Test automation is not a magic button that can solve all your problems when pushed. Test automation is only a tool.
Test automation requires longer initial development time and it is not cheap. Test automation only shows benefits in mid long term.
Good candidates for automation can be test cases which:
– take a lot of time to execute
– have lots of data validation
– are executed in each regression cycle
– are boring/difficult to be executed manually
– are business critical
Examples of tests that are usually done only with test automation are:
– non-functional testing
– stability testing
– performance testing
– benchmarking testing
– stress testing
Automation requires skilled engineers.Test automation is closer to development than it is to testing. The test cases and framework are actually production code.
Some applications might not have been built with test automation in mind – small changes can help.
It is important to understand your software and its testing requirements before you head into test automation.
Cases when manual testing is usually more suitable:
– Exploratory testing
– Usability/ look-and-feel testing
– New application/functionality (manual tests are always the first step in testing)
– Very complex functionalities
Cases when automated tests are usually more suitable:
– Regression testing
– Repetitive (boring) tests
– Performance testing
– Smoke testing
– Data driven testing
You should at least think of these dimensions:
– Increase in test coverage
– Increase in test accuracy
– Saved working hours when test automation is in a mature phase
More reading:
– Is manual testing dead?
– Software testing trends in 2017
– Robotic Process Automation – new interesting growth opportunity for quality assurance companies
1 Comment
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 Best Practices in Test Automation #4: Use Reliable Locators
https://www.ranorex.com/blog/best-practices-4-use-stable-locators/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=fb_nurt_4
If not properly designed, user interface (UI) tests can be slow and prone to failure, or “fragile”. But your tests can be stable, even when the UI changes. One of the most important factors in designing a UI test for stability is the method used to identify UI elements including text, form fields, buttons, scrollbars, and other controls.