Stages of Automation Testing Life Cycle

In this article, we will explore the phases and methodologies involved in automation testing and the phases of the automation testing lifecycle. We’ll cover everything from scoping your test automation to creating a solid test plan and strategy. You’ll also learn about setting up the perfect test environment, developing and running automation test scripts, analyzing test results, and generating insightful reports.

Table of Content

  • Stages of Automation Testing Life Cycle
  • Summary
  • Conclusion
  • FAQ’s

Whether you are a manual tester, a test engineer, or part of a QA team, this article is here to provide you with educational and conceptual learning to help you navigate the world of automation testing.

Stages of Automation Testing Life Cycle

The automation testing lifestyles cycle means using gear to automate checking out and make it higher. There are six degrees:

Stages of Automation Testing Life Cycle

1. Determining the Scope of Test Automation

The first step in automation checking out is figuring out what to automate. Here’s a easy breakdown:

  1. Understand the software or system you are testing, along with how it works and what needs to be tested.
  2. Find the check instances which can be suitable for automation based on how complex they may be, how often they’re run, and how vital they may be.
  3. Look at how complicated the utility is to discern out in which automation would be most beneficial, like for obligations that repeat lots or are virtually problematic.
  4. Think about how regularly the assessments need to be run – automate the ones which can be carried out lots to store time.
  5. Focus on automating assessments for important functions or matters that humans may reduce to rubble.
  6. Work with others seniors, like QA, developers, and enterprise people, to decide what to automate.
  7. Keep your automation efforts centered to get the most out of it, like saving time, masking extra exams, and making the software program better.

By going through those steps, you can ensure your automation is aimed within the right route and receives the affects you want.

2. Selecting the Right Automation Tool

Sure, here’s a simplified model:

Choosing the Right Automation Tool: The 2d step is choosing the right device for automation. There are distinct forms of automation like front-cease, performance, and database testing, every desiring particular gear.

Here are the 3 tools for each class:

Front-End Testing:

  • TestSigma: Easy-to-use device for each tech and non-tech customers. No coding wished.
  • Selenium: Popular open-supply tool for web browsers.
  • TestComplete: A commercial device helping more than one platform.

Performance Testing:

  • JMeter: Open-supply device for trying out web apps with big person hundreds.
  • LoadRunner: Commercial tool for net and mobile apps.
  • Gatling: Open-supply tool for web apps with real-time reporting.

Database Testing:

  • dbForge Studio: Commercial tool for SQL databases.
  • SQLTest: Commercial tool for SQL databases with facts era.
  • Data Factory: Commercial device for SQL databases with statistics protecting.

Remember, the proper device additionally relies upon on your team’s capabilities and price range. This simplified model maintains the essence and key factors even as making it simpler to recognize.

3. Test Plan + Test Design + Test Strategy

  • Test Plan: It’s like a map for testing. It tells you ways to check, what you want, and who does what. It allows set the level for testing.
  • Test Design: This is when you create little tests to test your app. These exams cowl distinctive elements of your app to make certain everything works right. You also consider what you need to run those tests.
  • Test Strategy: This is your plan for the way to test. It helps you select which exams to do first and a way to do them. It additionally helps with the usage of equipment and sharing statistics along with your team. It’s all approximately being smart and prepared whilst checking out.

4. Setting Up the Test Environment

Now that you have your plan for testing, design, and strategy, it is important to create the suitable check surroundings on your automation testing. Think of the environment as a pretend version of the real system or app you’re testing. It’s essential to make it similar to the actual manufacturing surroundings to get correct and dependable consequences. Here’s what you should think about:

  • Hardware and Software Setup: Make sure you have all the right hardware and software program to support your testing. This way putting in servers, networks, and devices as needed. For internet apps, get the proper servers, databases, and browsers. If you’re checking out cellular apps, you would possibly want real gadgets or software that mimics them.
  • Test Data and Tools: To do beneficial tests, you may need the right check information. Get exclusive sets of facts that cover various situations. This can be individual profile, diverse enter combos, and facts that mimics distinct states of the gadget. Also, collect any equipment you will use, like check scripts or software program frameworks.
  • Connections and Integrations: Think about another systems or offerings your app is based on. Make positive they may be installation properly for testing. If needed, faux or in part simulate some components to hold your checks focused.
  • Separation and Repeatability: To keep your testing under manage, maintain your test surroundings cut loose the real one. This stops any unintentional issues at the stay machine. You can try this by means of using extraordinary databases or servers, or by using special techniques like virtualization. Also, make sure you can repeat your exams so you can do them once more later or discern out any troubles.

By setting up a terrific take a look at environment, you make sure your automatic exams paintings properly and come up with the right solutions. Remember, an amazing check surroundings is prime to making your automation testing a success.

5. Automation Test Script Development + Execution

Now allows communicate about the amusing a part of automation trying out – creating and going for walks your automation check scripts. This step is in which you get to automate your take a look at cases, which saves quite a few time and effort ultimately.

Creating Automation Test Scripts:

When you expand automation test scripts, you’re basically writing codes that mimic how customers engage with the software program and check if the entirety works as expected. These scripts are generally made the usage of the automation tool or framework you’ve got selected.

Here are a few points that you should not forget when making your check scripts:

  • Organizing Your Scripts: It’s critical to devise how your scripts could be dependent to make them easy to read, maintain, and reuse. Use top coding practices like breaking matters into smaller elements, growing libraries of features, and using principles of item-oriented programming.
  • Choosing a Scripting Language: Depending on what automation device you are the use of, you might use languages like Java, Python, C#, or JavaScript. Pick a language that your group is aware of nicely and fits the needs of your task.
  • Finding and Interacting with Elements: You want to figure out which parts of your software’s interface your tests want to have interaction with, like buttons, text fields, and dropdown menus. Then, use the proper strategies to paintings with those factors on your code.
  • Using Data to Test: Data-pushed checking out is a clever manner to run your scripts with exclusive sets of information. This helps you to take a look at plenty of various situations without having to put in writing separate tests for everyone.
  • Dealing with Errors: It’s important to deal with errors that might pop up in the course of trying out. By constructing in approaches to capture and record mistakes, you make it easier to parent out what went incorrect and fix it.

When you are ready to run your check scripts, you may use your automation device or framework. Here’s what you want to think about:

  • Setting Up the Test Environment: Make positive you’re trying out surroundings is all desirable to head. That method having the proper stuff like hardware, software program, and whatever else your assessments need.
  • Controlling Test Execution: Decide how you want to run your scripts. You can do it one after another, all of sudden, or in a specific order to check different conditions.
  • Logging and Reporting: Keep track of what is occurring at some stage in the tests. This allows you see how matters are going and offers you specific reports on what is working and what’s not.
  • Checking the Results: Look at the check consequences to peer if the entirety went easily or if there were any issues. If there have been troubles, parent out what brought about them and connect them as wanted.
  • Making Improvements: Testing with automation is a system that keeps going. Keep enhancing your scripts primarily based on what you learn, any adjustments within the app, or new stuff you want to test.

By the usage of automation to run your assessments, you may do it faster and more as it should be, with fewer mistakes. This frees you up to focus at the crucial parts of checking out, making the whole thing more efficient and powerful.

6. Analysis + Generation of Test Results & Test Reports

The closing step in automation testing is calling at the take a look at results and making reports. This element is exquisite critical as it facilitates you discern out how properly the software works.

  • First, you take a look at each check to peer if it labored or not. If it did not paintings, you discover why and the way it failed.
  • Then, you find any troubles you observed throughout trying out and write them down in a device for tracking problems. You additionally write down details about what went wrong and the way to make it appear once more.
  • Next, you figure out why the assessments failed. This might mean looking at logs or checking the take a look at surroundings to see what went wrong.
  • Finally, you check to see if all of the essential parts of the utility have been tested. If now not, you’re making a plan to check the ones elements too.

Summary

After completing studying, it’s time to make specific check consequences and reviews. These documents supply a short view of the take a look at execution and help humans understand what took place.

Here’s what to position within the reviews:

  1. Test Summary: Sum up how the tests went ordinary, like what number of assessments had been achieved, what number of handed, what number of failed, and any issues nonetheless there. Also, include stats like what number of exams worked properly and how many didn’t.
  2. Detailed Test Results: Show all of the details about each take a look at, like its name, what it became speculated to do, and what in reality took place. If a test did not go well, ensure to point that out.
  3. Defect Reports: Make a separate record just for the issues discovered at some point of testing. Include info like what the problem is, how critical it’s miles, and if it’s been constant yet.
  4. Test Coverage: Tell how a great deal of the software become tested. This may be such things as how many functions had been checked or how lots of the code was checked out.
  5. Recommendations and Next Steps: Based on what you found, propose methods to make things better. Also, say what to do next, like retesting bad tests or solving troubles.

Making clean and useful reviews is crucial because it facilitates anybody recognize how nicely the testing went and what needs to manifest next. It we could humans see if the software program is ready for use or if there are nonetheless things that want fixing.

Conclusion

Automation testing is a established process that involves numerous stages, from scoping to generating insightful reviews. By following these tiers, you can make certain effective testing and reap your desires efficaciously. It empowers teams to shop time, cowl greater assessments, and beautify the best of software program. With clear and informative reports, stakeholders gain visibility into the software’s performance, facilitating knowledgeable selection-making. Embrace automation testing to streamline your testing efforts and make certain the reliability and readiness of your software for release.

FAQ’s

What are the key stages involved in automation testing?

Ans: Automation testing typically involves six stages: determining what to automate, selecting the appropriate tools, planning and designing tests, setting up the testing environment, writing and executing automated tests, and analyzing results and generating reports.

How do I decide what to automate in my testing process?

Ans: To determine what to automate, understand the software/system being tested, identify suitable test cases based on complexity and frequency, prioritize tasks that repeat often or are critical, and collaborate with stakeholders to make informed decisions.

How do I choose the right automation tool for my testing needs?

Ans: Selecting the right automation tool involves considering factors such as the type of testing (e.g., front-end, performance, database), team capabilities, and budget. Examples include TestSigma and Selenium for front-end testing, JMeter and LoadRunner for performance testing, and dbForge Studio for database testing.

What is the importance of planning and designing tests in automation testing?

Ans: Planning and designing tests involve creating a test plan, designing individual test cases, and developing a test strategy. This helps ensure thorough test coverage, efficient test execution, and effective use of automation tools and resources.

How crucial is it to analyze test results and generate reports in automation testing?

Ans: Analyzing test results and generating reports is essential for evaluating the success of the testing process, identifying defects, and making data-driven decisions. Comprehensive reports provide stakeholders with insights into the software’s quality and readiness for release, facilitating effective communication and decision-making.