In today’s technological landscape, testing has become increasingly complex and sophisticated. Manual testing, particularly for repetitive tasks such as regression testing, can be a time-consuming practice.
Moreover, certain development cycles may require the repeated execution of a test suite. This is where test automation services come into the picture, as they can significantly improve the speed and efficiency of the testing process.
Key Advantages of Test Automation Services
Test automation is a powerful practice that helps enterprises to streamline their software development process and achieve faster, more efficient results. Here are some of the key benefits:-
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Facilitates Test Reuse
With automation tools, QA experts can develop test scripts that can be reused for repetitive tasks. This not only saves time but also allows testers to retest applications during the development process, making the release process more efficient.
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Simulates Real-world Scenarios
Automation enables testers to perform tests that are impossible with manual testing, such as load testing the system with thousands of concurrent users.
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Improves Scalability
By running tests 24/7, test automation helps organizations increase the scale at which their testing teams operate.
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Enhances Regression Testing
Regression testing, which involves testing all functional modules of a system, can be time-consuming and repetitive. Automation of this process can greatly improve efficiency and reduce the regression time.
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Reduces Time-to-Market
Test automation can shorten software development cycles by replacing repetitive and time-consuming manual testing with automation tools that work faster than humans. This allows developers to reduce the time between integrating and releasing new features.
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Saves Time and Money
It also helps testers and developers speed up certain phases of testing, leading to cost-effectiveness in the long run.
Which Tests Should Get Automated?
To determine if a test is appropriate for automation, testers should consider the following criteria:-
- The test is repetitive and time-consuming when done manually.
- The test has a predictable path that has been previously verified through manual testing.
- The test covers frequently used features that present high-risk scenarios.
- The test requires multiple datasets and runs on various hardware or software platforms and configurations.
- The test cannot be done manually, such as simulating thousands of concurrent users trying to log in simultaneously.
If a test meets these criteria, it can be a good candidate for automation.
Different Automation Frameworks
There are various types of automation frameworks that organizations use to achieve an effective testing environment. These include:-
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Linear Automation Framework
This framework guides testers to create functions without writing code and executes the steps sequentially. Testers record each step and play the script back automatically to repeat the test.
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Modular-based Testing Framework
Testers divide the software/application under test into separate units or sections, and each section is tested in isolation. Individual test scripts are created for each unit, and the parts are combined to build larger tests that represent various test cases. Creating an abstraction layer is a crucial step in this framework to avoid changes in individual sections affecting the overarching module.
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Data-driven Framework
The data-driven framework separates test data from script logic, and testers can store all the data externally. When testers need to test the software/application multiple times with different data sets, they can use the data stored in external data sources such as Excel Spreadsheets, text files, CSV files, SQL Tables, or ODBC repositories.
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Keyword-driven Framework
In the keyword-driven framework, all functions of the software/application under test are written out in a table with specific instructions on the order of the test to be performed. Test data is separated from script logic, and keywords are stored in the external data table. Keywords represent the various actions being performed to test the GUI of an application. This framework requires a shared object repository to navigate the objects to their associated actions.
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Hybrid Testing Framework
The hybrid framework is a combination of the other frameworks mentioned above. This framework is used to leverage the advantages of some frameworks and mitigate others’ weaknesses.
Conclusion
Automation has become an essential practice in the software development industry due to its ability to improve efficiency and reduce testing time. Organizations can leverage the various frameworks mentioned above to create an effective testing environment.
But it is always the right step to take the help of a professional test automation company like QASource. QASource is a professional software testing company offering top-notch QA testing services.
Visit QASource now to know more about the automation services offered.