Automation testing strategy, approach & planning

IBM Global Services – Testing Competency
IBM Confidential © Copyright IBM Corporation 200501/23/2005
Strategy, Approach & Planning

IBM Global ServicesIBM Global Services – Testing Competency
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2005
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Agenda
 Introduction
 Effective Automation
 Fundamental Approach
 Real Facts & Think Factor
 Considerations for Automation
 Automation Start-up Strategies to Avoid
 Guidelines & Approach
 Automation Methodologies
 Overview on Automation Tools
 References

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Introduction
 GUI automation is always viewed as the SILVER BULLET, which will save money,
time and resources
 Test automation raises our hopes, yet often frustrates & disappoints us
 Promises to deliver us from a tough situation, yet can create as many problems as
it solves
"Embarking on a successful automation test project is similar to embarking
on a successful software development project“

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Effective Automation
 Reduced utilization of manual resources
 More efficient use of scarce hardware resources
 Reduced test cycle time
 Reduced cost of testing, after initial cost of implementation
 Improved reliability of the testing
 Repeatable tests, thus overcoming boredom-induced missed bugs
 Improved test coverage, since testing may be done more frequently
 Development of programming skills
 May allow the use of less skilled staff to do the actual testing

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Fundamental Approach
 Understand the need / requirement for automation
 Point out pitfalls to avoid
 Promote an evolving implementation
 Begin simple and increase in complexity as the team's skills increase
"Learning from others is the most effective way to grow your automation expertise"

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Real Facts & Think factors
Real Fact
 Automation is initially expensive and it may not do a better job than manual testing
in some situations
Think Factors
1. How much will automating and running a test cost, versus running it manually?
2. Automated test has a limited lifetime in which it must recoup the additional cost.
Will this test be reusable long enough? What factors will prevent it from being
reusable?
3. The automated test will find bugs it was designed to test for and in addition it will
find bugs that are not directly related to the test. What is the likelihood that this test
will find additional bugs?

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Real Facts & Think factors
Real Fact
 Automation is initially expensive and it may not do a better job than manual testing
in some situations
Think Factors
1. How much will automating and running a test cost, versus running it manually?
2. Automated test has a limited lifetime in which it must recoup the additional cost.
Will this test be reusable long enough? What factors will prevent it from being
reusable?
3. The automated test will find bugs it was designed to test for and in addition it will
find bugs that are not directly related to the test. What is the likelihood that this test
will find additional bugs?

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Considerations for Automation
 Test cases those are long running, repetitive, and non-subjective
 Projects / Products that have a working, relatively stable GUI
 Projects / Products that will span multiple releases.

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Guidelines & Approach
Record / Playback initially using the Testing tool’s wizard or toolbar will be easier but
hard to maintain because they represent not only WHAT needs to be tested, but
HOW it is to be tested
Guideline: 1
Once familiarity in scripting is achieved, continue using the scripting language of an
automation tool to provide your own implementation logic (framework) that is separate
from your test case scripts
 Requires more investment upfront, but the code will be less expensive to maintain
over the life span of multiple product releases
Example:
Imagine having recorded test case scripts for a banking application that initially
allowed the user to simply click "OK" to commit a sensitive transaction, then the
application developers changed the navigational logic requiring the user to type "yes"
to confirm these transactions. Every recorded test case that has hard coded "OK"
clicks relating to the sensitive transaction commits would require maintenance.

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Guidelines & Approach (Contd..)
Automation code without any Discipline - Tendency to jump in and start
developing new test scripts without collaborating with other team's members and
without establishing a plan, structure, and/or standards is natural. However, in the
long term this undisciplined approach is not productive. Any test case scripts and
frameworks that are produced in this manner tend to lack such characteristics as:
maintainability, reusability, readability, flexibility, reliability, effectiveness, and efficiency
Guideline: 2
Establish complete Automation plan, Structure, and Standards
“Quality automation effort should follow a software development process”

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Guideline: 3
“Separating the What from the How”
An approach to separate what needs to be tested from how it is to be tested. To
accomplish this separation, guideline would suggest to have the test script writers
write the test scripts to identify what needs to be tested and automation developers
write a framework to handle the implementation (i.e., the navigation logic, window
processing logic, and verification logic) of your tests.
Framework - "a supporting or enclosing structure”

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Guideline: 4
Use the 6 phases for implementing the best course of Automated Testing action
- Evaluation
- Planning
- Design
- Implementation
- Deployment
- Review
Iteration Cycle – Plan for future changes

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Guideline: 5
A. Define Automation Goals & Prioritize
At every point in the specification process, you can check the "testability" of the requirement or
specification by ensuring it is S.M.A.R.T.
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable or Achievable
R - Realistic
T - Timely
B. Define Automation Strategy
- GUI - Roundtrip / Segment, Define objects, Synchronization
- Types of Testing
- Strategy Considerations
1. Partial automation
2. Time cost
3. Testing delay
4. Inertia
5. Risk of missed bugs

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Guideline: 6
Define Users and Skill Level Required / Desired
- Test Script Writers
- Automation Developers
Guideline: 7
Resource Planning / Source Code Management
- Hardware
- Software
- People

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Guideline: 8
Define Design Goals & Prioritize
- Maintainability
- Structured
- Well Documented
- Reviewed
- Framework Specific Goals
- Modularity
- Reusability
- Usability
- Scalability
- Reusability
- Portability
- Robustness
- Reliability
- Efficiency
- Flexibility

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Guideline: 9
Determine the Automation Interface Architecture
- Data Driven Interface
- Programming Interface
Guideline: 10
Determine the Automation Framework Architecture
- Error Recovery
- Support of Custom Controls
- Product Testability Issues
- NLS – Localization
Guideline: 11
Define Standards – Naming & Code Conventions

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Components of Automated Test System
Test Script Writers
Automation Developers
Test Scripts
“WHAT”
Interface
Framework
“HOW”
Documents
 Framework Usage Notes
 Guidelines
 Naming Conventions

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Automation Methodologies
 Functional Decomposition Method
This methodology is to reduce all the test cases to their most fundamental
tasks, and write User-Defined Functions, Business Function Scripts, and
"Sub-routine" or "Utility" Scripts which perform these tasks independently of
one another
 Key-Word Driven or Test Plan Driven Method
This method uses the actual Test Case document developed by the tester
using a spreadsheet containing special "Key-Words". This method preserves
most of the advantages of the "Functional Decomposition" method, while
eliminating most of the disadvantages. In this method, the entire process is
data-driven, including functionality.
The Keyword controls the entire processing

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Overview on Automation Tools
 Most of the Automated Tools in the market remain as an integrated suite for Test
Documentations, Scripting, Executions & Defect Tracking
 Automation tool does exist for specific testing needs such as
Performance Testing
Code Coverage
Memory Leak Detection
 Automation Tools available in the market which are more on focus today includes
 Rational Tools – Robot, Test Manager, ClearQuest
 Mercury Interactive – WinRunner, LoadRunner, QTP, Astra Load Test
 Segue – Silk Performer

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References
Web Sites for Additional Resources
1. http://www.io.com/~wazmo/qa/ Software Testing Hotlist, maintained by Bret
Pettichord, has links to many of the articles and papers mentioned in this document
2. http://www.softwareqatest.com/index.html Software QA and Testing Resource
Center, maintained by Rick Hower, links
3. http://qaforums.com/ QA Forums, maintained by individual moderators, links to
forums on Quality Assurance, Tools, Consulting & Employment
Bibliography
1. Dustin, Elfriede, Rashka, Jeff, and Paul, John (1999) Automated Software Testing:
Introduction, Management and Performance. Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc. Reading,
Massachusetts
2. Fewster, Mark and Graham, Dorothy (1999) Software Test Automation: Effective
use of test execution tools. Addison-Wesley: ACM Press, New York
3. Kaner, Cem, Falk, Jack, and Nguyen, Hung Quoc (1999) Testing Computer
Software. Wiley Computer Publishing, New York

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