Testing is an exhaustive process especially for projects which have frequent changes in the code. Regression tests for such products, while done manually, may actually become tedious and less cost effective. Allocating testing resources wisely can make huge progress in bringing efficacy to the testing process. The key is to assign valuable human resources for assessing the process while devising specialized automated testing processes for test phases requiring frequent reruns. The time and effort spent in automating test processes pay off in the long run by saving effort, time, and cost by manifolds.
The SQA Consultant team adopts a systematic approach for automating test scripts. Following are the main steps in the test automation process:
Requirements and Application Review
During this phase we carry out a thorough requirements and application review. By understanding the application and the requirements of the project, we outline the key requirements of automating the application testing. Moreover, we also conduct a detailed analysis of the project’s scope and expected effort in each phase of the project.
Test Cases Preparation
In the second phase, we prepare test cases for the application as per the requirements specification document. Purpose of preparing test cases is to ensure complete test coverage of all requirements mentioned in the requirements specification document.
Test Scripts Development
Once test cases are prepared and the test automation team knows what has to be automated, we set up the test environment and start scripting the manual test cases. We prepare an automation framework according to the analysis from the first phase. The automation frameworks can be data driven, keyword driven or hybrid. The key is to select a framework that ensures maintainable and scalable script development.
Another important consideration in selecting a framework is its reporting mechanism. Typically, a framework provides complete test results details for debugging issues and a summary of the test results for non-technical viewers. After the framework is in place, automation of the manual test cases begins. We document any deviations from the manual test cases for future reference and for helping in preparing testing scope for test cycles.
Scripts Execution and Results Analysis
After completing the development of all test scripts and ensuring their proper execution, we execute test runs to test the application. Then we analyze the test reports generated from the automation framework. During the analyses, we report the identified issues as bugs.
Key Benefits
- Highly customizable solutions
- Maintainable and scalable test environment
- Automation with focus on quality and cost
