The advantages and disadvantages of automated testing

Automated testing is to test the behavior of people transformed by the software to perform a practice test behavior of the machine, for the most common GUI test automation is concerned, that is, from the previous automated testing tools simulate various operations require manual on the software interface and automatically verify the results are in line with expectations.

You must also change the nature of the measured object with automated testing is to write a piece of code, and then to test another piece of code, automated test case itself is development work requires a lot of time and energy, and has been developed use cases constantly updated, you still need to pay the cost of maintaining test cases.

When you find that the maintenance cost is higher than the cost of test automation test their savings, automated test loses its value and significance, you will need to weigh the trade-offs on whether to use automated testing.

What are the advantages of automated testing usually does?

1. Automated tests can replace a large number of repetitive manual mechanical operation, test engineers can spend more time on a more comprehensive test case design and use of new features.
2. Automated testing can significantly improve the efficiency of regression testing, ideal for agile development process
3. Automated testing can make better use of unattended time, to perform the test more frequently, especially for non-working hours now perform the test, the failure mode of working time analysis use cases
4. Automated testing can efficiently achieve some manual testing can not be completed or the cost of a huge test type, such as stress testing of business-critical 24/7 continuous operation of the test system stability and high concurrent scenes, etc.
5. Automated testing and verifying the operation can also ensure the consistency and repeatability of each test performed, omission or neglect avoid human.

What are the disadvantages of automated testing?

1. Automated testing can not replace manual testing, it can only replace high-frequency execution of manual tests, repeat steps mechanized, you do not expect all tests are automated, otherwise it will be worth the candle.
2. Automated testing than manual testing fragile, unable to respond to changes in the system under test, the industry has always had a joke: the development of hand flick, automated testing busy night. It also reflects the fact that the maintenance cost of an automated test cases has been high from the side. The fundamental reason is that the automated test itself does not have any "smart", but step by step implementation of pre-defined test procedures and verify the test results. For obvious errors and unexpected events arising in the implementation of automated testing process without any processing power.

3. When the test automation development effort is much larger than a single manual test, so the effective number of executions only when the development is complete test cases is more than five times, to recover the cost of automated testing.

4. The number of defects found in the manual testing to automated testing more than usual, and automated test can only find defects regression testing range.

5. Efficiency of the test depends heavily automated test case design and implement quality, achieve test automation unstable worse than no automation.

6. Initial implementation of automated testing, use case development efficiency is usually very low, a lot of use cases are usually mature early development of the entire automated test system and test engineers complete control of test tools, the need to reconstruct.

7. Business expert testing and automated testing specialists are usually two groups of people, the former understand the business do not understand automation technology, automation technology, but do not know who understand the business, only two work closely together in order to carry out efficient automated testing.

8. Automated test developers must have some programming skills, which is the traditional manual test engineer will be a challenge.

 

What kind of projects suitable for automated testing?

1. Demand is stable, does not change frequently.
2. Development and maintenance of a long cycle, regression testing needs to be performed frequently.
3. Repeat the same test scenario run on multiple platforms.

4. Some test items can not be achieved through manual testing, manual or too costly.

5. Tested more standard software development, to ensure testability system. In addition, some of the use cases of the automation must require developers to set aside testable interfaces to their products, otherwise the subsequent automation will be difficult to carry out.

6. Testers already have some programming skills.