ARE YOU READY FOR TEST AUTOMATION GAME Kerry

ARE YOU READY FOR TEST AUTOMATION GAME? -Kerry 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 §(Potentially in an unattended or off-hours mode)

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? n 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. n Unable to cope with manual testing? n Solution: Purchase a test automation tool n Known as “Capture/Playback” (Capture tests while they’re running and execute later using Playback tool) n Simplify or Complicate? n Understanding of tasks, issues and impact n Automation: Not a ‘project’, but a ‘product’

EFFECTIVE AUTOMATION n Planning n Logical and Modular code designs n Standardization n Configuration Management n Documentation and Testing

2) LONG TERM INVESTMENT n n n Justification of investment ¡ Supporting defective software ¡ Releases to fix problems in production ¡ Losing business due to customer dissatisfaction Two aspects: ¡ Upfront costs ¡ Maintenance costs Estimation of Return on Investment (ROI)

3) ASSESS YOUR RESOURCES n Resources: People and Skills n Effective Automation => ¡ Visionary: Automation is planned, designed and managed well ¡ Development Skills: Program code to write reusable modules and test scripts n Staff skills set

4) NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH n 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 n Mix of manual and automated testing n Guide proportions to meet your organization’s needs

5) GUAGE YOUR MATURITY LEVELS n Process Maturity essential for Test Maturity n ¡ Independent Testing? ¡ Structured Process? ¡ Documentation Practices for Tests? Release Management ¡ Management of software releases ¡ Disciplined prioritization and communication

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