The different types of Test Automation Frameworks

 

 

 Testing remains a critical component of any software development process. This is because it ensures the identification and removal of all bugs in the code, the delivery of superior customer experiences, greater adoption of the software in the market, and increased profitability for the enterprise. The process of testing has undergone considerable improvements in the last few years with the automated testing approach being adopted for its slew of benefits. As opposed to manual testing, a test automation strategy automates the testing of software applications to speed up the development process and make the software application glitch-free, efficient, and reliable. However, to implement test automation, enterprises need to utilize test automation frameworks to drive faster releases of quality products.

What is a test automation framework?

To begin with, a framework is a structure of protocols, rules, and guidelines, which can help an enterprise to derive the optimum benefits for a concept or idea. In the same vein, the structure called a test automation framework helps to execute and generate test results. The key components of such a framework are test tools, equipment, test scripts, automation engineers, and procedures. The framework determines if the test results are in alignment with the expected results. Being independent of the software application, a framework can be expanded according to the testing needs of any application and helps to improve test coverage and the quality of products. 

What are the benefits of a test automation framework?

Using such a framework in executing QA automation testing garners the following benefits for the team.

• ·        Better test efficiency
• ·         Better speed and reliability
• ·         Optimization of resources
• ·         Remote testing
• ·         Reduced manual intervention
• ·         Parallel testing
• ·         Bug fixing at an early stage
• ·         Enhanced test coverage
• ·         Code reusability
• ·         Less maintenance cost
• ·         Increased ROI

What are the different types of automated frameworks?

Automated testing services use different types of frameworks to derive the best test outcomes. However, it is important to select the right type for testing the software application under consideration.

# Linear automation framework: The simplest of all frameworks is also known as a record-and-playback framework. Here, the testers need not write the custom test codes and the test process is mentioned in sequential order. It is mainly used for introductory level testing and converts medium or small-sized manual scripts into their corresponding automation scripts. However, on the flip side, the scripts cannot be reused as the data is hardwired into them.

Advantages

·         The tester does not need to be an expert in test automation as there is no need to write any custom code.

·         The testing process takes less time

·         The test workflow is simple to understand as the scripts are written in a sequential order

·         Arguably the best framework to start with automated software testing thanks to its record-and-playback features.

# Module-based framework: Based on Object-Oriented Programming or OOPs, the framework uses abstraction as its concept. According to this, the application under test is divided into various modules wherein each module comprises individual test scripts. Since the modules are separated using the abstraction layer, any changes made to the individual modules do not impact others. The flip side of this framework is that it requires the knowledge of programming language to set up.

Advantages

·         Since the framework comprises of several modules or sections, the cost and ease of maintenance are less.

·         Easy to create new driver scripts.

·         Can be scaled easily and should any defect be found the rest of the overarching module does not need to be touched.

# Library architecture testing framework: Here, tasks with similarities to the test script are identified followed by the testers executing the function-based grouping of similar tasks. Thereafter, the library stores the sorted functions that can be called by the test scripts upon requirement. The framework needs more time and technical expertise to be set up.

Advantages

·         Better reusability of codes compared to the ‘record and playback’ model

·         High level of modularization leading to easy maintenance and scalability of test scripts

# Data-driven framework: In this type of automated testing approach, the inputs and expected results are stored in separate files. Also, a single driver test can perform all test cases with various data sets. The framework entails the segregation of test data and test script logic facilitating code reusability.

Advantages

·         Test executable using multiple data sets

·         Any changes made to the test script do not impact the test data

·         Any number of scenarios can be tested by changing the data sets

# Keyword-driven testing framework: This application-independent framework separates test data and script logic followed by storing the data and keywords externally in a different location. It is more suitable for automated web testing and needs the selection of keywords and data tables.

Advantages

·         Does not require deep knowledge of scripting

·         Reusability of code as a keyword can be used across test scripts

·         Test scripts can be developed independently of the software application being tested

Conclusion

To facilitate faster release of quality software applications under the Agile and DevOps methodologies, choosing the right test automation framework is critical. The criteria to choose any test framework may include the reusability of test scripts, minimum human intervention, and quick identification of glitches, among others. 

 Article Original source:

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How has Automation influenced the Testing Landscape

Today, software development has become a complex process due to the need for compatibility of software across devices, operating environments, browsers, and networks. Add security compliance to the list and the task becomes even more challenging. To ensure the software runs seamlessly across digital environments as mentioned above, it should undergo a rigorous testing exercise. This is important to achieve customer satisfaction – the key determinant to stay competitive. So, how do you choose a testing methodology that delivers excellence in all the areas of software including, performance, security, functionality, and usability, among others? The answer can be found in following a mix of manual and test automation practices with the latter forming the mainstay.

Why test automation?

The traditional form of testing software aka manual testing does not quite match up to the evolving requirements of testing. Since the software applications of today combine cutting-edge technologies like AI & ML, IoT, Big Data, Cloud Computing, and others, the testing requirements have grown manifold. These require checking the performance of the software on multiple channels involving scores of users. This is where manual testing can be time-consuming, error-prone, and tedious thereby putting considerable strain on the human resources. The automation testing approach, on the other hand, can address the shortcomings of manual testing and relieve the human resources to focus on other areas.

With enterprises aiming to deliver software faster to the market, they often take risks with its quality. This involves downplaying or bypassing the testing requirements. Moreover, testers too suffer from fatigue when executing repetitive tests involving huge data. This often leads to situations where enterprises are unable to manage the expenses incurred in service delays and performance issues. Let us find out how automated software testing has changed the testing landscape for the better.

Key benefits of software test automation

QA involves executing a series of tests involving data and comparing the expected outcomes against the actual ones. Here, test automation can guarantee software quality without much human intervention. The best thing about executing automated testing services is its increased frequency of implementation with minimal effort. And if such implementation leads to better results, then achieving customer satisfaction can only be a matter of time.

High test coverage: Since any software with an omnichannel interface encompasses plenty of features and functionalities, it ought to be tested for the latter. A QA automation testing process helps to validate the quality of all features and functionalities thereby increasing the scope of testing. An automated suite can conduct repeat testing with plenty of variables and data thereby enhancing the quality of the software application. It is important to note that manual testing is fairly limited in its scope vis-a-vis testing the features of an application.

Meeting DevOps goals: DevOps has emerged as the latest methodology to develop and deliver superior quality software. It focuses on shift-left testing where testing is conducted alongside development in sprints. Since DevOps is all about achieving continuous integration and testing throughout the SDLC, the role of software test automation assumes salience. It ensures each code is tested thoroughly during the development process before being integrated into a suite. Also, any updation of software based on market demand and/or customer feedback is put through regression testing using automated tools.

Quick detection of glitches: As the SDLC follows the shift-left process, codes are validated using an automated test suite. During the process, glitches get identified at the development stage and fixed. This ensures faster delivery of quality software and saves a considerable amount in time and cost. The latter would have been incurred if the glitches were identified later, either during testing at a later stage or through customer feedback.

How the testing landscape changed with automation

The testing landscape encompasses a number of testing viz., unit testing, functional testing, integration testing, load testing, and regression testing, among others. Automation has helped the above-mentioned areas of testing to be accelerated. Let us find out how.

Unit testing: This type of testing ensures how each piece of code shall behave once it forms a part of the overall software suite. It is usually created by developers and provides feedback on the specific performance of the code. It tells developers whether the code is performing the tasks as expected and can arguably provide the best ROI for automation.

Integration testing: It involves the testing of multiple components of a software suite. Here, even though the components may exist independently, they are interconnected in the larger software suite. By following a test automation strategy, the integration of various components of software such as email services, analytics, third-party components, databases, deployment infrastructure, etc., are tested to ensure the seamless performance of the software.

Load testing: Any software should undergo proper load testing to ensure its components can handle peak load situations. By measuring both normal and peak load thresholds, the software can be scaled up when the crunch time comes. Here, automated load testing tools can come in handy to perform load testing on demand and involves simulating traffic at high speed. This helps to identify the non-functional issues and ensure the scalability and performance of the software.

Functional testing: It checks if the software is doing what it is expected to do instead of how it does. Here, the functionality of the interface or sundry end-to-end components is verified without getting into the nitty-gritty of coding that drives it. By automation, functional testing can be conducted umpteen number of times without any human intervention. However, the test suites should be maintained properly to prevent any false positives.

Regression testing: It checks the functioning of the original features of software when a new one is added. Conducting it manually in-house can be tedious and ideally requires engaging automated testing services. Automated testing can carry out comprehensive regression testing involving unit testing, integration testing, and functional testing. However, conducting UI level testing may not yield the desired results as the UI can be volatile and cause test failures.

Mobile testing: This type of testing can be challenging, for it involves compatibility, functional, performance, security, and UI/UX testing. Mostly the testing is done on real or simulated devices by automating some of the tasks. However, the results can often be sketchy given that they are executed on emulators. Also, the results of such testing would depend on the reliability of the device platform.

Conclusion

Test automation has brought about a significant improvement in the testing landscape. It has been able to address some of the lacunae of manual testing thereby enhancing the quality of software. Enterprises should incorporate automation in their SDLC to ensure the software ticks all the checkboxes for quality. However, as mentioned at the beginning, automation in testing is not the be-all and end-all of everything and should be executed in consonance with manual testing.

Author Bio

Oliver has been associated with Cigniti Technologies Ltd as an Associate Manager - Content Marketing, with over 10 years of industry experience as a Content Writer in Software Testing & Quality Assurance industry. Cigniti is a Global Leader in Independent Quality Engineering & Software Testing Services with CMMI-SVC v1.3, Maturity Level 5.

This article is originally published on dev.to.