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What is test automation & what are some ways of automating software testing?

Software development is one of the most important activities in the Information technology domain. From small to large-scale complex software applications, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) process needs to be implemented strategically. To ensure that software is bug-free and of the best quality, built according to user and business-specific requirements, software testing is implemented. Test automation is one of the most important components of software testing. In this article, you will get to know about test automation and some of the ways to automate software testing.

What is test automation?

It is a process where automated tools are used for efficient software testing activities. It helps in managing test data, running tests and leveraging results for developing a high-quality software product or application. Much of the manual requirements are relieved through the tactical implementation of test automation. Test automation is also referred to as “automation testing” or “automated QA testing.”

Following are some ways of automating software testing:

1. Select the specific test cases that need to be automated: The entire testing cannot be automated and upon that it will be waste of time, cost and resources to do that. Hence, ascertain those specific test cases that need to be automated. Those test cases are good for automation that are run repeatedly and requires huge amounts of data to perform the same actions.

2. The right automation testing tool needs to be selected: Carrying out successful test automation requires the implementation of the right automation testing tool. There are many automated tools available, but only those tools that are in line with the overall project requirements need to be selected. Following are a few key points that can be considered while selecting the right automated testing tool:

·       Consider the technology and platforms that are being used. Testing web applications or testing C#, .Net. WPF or any other applications needs to be considered. The type of operating system for mobile and desktop should also be considered

·       Testers should use the tool flexibly across all testing levels. The automated test scripts should be easily used by the QA department

3. Automated tests work best when they are divided: Different tests are created based on the QA engineers’ skill levels. The level of skills and experience needs to be identified for each of the team members and then the automation testing efforts should be divided accordingly. For example, good knowledge of scripting languages is required for writing automated test scripts. For this kind of activity, those QA engineers who have the necessary expertise in the scripting languages used by the automated tool should be considered.

There might be some team members who may not have the required expertise for writing automated test scripts. Those team members can be considered for writing test cases.

4. Quality test data should be developed: Data-driven testing requires good test data. Input fields are where the data should be entered during an automated test and stored in an external file. This data source can be read from a data source like Excel sheets, text or XML files and database tables. The contents of the data files are actually understood by a good automation tool and iterates over the contents in the automated test.

5. Automated tests need to be developed that are resistant to UI changes: Automated tests that are developed with keyword tests or scripts are dependent on the Application Under Test. The application’s user interface may change between builds, especially in the initial stages.

The test results may be affected by these changes, or the automated tests may no longer work with the application’s future versions. A series of automated testing tools are used to locate and identify an object.    

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing test automation for your specific project, then do get connected with a globally renowned software testing services company that will provide you with a comprehensive testing blueprint that is in line with your project specific requirements. 

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.

 

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