Test Automation

1. ARE YOU READY FOR TEST AUTOMATION GAME?
-Kerry Zallar (STQE Magazine)
(Nov/Dec 2001 Issue)
CONCEPT/ DEFINITION:
Use of software to control the execution of tests and data
comparison
To enable test scripts/ cases to be developed and executed
(Potentially in an unattended or off-hours mode)

2. STORY – Buggy the Tester
• Simple behavioral model of the application
• Test program to compare results
• Program ran continuously, generating new test
sequences
• Ran tests on a dozen machines at once
• Some manual testing included
• Fewer bugs after several rounds of testing and
bug fixes
RESULT: Very few bugs found upon release

3. NEW TO TEST AUTOMATION?
 Author suggests 5 broad areas for analysis
 1) Test Automation is Software Development
 2) Test Automation is Long-Term Investment
 3) Assess your Resources
 4) No one-size-fits-all Approach
 5) Gauge your Maturity Levels

4. 1) TEST AUTOMATION IS SW DEV.
 Unable to cope with manual testing?
 Solution: Purchase a test automation tool
 Known as “Capture/Playback”
(Capture tests while they’re running and execute later using
Playback tool)
 Simplify or Complicate?
 Understanding of tasks, issues and impact
 Automation: Not a ‘project’, but a ‘product’

5. EFFECTIVE AUTOMATION
 Planning
 Logical and Modular code designs
 Standardization
 Configuration Management
 Documentation and Testing

6. 2) LONG TERM INVESTMENT
 Justification of investment
 Supporting defective software
 Releases to fix problems in production
 Losing business due to customer dissatisfaction
 Two aspects:
 Upfront costs
 Maintenance costs
 Estimation of Return on Investment (ROI)

7. 3) ASSESS YOUR RESOURCES
 Resources: People and Skills
 Effective Automation =>
 Visionary: Automation is planned, designed and
managed well
 Development Skills: Program code to write
reusable modules and test scripts
 Staff skills set

8. 4) NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH
 Automation effort depends on:
 Criticality of software under test
 Level of investment
 Maturity of software development
 Maturity of testing processes
 Time-frame for results

9. CUSTOMIZING TEST AUTOMATION
 Mix of manual and automated testing
 Guide proportions to meet your organization’s
needs

10. 5) GUAGE YOUR MATURITY LEVELS
 Process Maturity essential for Test Maturity
 Test Maturity
 Independent Testing?
 Structured Process?
 Documentation Practices for Tests?
 Release Management
 Management of software releases
 Disciplined prioritization and communication

11. SUMMARY/ ANALYSIS
Evaluation of Test Automation
 More than buying a tool
 Long-term investment of money, time, people and
skills
 Purpose needs to be well-defined
 Important to develop a test-automation strategy
 Work as a team
 Requires relevant skill sets for efficiency
 Treat it as software development
 Need for customization
 Commitment is essential
 Get an early start