Everything you need to know about test automation
Today's software development moves at jet speed, but what about testing? If your team can't keep up with rapid releases while ensuring bug-free, high-quality applications, you're liable to get left behind.
Software requires extensive testing to ensure an error-free product feature or app is delivered to the end user, but traditional manual testing is often time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive.
What if you could execute thousands of tests in minutes, detect bugs instantly, and accelerate your time-to-market—all while reducing costs?
What is test automation?
Test automation is the process of automating software testing in an organization. It uses software tools to run tests, manage test data, and analyze it with little to no human intervention. This identifies potential hindrances, coding errors, bugs, and other issues with the software. This enables the organization to be agile and deploy error-free software quickly.
Automation testing tools usually perform the following functions:
- Create and run test cases.
- Help analyze the test cases.
- Compare the test results with expected outcomes.
- Generate reports on the software's performance and send feedback to the developer.
Automation testing is mainly used for regression testing, performance testing, and any other area where repetitive tests are needed and manual testing would be tedious and prone to error.
Differences between test automation & automated testing
Though they might look similar and are often used interchangeably, test automation and automated testing are different:
- Test automation refers to a broad process adopted by an organization to automate various testing activities on different projects, such as test execution, analysis, and reporting.
- Automated testing or automation testing refers to running test cases using an automation tool in a specific scenario.
Automation testing vs manual testing
The main difference between automation testing and manual testing is the way the test cases are executed. Manual testing is usually done by testers without any dependence on tools, whereas automation testing uses a testing tool to create and execute a wide range of test cases within minutes.
Why is test automation core to DevOps?
Test automation is essential for agile development and DevOps, as it supports continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) through continuous testing.
Here are some key reasons why QA automation is important for DevOps:
Ensures continuous integration and deployment
CI/CD pipelines are reliant on test automation tools, as automated tests are executed after each code commit, helping ensure that the application remains stable and deployable at all times.
Promotes collaboration
Once bugs are identified, testers can collaborate with developers to create automation unit tests, integration tests, and acceptance tests, reducing turnaround time and fostering a culture of collaboration across teams.
Enables regression testing
Automated testing provides an efficient way to validate existing functionalities after code changes, saving time and effort compared to manual testing.
Enhances test coverage and accuracy
Test automation allows organizations to achieve higher test coverage by executing a large number of test cases across different environments and configurations.
Accelerates feedback loops
Automation testing enables faster feedback on code changes, ensuring defects are caught early in the development lifecycle.
Types of automated testing
Automation testing can be done for various types of tests, each serving a specific purpose.
Here are the most common types of test automation:
Functional testing
Determines if the software or app works according to expectations.
Integration testing
Tests how various modules or units integrate and work together.
Performance testing
Measures system responsiveness and the quality of the software.
Smoke testing
Verifies the stability of the entire system after each new build.
Unit testing
Tests individual units or components, ensuring that the basic functionality of specific units within the software is error-free.
Regression testing
Ensures new code and code changes don’t affect the functionality of existing components in the software.
API testing
Checks if components in one piece of software can communicate with integrated software across various scenarios.
Load testing
Evaluates system performance under unexpected or heavy workloads.
Who is involved in test automation?
Automation testing is a collaborative effort often involving multiple roles across the organization. During agile automated software testing, the organization starts testing early on in the software development lifecycle. This means developers and testers need to work closely together to make a test automation framework successful.
Here are some key stakeholders involved in the test automation process:
Developers
Write code with testing in mind, even in the initial software-building stage, and work with automation engineers to integrate tests into the development process.
DevOps engineers
Help integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines, ensuring continuous integration and continuous deployment.
Test automation engineers or QA engineers
Design and implement the test automation process, developing and maintaining automated test scripts.
Project managers
Ensure the testing process aligns with business goals and oversee the testing process.
When to perform automation testing
Test automation can be a game changer for software testing, but it's important to choose the right test cases to automate.
Here are some reasons to opt for test automation:
Repetition
Repetitive tests that need to be frequently executed are strong candidates for automation testing.
Stability and criticality
Tests that involve stable functionalities and critical scenarios should be automated.
Data-centric needs
Automated tests can handle large data sets efficiently, covering numerous amalgamations and variations.
Time-consuming scenarios
Tests that are time-consuming when performed manually should be automated to save on labor hours.
High-risk
Test cases that involve critical data, such as financial transactions or sensitive user data, are perfect for test automation.
Integration with CI/CD pipelines
Automation testing is important if there's a need for continuous feedback.
Performance and load testing
Automation tools like Zoho QEngine can efficiently simulate various scenarios, allowing testers to identify performance bottlenecks and scalability issues.
By selecting the right test cases for automation, teams can optimize their testing efforts, achieve faster feedback cycles, and deliver higher-quality software.
How to perform test automation: The automation testing lifecycle
The process of automation testing is carefully planned, keeping the organization’s vision and output in mind.
Here are some generic steps to set up test automation:
Define the automation scope
Identify test cases that are suitable for automation.
Select the testing tool
Choose a comprehensive automation testing platform that aligns with your requirements and helps you achieve maximum test coverage, like Zoho QEngine.
Plan, design, and develop
Plan and develop test scripts based on your defined scope.
Set up the test environment
Configure automation frameworks and integrate with CI/CD pipelines.
Execute the tests
Run test cases and collect the results.
Analyze the results
Do a thorough analysis of the test reports.
Maintain the test suite
Update scripts to match application changes.
How to choose a test automation platform
Selecting the right test automation tool is the first step in the test automation journey. Test automation is the process of using software tools to write, execute, and manage test cases and maintain logs of the results. Tools provide the functionality and operations that assist developers and testers in effectively testing the software using minimum human intervention. These tools enable the testers to perform testing in various environments, browsers, devices, and operating systems.
It's important to select an automation tool that aligns with the organization’s objectives, as it helps save on the time, money, and effort involved in ensuring the end user gets quality software that's error-free and easy to use.
Here are some things to consider when selecting an automation testing tool:
Ease of use
A user-friendly interface that enables quick test creation.
Scalability
The ability to handle small, large, and long-term projects with ease.
Support
Quick access to technical resources and support.
Reporting and analytics
Detailed insights and test reports.
Integration capabilities
Easy to integrate with your current CI/CD pipelines, as well as other tools, like Jenkins.
Zoho QEngine, is a leading test automation tool that enhances efficiency, scalability, and accuracy. Businesses can now accelerate test automation using Zoho QEngine’s low-code, AI-powered, and cross-functional testing capabilities. Here’s why QEngine is a one-stop-shop for maximizing your ROI:
Solution for every skill level
Whether you're an expert or have limited knowledge of coding, QEngine is built for testers at all skill levels.
Enhanced team collaboration
Improve team communication, track project progress in real time, and increase efficiency.
Cost-effective and scalable
Eliminate infrastructure costs with cloud-based testing and reduce maintenance costs with features like overnight test runs and pay-as-you-go pricing.
Achieve faster time to market
QEngine ensures faster release of high-quality software through robust test automation, AI-driven maintenance, and seamless CI/CD integration.
Multi-functional test automation tool
With QEngine, you get a comprehensive testing suite that covers all aspects of test automation, like test case generation, test execution, debugging and reporting, and maintenance and insights.
Benefits of automation testing
Automation testing ensures quality software is continuously being deployed with minimum human intervention.
Here are some benefits of automated testing:
Speed and efficiency
Automation testing can execute test cases much faster than manual testing. This allows for faster feedback on the quality of the application and facilitates quicker releases of the software.
Reusability
Automated test scripts are reusable across different test environments and configurations. This ensures your test automation is easily scalable.
Accuracy
Test scripts follow predefined scripts consistently, making it easier to detect defects.
Cost-effectiveness
It's also cost-effective over time, as it reduces the need for manual testers and minimizes repetitive tasks.
Increased test coverage
Automation allows for extensive testing across various operating systems, devices, and browsers by running a large number of tests across different environments in a short time.
Automation testing best practices
It's important to understand that test automation plays a key role in satisfying user expectations of a bug-free experience across all devices, apps, and websites. To maximize its effectiveness, here are some essential best practices to follow:
- Define the right scope and set expectations as per the organization’s needs.
- Strategically choose high-priority, time-consuming, and repetitive test cases to automate.
- Maintain a consistent test environment and define clear error-handling guidelines.
- Leverage team expertise based on their skill set.
- Foster a culture of collaboration where developers, testers, and all other stakeholders take collective responsibility.
- Choose the right automation tool that aligns with your project requirements, team capabilities, and testing goals.
- Maintain detailed test insights and analyze them thoroughly for faster debugging and troubleshooting.
- Utilize virtualized environments like emulators and simulators that mimic real devices to achieve speed and flexibility.
Does automated testing change the role of QA?
With automation testing, the role of QA analysts has gone from manual execution to strategic test planning, script development, test result analysis, and automation framework development.
Test automation is now an integral part of modern software development, enabling faster, error-free application delivery. Choosing the right test automation platform, like QEngine, ensures seamless automation, scalability, and efficiency.