Test automation in its true sense is writing and maintaining code. You invest thousands of dollars in modern test automation tools. You again invest in resources who know how to use such tools. You invest time to translate each test case into the automation code. What if you soon realize the tool you invested in is not suitable for large scale testing projects? Will you abandon the projector will you again go full cycle?
Code is written to automate business tasks. But what if business tasks change so frequently that updating code puts the project behind schedule and consequently either the product's go to market date gets postponed or an unreliable version is released just to stick to the timeline?
What if the code was rushed into development without sufficient knowledge of its purpose that now to its costs more to maintain it? What if the code passes from one automation expert to the other and each rewrites large portions of poorly engineered code and in between each expert quits and this cycle repeats? Will you abandon the projector will you again go full cycle?
All the above what-if situations are not new. They exist in all of today's test automation projects. As a community, perhaps, we have to come to peace with such situations. We know they are part of the deal.
This article aims to tell its readers how scriptless approach can make test automation a pleasurable experience.
1. No more tool-specific coding:
Scriptless makes the underlying test automation tool invisible. It sits between the user and the automation tool. The user now builds automation using English as a language. The scriptless framework compiles this into what the automation tool understands. The scriptless approach is independent of the underlying test automation tool technology and yet it collaborates with it seamlessly. So tomorrow you can have the freedom to change the automation tool without even worrying about test scripts.
2. Faster time to automate:
The scriptless approach gives the user the ability to translate test cases into test scripts in plain English language. This eliminates the need for complex programming. Hence, you can automate test cases faster. By a significant margin!
3. Optimized investments:
Scriptless takes on the job of building automation. The automation tool can now completely focus on increasing its throughput - executing the regression testing. The number of regression cycles that 5 automation tools used to do can now be achieved by only 2 such licenses! Now that even manual testers can pull automation, the need for experts in sheer number has reduced. With a small number of test automation experts and your team of manual testers, you can build and manage large scale automation projects.
4. Easy and low maintenance:
Scriptless helps you adopt a change easily without any resource dependency but also guides you on critical dependencies of the change throughout the automation life cycle - accelerating your decision at every stage to enhance the quality and health of your automation.
5. Highly tested product:
Since the scriptless testing framework on run time compiles an automated test case into what test tool will understand, there is no chance to hard code test cases to report success.
6. Highly tested automation code:
The scriptless testing approach is built on a philosophy of building automation which is not AUT specific but UI object class specific. So for an AUT with 500 textboxes in its UI all actions are performed by one script that is specific to the object class of text box. The more that script is used, the more it is tested by testing each action on 500 text boxes.
7. More strategic bandwidth in hand:
Rather focusing your bandwidth on HR issues, regularly checking for the authenticity of automation code, managing change in automation, with the scriptless approach you can now: -
* Direct test cases toward specific areas of change where bugs are likely to be found
* Architect test cases that can easily adapt change and cope with complexity and technology change
* Spend more time in interpreting automation execution results
* Utilize the time to construct a test suite (automation + manual) to achieve 100% test coverage with every release
No comments:
Post a Comment