.

What is a test automation strategy? Answer

The test automation strategy outlines the utilization of test scripts to enhance product quality. It includes identifying suitable tests for automation, selecting appropriate tools, and establishing team processes.

How can I measure the effectiveness of my test automation strategy? Answer

You can assess the efficiency by monitoring metrics such as test coverage, test execution duration, and the quantity of bugs detected by automated tests. It is also advisable to periodically evaluate and enhance your test suite to ensure it continues to benefit your team.