There are two kinds of software testing. There is manual testing and automated testing. Manual testing, which humans handle, is prone to errors. This is what led to the development of automated testing.
Test automation uses special software. It involves entering data, comparing actual and expected results, then writing reports.
Success in test automation is not guaranteed without careful consideration. There are pitfalls to avoid for a successful testing strategy. These include:
On this day of the internet and technology, the world waits for none. So now is the time to get acquainted with automation testing skills. Having this skill under your repertoire can save your company a lot of time and resources.
Before, it used to be a daunting task. Now, thanks to useful automation testing tutorials, learning this skill is a breeze. The onus is on us to take advantage of them and cultivate automation skills within ourselves.
Test automation skills are important in speeding up test cycles. This gives you more time to come up with better test case scenarios. Test automation skills keep companies from suffering losses. This is due to the ability to deliver bug-free releases.
Test automation skills allow automation engineers to view what colleagues have worked on. They are also able to view written scripts, as well as the tests other testers have performed. They can also find out about the bugs and get them fixed.
Without test automation, it’s difficult to know the number of written test scripts. Test automation skills enable you to reuse a test script as many times as possible. Manual writing of scripts is exhausting and time-consuming.
Test automation also gives you the ability to perform testing on many platforms.
It takes a lot of time to launch a software product to market. This is due to repetitive testing in manual testing. The time taken to market and launch a bug-free product reduces while test automating. That’s because it takes care of repetitive tasks with fewer resources on board.
With test automation, you can spend time writing new tests. These tests are then added to the automated test suite, increasing the test coverage. Another benefit is that developers can write more in-depth test complex use cases. This allows lengthy tests to run unattended.
Test automation also helps you maximize your test coverage in complex web applications. It ensures the in and out of the software, which in turn improves the test coverage.
Test automation skills also enable corporations to perform smoke testing. This is important considering that most corporations avoid smoke testing. They believe it squeezes the tester’s bandwidth when done.
Test automation enables various tests to run on different computers at the same time.
With test automation, there are minimal hands-on decks for tracking test case execution. This reduces business costs, leading to better use of manpower. Test automation also reduces the need for fixing glitches. This ensures there’s a high-quality production.
Automated tests help in finding bugs early in the software development life cycle. This reduces the risk of delivering faulty software. Nothing beats delivering a quality product to the market.
Test automation also provides faster feedback, by reducing the feedback cycle. The real benefit here is that this leaves space for developers to innovate. Test automation also provides actionable feedback, which allows teams to respond. This is important for continuous testing and improving the quality of the software.
Test automation also helps in improving safety records. This is through the implementation of automatic fail-safe mechanisms. Test automation also enables the execution of error-prone, complex, and lengthy test scenarios. This is usually done by developing a robust test script.
Test automation eliminates the many challenges that come with manual cross-browser testing. It helps to speed it up, making it easy to prepare for every customer coming to your website. Lambda test, a cross-browser testing tool, executes the same test cases many times.
A test automated suite provides more features. For instance, it simulates thousands of virtual users interacting with your web application. This helps in observing how the application behaves. With manual testing, it is impossible to simulate this kind of behavior. This kind of feature saves developers a lot of time.
Results become predictable when a process is repetitive all the time. When tests are automated and the code is of a high standard, predictability increases.
Compared to manual testing, automated testing provides better insights when some tests fail. It also shows you the memory contents, data tables, and file contents. This makes it easy for developers to know if anything goes wrong.
It is easy for automated tests to execute 100 percent accuracy. This is because they produce the same results every time they run. This accuracy is not guaranteed in manual testing.
If a process is repetitive, the reliability remains constant over time.
Another aspect of reliability is re-executing the same test on different servers. This makes it easier to verify whether tests are running as expected. With that, there are no possibilities of server configuration issues.
There is a continuous demand for test professionals with test automation skills. Because corporations recognize the benefits of automating their regression test suites. This is in consideration that the industry is trending towards automated testing.
I recommend using automated testing as part of your day-to-day development practices. This especially if the quality of your product is your priority. It ensures your application is well tested, giving confidence to developers and management.
Automated testing has an upfront cost and takes time to develop. This investment pays off in the long term. It is important to ensure that your test suit is well designed and implemented. It should also be able to test high-value features and high-risk areas of the application. This will enable you to get a return on investment.
This article explains why it is important to have test automation skills in today's world. But it is important to keep in mind that some test cases need human intervention. Before moving to test automation, analysis is important on why it is necessary.
You should also determine which test cases need test automation. Test case selection is important, as it varies from project to project. Make sure you keep up with software testing and test automation trends. Hard work and passion are important for you to become a successful test engineer.