What is Automation Testing?

In the ever-evolving world of software development, ensuring the quality of applications is paramount. As the demand for rapid development cycles and the need for reliable, high-quality software grows, testing has become a critical component of the software development process. Automation testing, in particular, has emerged as a powerful solution to meet these demands. But what exactly is automation testing, and why is it so essential in today’s development landscape?

Understanding Automation Testing

Automation software testing is a ‘non-manual‘ technique of testing, where specialized tools and scripts are used to execute test cases automatically.

It contrasts with manual testing, in which testers perform test cases by hand without tool support, by executing the tests more efficiently and precisely using automation tools.

It reduces the duration of the testing process without compromising on effectiveness. Basically, the whole point of automation testing is to save time and effort by running repetitive test cases.

If this is done, teams can then have more time for exploratory testing and any other vital things that require human intervention.

Automation testing guarantees consistency, as exactly the same tests will be run in precisely the same way every time, hence reducing human error.

How does automated testing work?

Automated testing operates through a structured, step-by-step process designed to validate software functions without any manual input:

• Test Preparation: Here, testers or rather developers write test cases regarding expected application behavior. These test cases will be a basis on which the scripts to be automated are written.

• Script Development: Through the use of an automation tool, the test scripts development is done. These scripts translate the test cases into understandable and executable commands for the automation tool. The scripting can be done using any programming languages supported by the concerned automation tool, Java, C#, or Python.

• Environment Setup: The environment needs to be set up ahead of running tests. From setting up local machines to remote servers, setting up the software and hardware where the tests are supposed to be run involves all this.

• Test Execution: The automation tool executes the scripts on the application by interacting with it, as it would be done by any user. This can be done on a schedule basis or actually triggered by certain events. For example, a new code commit in some version control system.

• Result Logging and Analysis: While tests are run, the automation tool logs its results, capturing data about which of the tests passed or failed. This step is quite important in the light of defect identification and areas of improvement.

• Bug Reporting and Fixing: Failed tests show a potential bug that needs to be taken care of by the developers. Present the results of testing, report bugs to the development team for fixation.

• Continuous Integration: Automated tests could hook into a continuous integration(CI) system, whereby any time new changes get pushed into your codebase for an application, it performs those tests automatically and makes sure new changes don’t break old functionality.

Why should I use automated testing? Key Benefits

1. Increased Test Coverage: Automation testing will enable you to run large numbers of test cases on different platforms, environments, and devices. This extensive coverage ensures that the application performs well under various conditions, thus making it even more reliable and robust.
2. Faster Feedback Cycle: Automation testing provides immediate feedback to the developers once the codes change. Therefore, developers can recognize issues earlier in the development life cycle and are able to fix them. These quick feedback loops will help to maintain the quality of code and speed up the release cycle.
3. Cost Efficiency: Most of the time, investment in automation tools and script development is pretty high initially, yet prevents cost inefficiently in the longer run. Automation testing allows for reducing manual testers who regularly perform similar test cases. This keeps the labour cost low with reduced time to market.
4. Improved Accuracy: Automated tests eliminate the ‘human’ factor of error. Each test is fired exactly the same as it is made and the same amount of time, guarding the quality of the test and making sure consistent results are realized. This makes the use of automated testing in regression testing very important, a process where tests are fired repeatedly during the development cycle.
5. Reusability of Test Scripts: Once written, the automated test scripts can be reused in various projects or test cycles with minimal changes. Besides that, this also helps a lot with scalability for automation testing, which keeps pace with organizational needs.
6. Better Resource Utilisation: Automation testing frees up the human testers to do other complex activities like exploratory testing, which requires critical thinking and creativity. This optimized utilization of resources gives way to comprehensive test coverage and a quality product.

Types of Automation Testing

There are various types of tests that can be performed depending on what that particular project requires. Some of the most common types of automation testing include:

• Unit Testing: This test is for individual components or modules of an application to ensure they work as expected. In general, unit tests are automated and run quite frequently during development.
• Integration Testing: Integration testing has to do with the interaction of various modules or components of the application. Here, automation is very helpful, given the fact that modifications in one module may affect other modules’ functionality.
• Functional Testing: These tests validate the functionality of an application against the specified requirements. Automating such tests gives good confidence that all functionalities are performing as intended with a wide range of inputs and conditions.
• Regression Testing: Regression testing is done to confirm that the recent code changes have not adversely affected the functionality of the existing code. Automation is very efficient for regression tests since it allows running the tests quickly once again to find defects that might get caused by newer changes.
• Performance Testing: Performance tests check responsiveness, stability, and scalability of an application under conditions for different loads. Performance testing automation helps in continuous monitoring and ensuring the application meets the performance benchmarks.
• End-to-End Testing: This sort of testing simulates real user scenarios and validates the whole application flow. Automation of end-to-end tests helps to ensure that an application behaves as expected from start to finish on varied scenarios.

Tools for Automation Testing

Numerous tools are available in the market to facilitate automation testing. The choice of tool depends on factors such as the type of application, programming language, and specific testing requirements. Some popular automation testing tools include:

• Selenium: Selenium could be defined as the most popular open-source tool for automating web browsers. It supports different programming languages and is an ideal tool for the functional and regression testing of web applications.
• Appium: Appium is an open-source tool used for mobile application automation on Android and iOS. It enables testers to write tests once and run the same code on multiple platforms, making it a more versatile option for mobile testing.
• Jenkins: Jenkins is a continuous integration tool. Its main features are that it automates building and testing. It integrates with various automation tools and also supports the scheduling and execution of automated tests as part of the CI/CD pipeline.
• TestComplete: TestComplete is a licensed tool that provides the facility to automate the testing of desktop, web, and mobile applications. It has an easy-to-use interface; while working with TestComplete, there is great support for different types of scripting languages.
• QTest: It is a test management tool integrated with different automation testing tools. A tester can manage automated and manual test cases in one interface, also track test execution and results.

The Role of Automation Testing in Agile and DevOps

Automation testing plays an integral part in Agile and DevOps methodologies, which ask for continuous integration, continuous testing, and continuous delivery. In such environments, rapid and iterative development cycles require periodic testing that a different code change may not introduce defects or can’t degrade application performance.

In Agile development, the development process is integrated with automation testing to enable continuous feedback and fast adaptation to changes. Consequent to each build, automated tests are executed; these guarantee that there aren’t any issues and that they are found and fixed as early as possible.

In DevOps, automation testing is channeled through the CI/CD pipeline. The automated tests are also triggered automatically with every commit of code made, thus enabling continuous build, test, and deployment. Further, because testing is integrated into every stage of the development and deployment process, organizations can achieve continuous delivery of high-quality software at a faster pace.

Challenges in Automation Testing

However, automation testing has a host of challenges in their own right. Some common ones are:

• High Initial Investment: The initial investment that one needs to make in automation tools, infrastructure, and script development is pretty high in nature. Organizations have to carefully find the long-term benefits and return on investment before committing to this approach.
• Complex Maintenance of Test Scripts: Every time a change occurs in an application, an automated test script needs to be modified and updated to reflect changes in the codebase. Needless to say, such scripts are pretty labor-intensive to maintain and require skilled resources to keep them working.
• Unsuitable for All Kinds of Tests: Obviously, not all test cases are the best candidates to automate. Tests with subjective judgment, like user experience or visual design decisions, are better left to be tested manually.
• Selection of Tools and Integration Challenges: Selection of automation tools that best fit the project requirements is always not straightforward, and integrating them into an existing development environment can be complex. Organizations should consider these issues in terms of compatibility, ease of use, and scalability.

Misconceptions about Automated Testing

There are several general misconceptions about automated testing, which create unrealistic expectations and lead to the usage of automation incorrectly in software testing:

• Replacement for All Manual Testing: A common myth exists that automated testing actually replaces all forms of manual testing. While automation is perfectly well-suited to tests that are repetitive and data-intensive, it lacks subjective judgment assessments such as user experience and visual appeal.
• Instant Cost Savings: Most people believe that automated testing saves money from day one. However, creating automated testing requires an initial high-order investment by acquiring licenses for tools, script development, and person training. In general, cost dividends are realized over some time when the efficiency and reusability of automated tests pay off.
• Ease of Implementation: There is a belief that automated testing is easy to implement. In reality, all of this takes a lot of planning, good resources, and maintenance to keep the test scripts sharp and effective as the application evolves.
• Fully Autonomous: Another related myth seems to be that once set up, automated tests are fully autonomous and do not require human intervention. While automation reduces the need for manual inputs, monitoring, updating test cases, and even the latest developments within the testing environment require continuous effort or the whole system will fail in performance.
• Improvement in Quality Guaranteed: The very fact that automated testing has been implemented will not guarantee an assured improvement in the quality of the software. Its success is entirely dependent upon the quality of the test cases, the effectiveness of the automation strategy, and how well testing is integrated with the overall development of the software.

Manual vs. Automated Testing

Understanding the differences between manual and automated testing is crucial for effective test strategy development:

Automated Testing Best Practices

Effective automated tests are based on a set of best practices that guarantee it reaches the maximum efficiency and return on investment:

• Begin with a Strategy in Mind: Clearly define what tests to automate because it directly returns on investment. Usually, tests that are frequently run and/or require high precision would be the best candidates to automate.
• Choose the Right Tools: Select the appropriate tools that best fit your project’s technology stack and testing requirements. Consider the support of programming languages, ease of integration with your IDE, or scalability of tools.
• Maintenance of Test Scripts: Automated test scripts will need to be updated based on changes within the application to make sure automated tests are running effectively. Regular maintenance will help these from reporting false positives/negatives due to a lack of updates.
• Simplify Test Cases: If test cases have substantial size, then divide them into smaller pieces, which would be simple and easy to manage. That just makes life a lot easier while writing, debugging, and maintaining the test over time.
• Implement Data-Driven Techniques: Separate the test data from the test logic using some data-driven technique. Thus, you can run one and the same test scenario with different sets of data for better coverage and efficiency.
• Implement Early and Often: Implement automated tests into the Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment pipeline to find issues early and often. This integration ensures that automated testing plays a role directly in the workflow of developing.
• Monitoring and Reporting: Get regular test results into view and generate reports periodically for monitoring automatic testing effectiveness. Reporting will help you get the trending over time, which allows you to observe possibly something which may need your attention.

Why Choose Testscenario for Your Automation Testing Needs?

At Testscenario, we understand the role automation testing plays in efficiently and effectively delivering high-quality software. This means that our professional team is prepared to support you in the use of automation for improving your testing processes in achieving business objectives.

Why Testscenario?

• Expertise and Experience: With a team of experienced professionals in automation testing, we are privileged with experience across various industries and platforms.
• Customised Solutions: We take the time to learn about your needs, from your current processes and goals, down to creating a customised automation testing strategy that best fits your business objectives.
• Comprehensive Tool Support: Whether it’s Selenium, Appium, Jenkins, or any other automation tool, our team integrates and optimises these tools for your testing environment. We make sure the processes of automation are smooth, efficient, and scalable.
• Ongoing Support and Maintenance: Automation testing doesn’t end with just the implementation of test scripts. We continue to support and maintain each automation test to keep them effective as your application evolves. Our team is always there to make updates, fix issues, or provide guidance when needed.
• Proven Track Record: With over 10+ years and 400+ projects we have helped numerous clients across different sectors achieve their automation testing goals. Our success stories speak to our commitment to delivering high-quality solutions that drive results.

Conclusion

Automation testing is such a powerful tool in the software development life cycle, due to its speedier feedback, improved accuracy, and cost savings it provides. However, successful automation requires the right strategy, tools, and expertise.

At Testscenario, we help customers realize the full potential of automation testing.  Feel free to reach out and understand more about our Automation Testing Services on how we can help with quicker, reliable software releases.