Why use Automation Testing?

With continuous development in software technology, it is becoming extremely challenging to maintain the quality and efficiency of the development process. Testing is one of the crucial activities of the software development process, and the irony is that it is often neglected because of time and cost. Traditional manual testing methods are tedious and time-consuming. Also, it is tough to test each and every functionality of the software manually. Test automation helps to improve the speed and quality of the development process.

At MetaSys, we use  automation testing for many of our projects to deliver within timelines and within budget. As an application keeps on evolving, the number of regression test cases to be executed keeps increasing and becomes extremely time-consuming. Regression testing refers to the re-running of tests to ensure that previously tested software still performs after a change. Despite its importance, regression testing is particularly tedious and repetitive as many of the same test cases are executed for every sprint release cycle. We often employ the Agile testing methodology, which follows the philosophy ‘Test early, test often’. With tight schedule sprints, it becomes very demanding to execute the required testing. Automation testing is essential to maintaining software quality alongside fast paced development.

Using automation regression testing has significantly increased our test coverage, and thereby improved the quality of the software we deliver to our clients.

Advantages of Automation Testing over Manual

Process of Automation Testing   

At MetaSys we follow the following seven steps for automation testing.

1. Select the automation testing tool and framework based on testing requirements. Some key points include the availability and cost of licenses, what type of testing is necessary (Load/API/Mobile/Functional testing) and whether it is a desktop or web app. Some of the tools that we use will be listed later in this article, but some automation frameworks are listed here:

• Data-Driven Automation Framework
• Keyword Driven Automation Framework
• Hybrid Automation Framework
• Behaviour Driven Development(BDD) Framework
• Test-Driven Development(TDD) Framework

2. Define the scope of the automation testing process and decide all the functionalities in the application which will be automated.

• Identify test cases which cover most of the functionality.
• Identify which test cases can be automated and which cannot.
• Clearly define In-Scope and Out-Of-Scope items for a

3. Plan and strategize the testing activity.

• Identify all deliverables for automation testing.
• Identify risks and measures to mitigate risks.
• Plan and schedule timelines for scripting and execution.

4. Design and Develop automation test scripts, focusing on the following points:

• Test cases which need to run for every build. Eg. Login.
• Test cases which need to be executed with different types of data.
• Test cases which need to be executed on the different platforms.

5. Execute all automated test scripts on the same or different browsers/OS/devices as per the testing You can schedule script runs for a predefined time interval too.

6. Analyse results by checking the test results report and sending a report to the development team.

7. Maintain all test scripts in accordance with the latest changes in the application.

Automation Testing Tools   

There are many automation testing tools available on the market. Some tools are open source, and some are paid so we choose the tools according to the requirement and available budget.

Here’s a list of some commonly used Automation Testing tools:

At MetaSys, we use different automation tools and frameworks as per the requirement of the project.  We have expertise in functional, regression, performance, API and mobile testing using a wide range of automation tools.

At MetaSys, we have a team of experienced testers who test solutions using appropriate tools. Feel free to reach out to us at https://www.metasyssoftware.com/contact for more details.