What is Test Automation? | What Does a Test Automation Engineer Do?

Automation testing is indispensable in the QE sector. With the help of automation frameworks and test tools, software testers can increase their productivity. In this article, we discuss the fundamental role of both manual and automated testing, from defining what test automation is to understanding its importance in modern software development. ⚙️

What is Automation Testing?

As the name suggests, automation testing is the practice of automating the execution of test cases through scripts and special tools.

Instead of a human tester executing test cases manually, these scripts and tools are instructed to perform all actions. It allows manual testers to focus on other tasks.

Automation testing is designed to help validate the software's functionality, performance, and reliability, ensuring it meets expected standards and requirements.

The test pyramid (or test automation pyramid) is a commonly used model to describe the hierarchy of automated testing.

What Are the Benefits of Automation Testing?

According to Global Market Insights, the automation testing market size exceeded $20 billion in 2022. A growth rate of over 15% is expected from 2023 to 2032. Simply put, automating your tests allows you to perform more software testing, faster and more efficiently. More specifically, it provides the following benefits:

• High Accuracy Rate: Automated tests are designed to strictly follow a predefined set of steps. Software testers may, in the hustle of the day, forget a certain step when executing tests. This is where automated tests eliminate the possibility of errors.
• Increased Speed: Automated tests can run 24/7 without the need for human intervention. When you have a system that runs 24/7, your test execution speed increases, and your overall test duration decreases.
• Consistency: In a software testing lifecycle lacking test consistency, significant problems can arise. In automation testing, test cases are executed exactly the same way every time. They can also be run several times a day. This allows new issues to be identified and resolved quickly, increasing confidence in software quality.
• Enhanced Test Coverage: Automated tests are reusable to run on multiple browsers, devices, and operating systems. Test experts don't need to spend time recreating and executing tests for each test cycle.
   

What Are the Types of Automation Testing?

Most tests performed manually can be automated. That is, what a user would perform manually can be executed using automation tools with an automation script. We can summarize the types of tests that can be automated as follows ✍️;

1. Unit Testing

Unit testing is the type of test where you isolate and test the behavior of a single unit of your application from the rest of the software. These tests do not depend on external APIs, databases, or anything else. The main purpose of unit testing is to see how each component of your application works without being affected by anything else.

2. Integration Testing

In integration testing, you test how units are logically integrated and how they work together as a group. If your goal is to test how units communicate and behave together, you should perform integration testing.

3. Smoke Testing

Smoke testing is conducted to examine whether the system build is stable. In short, its purpose is to check whether the main functions are working properly so that testers can proceed with further testing.

4. Regression Testing

Regression testing is performed to check whether the recent change in the code has affected existing features of the application.

Which Test Cases Should Be Automated?

Automation testing is widely used in many industries such as software, e-commerce, banking, finance, insurance, telecommunications, gaming, and education. Before deciding to automate a test case, one should consider the potential benefit and cost of that automation. The following test cases are ideal for test automation:

✅ Test cases that need to be repeated and executed multiple times

✅ Tests that take a lot of time to perform manually

✅ Test cases where human error can lead to incorrect results

✅ Tests that need to be run regularly, such as during each software build

✅ Tests that need to be performed on various operating systems or devices

✅ Test cases involving processing large amounts of data

It's also important to note that not all test cases are suitable for automation. If there are situations where test scenarios need to change frequently, they should not be automated.

How to Perform Automation Testing?

1. Define Your Goals

It's important to clarify what you want to achieve with automation. Common goals include reducing test times, expanding test coverage, and increasing the reliability of results. At this stage, determine which tests will be automated. Typically, repetitive, data-driven, and regression tests are suitable for automation.

2. Choose the Right Tools

Identify test tools that meet your needs by considering factors such as your application's tech stack, your team's capabilities, and your budget. There are many options, from open-source solutions like Selenium for web applications to commercial tools offering broader features.

3. Design Your Test Environment

Set up a stable test environment that mimics your production environment as realistically as possible. We listed the best test cases for automation in the sections above. Apply this to your project and list the scenarios you'll start working on. Essentially, the more repetitive and predictable a test case is, the more suitable it is for automation.

4. Develop Test Cases

Turn your test scenarios into automatable test cases. Determine the necessary actions, input data, and expected results for each test. Ensure that test cases are modular, reusable, and maintainable so that as your application evolves, tests can be easily updated.

5. Implement Test Automation

Bring your test cases to life with the tools you have chosen. This may involve writing code in programming languages or creating tests using a graphical user interface. Focus on ensuring the tests are accurate and reliable.

6. Run and Maintain Your Tests

Integrate your automated tests into continuous integration (CI/CD) processes. Remember to update your tests alongside changes made to your application.

7. Analyze and Report Results

Examine test results to identify issues and areas for improvement in your application. Detailed reports provided by test tools can guide you in this regard. A good report includes tables, charts, and diagrams, enriching your report by highlighting patterns in test results.

8. Continuous Improvement

Test automation is not a "set and forget" process. Continuously review your tools, processes, and strategy to identify areas for improvement. You can add new tests, optimize existing ones, or enhance your testing capabilities by using new tools and technologies.

In summary, test automation is a process that requires careful planning, the right tool selection, and continuous improvement. :)

Popular Test Automation Tools

As we mentioned earlier, you can use specific tools to automate a manual test. However, it's important to note that not all automation test software has the same features.

For a successful testing process, the automation solution must be suitable for both the application and the industry. We've listed some popular automation tools below. For more, you can check out our article on Software Testing Tools.

1. Selenium: Selenium is a popular regression testing tool with playback and recording features. It can integrate with frameworks like JUnit and TestNG. It also supports test case development in Ruby, Java, and Python.
2. QTP: QTP is a testing tool that uses VBScript for functional and regression test automation.
3. Sikuli: Sikuli is a testing tool suitable for automating graphical user interfaces, interacting with webpage elements using screenshots. It is GUI-based.
4. Appium: Appium is an open-source framework used for automated testing on various platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows SDK.

Software Testing Career

In summary, automation testing is a critical component of any software development process. It ensures the quality and reliability of applications while reducing the time and effort required for manual testing.