The document discusses 5 generations of test automation: 1) Manual Testing which is flexible but expensive for each execution with no automated regression testing or coverage measurement. 2) Capture-Replay Testing which adds automated regression testing but has fragile tests and no coverage measurement. 3) Script-Based Testing which enables automatic execution and regression testing but tests can be fragile and there is no coverage measurement. 4) Keyword-Driven Testing which abstracts tests and enables automatic execution, regression testing, and robust tests but still has no coverage measurement. 5) Model-Based Testing which abstracts tests, enables automatic execution, regression testing, and automatic test design with systematic coverage measurement but has modelling overhead.

1. Generations of Test
Automation
COMP551 Week 3
Dr Mark Utting
marku@cs.waikato.ac.nz

2. 1. Manual Testing
+ easy & cheap to start
+ flexible testing
- expensive every execution
- no auto regression testing
- ad-hoc coverage
- no coverage measurement

3. 2. Capture-Replay
Testing
+ flexible testing
- expensive first execution
+ auto regression testing
- fragile tests break easily
- ad-hoc coverage
- no coverage measurement

4. 3. Script-Based Testing
+/- test impl. = programming
+ automatic execution
+ auto regression testing
- fragile tests break easily?
(depends on abstraction)
- ad-hoc coverage
- no coverage measurement

5. 4. Keyword-Driven
Testing
+ abstract tests
+ automatic execution
+ auto regression testing
- robust tests
- ad-hoc coverage
- no coverage
measurement

6. 5. Model-Based
Testing
+ abstract tests
+ automatic execution
+ auto regression testing
+ auto design of tests
+ systematic coverage
+ measure coverage of
model and requirements
- modelling overhead

7. 5. Model-Based
Testing
+ abstract tests
+ automatic execution
+ auto regression testing
+ auto design of tests
+ systematic coverage
+ measure coverage of
model and requirements
- modelling overhead