Test Automation in Software Testing

Test Automation in Software Testing

• Test automation involves using purpose-built software tools to control and set up test preconditions
• It includes executing tests using these software tools
• The automated process also compares actual outcomes to predicted outcomes

Key Principles for Test Automation

• Keep automated tests up-to-date: fix failed tests instead of disabling them.
• Plan for deployment: ensure test scripts can be easily deployed, changed, and redeployed.
• Retire tests as needed: ensure automated test scripts can be easily retired if they are no longer useful or necessary.
• Monitor and restore the System Under Test (SUT): continuously monitor the SUT and recover from fatal errors.
• Enable easy troubleshooting: provide a way to troubleshoot failing tests due to SUT, test automation, or test environment issues.
• Address the test environment appropriately: ensure consistency in the test environment and test data.
• Document automated test cases: clearly describe and document test automation goals and objectives.
• Trace automated tests: support tracing for test automation engineers to trace individual steps to test cases.
• Enable easy maintenance: ensure automated test cases are easily maintained, analyzable, changeable, and expandable.

Test Automation Process

• Designing the testware: including software, documentation, test cases, test environments, and test data.
• Implementing automated test cases: executing tests without human interaction.
• Monitoring and controlling the execution of automated tests: interpreting, reporting, and logging test results.

Test Automation Approaches

• API testing: testing through public interfaces to classes, modules, or libraries of the SUT.
• GUI testing/CLI testing: testing through the user interface of the SUT.
• Testing through a service or protocol: testing through a service or protocol.

Objectives of Test Automation

• Improve test efficiency: reduce the total test cost and shorten the test execution period.
• Provide wider function coverage: perform tests that manual testers cannot.
• Increase test frequency: reduce the time required for test cycles.
• Improve system reliability: improve repeatability, consistency, and system reliability.

Advantages of Test Automation

• Run more tests per build: enable more tests to be run per build.
• Create complex tests: create tests that cannot be done manually (real-time, remote, parallel tests).
• Less operator error: reduce the possibility of human error.
• More effective use of testing resources: use testing resources more efficiently.
• Quicker feedback: get quicker feedback regarding software quality.
• Improved system reliability: improve system reliability through repeatability and consistency.

Disadvantages of Test Automation

• Additional costs: require additional costs for setup and maintenance.
• Initial investment: require an initial investment to set up the test automation system.
• Requires additional technologies: require additional technologies and skills.
• Team needs development and automation skills: require team members to have development and automation skills.
• Ongoing maintenance: require ongoing maintenance and updates.
• Can distract from testing objectives: can distract from testing objectives, focusing on automating tests instead of executing tests.

Limitations of Test Automation

• Not a replacement for exploratory testing: cannot replace exploratory testing.
• Limited to machine-interpretable results: can only check machine-interpretable results.
• Limited to actual results: can only check actual results that can be verified by an automated test oracle.
• Not all manual tests can be automated: cannot automate all manual tests.

This quiz covers the tasks involved in test automation, including setting up test preconditions, executing tests, and comparing actual outcomes to predicted outcomes in software testing.