Best Practices in Automated Testing

This article talks about many interesting things like what's the Case for Automated Testing, Why Automate the Testing Process?, Using Testing Effectively, Reducing Testing Costs, Replicating testing across different platforms, Greater Application Coverage, Results Reporting, Understanding the Testing Process, Typical Testing Steps, Identifying Tests Requiring Automation, Task Automation and Test Set-Up and Who Should Be Testing?.

The Case for Automated Testing

Today, rigorous application testing is a critical part of virtually all software development projects. As more organizations develop mission – critical systems to support their business activities, the need is greatly increased for testing methods that support business objectives. It is necessary to ensure that these systems are reliable, built according to specification and have the ability to support business processes. Many internal and external factors are forcing organizations to ensure a high level of software quality and reliability.

Why Automate the Testing Process?

In the past, most software tests were performed using manual methods. This required a large staff of test personnel to perform expensive and time-consuming manual test procedures. Owing to the size and complexity of today’s advanced software applications, manual testing is no longer a viable option for most testing situations.

Using Testing Effectively

By definition, testing is a repetitive activity. The methods that are employed to carry out testing (manual or automated) remain repetitious throughout the development life cycle. Automation of testing processes allows machines to complete the tedious, repetitive work while human personnel perform other tasks. Automation eliminates the required “think time” or “read time” necessary for the manual interpretation of when or where to click the mouse. An automated test executes the next operation in the test hierarchy at machine speed, allowing test to be completed many times faster than the fastest individual. Automated test also perform load/stress testing very effectively.

Reducing Testing Costs

The cost of performing manual testing is prohibitive when compared to automated methods. The reason is that computers can execute instructions many times faster and with fewer errors than individuals. Many automated testing tools can replicate the activity of a large number of users (and their associated transactions) using a single computer. Therefore, load/stress testing using automated methods requires only a fraction of the computer hardware that would be necessary to complete a manual test.

Replicating testing across different platforms

Automation allows the testing organization to perform consistent and repeatable test. When applications need to be deployed across different hardware or software platforms, standard or benchmark tests can be created and repeated on target platforms to ensure that new platforms operate consistently.

Greater Application Coverage

The productivity gains delivered by automated testing allow and encourage organization to test more often and more completely. Greater application test coverage also reduces the risk if exposing users to malfunctioning or non-compliant software.

Results Reporting

Full-featured automated testing systems also produce convenient test reporting and analysis. These reports provide a standardized measure of test status and results, thus allowing more accurate interpretation of testing outcomes. Manual methods require the user to self-document test procedures and test results.