Your Test Automation Questions, Answered

Your Test Automation Questions, Answered

You’ve heard terms like “automated testing”, “test automation”, “application testing”, and “testing-as-a-service” …but, what does this all mean?  Whether your applications are on-premise, you’re new to the cloud landscape, or you’re a seasoned cloud professional, the efficient testing of your applications is imperative to effective business operations and saving your organization time and money.  

Our testing experts have compiled concise answers to the 10 most frequently asked questions they receive about application testing.  

  1. What is Automated Testing?

Automated Testing uses technology to write and execute test scripts. The primary goal of Automated Testing is to reduce the number of test cases that are run manually, not to eliminate manual testing altogether.

  1. When should I automate a test?

Test automation is recommended for:

  • Repetitive tasks
  • Sanity tests
  • Testing of multiple data sets
  • Regression testing

The decision is often based on return on investment.

  1. When should I not automate a test?
  • When the application to be tested changes frequently
  • For one-time test cases
  • For ad-hoc or random testing
  1. What are the steps in the automation process?
  • Select the testing tool
  • Define the scope of automation
  • Plan, design, and develop scenarios
  • Execute tests
  • Maintain test automation
  1. What is covered during the planning phase of automation?
  • Selecting the right automation tool
  • Selecting the right automation framework (if any)
  • Identifying the scope of testing items
  • Test environment setup
  • Preparing a Gantt chart of project timelines for test script development and execution
  • Identifying test deliverables
  1. Can I use test automation with the Agile method?

Automated testing may not be useful for agile methods when:

  • Testing drives changes to requirements
  • An exhaustive level of documentation is required

Note: Automation testing may still be suitable for regression tests on agile projects, such as continuous integration.

  1. What are the primary features of a good automation tool?
  • Good debugging facility
  • Robust object identification
  • Object and image testing abilities
  • Database testing abilities
  • Support of multiple frameworks
  1. What standards should be used for authorizing scripts?

While writing scripts for automation, good standards to consider are:

  • Uniform naming conventions
  • Three lines of comments for every ten lines of code
  • Adequate indentation
  • Robust error handling and recovery scenarios
  • Use of frameworks wherever possible
  1. How can I measure the success of my test automation?
  • Defect detection ratio
  • Automation execution time savings
  • Reduction in labor and other costs
  1. Why shouldn’t I just keep testing manually?

     The disadvantages of manual testing include:

  • Greater need for time and resources
  • Inaccuracy
  • Executing the same test cases repeatedly is tedious and error-prone
  • It is impractical to manually test very large or time-bound projects

In today’s everything-as-a-service, internet-of-everything world, the business of application testing has become infinitely more complex. Testers must now consider myriad applications, multiple platforms, numerous devices, browsers, security roles, and more. Combined with the pressure of digital transformation, compressed release schedules, and the need for more frequent test iterations, it is quickly becoming necessary for enterprises of all sizes to automate their testing processes and test cycles.

AST has you covered with a comprehensive suite of automated testing and QA services across all Cloud and On-Premise solutions!  Contact us today to learn more about our proven application testing services

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