An Effective Approach to Selecting Test Cases for Automation

Whether it is implemented internally or through external testing, automation is highly sought after by software development companies. The need for higher-quality apps with more sophisticated, intuitive features from end users has sparked a change in software testing approaches. Manual software testing is still very much in use today, but it is insufficient as a stand-alone strategy for producing high-quality, bug-free solutions. It takes a lot of time, relies too heavily on staff, and doesn’t guarantee accurate and consistent results.

Yet automating every step of software testing is neither the best option nor the ultimate objective. It might be wasteful and impractical to manage an excessive number of test cases, which can slow down the testing cycle and result in delayed developer feedback. Teams rush to automate things all too frequently, only to run into a mountain of problems. To learn more about QA, check out the online QA certification course. 

Test Automation Best Practices.

When selecting initial test candidates for automation testing, there are a number of things to take into account. There are various testing methods, and each has a function in the testing procedure. While some methods are ideal candidates for automation, others are best suited for manual testing.

Not all test cases can be automated for quality assurance, and this is especially true for subjective testing that calls for experimentation or improvisation. Only the things that are programmed into automated testing are tested.

Automation Criteria.

Using test automation successfully begins with careful design and consideration, resulting in tests that are reliable, repeatable, educational, and targeted. To maximise the use of automated test cases, specify which tests satisfy which of the following criteria:

• tests that are regularly executed over several builds.
• tests for high-risk situations and vital functionality.
• requiring the execution of tests on many hardware and software platforms.
• tests that take a long time to run manually.
• tests using many data sources in a framework that is data-driven.
• tests that provide a clear pass/fail outcome.

These criteria will assist the QA team in choosing the proper tests for automation as well as in establishing team priorities and standards to ensure timely and high-quality releases.

Automation Testing Types.

In general, unit testing, integration testing, and functional testing are the three types of testing methods that are given top importance for automation. This can then be developed by automating user acceptability testing, system testing, and regression testing. The next step is to create the automation test after determining which test cases may be automated. Little, logical tests should be written first because huge, complex tests might be difficult to change and troubleshoot. The automated test environment needs to be cohesive and manageable. You can gradually expand your automation library to combine smaller test cases into bigger executable tests after the initial automated tests are integrated into the Continuous Integration procedure.

1.Unit Tests.

Because they are simple to develop, and debug, and are extremely reusable; unit testing should be given top priority for automation. It focuses on small portions of the code logic. The majority of automated testing should be composed of unit tests. Unit tests are a crucial component since they independently verify the functionality of the code. Before it enters the test environment and is reviewed by the QA team, the unit test will detect any altered or incorrect code. Test-driven development is a practice where developers write unit tests before writing any code (TDD). TDD encourages the developer to think through all use cases first. Every time a new piece of code is added, automated unit testing should be run.

2.Integration Tests.

The next stage of automation should be integration testing. It entails testing the interfaces and/or modules necessary for the software to function. The synchronisation of mobile and web applications, the use of various devices, cross-browser testing, the launch of modules, and communication with email clients are all examples of integration tests. The majority of software programs used today are cloud-based and require a web browser to function properly. There are a number of well-liked web browsers, including Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. The efficiency of automated cloud integration testing outweighs manual testing in all possible environments. Start by doing simple tests on the most widely used platforms, such as loading the application in each browser to ensure the user interface renders appropriately.

Rapidly identifying any mistake in the application’s interaction with dependent interfaces and modules is the goal of automating integration tests. Automated integration tests must be successfully executed, which requires handling timing concerns (such as delays in page loading) and having solid test data accessible.

3.Functional Testing.

Functional testing involves engaging with the user interface and focuses on the end-journey users as well as on the program producing the right output in response to a set of actions. Once a functioning and stable user interface is established, automated functional testing can be put into place. Automate functional tests that replicate the most typical user workflows, such as registering for an account, changing a password, authenticating the application, or making a transaction. The most frequently used or important functions and features can be tested more quickly thanks to these automated tests, which can run each time a new build is compiled without requiring any human involvement. Automated functional testing can later incorporate activities and tasks that are not immediately apparent or a deviation from the expected user behaviour to test that errors are handled appropriately without the application crashing. 

4.UI Testing.

You can save a lot of time and work by automating User Interface tests, and the test coverage is greatly increased. It is feasible to develop test scripts for various user situations and user inputs that imitate the user’s progress through the application through proper configuration and execution. To validate UI controls and data outputs, automated UI testing is faster and more precise than manually clicking through the interface.

5.API Testing.

API testing does not examine the user interface or source code; instead, it concentrates on business logic. Automating these test cases is a quick way to find security flaws, multi-threading issues, missing or duplicate functionality, and connection issues between systems. While the response time between APIs should normally be quite high, it also aids in figuring out whether there are performance concerns. Every time a build is compiled, automated API tests can be run to verify the response data is organised properly, guarantee values and errors are handled appropriately, and more.

Best Tools for Automation QA Engineers.

In order to successfully implement a true Agile and DevOps environment, a test automation framework is essential. It reduces bottlenecks in the product development lifecycle and aids in the creation of high-quality software. Nevertheless, putting automation into practice calls for a solid toolkit that both developers and testers can use.

For API, mobile, web, and desktop apps, there are numerous open-source and licensed solutions available, and the choice of automation tools will rely on the business’s skill set, needs, and budget. The following are some of the best open-source test automation tools:

• Selenium supports a huge number of computer languages, is extremely versatile, and is the top choice for automating web browser testing across several platforms. Although there is a steep learning curve, it has a wide range of applications in testing.
• The mobile Selenium version for testing native and hybrid Android mobile apps on various devices is called Selendroid.
• Mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Windows may be tested automatically with Appium. It can use any testing framework to automate apps created in any language.
• For iOS and Android apps, Calabash facilitates the creation and execution of mobile QA. It works with Cucumber, which dispenses with programming skills and enables business people to construct test cases in plain English using Gherkin syntax. It also supports languages such as Java and Ruby. 

Conclusion

The objective of Test automation is to complement and enhance the entire testing process rather than to take the place of a QA engineer’s duties. Effective automated test cases speed up issue discovery and resolution, provide speedier feedback to development, and give testers more time to focus on exploratory testing. A component of testing that operates concurrently with manual testing as a combined strategy is automated testing. Managing both effectively is essential to making sure your software product is successful. Enrol in a good online QA training to learn more.