What is the Testing Pyramid all about- All you need to know

Steven RogerMarch 2, 2024

0 128 4 minutes read

What is the Testing Pyramid all about- All you need to know

The project quality is not entirely protected by automated testing (AT). That is, an approach to it does. Teams are relieved of workloads and testing accuracy is increased with a well-planned automated approach. In addition, the Testing Pyramid may serve as a useful accelerator for your AT. A framework known as the Testing Pyramid directs the distribution of different test kinds throughout the development process. This is a model that you can use to refine or organise your test automation. Check out the online QA training to learn more.

Table of Contents

An Overview of the Testing Pyramid

Let us review the logic for the pyramid’s construction before moving on to its practical uses.

The Original Testing Pyramid: Unit Integration – UI

A structured testing hierarchy is provided by the Testing Pyramid. It displays the number of tests and their placement at each level. There are three layers to it:

Unit tests.
Integration tests.
User interface (UI) tests.

These stand for specific testing goals and areas of emphasis. Additionally, the shape of the pyramid highlights the “volume” of tests required at each layer:

Unit tests are prioritised due to their ease of use and speed. You can identify little problems that might be more difficult to resolve later by devoting a lot of resources to them.
Integration tests take longer and require greater complexity. Less of them is better, but make sure they focus on important areas.
Tests involving user interfaces are the most complex and challenging to do. Only a handful of things are necessary, and user-critical components should come first.

The Base: Unit Tests

Unit tests serve as the cornerstone of the Testing Pyramid, verifying discrete software elements. Their goal is to confirm that the code is operating properly. It is not the goal of having so much code devoted to unit tests to achieve 100% coverage. The goal is to exert greater effort now to avoid difficulty later. Consider it. Bigger problems are less likely to arise when a large number of little faults are discovered early on. This method is exemplified by the declining form of the pyramid.

But, it does not imply that unit testing should be neglected. They don’t need to verify every component in order to be effective. All they have to do is run a ton of code. Put differently, unit tests are meant to:

Focus on a solitary code unit.
Execute it swiftly.
Deliver dependable outcomes.
Have predictable outcomes.

Perform the following actions to guarantee the above:

Give your test names some context.
Test a single item at a time.
Create brief, targeted assessments.
Examine boundaries and edge cases.
Apply the pattern Arrange-Act-Assert*.
Steer clear of switch-case and if-else phrases.
Make claims that speak to the purpose of the test.
Test both favourable and unfavourable scenarios.
Don’t write duplicate test code.
Update the tests frequently.

*Arrange-Act-Assert pattern:

Arrange: set up preconditions and inputs.

Act: perform the action.

Assert: verify the outcomes.

The Middle Layer: Integration Tests

Integration tests evaluate how internal or external systems interact and exchange data. They check to see if different components can communicate without any problems.

These are positioned in the middle, smaller-scale stratum of the pyramid. There shouldn’t be too many integrations because they are more complex than unit testing. Rather, boost their output by:

Choosing what to test and why.
Creating a testing strategy that includes test methodologies, acceptance criteria, and data. Testing frequently.
Keeping an eye on the outcomes to avoid errors.

Prioritising high-priority points for integration scenarios is another option. As an illustration:

A user expands the items in their cart. Making sure the app accurately displays updates as it interacts with e-commerce databases should be your top priority at this point.
A client attempts to log in using false information. Here, you assess error handling to avoid problems with usability or security.
A customer tries to make a payment. As a result, you evaluate the interactions between various services, focusing on payment, inventory, and shipping.

The Apex: UI Tests

UI tests are at the summit of the pyramid. In order to secure consumer value, they focus on the viewpoint of the user. In order to confirm proper UI functioning, these tests imitate user interactions.

Because they are hard to execute, they are in the top layer, which is the smallest:

They deal with intricate web scenarios and components.
Because an application’s interface is dynamic, UI tests must be reworked frequently.
There’s more to maintaining UI testing than any other.

You may therefore create a high-quality app and save time and effort by having fewer UI tests that cover important user flows. Here are some guidelines for making the most of them:

Make test names that are precise and informative.
To represent UI elements and interactions, use the page object model (POM).
To reduce test data dependencies, rely on data factories or generation techniques.
Use test automation frameworks to make scripting easier.
Set up UI tests with parameters to account for different input conditions.
Put data cleansing measures into action.