Automation Testing: With Real-Life Examples

This article includes advantages and disadvantages of automation testing and the procedure to perform it. It also includes real-life examples.

Automation software testing is a pre-and post-release quality assurance process that helps prevent software defects. It also verifies the quality of software, hardware, networks, and other complex systems. Over the years, computerized software has become so complex that it’s almost impossible to test all the programs without the help of machines. That’s where automation comes in. It saves time and resources while ensuring the quality of your product or system.

Table of Contents

• What is automation testing?
• Real life example of automation testing
• Applications of automation testing
• Why is Automation testing needed?
• How do you perform Automation Testing?
• Advantages of Automation testing
• Disadvantages of Automation testing

What is Automation Testing? 

Automation testing is a computerized process that automatically performs a testing task.

Automated testing is the process of testing software and other technology products to ensure that they meet stringent requirements. This test ensures the device or software is working as designed. Test for bugs, defects, and other issues during product development.

Several tests, such as Regression or functional tests, can be run manually, but automated runs have more advantages. Automated tests can be run at any time of the day. Explore the software using scripted sequences. It can then report what it finds and compare this information with previous test runs. Automation developers typically write in ​​C#, JavaScript, and Ruby programming languages.

Also read: Difference between Manual testing and Automation testing

Automated testing has transformed modern software development. This is arguably a major factor in the explosion of apps over the past decade. Prior to test automation, all tests had to be run manually. This was slow, error-prone, and costly.

Developers have been automating unit tests for a long time. In other words, it is a test that confirms that a particular function is working correctly. Later, automated testing frameworks such as Selenium were developed. This allows you to test modules or entire applications automatically.

These frameworks allow test scripts to interact with her UI and replicate user actions. For example, you can find a specific button and click it. Alternatively, find the text input field and enter it correctly. You can also check that the tests were completed successfully.

Real Life Example of Automation Testing

Let’s look at a simple test automation example of a website. Suppose the Selenium framework is used in this case and LambdaTest for automating the web pages. Selenium is an open-source framework for testing web applications across browsers and platforms. Its suite enables automated testing of websites and web applications on different platforms and browsers using any programming language of your choice. LambdaTest is a Cloud testing tool that provides a cloud Selenium grid that can run parallel tests on an online browser farm with over 3000 browsers and operating systems. Just instantiate the remote Selenium WebDriver instead of the local Selenium WebDriver. 

With LambdaTest, you don’t have to worry about downloading and configuring hundreds of browsers on your computer because it’s available in the online Selenium grid. In the same way, many online tools are available, which are cloud-based.

Also read: What Does A Software Engineer Do? Roles, Responsibilities, and Skills

Applications of Automation Testing

• Test your application under a load of 100,000 users.
• Test your application in parallel on different browsers and different operating systems.
• Compare two spreadsheets with thousands of rows and columns.
• Compare two images pixel by pixel.

Why is Automation Testing Needed?

Let’s understand the need for automated testing through real-world use cases.

Get new features to test in software. We have about 50 test cases that we have started our test plan and identified. They started testing and reported about ten bugs in the first sprint. These bugs are fixed across sprints, so testers test updated software versions on each build. So how do you fix bugs without affecting older workspaces?

To confirm this, you should test all your software or run regression tests after each fix. Manual testing can become cumbersome as the number of software bugs increases and the number of features to test increases. This is where automated testing comes in.

In such cases, areas already tested and covered can be easily automated. You can easily check the state of your software by running the entire suite whenever there is a new build or bug fix.

How do you Perform Automation Testing?

1. Choose the right tools or frameworks to conduct your tests.

This depends on what kind of tests you want to automate. Once your test specifications are ready, you must select the right tools to help you execute those tests. Several test tools are available. Industry-standard tools for automated testing are based on code and code-based test scripts. The most popular code-based web automation framework for automated testing is Selenium WebDriver. This allows him to test his web application using different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.).

2. Define your test cases precisely.

This means writing down each step and the desired result. It’s important not to make assumptions or overlook steps that a manual tester might blindly make. For example, it accepts cookie banner popups. 

3. Convert your test cases into tests that can be run in your framework of choice

You will walk through your team’s state and prepare the test data and the environment in which the test will take place. You will be writing custom scripts. You need to ensure that your tests work correctly and that they work in each case where you need them. For example, if your app needs to run in different browsers, you must ensure your tests work in each browser. 

4. Run the test and evaluate the results

This step can be difficult. Test errors often don’t show up immediately. It may take some investigative work to find out what went wrong. Also, many test failures are false positives caused by minor changes in the application. In such cases, the test should be updated and rerun.

NOTE: Involves the testers much earlier in the software development life cycle. The earlier the testers are involved, the more bugs you find, and as a result, you have a better quality product.

Also read: A Day in Life of a Software Engineer – An Interview Log

Advantages of Automation Testing

1. Detailed Reporting

Automated testing uses well-crafted test cases for various scenarios. These scripted sequences are incredibly detailed and provide detailed descriptions impossible for humans. Not to mention it can be deployed in no time. 

2. Improved defect detection

One of the main reasons for testing products is to detect defects and other defects. Automated testing facilitates this process. It can also analyze a broader range of tests than humans are capable of.

3. Simplify Testing

Testing is a routine part of most SaaS and technology companies operations. It’s essential to make it as easy as possible. Using automation is very beneficial. Test scripts can be reused when automating test tools. On the other hand, manual testing requires you to write a single line of code each time you run the same test case.

4. Reduced human intervention

Testing can be performed at any time of the day or even overnight without the need for human supervision. Additionally, automation reduces the risk of human error.

5. Save time and money

Automation may require an initial investment, but it can save money and be cost-effective in the long run. Team members spend time in other areas, eliminating the need for manual testing in many situations. This will improve your workflow.

Disadvantages of Automation Testing

1. It can’t debug or fix any bugs that appear during testing. 
2. It can’t understand or interpret the source code- only humans can do that. 
3. It can’t be used for personal projects since it requires a computer and operating system access.
4. Some organizations have trouble justifying the cost of purchasing automated tools since they’re already familiar with manual testing procedures.

Conclusion

Automation is a great tool to improve testing efficiency in any project development environment. The speed and accuracy generated by this method are far superior to anything manually created test cases can achieve. There are numerous situations when automating tests is appropriate; consider these before implementing these methods in your working environment!