Automation Testing for Beginners

In basic, Automation testing is how to automate tests execution, manage tests data, and control software quality before releasing.

Benefits of automation testing

• Simplify test execution: Reused test scripts to save both time and effort.
• Reduce human intervention: Run automated tests whenever code is written.
• Speed up test:  Increase the speed of test execution and test coverage, then shorten the SDLC.
• Test on multiple platforms and cross-browsers: Increase test coverage and perform testing in parallel without creating abundant test cases on different platforms and browsers

Type of testing

There are 2 main types of testing, functional and non-functional:

• Functional: Which tests the practical business application of a software solution. For example, an app like Uber must connect end-users to drivers when all requirements are satisfied, at the bare minimum.
• Non-functional: Which tests the remaining demands of the software (for example, performance, data storage, etc.) With the example above, this type of testing will ensure that the app is fast and capable when performing its most crucial functions, like connecting end-users (customers) to drivers in this case.

Type of tests

• Smoke Tests
• Integration Tests
• Regression Tests
• Security Tests
• Performance Tests
• Acceptance Tests
• Black-box Tests

Automation Test Frameworks

When the types of automated testing used in a project have been determined, the team should choose an automation test framework to help testers organize and standardize the process.

Types of Framework

• Linear Framework ( Record and Playback):
• Modular Based Framework:
• Library Architecture Framework:
• Data-Driven Automation Framework
• Keyword Driven Automation Framework
• Hybrid Automation Framework

When to opt for automation software testing?

Take the below criteria into account before making your own decision

• High Risk – Business Critical test cases

  Some test cases may contain severe risks, which will hurt the business. The negative impact could be over-estimated costs, customer dissatisfaction, poor user experience.

• Repetitive test cases

  There is useless if applied automation testing for tests that run one time. Under these states, repeatable tests can be run on-demand, resulting in a cut of the cost per test run and the time to complete an automation software testing development cycle.

• Functional test cases

  Functional testing is an excellent case to use automated testing. You can quickly detect the real-time performance of the functional requirements.

5 Steps to get started with Automated Testing

Step 1: Defining the Scope of Automation

The scope of automation means the field of your AUT( Application Under Test) that will be automated. Below are additional criteria helping you to determine the extent:

• Technical usefulness
• The complication of test cases
• The features or functions that are important for the business
• Which business ingredients are reused
• The ability to use the same test cases for cross-browser testing.

Step 2: Selecting an Automation Testing Tool

It depends on the technology the application tests are built on and your team’s skill set. Each type of tool or framework serves a different requirement.

Step 3: Planning, Designing, and Development

You will need an automation strategy and plan. This plan can include:

• Selected automation testing tool
• Framework design
• A timeline in detail for scripting and executing test cases
• Items of automation
• Results of automation testing process

Step 4: Executing Test Cases and Build reports

After tests execution, the test report provides a summary of the testing performed for the project.

Step 5: Maintaining previous test cases

Test maintenance is required to expand your collection of reusable test scripts. Once your tests have been scripted and running, they still need updating if there are changes the next time.

Types of Automation Testing Tools

Test automation tools can be divided into three types.

• Open-source automation tools

  Open-source tools are familiar with many automation testers with a programming background due to their free access and how they could be modified for advanced test cases.

• Commercial automation tools

  Commercial tools are made to serve commercial goals and are usually assigned through a subscription plan. This tool often has more high-end features and good customer service that completes the testing process for companies. Users must pay for the license to use the software.

• Custom frameworks

  Teams developed customized software on their own because some projects require more than a single open-source software or fixed commercial testing tool capabilities. Technical experts can deploy those frameworks.

How to Select the Right Automation Tool for Your Project?

Criteria for Automation Testing Tool Evaluation

1. Does your team occupy the skills to utilize the tool?

   Automation testing is more technical than manual testing. Especially with open-source software, testers must have sufficient programming to write and execute test scripts. Testing tools requiring less coding in execution may better solve these problems. Read more about top codeless automation testing tools.

2. Does the team budget fit with the subscription plan?

   Test automation sometimes is not affordable. Even it brings out a positive ROI for your team and business in the long run, you and your team should calculate the budget to pick the suitable software

3. What are the features your team needs?

   While the requirements are diverse, there are some key factors that you should consider when choosing an automation tool:

   a. Supported platforms

   b. The applied application under tests (AUT)

   c. Programming languages

   d. CI/CD integration capabilities

   e. Test Reporting functionality

   f. Low training cost and ease to adapt

4. How difficult are script maintenance and reusability?

   The ideal automation tool should have capabilities to reduce the effort in script maintenance, such as eliminating object locator flakiness. Besides, script reusability saves you and the team a great deal of time for similar test cases to reuse test scripts.

5. What are the integration facilities?

   The automation tool must integrate into CI/CD pipelines and external platforms to ensure testing continuity.

6. Do you have technical support?

   Another critical point to be noticed is the support for your tool. Commercial tools usually provide their users with a customer support team for all technical issues. With open-source software, there’s only support from the community.

Top Suggestions for Test Automation Tools

Katalon Studio

Katalon Studio is an automation tool with free and paid versions. With CI/CD integrations and Smart Analytics, Katalon Studio can be used to automate Web, API, Mobile, and Desktop applications testing. Besides, with TestOps and TestCloud, you now manage tests and set up environments as easily as ABC.

Selenium

Selenium is the most well-known open-source framework for web testing across browsers and platforms. Selenium has become a standard framework for many tools to be built on top.

SoapUI

SoapUI is another well-known open-source web service testing application for Simple Object Access Protocol and representational state transfers by Smartbear. SOAPUI is for developers and testers looking to accelerate their ability to deliver REST, SOAP, and GraphQL APIs. Now it

JMeter

JMeter is an open-source Java web testing platform used for functional and performance tests Top API Testing Tools for 2022 Top 15 Mobile Testing Tools for 2022

Reference

https://www.katalon.com/resources-center/blog/what-is-automation-testing/ https://www.katalon.com/resources-center/blog/automation-testing-tool-strategy/