What is Automation Testing? A Complete Guide

The technology sector needs to adopt rigorous quality assurance practices to ensure that developed products are reliable, secure, and perform as expected. However, manually performing various tests is time-consuming and prone to errors. 

One small mistake and you risk delivering a product that can significantly harm your reputation. This is where automation testing comes in. Automation testing involves using specialized tools to automate the process of executing tests. You enjoy benefits like cost savings, faster test execution, and reduced human error. 

In this article, we will discuss automation testing, its types, benefits, and the common challenges you might face along the way.

What is Automated Testing?

Automated testing is a type of software testing that involves using advanced software tools and frameworks to streamline or automate the process of validating software’s functionality to ensure it meets the set quality standards. In today’s rapidly growing technology environment, where businesses are adopting an agile methodology, the need for automation testing to test scripts is huge. 

This software testing technique allows your teams to run and execute tests quickly without any flaws, enhancing the cost-effectiveness of your product development projects. It also automates repetitive tasks, boosting efficiency and enabling scalability to handle more complex applications. The best part is that this type of testing can be integrated into continuous integration pipelines so new features are validated at the start for quality assurance. 

3 Types of Automation Testing 

There are many types of automation testing, including unit testing, functional testing, end-to-end testing, performance testing, regression testing, and integration testing. Let’s discuss some of them in detail:

Unit Testing 

Unit testing, as the name implies, is the one in which you run tests on individual software components or units to verify if each part is working as expected. It is typically done during the development phase and helps you identify bugs early in the software development lifecycle. Developers are responsible for running unit tests, and they always come before integration testing. 

Functional Testing 

Another type of automation testing is functional testing, which verifies the functionality of a software system, ensuring that the designed system is behaving efficiently and fulfilling business needs. The goal of this testing is to validate the software’s features or capabilities to work with different components. It’s one of the most common and foundational software testing methods, and it’s also a synonym for black box testing. 

Regression Testing

This test automation strategy is performed right after introducing or updating a new change in the software. The purpose of this testing is to ensure that the introduced changes don’t interfere with the system’s performance by introducing bugs. Developers can rest assured that they’ve not broken anything that was already working, leading to high customer satisfaction. 

5 Key Benefits of Automation Testing 

The key benefits of test automation include cost savings, quick feedback, little to no errors in software development, and excellent stability. Here’s a detailed overview of all these:

Cost-efficient 

Firstly, automation testing is relatively cost-efficient. How? When you incorporate this testing early in the development cycle, you can identify bugs and defects that may go unnoticed until the software is deployed into the production environment. Not detecting these issues early can lead to expensive repairs that can dent your business budget. 

Automation testing addresses this concern by identifying issues early. Using it, you can run frequent tests to pinpoint and fix loopholes in your software, saving money that would be otherwise spent on fixes. As these tests are automated, you also save some bucks on labor costs, usually required in manual software testing. 

Frequent feedback 

Automation testing relies on frameworks like Selenium and Cypress to run tests at every stage of the software development cycle. It streamlines integration and regression testing, providing developers with quick feedback on the software’s workings. This is especially important for modern software development. 

You can then collaborate with teams and address issues in real-time rather than waiting for the entire development process to end. This not only improves product quality but also quickens your time to market, giving you a competitive edge. 

Handles repetitive tasks 

Automation testing excels at handling repetitive tasks that take a lot of your time and resources. For instance, regression testing needs to be performed after every new change or update in the software to ensure the system stays uninterrupted by the changes. Automating such tasks allows developers to focus on more important tasks like product innovation and enhances overall productivity. 

Higher accuracy 

While manual testing seems budget-friendly at first, it is quite troublesome in the long run because it is prone to errors. For instance, you may write a wrong script, overlook a critical step in the process, or miss bugs due to fatigue. 

These small mistakes lead to inaccurate results, enabling bugs to slip through the cracks and right into the final product. Fortunately, automation testing frees you from such horrors. 

It executes tests with precision using pre-defined scripts, so there’s no room for errors at all. You also get detailed reports that can help you fine-tune the working of your software for great accuracy. 

Scalable 

The best benefit of automation testing is that it scales with your project. You can run it across various platforms, configurations, and environments simultaneously, enjoying unbeatable range, speed, and accuracy without having to invest in new technologies. 

What are the Common Challenges in Test Automation?

Some common challenges in automation testing may include high upfront costs, test selection, poor team collaboration, difficulties in cross-browser testing, and maintenance issues. Let’s discuss them in detail: 

Upfront investment

A major challenge in automation testing is its high upfront investment. You have to purchase new tools, train personnel, and build a top-notch tech infrastructure for smooth testing. While it reduces cost over time, it demands high investment at first, which can be a barrier for small businesses. 

Tool Selection

Choosing the right tool for automation testing tasks is also difficult. Businesses must make sure that the selected tools or frameworks are compliant, support multiple languages, and fit your project’s scope. 

Deciding which tests to automate

Many times, developers feel confused about what tests to automate. It’s because not all tests are worth automating and priority should be given to the ones that are repetitive, time-consuming, and also prone to human errors. 

Team collab issues

Automation testing requires you to involve every stakeholder, including developers or the Q/A team, for smooth collaboration. However, it’s common for some team members to be skeptical about new technology and may not know about its usage or potential. Miscommunication and reluctance to accept new technology can make testing inefficient. 

Test coverage

Achieving proper test coverage is difficult in every testing strategy, and automation is no different. Businesses find it hard and overwhelming to ensure that all test scenarios are covered in the testing phase, leading to unreliability. 

Test environment

Another one of the challenges of automation testing that automation engineers face is setting up and maintaining the test environment that exactly depicts the production setup. For instance, if you end up setting an incorrect or unreliable testing environment, your product has a chance of failure when deployed to the end users since it’s not tested against the right conditions. 

Cross-browser testing

You also need to check if your software works smoothly across all browsers. This requires robust tools and infrastructure, something that small to medium-sized businesses find difficult to arrange. 

False positives and false negatives

While automation testing can streamline your tasks, it can also lead to false positives (indicating a defect that’s nowhere to be found) or false negatives (missing a defect that’s present in the system. You may either miss potential problems or waste your time fixing something that doesn’t even exist, which isn’t viable. 

Implement continuous testing

Integrating automation testing in your continuous testing pipelines is quite challenging, particularly when you are handling large test suites. It demands extensive planning and a top-notch setup that takes a lot of time, delaying deployments. 

Inadequate testing infrastructure

Automated software testing requires a complex setup, including software, hardware, and other cloud tools. Without adequate infrastructure, testing becomes slow and unreliable. 

Maintenance

Automated test scripts require frequent, ongoing maintenance, especially as the software evolves. Failing to maintain test scripts can lead to poor results that dent the efficiency of the whole software solution.

Managing expectations from automated testing

Many businesses expect automation testing to guarantee product success. However, this is far from true! Automation testing also has its limitations, but developers or businesses often don’t set realistic goals, which often leads to disappointment. 

Popups and alerts handling

Many automation testing applications generate popups and alerts that can disrupt the whole flow of automated tests. You must do additional configuration to avoid such popups and ensure a smooth workflow. 

Test data management

Managing test data is another challenge software developers face. The inability to store, organize, and manage sensitive test data can lead to security breaches and inadequate test results. 

Emulators and simulators

Both emulators and simulators are helpful for testing as they mimic software and hardware features, behaviors, and variables. However, they sometimes fail to replicate complex issues like network latency, which can lead to incomplete testing. 

Flakiness of tests

Sometimes, automation testing fails at regular intervals for no particular reason. This situation confuses developers and increases doubts about the credibility of the test suites.

Test refactoring

Test refactoring is the process of changing internal elements of the code while not disturbing its external functionality. Over time, almost all tests require refactoring so they remain accurate and relevant. Nonetheless, this updating requires resources and time, which many businesses cannot afford. 

Tools and Frameworks for Automation Testing 

The following are some popular tools and frameworks for automation system testing:

• Selenium
• TestNG
• JUnit

Let’s discuss them in detail:

Selenium 

Selenium is an amazing test automation tool that enables developers to automate testing across a variety of browsers and applications. It has tools like Selenium WebDriver and Selenium Grid that execute parallel tests. The best part is that it can support a variety of programming languages, from Ruby, Java, PHP, Perl, and Python to C#. 

TestNG

We also like TestNG, which is one of the best automation testing tools. It works on making your automated tests more easy to read by improving their structure and user-friendliness. The tool is highly reliable and provides detailed reports on tests so you can improve test cases for enhanced software efficiency. There are some other features, like high-end annotations and data providers, that enable scalability and aid you in performing tests across different browsers and devices. 

JUnit

JUnit is another excellent automation testing tool that features plenty of build tools like Maven and Gradle for automated testing during the build stage in software development. What we truly like about this tool is that it helps you in regression testing, catching bugs that are introduced as a result of new software changes. You can also use it to write, run, and debug tests, enhancing overall application efficiency. 

After knowing about the tools, you should decide what tests to automate and what are better done manually. 

How to Decide What Test to Automate?

Here are some common factors that you should consider when selecting the tests for automation:

1. Find if there are tests that run for multiple builds: Start by identifying tests that run across multiple builds or versions of the software. Regression tests are a great example of these tests, as they must be executed after every code change. You should automate them to save time and resources and also ensure consistency.
2. Consider the risk of failures and errors: Prioritize tests that are more vulnerable to human errors and where a single mistake or failure can have serious consequences for the business. Thus, the final product will be free of errors and work smoothly in the production environment, something that users appreciate.
3. Take into account test complexity: Automate tests that require you to handle large workflows or complex datasets, something that’s time-consuming to execute manually, so you enjoy better accuracy and ensure a faster time to market.

Learn more about our Exceptional Automation Testing Services

3 Types of Test Cases to Automate First 

The three types of test cases you should automate first are unit testing, functional testing, and integration testing. And here is why:

• Unit Testing: Unit testing should be your first priority when automating tests, as they can find bugs early in the development process, saving you money and boosting your business reputation. These tests are also low-cost and highly reusable.
• Functional Testing: It’s also important to automate the functional testing to confirm that the application’s core features, like login processes or transaction processes, work smoothly.
• Integration Testing: You should also focus on automating integration testing as early as possible. Doing so will help you determine potential coordination flaws in different parts of the system so you can fix them in a time to ensure the smooth working of the whole software application.

What Kind of Tests are Best Done Manually?

Certain types of tests are better suited for manual execution due to their exploratory nature or reliance on human intuition. Here are key examples:

Usability Testing: Manual testing allows real users to evaluate design and ease of use, capturing feedback to improve user experience.

Exploratory Testing: Testers explore the software spontaneously without predefined scripts to uncover unexpected issues.

Ad-hoc Testing: This unstructured approach helps testers catch quick, unexpected bugs that automation might miss.

Visual and Accessibility Testing: Visual consistency and accessibility features (like screen reader compatibility) are often best checked manually to ensure they meet user needs accurately.

Manual testing in these areas captures nuanced details that automation may overlook.

How to Do Automation Testing?

The process of automation testing isn’t one-step; instead, it relies on various steps, including selecting automation tools, writing frameworks and scripts, and executing tests. 

#1. Select the right tool

Start by choosing a reliable automation tool that fits within your project scope and also aligns with your budget. Common options include JUnit, Selenium, and TestComplete.

#2. Create a framework

Next, you have to create a testing framework that provides you with a structured path to writing and managing automation testing scripts. Remember, good test automation frameworks are the ones that allow reusability and simplify maintenance.

#3. Write a test script

Write your automation scripts using the tools you have chosen. Make sure the created scripts clearly outline the actions that you want the tool to validate, whether it’s the checkout button or navigation, to get the desired output.

#4. Set up the test environment

One of the most important steps in the automation testing process is setting up the test environment, which includes databases and servers that replicate the production environment as closely as possible.

#5. Execute the tests

The final step is to execute the tests to check if the application or software works smoothly on all browsers and configurations. Analyze the results carefully; if any functionality has failed, fine-tune it and run tests again until you achieve the desired results.

However, to make the most out of your automation testing efforts, you should learn some of its best practices. 

Test Automation Best Practices 

The best automation practices include finding the right test cases, picking reliable tools, and creating high-quality data. Their explanation is given as:

• Find the right test cases to automate 

Know that not all test cases are suitable for automation. Therefore, you should find out the ones that are repetitive and time-consuming along with being critical to overall software development. Regression tests are a prime example in this regard. 

• Pick a reliable automated testing tool 

While settling for a cheap automation testing tool seems like a good option, it’s not always the right decision. You should ensure that the tool you are picking is high-quality, supports multiple languages, and is easy to integrate for smooth test execution and minimal disruptions. 

• Diversity your automation testing efforts 

Don’t just focus on one type of test; rather, diversify your automation testing efforts. You can do this by covering a range of tests, including unit, functional, and integration, using a variety of tools. Doing so helps you find different types of issues and pave the way for comprehensive testing. 

• Make sure the data you create is high-quality 

There should be no compromise on the quality of test data if you want to achieve accurate results. Double-check that the test cases mimic real-world scenarios and are consistent to avoid false results. 

• Design tests that are resistant to changes in the UI

UI changes are a common occurrence in software development. Nonetheless, it’s mandatory to create tests that don’t get impacted by modifications in the UI. For instance, you can incorporate design patterns such as the Page Object Model (POM) in your tests to avoid code updates as you introduce new changes. 

Conclusion 

Automation testing makes it easy to produce high-quality software that meets and exceeds customer expectations. If you are struggling to implement a robust automation testing strategy, contact Hicron Software.  

We have over 22 years of experience using advanced tools and methodologies to help companies with software quality assurance. With our services, you can rest assured that all your apps and websites work smoothly without any reliability issues.