Automated testing is a key element of the software development cycle. It helps minimize errors, speed up development, and enhance the quality of the final product. But what exactly does automated testing involve? What benefits can it bring to your company? And where are the greatest savings in time and costs hidden? Get ready for an in-depth look into the world of automated testing, which will reveal why it is indispensable for modern software.
What is Automated Testing?
Automated software testing is the process of creating scripts or groups of scripts that represent test scenarios. A test scenario is a specific interaction with an application with an expected result, for example:
"When entering email A and password B, action C is performed, and the user sees message D."
This automation allows for easy and quick verification of software functions, ensuring the software behaves according to specifications. Automated testing can be used at various levels of software development, such as unit tests, integration tests, system tests, or performance tests.
Where are the Biggest Savings in Time and Money?
Imagine a development team consisting of three programmers and one manual tester. This team does not perform automated tests because they rely on manual verification. Programmers change the source code and application functions daily, which means the manual tester must verify not only the new functionality but also ensure that the new changes did not break existing features.
As the application grows and more functionalities are added, manual testing becomes time-consuming and costly. The tester can become overwhelmed, leading to increased error rates and decreased project quality.
Solution: Test Automation and Cross-Testing
The first step is to ensure that developers write at least unit tests to verify the basic functions of individual code parts. Next is the automation of test scenarios. For example, a scenario where a user opens the login screen, fills in the email and password, and accesses saved data might take a manual tester two minutes, while a properly written automated test can do it in a few seconds and can run anytime—day, night, or weekend.
Automated tests verify that existing parts of the system function correctly, while the manual tester focuses on new features and reproduction scenarios for reported bugs. The automated tester gradually covers new functionalities and keeps existing tests up to date.
Best Practices in Testing
The following three best practices are something we have adopted in our projects:
- Developers should write unit tests themselves: All other tests should be written by someone else to avoid subconscious bias and the tendency to not break their own work.
- Testing during development: Testing is not a separate process from development. It should be part of the development cycle and conducted regularly to identify and resolve issues in a timely manner.
- Test evaluation and feedback: Tests must provide reports on their success. In our projects, we also maintain a testing environment where clients can verify functionality and provide feedback.
Conclusion
Automated tests are an essential part of the development process that should not be neglected. Automation allows continuous software testing 24/7, which is more efficient than manual testing. However, there are scenarios where manual testing is inevitable, such as verifying reproduction scenarios for reported bugs.
Learn more about automated testing and how it can help improve the quality of your projects!
