In today’s time of rapid application development, software quality assurance is one of the most important processes for any company. Automation testing has nearly taken over the reins of application testing by now, and it is not wrong to say the days of doing software quality testing manually using a big team of quality testers is certainly on its way out.
Test automation, or better called automation testing is used to create automated test scripts for any underdevelopment software. Since this takes a bit of time to completely analyse the software, it is also often used as a primary technique of testing in regression testing environments. Also, it remains ideal for user environment simulation. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of QA automation testing services, and the tools most likely involved in the process. We will also understand the feasibility where automated testing is most ideal for businesses.
Before we delve any further into the topic, it is also important to understand one key misconception around this subject. It is often mistakenly believed that automation testing will reduce the need for manual testers.
However, you will still need QA experts to carry out the tests and analyze the results for better understanding. Processes such as Agile, Lean and DevOps shall continue to be major trends in the testing industry. This means that QA is not just a software tester’s job but of the entire software development team. Critical thinking and quick problem-solving ability add more value to ongoing QA tasks.
Why Automation Testing?
Automation testing is a beneficial strategy that dramatically increases the effectiveness of the overall software testing landscape including its test coverages and end-to-end execution speed. Its significance may be linked to the following factors:
Better Accuracy: Automation testing precisely follows predetermined steps and a set procedure, thus, decreasing the possibility of any human mistake or oversight. Moreover, automated tests guarantee greater accuracy by reducing the potential of testers skipping stages or introducing mistakes during test execution.
Increased Efficiency: Automated tests can run continuously and in parallel, without requiring human intervention. This leads to faster test execution and reduced overall testing time, enabling teams to deliver software more quickly.
Parallel Execution: Parallel execution in automated testing involves running several test cases on separate machines or devices at the same time. It accelerates testing by dispersing the workload and shortening the overall execution time. It is especially beneficial for large test suites and time-sensitive projects, as it increases efficiency and test coverage. Automation frameworks use parallel execution to accelerate software delivery, thus resulting in faster feedback and better outcomes.
Improved Test Reusability: Once generated, automated tests may be easily saved and reused across many platforms. Testers can save substantial time by not having to recreate and execute tests for each testing cycle.
Consistent Testing: Automation testing also guarantees that test cases are executed in a consistent and uniform manner. By running these tests in the same way every time, it becomes simpler to find and address any errors quickly, thus, instilling more confidence in the overall quality of the product.
Cost-Effectiveness: Despite the initial investment in technology and resources, automated testing saves money in the long run. Automation’s enhanced accuracy, speed, and consistency surpass the related costs, resulting in a satisfactory return on investment.
Reduced Human Intervention: Reducing human interference is a significant objective in automation testing, as is automating all repetitive and manual procedures. Automation tools automate test case execution, data entry, and result verification, thereby improving accuracy and reducing any possible mistakes. This helps testers to focus on key tasks such as – test case design and analysis, and increasing productivity. It allows continuous testing in agile and DevOps contexts, resulting in quicker and more reliable product releases.
Expanded Test Coverage: Automated test suites may be easily reused across numerous browser setups, devices, and operating systems. This reduces the need for repeating test processes and enables quick testing across several settings, improving total test coverage.
Continuous Testing & Consistent Approach: It is convenient to execute automated tests frequently at any stage of the development process, from its initial development to integration and post-deployment phase. By integrating automated tests into the development pipeline, software changes can be automatically tested, thus ensuring continuous QA inputs.
Manual Testing vs Automated Testing
Below are some of the differences between manual testing and automated testing:
| Parameters | Manual Testing | Automated Testing |
| Reliability | Pertaining to human errors, manual testing is always not accurate. | As automated testing is performed by tools and software, it is more reliable than manual efforts. |
| Resource Utilisation | Heavy investment in human resources. | Investment in tools rather than human resources. |
| Time Efficiency | Manual testing takes time because it requires human interaction to develop test cases. | Automation testing saves time since the execution is faster than manual testing owing to the usage of tools. |
| Programming Knowledge | It is not necessary to have programming skills to develop test cases. | Writing test cases necessitates programming competence. |
| Regression Testing | Due to constant changes in requirements, it is a possibility that the test cases executed for the first time will not be able to catch the regression bugs.
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When there are modifications to the code, regression testing is performed to catch issues caused by the changes. |
Types of Automation Testing
Below are the different types of automation testing:
- Unit testing: Unit testing is conducted to evaluate the functionality of the smallest code units, which can be logically isolated from the main codebase.
- Smoke testing: Smoke testing is a software testing method employed to ascertain the initial stability of built software before its release into the market.
- API testing: API testing involves the validation of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to ensure their functionality, security, and reliability in facilitating interactions between software components.
- Integration testing: Integration testing involves the combination and assessment of individual software components as a cohesive group to verify their compatibility with specified functional requirements.
- Performance testing: The purpose of performance testing is to gauge a system’s stability and responsiveness under specific loads, providing valuable insights into its operational capabilities.
- Security testing: This form of software testing aims to identify risks and vulnerabilities in the security mechanisms of a software application, enabling organizations to rectify security gaps and enhance protection.
- UI Testing: UI testing focuses on evaluating the user interface elements of software, including fields, buttons, and other on-screen items, to ensure they function as intended.
- Regression testing: Regression testing verifies that previously developed software continues to operate effectively after changes have been made, ensuring that alterations do not negatively impact existing features.
- Acceptance testing: As the final phase of software testing, acceptance testing occurs after system testing and assesses the extent to which the application aligns with end users’ expectations and requirements.
Test Automation Frameworks
Some of the most common types of automation frameworks are:
- Linear framework: Also known as the record and playback framework, the linear framework is the simplest type of framework where testers create and execute test scripts for each test case individually. It is particularly suitable for small teams with limited test automation experience.
- Modular-Based Framework: In this framework, test cases are organized into small, independent units called modules. While each module may have different scenarios, they are all managed by a single master script. This approach requires thorough pre-planning and is best suited for testers with a solid background in test automation.
- Library Architecture Framework: Building upon the modular-based framework, the library architecture framework groups tasks within test scripts into functions based on a common objective. These functions are stored in a library, allowing for quick access when needed. This framework offers greater flexibility and reusability but requires more time to create scripts, making it beneficial for testers experienced in automation testing.
Automation Testing Using LambdaTest
LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and test execution platform for automation testing procedures, that allows you to undertake comprehensive browser testing and cross-platform testing of web applications. The platform overall simplifies the process of automation testing and ensures seamless test capabilities across numerous browsers and OS combined. Let us delve deeper into the steps of automation testing using LambdaTest:
- Create an Account: Begin by creating an account on LambdaTest. This includes signing up and filling in the necessary details to set up your account.
- Select Devices: Under ‘Real Time’ ‘App Testing’ choose the gadgets and working structures you want to test your software. LambdaTest offers an extensive range of configurations to suit your testing necessities.
- Run Regression Tests: After setting up your account, click the ‘Start’ option to start running your tests.
- Review Results: Now, wait for these tests to be completed. You will get a notification once the tests are done.
- Use Features on the Testing Panel: Once the app is launched, you can see there are elements on the left side of the screen that can help you interact with the app, like reporting bugs with the bug icon, sharing them with your team members, and capturing the screenshots and also make videos based on the testing you perform.
- Check Results: Now, carefully go through the test results report on your ‘Dashboard’ under ‘Recent tests’ on the right hand side and identify any issues or errors that occurred during the test.
Once you have checked all test results, you can also choose to share test reports with your teams.
Conclusion
In conclusion, automated testing is a game-changer for QA processes. It simplifies testing by improving efficiency, accuracy, and coverage while seamlessly integrating with modern development practices like CI/CD. Embracing automated testing empowers organizations to deliver high-quality software faster, respond to market demands more effectively, and provide users with reliable and bug-free applications. As technology continues to advance, automated testing remains an essential tool for achieving software quality in the digital age.
LambdaTest is a crucial tool for modern software development teams, facilitating automated testing and assuring web application dependability and compatibility across a wide range of browsers and operating systems. Following the steps indicated above, enterprises may utilize LambdaTest to improve the quality of their web apps, save testing time, and ultimately provide a better user experience to their consumers. Embracing LambdaTest’s capabilities enables teams to confidently adapt to the ever-changing online landscape, ensuring that their web applications will work perfectly across a wide range of platforms and devices used by their users.