Ideal Products/Applications for Test Automation
The goal of automation is not to eliminate manual testing, but to reduce the number of test cases that need to run manually.
In Mainframe applications, millions of records are tested. In such cases, the use of Automation Tool gives efficiency and quality, compared to manual testing in finding the defects.
Automation testing is the great way to accomplish testing goals effectively with optimal usage of cost and time without compromising on quality. Choosing the right automation tool is a big challenge. Tools need to be selected based on the technology and also be ensured that there are skilled resources to support.
Before automating any feature of the application, it is mandatory to have good knowledge of the application. If there are any changes implemented in the application, particular automation test scripts needs to be updated. For all applications 100% automation is not possible, there may be scenarios where manual testing is required. This is primarily because:
- Not all business functionalities in the application will be covered with automation scripts
- Manual testing is necessary for covering the functionalities that are not covered in Automation
- Maintenance cost might be involved if it’s a commercial tool
Each Application / Product is built on a particular technology. Different Automation tools will be required to test applications that are built on various technologies. Commercial and Open source tools are available in the market. For example, Desktop based Applications cannot be automated using selenium, rather it can be done using other tools (like UFT, RFT etc.)
Selecting the right automation tool is critical. It requires detailed study & analysis and various other factors such as,
- Testing requirement in detail
- Application and technology behind it
- Available skill set within organization
- Integration with other systems
- License cost of the tool
- Language supported by Test Automation Tool etc.
Popular test automation tools
Selenium – Open source automation tool for web based applications.
UFT (QTP) – Automation tool from HP for web and desktop based applications.
All products / applications serving different utilities can be automated to a certain extent with the help of various automation tools (some of them are Selenium, HP UFT, Watir, GEB and IBM RFT etc.). Given the technical detail and requirement of the application, automation tools catalyze the performance and effort of Testing in a significant way.
