Basics of Automation
Testing
Ruban Suvidhar R
What is Automation Testing?
❑ Test automation is the practice of using software tools and
scripts to run tests on other software automatically, rather
than conducting them manually.
❑ This process helps improve software quality by running tests
automatically, managing test data, and utilizing results to
enhance the development process.
Key Benefits of Efficiency: Automation Accuracy: Automated Coverage: Automation Cost Savings: While
significantly speeds up tests perform the same allows for a broader the initial setup cost
Test Automation: the testing process, steps precisely every and deeper scope of can be high,
especially for repetitive time, eliminating testing, enabling automated testing
and time-consuming human errors. thousands of complex saves money in the
tasks. test cases to be run long run by reducing
during each test cycle. the need for repetitive
manual testing.
Types of Automation Testing?
Unit Testing: Testing individual units of code.
Integration Testing: Testing the interaction between different modules.
Regression Testing: Retesting after code changes to ensure no new bugs are introduced.
Smoke Testing: Basic sanity checks to ensure critical functionality works.
UI Testing: Testing the user interface for usability and functionality.
API Testing: Testing the application programming interface.
Performance Testing: Testing the application's speed, scalability, and stability.
When to Automate?
• Repetitive Tests: Tests that are executed frequently.
• Data-Driven Tests: Tests that require multiple sets of input data.
• Complex Tests: Tests that are difficult or time-consuming to perform manually.
• Regression Tests: To ensure stability after code changes.
• Cross-Browser/Cross-Platform Testing: Testing on different browsers and operating systems.
• High Manual Effort & Error-Prone Areas: Automate time-consuming and error-prone tasks to
reduce human intervention.
• Integration with CI/CD & DevOps: Helps in automating nightly builds, smoke tests, and
deployment validations.
Challenges of Automation Testing
Initial Setup Costs: Investment in tools and infrastructure.
Maintenance Overhead: Keeping scripts updated as the application evolves.
Test Script Creation: Requires specialized skills and time.
False Positives/Negatives: Identifying and resolving test failures.
Not Suitable for All Tests: Some tests are better suited for manual execution.
No-Code & Low-Code Test Automation Tools
• Katalon Studio (Low-Code)
• TestProject (No-Code & Low-Code)
• Leapwork (No-Code)
• Tricentis Tosca (No-Code)
• ACCELQ (No-Code)
• UIPath Test Suite (Low-Code)
• Perfecto Scriptless (No-Code)
• Functionize (No-Code)
Selenium
An open-source tool for automating web browsers.
Supports multiple programming languages (Java, C#, Python, etc.).
Frameworks Models :
Data-Driven Framework: Uses external data sources (e.g., Excel, CSV) to drive test cases.
Keyword-Driven Framework: Uses keywords to represent actions to be performed on the application.
Hybrid Framework: Combines features of both Data-Driven and Keyword-Driven frameworks for more flexibility.
Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD) Framework - Writing test cases in natural language using Given-When-
Then format, making them easy to understand for non-technical team members
Popular Selenium Frameworks
TestNG: A testing framework inspired by JUnit, designed for test configuration and parallel execution.
JUnit: A simple framework to write repeatable tests, commonly used with Java.
Cucumber: Supports Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), allowing tests to be written in plain language.
When to Choose Selenium?
• For web application testing only.
• When the team has skilled developers or testers proficient in programming.
• For cost-sensitive projects where open-source tools suffice.
try {
// Open Facebook
driver.get("https://www.facebook.com/");
Sample Selenium Automation Script driver.manage().window().maximize();
// Wait for the page to load
Thread.sleep(2000);
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver; // Locate the email and password fields
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement; WebElement emailField = driver.findElement(By.id("email")); // Locate the email field
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver; WebElement passwordField = driver.findElement(By.id("pass")); // Locate the password field
public class FacebookLoginAutomation { // Input credentials
public static void main(String[] args) { emailField.sendKeys("your_email@example.com"); // Replace with your Facebook email
// Set the path for the ChromeDriver passwordField.sendKeys("your_password"); // Replace with your Facebook password
System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "path/to/chromedriver");
// Click the login button
// Initialize the WebDriver WebElement loginButton = driver.findElement(By.name("login"));
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(); loginButton.click();
// Wait for a few seconds to observe the result
Thread.sleep(5000);
} catch (Exception e) {
e.printStackTrace();
} finally {
// Close the browser
driver.quit();
}
}
}
Related Tools :
Maven: A build automation tool used primarily for Java projects, helps manage project dependencies.
Jenkins: An open-source automation server used to automate the building, testing, and deployment of software.
Appium: An open-source tool for automating mobile applications, compatible with Selenium WebDriver.
Introduction to TOSCA
• Tosca is a widely used test automation tool designed to streamline and
optimize the software testing process.
• Developed by Tricentis, it focuses on automating functional, regression,
and end-to-end testing.
• Tosca’s model-based testing approach enables users to create and
manage test cases with minimal scripting knowledge, making it
accessible to both technical and non-technical team members.
Key Features of Tosca:
Model-Based Test Automation:
Tosca uses business components or modules to represent application elements. These modules allow for efficient test case design and
maintenance.
End-to-End Testing:
Tosca supports testing across various platforms, including web, mobile, desktop, APIs, and enterprise applications like SAP and
Salesforce.
Scriptless Testing:
It eliminates the need for complex programming knowledge, enabling teams to design test cases through a drag-and-drop interface.
Reusability:
Tosca enables users to reuse test components and modules, reducing redundancy and improving efficiency.
Continuous Testing Integration:
It integrates seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines, facilitating continuous testing in Agile and DevOps environments.
Risk-Based Testing:
Tosca prioritizes test cases based on risk analysis, ensuring that critical functionalities are tested first.
API Testing:
It provides comprehensive API testing capabilities, allowing teams to validate data exchanges between systems.
Popular Automation Tools - Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Selenium Vs Tosca
Feature Selenium Tosca
Licensing Open-source (free) Commercial (licensed)
Scripting Requires coding knowledge Minimal scripting required
Approach Technical (object-oriented) Model-based
Flexibility Highly flexible and customizable Less flexible, but easier to use
Learning Curve Steeper learning curve Easier to learn and use
Support Community-based support Dedicated support from Tricentis
Cost Free Can be expensive
Automation ROI:
Return on Investment (ROI) in test automation measures the financial and operational benefits gained from
automation compared to the costs incurred.
Achieving automation ROI depends on several factors, including test frequency, stability, and maintenance effort.
ROI is not immediate; it takes time to break even and start seeing benefits. Generally, ROI can be achieved:
• Short-Term (3-6 Months): If automating high-volume, repetitive tests (e.g., regression, smoke, sanity).
• Mid-Term (6-12 Months): If integrating automation into CI/CD for continuous testing.
• Long-Term (12+ Months): If maintaining automation scripts efficiently while reducing manual efforts over multiple
releases.
Factors Affecting ROI Achievement
• Test Frequency: The more often a test runs, the faster ROI is achieved.
• Test Stability: ROI is higher when tests require minimal maintenance.
• CI/CD Integration: Automating within a DevOps pipeline accelerates ROI.
• Reduction in Manual Effort: The more manual work replaced, the faster ROI.
When Automation Has Low ROI:
• One-Time or Rarely Executed Tests.
• Highly Dynamic UI with Frequent Changes.
• Exploratory or Ad-Hoc Testing.
Step-by-Step Calculation
Identify Costs (Investment in Automation)
• Tool Costs – Licensing fees for automation tools (e.g., Selenium is free, Tosca is paid).
• Development Costs – Initial setup, script development, framework creation.
• Maintenance Costs – Script updates, debugging, training costs.
Identify Benefits (Savings Due to Automation)
• Reduction in Manual Testing Effort – Cost of hours saved by automation.
• Increase in Test Coverage – Faster and more tests lead to fewer defects in production.
• Faster Release Cycles – Reducing test time accelerates deployments.
• Fewer Defects in Production – Reducing post-release defect fixes saves costs.
Apply the ROI Formula:
(Savings - Investment) X 100
ROI=
Investment
Factor Manual Testing Automated Testing Savings
Tester Hourly Cost $40 $40 -
Time per Regression Test
40 hours 10 hours 30 hours saved
Cycle
Frequency per Year 10 cycles 10 cycles -
Total Yearly Cost $16,000 $4,000 $12,000 saved
Planning & Strategy
• Define Automation Scope: Identify which tests are suitable for automation (e.g., regression tests, smoke
tests, data-driven tests).
• Select Automation Tools: Choose the right tools based on the application type, budget, team skills, and
testing requirements.
• Create a Test Automation Framework: Establish a structured approach for writing, organizing, and
maintaining test scripts.
• Resource Allocation: Allocate appropriate resources (budget, personnel, infrastructure) for the
automation project.
Test Case Selection & Design
• Prioritize Test Cases: Select test cases that provide the highest return on investment (ROI) for automation.
• Design Test Cases for Automation: Ensure test cases are well-defined, clear, and easily automatable.
• Create Test Data: Prepare test data sets for various scenarios.
Test Environment Setup
• Configure Test Environments: Set up and configure the necessary
hardware and software for test execution.
• Integrate with CI/CD: Integrate automation tests into the
Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery pipeline.
Test Script Development
Write Test Scripts: Develop automated test scripts using appropriate programming languages or scripting tools.
Implement Test Data Handling: Incorporate mechanisms for handling test data effectively.
Create Reusable Test Modules: Develop reusable components to improve efficiency and maintainability.
Test Execution & Monitoring
Execute Test Suites: Run automated tests regularly and monitor their execution.
Analyze Test Results: Review test results, identify failures, and generate reports.
Debug and Fix Issues: Troubleshoot and fix any issues encountered during test execution.
Reporting & Analysis
Generate Test Reports: Generate comprehensive test reports that include pass/fail rates, execution times, and other
relevant metrics.
Analyze Test Results: Analyze test results to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement.
Communicate Test Results: Communicate test results to stakeholders effectively.
Test Maintenance
Maintain Test Scripts: Update and maintain test scripts as the application evolves.
Manage Test Data: Update and maintain test data sets as needed.
Optimize Test Suites: Regularly review and optimize test suites to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Continuous Improvement
Review and Refine Processes: Continuously review and refine the test automation process based on lessons learned
and best practices.
Explore New Technologies: Stay updated with the latest advancements in test automation tools and technologies.
Improve Team Skills: Continuously improve the skills and knowledge of the test automation team.
