ARE YOU READY FOR

TEST AUTOMATION
-Kerry

GAME?

Zallar (STQE Magazine)

(Nov/Dec 2001 Issue)

CONCEPT/ DEFINITION:
Use

of software to control the execution of tests and data

comparison
To

enable test scripts/ cases to be developed and executed in an unattended or off-hours mode)

(Potentially

STORY Buggy the Tester

Simple behavioral model of the application Test program to compare results Program ran continuously, generating new test sequences Ran tests on a dozen machines at once Some manual testing included

Fewer bugs after several rounds of testing and bug fixes

RESULT: Very few bugs found upon release

NEW TO TEST AUTOMATION?

Author suggests 5 broad areas for analysis

1) Test Automation is Software Development 2) Test Automation is Long-Term Investment 3) Assess your Resources 4) No one-size-fits-all Approach 5) Gauge your Maturity Levels

1) TEST AUTOMATION IS SW DEV.

Unable to cope with manual testing?

Solution: Purchase a test automation tool Known as Capture/Playback
(Capture tests while theyre running and execute later using
Playback tool)

Simplify or Complicate?

Understanding of tasks, issues and impact

Automation: Not a project, but a product

EFFECTIVE AUTOMATION

Planning
Logical and Modular code designs Standardization Configuration Management Documentation and Testing

2) LONG TERM INVESTMENT

Justification of investment

Supporting defective software Releases to fix problems in production

Losing business due to customer dissatisfaction

Upfront costs

Two aspects:

Maintenance costs

Estimation of Return on Investment (ROI)

3) ASSESS YOUR RESOURCES

Resources: People and Skills

Effective Automation =>

Visionary: Automation is planned, designed and managed well

Development Skills: Program code to write

reusable modules and test scripts

Staff skills set

4) NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH

Automation effort depends on:

Criticality of software under test Level of investment Maturity of software development Maturity of testing processes Time-frame for results

CUSTOMIZING TEST AUTOMATION

Mix of manual and automated testing

Guide proportions to meet your organizations

needs

5) GUAGE YOUR MATURITY LEVELS

Process Maturity essential for Test Maturity

Test Maturity

Independent Testing? Structured Process? Documentation Practices for Tests?

Release Management

Management of software releases Disciplined prioritization and communication

SUMMARY/ ANALYSIS
Evaluation of Test Automation More than buying a tool Long-term investment of money, time, people and skills Purpose needs to be well-defined Important to develop a test-automation strategy Work as a team Requires relevant skill sets for efficiency Treat it as software development Need for customization Commitment is essential Get an early start