If you're new to automation testing or trying to implement low-code test automation in your organization, you're in the right place!
We know that multiple technologies improve productivity, operational efficiency, resource optimization, energy efficiency, and much more. Among these various technologies, organizations use low-code and no-code to test software and applications built with multiple tech stacks to improve the time to market. In this guide, you’ll learn all about low-code software testing, how you can implement it for your testing requirements, what key features you should look for, and much more!
What is low-code software testing?
Imagine you’ve built a software application for web or mobile with an intuitive UI, database connections, complex workflows, and multiple API integrations, and all of these have to function seamlessly without any errors. Sounds daunting, but this is where low-code test automation can be pivotal in enabling testers.
Low-code/no-code test automation abstracts the coding interface to provide prebuilt components with a visual user interface. Such graphical interfaces have drag-and-drop functionality and action recorders to generate code with minimal manual intervention. Low-code test automation tools utilize a visual interface to write and execute test cases. This allows for quicker and more comprehensive testing, especially when following the Agile methodology of software development.
One of the fundamental tenets of test automation is automating the testing lifecycle from creation to execution. Low-code/no-code test automation tools are indispensable to automated testing processes. As a test automation tool, low-code/no-code software is characterized by the minimum usage of code compared to traditional coding. Low-code test automation is different from low-code development platforms. Low-code test automation tools can also test low-code applications to ensure a seamless software development cycle.
Why is low-code software testing needed?
Any tech-enabled organization will have multiple applications and software for different departments or different business requirements. These applications and software can also be used for other mediums such as web, mobile, or API integrations. Applications can also be built on low-code platforms or traditional methodologies such as Node Js, PHP, and HTML to name a few.
Regardless of whether these applications are being consumed for internal use or provided as software services to clients, they need continuous testing to ensure there are no breakages. Apart from the use case, testing methodologies for complex test cases such as unit testing, end-to-end testing, regression testing, functional testing, performance testing, and security testing need to be done. Errors in applications can lead to a loss of data, security vulnerabilities, productivity loss, and financial repercussions due to client reparations. Irrespective of the applications being built on low-code platforms or utilizing traditional methodologies, testing them for errors is crucial before deployment.
Low-code test automation tools are needed to perform these tests quickly, help maintain automated test scripts, streamline test case approvals in high-velocity software teams, and execute automated tests more efficiently.
Low-code testing tools provide ease of use and faster deployment. Low-code test automation tools like QEngine improve the flexibility of choosing different environments within the same test window. Automated tests of specific modules or components are done before deployment to prevent errors in syntax, runtime errors, logic errors, incompatible system functionalities, and more. Features or functionalities that need repetitive testing are handled by automating tests with low-code/no-code test automation.
Who can use low-code software testing?
Anyone who wants to test applications or software in any medium, whether web or mobile APIs, to prevent errors can use low-code/no-code software testing.
Testers and developers with minimum coding knowledge will find transitioning to low-code automation testing easier than manual testing methods.
Expert testers or developers will find that compared to other test automation methods that require complex scripts and multiple tools, low-code test automation is more efficient and improves productivity, reduces errors, and ensures that more applications can be deployed to production.
Citizen developers and product owners who want to test their software without QA intervention can also benefit from low-code software testing.
When should low-code test automation be used over manual testing?
Did you know that a comprehensive web application can have more than 1,000 test cases? Now imagine the number of test cases needed for the same application, but for its mobile instance and APIs! The testing lifecycle will take longer than the product-build!
The number of test cases is high based on the complexity, features, and functionalities. Manually testing such a considerable number of test cases is not just time-consuming but also prone to errors and delays in the timeline to deploy the application.
Low-code software testing provides better test coverage and helps streamline error tracking and bug reporting. Low-code/no-code automation testing is invaluable for regression testing, where testing is done so that any new features or updates do not affect the existing functionalities. When end-to-end testing needs to be done, low-code tools have a better edge over manual testing. Low-code test automation also helps reduce IT bottlenecks. Product owners who know the application completely but have minimal testing expertise can use drag-and-drop functionalities or action recorders to test their applications. This helps save time and ensures timely delivery.
Low-code test automation is vital when implementing model-based test automation. Model-based test automation (MBTA) is a software testing approach that utilizes test cases built from models of the system (software/application) under test. Modeling techniques such as Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams and state transition diagrams are used to capture the software’s/applications' dependencies, various states, events, and more. The test case scripts generated are then executed against the system under test to check for discrepancies and errors.
Another key time when low-code test automation is handy is when building quick prototypes of applications and software. For prototypes of applications, an iterative development process can be done efficiently with low-code test automation tools.
However, manual testing can still help with visual and design testing needs, minor changes, smaller projects, or a better understanding of the application.
How is low-code software testing done?
Gathering testing requirements
The success of any testing project depends on the detailed testing requirements an application or software needs. A thorough understanding of the applications' functionality, business logic, user journey, and test acceptance criteria is needed.
Test planning
The testing requirements need to be documented via testing objectives, scope of testing, assigning and testing resources. The types of testing required—functionality testing, UI/UX testing, performance testing, load testing, security testing, and others are also decided during this phase.
Test cases modularity and design
Test cases are grouped based on their features and functionality and added as “modules.” In techniques such as boundary value analysis, input variables are chosen based on values ranging from the minimum to maximum possible variable values, including negative values. Testing techniques such as equivalence partitioning, decision tables, state transition, experience-based testing, or error guessing are also done.
Test execution
Test cases are grouped into test suites for ease of execution on various platforms, web, mobile, or APIs. The tests can be executed sequentially, where subsequent test cases are executed only after the test cases that began execution prior are completed in a sequence. Parallel testing is mostly chosen to run multiple test cases in parallel because this saves more time.
Test reporting
The testing team documents the errors or bugs found during the testing process along with the results of passed and failed tests and shares them with the development team. The test coverage is analyzed to learn the amount of application code covered. These results can be pushed into various project management software to document features and functionalities for rectification or further action. This helps maintain the CI/CD pipeline.
Features of low-code automated testing tools
Record and playback feature
This is a prominent low-code/no-code testing technique that relies on capturing user actions via a “recorder” and generates test case scripts. The generated test case script provides the tester with a skeletal structure of the testing code that can be further elevated by adding code logic, if/for loops, and more depending on the requirements. This feature of low-code automated testing tools allows business users, citizen developers, and novice testers to write test cases with ease. Applications built on any low-code platform can benefit from test automation.
Drag-and-drop interface
Low-code software testing tools also have drag-and-drop interfaces to configure mouse actions, form actions, browser actions, assertions, and more.
Cross-platform compatibility
A key feature of low-code test automation is that it supports cross-platform testing on web, mobile, and APIs. This helps to ensure the application or software runs on different devices, multiple browsers, and various versions.
Visual testing
Captured screenshots of the application or software can be compared visually to detect variations in layouts, buttons, widgets, and more. With advancements in UI testing, visual testing is a software testing approach catering to non-technical users, manual testers, and automation testers.
Integration capabilities
Another critical feature of low-code software testing tools is that they enable integration with data sources, project management applications, bug trackers, and any other applications that help streamline the testing lifecycle. This also helps in API testing.
Myths that are barriers to adopting low-code software testing
Skill gaps
Transitioning to low-code software testing mandates that the testing team must acquire a new skillset. This is a myth; barring a different approach to testing, low-code software testing needs a minimal technical skillset to begin with.
Test quality
A belief exists that manually written test cases are more robust than automated test cases. However, with prioritizing test coverage, better versioning controls, one-click CI/CD integrations, and creating reusable test cases, the test quality can be made better with low-code software testing tools.
Scalability
As the complexity of software grows, there's apprehension that low-code software testing might not be able to handle scalability. With modularity and ease of maintenance in low-code tools, scalability is actually more flexible with low-code software testing tools.
Cost
Low-code software testing tools, being a new tech stack, will be prohibitively expensive with regard to licensing, infrastructure, training resources, and more. However, in reality, most of the low-code software testing tools provide cloud and local infrastructure based on testing projects' requirements. With QEngine, licensing is based on the test case scripts run, and resources training and hands-on training is also provided for ease of implementation.
Best practices for implementing low-code software testing
Testing objectives
The testing project must have a clear objective before implementing low-code software testing. This could be testing new features, regression testing to ensure that existing functionality is not affected, increasing test coverage, reducing testing time, or testing for bugs.
The right tool
Choose a tool that has user-friendly UI, cross-platform compatibility, integration capabilities, and, most importantly, is easier to adopt or implement for your testing team. Evaluate QEngine to see how it can help with your testing objectives.
Modularity and reusable test cases
A crucial element to improving testing is the apt maintenance of test cases. Maintaining test cases is easier by grouping relevant test cases based on functionality and features as modules and creating reusable test cases such as logins, functions, or test case repositories so that these can be referenced in other test cases. Learn more about QEngine's test case repositories.
Have version control
It’s imperative to have version control to track and manage changes made to the test case scripts by the testing team. Tools that have Explore approvals and user dashboards help in effective collaboration. QEngine's robust features for version control, user roles, approvals, and more.
Analyzing test results
To complete the testing lifecycle successfully, it’s important to analyze the test results to understand the errors and rectify them. QEngine's test reporting tool can help you analyze results better.
What is the future of low-code software testing in 2024 and beyond?
Gartner’s experts have stated that in 2024, low-code application development will be the core methodology for more than 65% of application development activity. Low-code test automation will then be responsible for testing low-code applications.
AI-augmented testing
In the near future, test automation tools will implement extensive AI, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP) to generate test cases, run executions, and provide detailed insights. With AI-augmented, low-code test automation, maintaining automated test scripts for web testing, mobile testing, and API testing will be more straightforward. This will also help execute various types of testing like regression testing, data-driven testing, and visual testing, and improve the efficiency of the testing lifecycle.
Test-driven development
Moving away from the traditional practice of building the application and then creating test cases, test-driven development relies on converting the software or application requirements to test cases first. The software is then tested against these test cases during the software build. These are approaches that will gain traction across industries as well as software and applications in the near future.
Improved test coverage
As low-code software testing tools evolve, test coverage (i.e., the amount of application code that the testing covers) will improve. This will ensure that there are no unexpected errors in the code base.
Shift-left testing
Close on the heels of test-driven development, shift-left testing relies on initiating the testing process earlier in the software development lifecycle and testing the applications or software before deployment. For more trends, check out this blog post.
Analyzing test results
To complete the testing lifecycle successfully, it’s important to analyze the test results to understand the errors and rectify them. QEngine's test reporting tool can help you analyze results better.
Conclusion
As the tech space continues to evolve, software development is incomplete without low-code testing. Low-code testing tools provide better efficiency, agility, and are cost-effective. Low-code test automation tools abstract coding complexities to offer intuitive visual interfaces. The future of automated testing is cemented by AI-driven testing processes, AI-generation of test scripts, minimal requirements for coding knowledge, shift-left testing methodologies, model-based test automation, and more!
Low-code software testing-related questions
What is low-code?
Low-code is a software methodology that relies on building applications and software with visual elements as the code is abstracted in the back end. This helps create a faster time-to-market and improved productivity.
How can I learn low-code software testing?
Document the various use cases or scenarios you'd like to test in the application or software. Sign up for a free trial of QEngine and begin your test automation journey. You can check our webinars or help guides to learn more.
What is the difference between low-code software testing and regular testing?
Regular testing involves extensive human intervention for setting up use case scenarios and then testing them repetitively. Traditional testing requires knowledge of programming languages and extensive documentation.
Why use QEngine for low-code software testing?
Zoho QEngine is equipped with no-code, low-code, and manual coding functionalities. With QEngine, you can manage test cases across platforms (i.e., web, mobile, APIs) in a single window. Create, develop, manage, and execute automated functional tests while collaborating with your team. With a comprehensive test automation tool like QEngine, the entire development lifecycle can be streamlined.