Test Automation and Automation process

Automation Testing | Automation Process

Automated software testing definition:

In software testing, test automation is the use of special software (separate from the software being tested) to control the execution of tests and the comparison of actual outcomes with predicted outcomes

OR

Automated software testing is a process in which software tools execute pre-scripted tests on a software application before it is released into production.

The objective of automated testing is to simplify as much of the testing effort as possible with a minimum set of scripts. If unit testing consumes a large percentage of a quality assurance (QA) team's resources, for example, then this process might be a good candidate for automation. Automated testing tools are capable of executing tests, reporting outcomes and comparing results with earlier test runs. Tests carried out with these tools can be run repeatedly, at any time of day.

The method or process being used to implement automation is called a test automation framework. Several frameworks have been implemented over the years by commercial vendors and testing organizations. Automating tests with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) or open source software can be complicated, however, because they almost always require customization. In many organizations, automation is only implemented when it has been determined that the manual testing program is not meeting expectations and it is not possible to bring in more human testers.

Automated Testing Process:

For any automated tool implementation, the following are the phases/stages of it. Each one of the stages corresponds to a particular activity and each phase has a definite outcome.

           

·        Test Automation Feasibility Analysis - First step is to check if the application can be automated or not. Not all applications can be automated due to its limitations.

·        Appropriate Tool Selection - The Next most important step is the selection of tools. It depends on the technology in which the application is built, its features and usage.

·        Evaluate the suitable framework - Upon selecting the tool the next activity is to select a suitable framework. There are various kinds of frameworks and each framework has its own significance. We will deal with frameworks in detail later this chapter.

·        Build the Proof of Concept - Proof of Concept (POC) is developed with an end to end scenario to evaluate if the tool can support the automation of the application. As it is performed with an end to end scenario which will ensure that the major functionalities can be automated.

·        Develop Automation Framework - After building the POC, framework development is carried out, which is a crucial step for the success of any test automation project. Framework should be built after diligent analysis of the technology used by the application and also its key features.

·        Develop Test Script, Execute and Analyze - Once Script development is completed, the scripts are executed, results are analyzed and defects are logged, if any. The Test Scripts are usually version controlled.