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Blog AuthorAnkush
PublishedNov 22, 2024
Views2,172
Read Time5 mins
Table of Content
Are you prepared to enhance your testing skills? An automation framework can be your valuable tool. They make testing quicker and more trustworthy. You will be educated on various automation testing frameworks and their usage. I will explain and delve into tools, obstacles, and optimal methods. Prepare yourself to enhance your testing approach!
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An automation testing framework is the toolbox you will use to design and execute tests effectively. It is a set of rules, guidelines, and tools that make the testing work more efficient. You should consider it as a map of your automation plan. With this, you are able to put in place, organize, and simply run test cases.
Automation framework makes your test scripts more reusable and easy to manage because it groups them. It is not about running tests but about building a structure that helps make automation useful and efficient.
Based on my experience, one can safely say that a good automation framework will change your testing process dramatically. At my office, there has been an impressive increase in productivity once there is the correct framework in place. It is not just running tests but making your whole testing process more efficient and easy with a system of tests.
The idea of automating the testing process in your software development is revolutionary. Here’s why it’s crucial:
They are faster than manual testing, and you can easily run tests.
Automated tests go through the same steps all the time and thus are more accurate.
It is easy to run other tests to increase the number of tests carried out and the quality of tests that software has.
Although there is a first investment, over time, automation helps you to save both money and time.
From my perspective, there is a way to enhance the quality of your product to integrate automation into your testing process. You will detect bugs earlier, deploy quicker, and have more confidence in your software. In other words, it is critical to appreciate that automated testing does not eliminate manual testing but is a testing tool.
Now let’s discuss various automation test frameworks available that can be adopted to optimize your testing approach. They are all different, and choosing depends on the project’s extent and the kind of work that needs to be done.
This is the least complex test automation framework you can start with. You have a test script that follows a linear path, flowing one after the other. That is relatively simple to do at the start but could be a problem as your test suite grows.
In my experience, and probably the best to use when undertaking small projects or starting to automate your projects. It is easy to use, and the initial configuration is very fast. However, you might outgrow it as your testing needs become more complex.
With this automated testing framework, you divide your application into modules and develop different scripts for testing each. You may then develop test cases from these modules. This approach reduces the burden and frequency of your tests while making them easily reusable.
I’ve found it particularly useful for most complex applications with different features. You will also come to realize how simple it is to modify only the required sections of your test cases while keeping the entire suite. It is much better than the linear scripting approach.
It is useful when working with tests that have to be performed several times with different data. You keep your test data and your test scripts as two different entities. This means that you can easily run the same test with different inputs.
At my office, we use this for login tests with different user types. You will find it interesting how it eliminates the problem of duplicity in codes while adding flexibility to the tests. All you have to do is update your data file, and you can run new scenarios within minutes.
This automated testing framework goes further than any basic modularity concept. You create a table of keywords that refer to a given action in the given application. Your test scripts then use these keywords to do actions. This makes your tests less likely to be cluttered and difficult to maintain. It is always fantastic when none of the team members is highly technical, especially when it comes to test creation. This will make the integration of work between the teams easier since everyone involved in the testing process uses the same keywords.
This is a merger of two or more frameworks, and the name gives it away quite literally. There is very much freedom in that you can select only the best aspects of all frameworks and make a custom solution.
The best way to utilize a hybrid approach is usually when the large, long-term project has testing requirements. It is for this reason that you can design your test automation framework in a way that can fit your project needs. It’s flexible but takes a more planned and strategic approach and might need professional input.
6. Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) Framework
This framework helps break the barriers between those who understand the project technically and those who do not. You approach test cases and document them in the simplest language that everyone can understand. It fosters cooperation between the development team, testers, and business representatives.
From my experience, this automation framework is highly effective in enhancing communication within multi-discipline teams. You will understand how it links your tests to business needs and user stories. It ensures that the tests you’re conducting reflect the actual conditions.
Also Read: What is REST API?
Choosing the right set of automation frameworks can easily turn the game in your favor. Here’s how you can make the right choice:
Think about your team’s experience. As such, choose an automation framework that best matches their programming skills. If they are Java masters, then a Java-oriented framework would be the most suitable.
Consider what you need in terms of your project. Are you testing web applications, mobile applications, or both? Your choice should, therefore, meet your testing needs.
In my experience, it is very common for any project to grow beyond initial expectations. Choose a framework that will be suitable for growing the project. You will thank yourself later when your test suite expands.
Make sure that the automation framework is well incorporated with your other tools and processes. In my office, one key characteristic is integration so that processes integrate as much as possible to avoid disruption.
Consider your budget. Some frameworks are open source and available for free, while others have license costs. Account for training costs also.
In my opinion, it is very important to test drive your option. Set up small pilot projects with different frameworks. This will help you make a personal choice to know which framework suits your needs through practice.
You may want to enhance your understanding of automation testing. If so, then you may go for the Automation Testing Certification Course at StarAgile. Explore how this course can enhance your skills and career prospects!
Read More: What is the Software Testing Process and its Types?
Selenium is among the most extensively used software testing tools out there. With this, you can write your test scripts in different programming languages like Java, Python, and C# (Csharp). You can test web applications end-to-end in various browsers. In my practice, Selenium stands out due to its versatility and the huge number of teams involved in its development.
This tool helps automate tests for native and hybrid applications on mobile devices. You can write tests that cover Web, iOS, Android, and Windows apps, all without touching the application’s code. This integration of cross-platforms serves the purpose of saving time and effort for you. Appium is frequently employed at my office because it solves one of the most common problems—CI tool integration.
Cypress is a new generation testing tool used only for web applications. Some benefits of using this include a simple network site and more file processing, which is important to developers and fast in its implementation. Browsers allow you to run tests right in them. Therefore, you can see instant feedback on your code changes. In my opinion, Cypress brings a lot of value by reducing the required time for front-end testing as compared to other approaches.
TestNG is an effective testing tool specifically designed to build automation solutions for Java applications. It supports and enables tests to run concurrently and additional features such as grouping tests and managing dependencies. Integration with TestNG is simple and seamless with standard build tools like Maven and Gradle. In my experience, the application’s feature of reporting can help track test results effectively.
Robot Framework is an open-source tool that is applied for test creation based on a keyword-driven approach. The language that you use to write your tests is plain English, which means that everyone on your team can understand. This framework comes in handy for acceptance testing, and all the various applications that can be automated are easily done. I have realized that it is helpful for teams that want to enhance how they cooperate in testing processes.
Also Read: What is Integration Testing?
Automating a testing process involves a large investment at the beginning of the automation testing framework. You have to commit time and resources to the tools and the training. This can be quite challenging, particularly for small-scale teams. The most important thing that I have learned about automation is that there is always a great trade-off between expenses and profits.
The lack of proper testing infrastructure is a problem that many organizations face. This means that to run tests across these environments, you require strong systems. Otherwise, you will find that your test coverage and the speed of test execution can be significantly affected. At my office, we faced challenges when our infrastructure was not adequate to support parallel test executions.
There is a scarcity of professionals who are both capable of implementing and maintaining automation frameworks. You may require team members with specified programming competencies. In my experience, training existing staff tends to be more productive than recruiting new employees. This means that, as the need for automation changes, your team will be ready for the changes that will likely come along.
It is also important to know that some automation frameworks are difficult to implement and manage. You might notice that the setup time is longer than anticipated at the beginning. Such a situation creates confusion among the team members. To avoid this, both documentation and training are crucial to a seamless integration.
An automation framework is a best practice that can revolutionize your testing method. Selecting the right framework and tools for your requirement brings a lot of enhancement to the testing process in terms of the effectiveness, coverage, and quality of the product.
Just bear in mind that, with automation frameworks, the key is to start with small-scale projects and gradually build up experience and adapt the best practices. You will get more and more used to the idea of automation and discover how best to use these frameworks to suit your testing requirements.
Also Read: Manual Testing vs Automation Testing
No, automation cannot replace manual testing. You still need human insight for exploratory testing. Automation work well with repeated testing and regression testing. It should be noted that both methods can be used to provide comprehensive control of the quality of work. You can combine automation’s efficiency with human creativity for the best results.
An automation framework enables you to perform more tests in a given amount of time. It is very simple to design and perform various types of tests. This includes edge cases that might take a lot of time to test on the device if done manually. With automation, you will be able to cover other features and configurations of the system and, therefore, increase the general coverage of testing.
There is no doubt that AI is transforming automation testing as a field. It assists you in creating test cases and predicting potential issues. AI can process test results within a shorter span of time than a human and perhaps even notice some patterns that a human might not notice. The AI automation framework will also help with better test prioritization and improved techniques for bug identification.
For calculating ROI, you need to compare your automation expenses with its advantages. Keep a record of time saved due to regression testing and faster releases. Take into account the reduced expense related to bug fixes in production. Consider the enhancement in test coverage and uniformity. Also, remember, it gives worth to liberating your team for tasks of greater importance.
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