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Automation Testing in SDLC

In this article, I am going to discuss Automation Testing in SDLC. Please read our previous article where we discussed Manual Testing. At the end of this article, you will understand the following important pointers which are related to Automation Testing in SDLC.

1. What is Automation Testing?
2. Elements of Automation Testing
3. What is the use of Automation Testing in SDLC?
4. How Can Businesses Make Use of Automation Testing?
5. Types of Automation Testing in SDLC
6. What Test Cases Should Be Automated?
7. Automated Testing Process
8. Automation Testing Tools
9. Which Automation Tool Should I Use?
10. Automation Testing Life Cycle
11. What Needs Automation Testing?
12. What Testing Shouldn’t Be Automated?
13. What are the Advantages of Automation Testing?
14. What are the disadvantages of Automation Testing?
15. Difference between Manual Testing and Automation Testing

What is Automation Testing in SDLC?

In software engineering, automation testing refers to the execution and validation of software tests using automated tools and scripts. It is a software testing method that facilitates the testing procedure, boosts effectiveness, and minimizes manual labor.

Automation testing automates the execution of test cases, the comparison of expected and actual findings, and the reporting of test results using specialized software tools. These tools can replicate user behaviors, interact with the program under test, and check that the system works as expected.

Elements of Automation Testing

The following are some essential elements of automation testing:

1. Development of Test Scripts: Test cases are executed automatically using test scripts. These scripts, which are made to resemble user interactions with the software, are created utilizing particular automation testing tools or frameworks.
2. Test Execution: The testing tool interacts with the software being tested while it runs the automated test scripts. To mimic user interactions, it executes tasks including entering data, pressing buttons, and navigating between screens.
3. Validation and Verification: The automation tool checks the software’s real results with the predicted outcomes listed in the test script while the test is being run. Any errors or failures are looked for and reported as test failures.
4. Regression Testing: Regression testing entails retesting previously tested functionality to make sure that modifications or updates to the software have not introduced new flaws or broken existing functionality. Automation testing is particularly helpful for regression testing.
5. Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD): Automation testing is frequently integrated into CI/CD pipelines, where tests are carried out automatically as part of the software development and deployment process. As a result, problems are found earlier and the software is kept stable while being developed.

What is the use of Automation Testing in SDLC?

For a number of reasons, automation testing is frequently employed in software engineering.

1. Efficiency: Automation testing enables the quick and easy execution of time-consuming and repeated test cases. It can run tests more frequently and quickly than manual testing, which boosts productivity and efficiency.
2. Accuracy: Automated testing avoids human mistakes and inconsistent results by adhering to specified scripts and instructions. As a result, test findings are more accurate and trustworthy since automation tools can perfectly simulate the desired behavior of the software.
3. Reusability: Automated testing can be applied to various software releases or versions. One can save time and effort by creating test scripts that can be executed repeatedly. Regression testing, where earlier functionalities are checked once again to make sure they continue to perform after new changes, is made easier by this reusability.
4. Increased Test Coverage: By enabling the execution of a large number of test cases, including complicated scenarios that are challenging to recreate manually, automation testing enables a wider scope of testing. It aids in increasing test coverage and guarantees that the software’s numerous features are adequately evaluated.
5. Cost-Effectiveness: Automation testing can reduce costs over the long term, but it does need an initial investment in equipment, employees, and tools. Continuously running automated tests eliminates the need for in-depth manual testing and the accompanying labor expenditures. Automation also makes it easier to find flaws early in the development cycle, which lowers the cost of resolving them later.
6. Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD): In CI/CD pipelines, where software is developed, tested, and released quickly and frequently, automation testing is essential. The pipeline incorporates automated tests to provide timely feedback on the software’s quality and guarantee that it complies with the necessary requirements prior to release.
7. Scalability: Manual testing gets harder and takes longer as software projects get bigger and more complicated. Scalability is achieved by automation testing, which enables the execution of tests across numerous platforms, operating systems, and configurations to meet the software’s changing requirements.
8. Regression Testing: Regression testing, which tests past functionalities to make sure they haven’t been impacted by new modifications, substantially benefited from automation testing. Automated regression tests can be run fast, assisting in the identification of any unwanted effects brought on by recent changes.

How Can Businesses Make Use of Automation Testing?

Automation should be used by businesses, especially those in the technology sector, to enhance their operating systems and business processes. Businesses can take advantage of the useful tools that automation offers, whether they want to speed up product delivery or fulfill higher security standards. Once you’ve chosen the test you’ll employ, you must provide the objectives as a standard by which to measure how well it performs. It will be challenging for you to fully utilize the test result if you don’t create goals. Keep your attention on this single goal, and don’t be hesitant to do additional tests if necessary.

Think about your goals and how this test can assist you in achieving them. From your larger tests, generate logically smaller ones. Larger, more intricate tests are more challenging to run. To make better use of their time, team members who aren’t creating test code can be assigned to various stages of the product development cycle. Making testing simpler and enhancing corporate procedures are the main goals of automation.

Types of Automation Testing in SDLC

Let’s have a look at the types of automation testing in brief:

Functional Testing

When speaking of automation testing, the term “functional testing” describes the process of determining if a software program or system operates appropriately in accordance with its stated requirements. To make sure they fulfill the desired functionality and function as expected, it requires validating the system’s features, functionalities, and behaviors.

Contrarily, automation testing refers to the execution of test cases using automated tools and scripts and comparing the outcomes to what was anticipated. It aids in enhancing the testing process’ efficacy and efficiency. Here, are the types of functional testing:

1. Unit Testing – Testing individual software parts or components to make sure they work properly when taken apart is known as unit testing. This kind of testing entails examining separately each program unit or component. It guarantees that each component performs as planned.
2. Smoke Testing – Smoke testing, commonly referred to as build verification testing, is a short test to determine whether the crucial components of the software are operating as intended. Prior to moving forward with more in-depth testing, it seeks to isolate significant flaws. Smoke testing is carried out to quickly assess the main features of the software application and determine whether it is stable enough for subsequent testing.
3. Integration Testing – Integration testing checks the interactions between various parts or modules of the software program to make sure everything functions as it should. Integration testing validates the proper communication between various software modules or components. It guarantees that the integrated system performs as anticipated.

Non-Functional Testing

Automated testing approaches are used to check and validate a software application’s non-functional components, which is known as non-functional testing. Non-functional testing makes sure the system complies with performance, reliability, scalability, usability, security, and other non-functional requirements while functional testing concentrates on the functional needs of the system. The use of automated tools and scripts to carry out testing activities quickly and accurately is known as automation testing. Some of the types of non-functional testing:

1. Performance Testing – Performance testing gauges a software application’s responsiveness, stability, scalability, and speed under various load scenarios. It aids in locating performance problems and bottlenecks as well as figuring out how well the system can meet user expectations.
2. Regression Testing – Regression testing is the practice of retesting a software application or system after making changes or improvements to it in order to confirm that previously implemented non-functional requirements are still met.
3. Keyword Driven Testing – A non-functional testing strategy called “keyword-driven testing” bases the creation and execution of test cases on the keywords or actions specified in a test script. It divides test logic from test data, making it simpler to maintain tests and reuse test scripts for many scenarios.
4. Data Driven Testing – In non-functional testing, the term “data-driven testing” refers to a methodology where test scenarios and input data are produced from actual data or prepared datasets. By simulating real-world usage scenarios and identifying potential flaws or bottlenecks, it aids in evaluating a system’s performance, scalability, security, and other non-functional elements.

What Test Cases Should Be Automated?

To maximize the automation ROI, test cases might be chosen based on the following criteria.

• Cases with High Risk and Business Criticality
• Instances of testing that are repeatedly run
• Test cases that are time-consuming or challenging to run manually
• Test cases that take a lot of time

Test cases in the following category are not suited for automation:

• Test cases that are newly created and haven’t been manually run at least once Test cases for which the criteria are constantly changing Ad-hoc test cases.

Automated Testing Process

In an automation process, the following steps are carried out.

Step 1: Test tool selection

Test The technology that the Application Under Test is built on has a significant impact on the tool selection. For instance, QTP does not support Informatica. Therefore, testing Informatica apps cannot be done with QTP. Conducting a Proof of Concept of Tool on AUT is a good idea.

Step 2: Define the scope of Automation

The scope of automation refers to the portion of your application that will be automated while it is being tested. The information below helps define the scope:

• The characteristics that are crucial to the business
• Scenarios with a lot of information
• Cross-application capabilities that are common
• Technology readiness
• How much of an organization’s parts are recycled
• The difficulty of the test cases
• Use of the same test scenarios for cross-browser testing

Step 3: Development, Design, and Planning

You develop an automation strategy and plan at this phase, which includes the following information:

• Chosen automation tools
• The characteristics and design of the framework
• In-scope and out-of-scope automation components
• Automated testbed preparation
• Schedule and execution timeline for the script
• Results of Automated Testing

Step 4: Test Execution

This stage involves the execution of scripts. Test data must be entered before the scripts are set to execute. After being used, they offer thorough test findings. Either the automation tool itself or the test management tool, which will call the automation tool, might be used for execution. As an illustration, Quality Centre is a test management application that uses QTP to run automation scripts. A single machine or a collection of machines can run scripts. To save time, the execution can be carried out at night.

Step 5: Maintenance

A test automation testing phase is used to determine whether newly introduced software functionalities are functioning properly or not. When new automation scripts are implemented, they need to be reviewed and maintained in order to increase their effectiveness with each subsequent release cycle. This is done during maintenance in automation testing.

Automation Testing Tools

By utilizing automation technologies, automation testing is carried out. It can be challenging and crucial to choose the right testing tool because the outcome of an automation test depends on it. The following are some modern automated testing tools used by testers:

1. testRigor: With the aid of testRigor, you can easily express tests in simple English into executable specs. End-to-end tests that span the mobile, web, and API phases in a single test and can range in complexity can be created by users of all technical levels. Test steps are specified at the end-user level rather than relying on implementation-specific features like XPaths or CSS Selectors.
2. mabl: The best intelligent, low-code test automation tool for teams working quickly is called mabl. The only SaaS solution that securely integrates automated end-to-end testing into the whole development lifecycle allows the entire team to write, execute, and maintain dependable browser, API, accessibility, and mobile web tests.
3. Kobiton: The mobile device testing platform from Kobiton provides both script-based and scriptless test automation options. Users have the ability to design manual tests that can be automatically repeated on a range of actual devices. While providing its own scriptless test automation through its NOVA AI platform, Kobiton offers full support for test automation frameworks like Appium, Espresso, and XCTest.
4. LambdaTest: One of the most popular tools for performing automated cross-browser testing is LambdaTest. Users can use their ultra-quick, scalable, and secure selenium grid to run their tests across more than 2000 different browsers and operating systems. Both the most recent and older browsers are compatible.
5. Avo Assure: An intelligent, diverse, no-code automated testing solution is Avo Assure. Without writing a single line of code, you can run test cases using Avo Assure and achieve more than 90% test automation coverage.
6. Selenium: This software testing tool is used for regression testing. This open-source testing tool provides playback and recording features for regression testing. Only Mozilla Firefox is supported by the Selenium IDE.

Which Automation Tool Should I Use?

Finding the ideal tool might be challenging. The criteria listed below will assist you in choosing the right tool for your needs:

• Environment assistance
• Easy of use
• Database object identification testing, image testing, and error recovery Object mapping testing
• Used Scripting Language
• Support for a variety of test kinds, such as functional, test management, mobile, etc.
• Several testing frameworks are supported
• The scripts for the automation software are easy to debug.
• Object recognition skills in any setting Detailed test reports and outcomes
• Reduce the expense of selected tool training

Before implementing automation, one of the main hurdles to be overcome is tool selection. Prior to moving forward with a proof of concept, identify the needs, investigate potential tools and their capabilities, and establish your expectations for the tool.

Automation Testing Life Cycle

An organization should follow the step-by-step Automation Testing life cycle to provide the highest quality product in order to succeed in the market. Check out the six stages of automation testing in the figure below:

Scope of Automation Testing:

To determine whether automation is possible, one must do so before starting the testing process. The following factors should be taken into account while determining the scope of testing automation:

What modules are capable of automation?

Right Automation Tool:

Without the appropriate testing tool, automation testing is not possible. The testing life cycle’s crucial tool selection phase requires careful consideration of the following factors:

• Access to the tool among the resources on board
• Complete financial flexibility
• Employed to develop the project were technologies and programming languages.
• Selecting a tool with support staff to handle any questions and problems.

Test Plan, Design, and Strategy:

As the name implies, you construct a plan, design the architecture, and develop a strategy in this phase to accomplish the objective of test automation.

• Test Plan: Create a test plan that includes the necessary hardware, software, and test data.
• Test Strategy: Pick an appropriate test automation framework.
• Test Design: Create the test architecture to decide how the subsequent test procedures will proceed.

Test Environment:

You must set up a system that can run the test cases remotely or locally. It should be able to handle both desktop and mobile applications and offer extensive test coverage for a range of test scenarios and browsers.

Test Script Execution:

You will run the test scripts in this phase to see if they operate properly or not. This step entails ensuring that everything is functioning and cross-platform compatible. In the event that the test case fails, you must additionally create a bug report.

Analysis:

The testing life cycle ends with this stage. Here, you’ll examine the test results to decide whether or not more testing is necessary. The creation of test results is then carried out to verify whether the test scripts can detect application faults. The project’s participants and clients are finally given access to the test reports.

What Needs Automation Testing?

Let’s verify which test cases to automate now that we understand what automation testing is exactly. Or, which test cases are the best ones to automate?

1. Test scenarios that examine the application’s core functionality: For an e-commerce application, for instance, the crucial features would be the ability to find products using search and category sites, add them to a shopping cart, and then complete the purchase. Therefore, these test cases should be picked first. Lower priority test cases for inform me, add to wishlist, and other features should be used. Hence, automation should be chosen appropriately.
2. Test scenarios that demand doing the same test several times using a large dataset: Many test cases or application flows call for repeatedly doing an action. Such test cases are also excellent candidates for automation because the testing effort is significantly decreased by automation.
3. Tests that take a long time: Another good option for automation is a workflow that takes a long time to set up and run.
4. Tests that call for concurrent execution: In some situations, such as performance testing with several users, it is necessary to verify the concurrent access to the program. In many situations, manual testing is either impractical or would necessitate a significant increase in resources. Automated scripts can assist in those situations by generating parallel requests and gathering results in one location.

What Testing Shouldn’t Be Automated?

It’s crucial to know the kinds of test cases that can’t, or better yet, shouldn’t, be automated.

1. UI test cases: It is advisable to reserve GUI test cases, or graphical user interface test cases, for manual testing or human validation. This is due to the fact that the test cases would fail even in the event of a minor UI update. Additionally, it is quite challenging to develop trustworthy UI test cases that work across a variety of devices and screen resolutions.
2. Cases of usability tests: Automating is something that cannot be done, not something that should not. Usability test scenarios examine how well a program works for various user groups; these tests cannot currently be automated due to technological limitations.
3. Functions that require scripting and are hardly utilized: While automating difficult scenarios is a fantastic idea, there isn’t a great return on investment when working on infrequently used scenarios.
4. Exploratory experiments: Exploratory testing necessitates concurrent testing while simultaneously learning about the application. Therefore, automating exploratory testing scenarios is not possible.

What are the Advantages of Automation Testing?

The following are some benefits of automation testing:

1. Speed and Efficiency: Test cases can be executed more quickly thanks to automation testing, which boosts testing productivity.
2. Accuracy and Consistency: Automated testing produces consistent and accurate results since they are not subject to human mistakes.
3. Reusability: Test scripts can be utilized in a variety of test scenarios, which lowers the maintenance effort needed for tests.
4. Increased Test Coverage: Testing with automation makes it possible to run more test cases, which covers a wider range of scenarios and boosts total test coverage.
5. Expense Savings: Automated testing eliminates the need for manual testing and conserves resources by allowing for many runs of tests after initial setup at no additional expense.

What are the disadvantages of Automation Testing?

The following are a few drawbacks of automation testing:

1. Initial Setup and Configuration: Setting up an automated testing framework can be difficult and time-consuming; it calls for knowledge of many programming languages and tools.
2. Maintenance Burden: Automated tests take more time and work to maintain since they must be updated frequently to reflect changes in the application being tested.
3. Limited Human Intuition: Because automated testing cannot duplicate human intuition and judgment, it can be difficult to detect some kinds of flaws.
4. High Initial Outlay: The cost of implementing automation testing might be high because it requires specialized equipment and qualified personnel.
5. False findings from automated tests may be both good and negative, necessitating human involvement to confirm and look into the problems.

Difference between Manual Testing and Automation Testing

Manual Testing	Automation Testing
Manual testing carried out by human testers	Employing automated tools or scripts for testing
Need human involvement at every stage of the testing	Automatically conducts tests without human involvement
Prone to subjectivity and human error	Delivers accurate and reliable outcomes
Repetitious tasks take longer and require more effort	Faster and more effective for routine chores
Long-term costs are higher due to the manual labor	Tools for automation need an initial investment, but they are ultimately cost-effective
allows for adaptability to changing requirements	Upgrades and upkeep are necessary as the application evolves.

In the next article, I am going to discuss White Box Testing in SDLC. Here, in this article, I try to explain Automation Testing in SDLC. I hope you enjoy this Automation Testing in SLC article.