Automated Software Testing

Automated testing uses a software tool to test another system. Test scripts are written and executed, then actual results are compared with expected results. Automating repetitive, essential testing saves time.

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Automated Software Testing

Software Test Automation Overview

An automation tool lets a tester write scripts and use them to test the system. It automates selected parts of manual testing and allows thorough testing in less time. Tools support regression, load and stress testing, but automation cannot completely replace manual testing. It saves money and effort as well as time, and helps improve accuracy.

Automation cannot cover every aspect of software, but it helps with areas such as the GUI and database connectivity. It is particularly useful on large, complex projects that need frequent testing, and for applications serving many concurrent users. The time saved lets the team focus more closely on software quality.

Before automating tests, understand:

1. Which parts of the software need automated testing.
2. Which tools are best suited to the work.
3. How to write and execute test scripts.
4. How to identify potential defects and prepare result reports.

Automation can improve quality, but it is not the only way to achieve it and does not replace inspections or walkthroughs. Many organizations still treat automated testing as a final opportunity to detect defects that earlier work missed.

Software Test Automation Strategy

The right tools make testing easier, but tools alone do not ensure success. Define an automation strategy: what you will test, how you will do it, where and how scripts will be maintained, the benefits to the project and the expected savings. A specific strategy gives you a stronger basis for reaching your testing goals.

Break the strategy into smaller goals and check whether the tool can deliver what you need. On a large project, tackling complex areas immediately can lead to mistakes. Start small and expand gradually.

Automated testing can be used at unit, integration and system levels. Plan it as early as possible so that you can uncover more defects during the early development stages.

Software Test Automation and Its Return on Investment (ROI)

Return on investment (ROI) helps you assess the benefits of test automation, including cost savings, greater efficiency and improved software quality.

ROI = (Gain minus invested amount) / Invested amount
The most common ways to assess test automation ROI are:

• Simple ROI: Estimate the financial benefit from cost savings. Include the costs of licenses, hardware, staff training, script development, maintenance and analysis. This shows the monetary benefit of introducing automation.
• Efficiency ROI: Measure gains in time and efficiency. This approach is useful when the company already owns and uses automation tools and does not need a new financial investment in them. In that case, a fresh simple ROI calculation is not needed to assess that time benefit.
• Risk reduction ROI: Assess reduced risk and opportunities to improve quality. Automation frees time for analysis, ad hoc testing and exploratory testing. More thorough coverage reduces the chance of failure.

Test Cases to Automate

Automating every test is difficult and unwise. Choose cases carefully, beginning with areas that need repeated testing and tests that use large amounts of data. Other useful candidates include:

1. Tests that need multiple data sets and are difficult to execute manually.
2. Load and stress tests that are difficult to perform manually.
3. Tests that assess performance on multiple platforms.
4. GUI tests.

Test Cases Not To Automate

Some tests are poor candidates for automation, including:

1. Tests run only once or very infrequently.
2. Ad hoc and exploratory tests, which require human investigation rather than complete automation.
3. Tests that require manual execution or human judgment.

How Should We Automate Tests?

Begin by defining what the automated test should check. Choose stable, independent cases. Several small, independent tests are easier to work with than a few large, complex scripts. Large scripts are harder to maintain and may be difficult to execute after major software changes. When a script needs updating, a shorter one is easier to change.

Run a test manually before automating it. Record each step that the repeatable script needs to perform. This helps you identify the conditions required to test the function thoroughly.

Include all required validations in the script. For database transaction tests, make sure the database contains the necessary test data.

Understand how the automation tool works before executing tests. This helps avoid interruptions caused by unfamiliar issues.

Software Test Automation Tools

Automation tools improve testing efficiency and productivity by simplifying time-consuming manual processes. They help you accomplish more in less time, but do not depend on them completely. Define which work needs manual testing and which work benefits from automation. Many reputable tools have a purchase cost, but their practical value can make them worth using on a project.