Automation testing

Software testing is an important part of the software development process. Manual testing becomes time consuming as the level of software sophistication increases. Software test automation is the solution to assure the quality of software that meets the test design specification and the target time frame for software release to the market.

There are several different techniques used to accomplish software test automation. The following are the areas investigated in this research paper:

1. Code instrumentation techniques that will assist in the white box testing of the software.

2. Structured design and development process that will support the automatic generation of test cases and test procedures directly from design documents.

3. The use of a test harness that has a well defined environment that can be controlled by software to provide known inputs for the Unit under Test (UUT) and measure the responses.

4. Screen captures techniques for testing Graphical User Interfaces.

· Test automation enables one to achieve detailed with significant reduction in test cycle

· The efficiency of automated testing incorporated in to product life cycle can generate sustainable time and money saving

· Automation is better and faster testing

· Automated testing increases the significance and accuracy of testing and results in greater test coverage

· Automation tests can be done faster and faster in a consistent manner and over and over again with fewer overheads

· Automation testing saves lots of effort needed for rigorous testing of the system

· Automation testing ensures the uniformity in the testing process each time the test is executed

· Automation testing has its own advantages and disadvantages and involves lots of challenges, if not planned carefully it may lead to poor quality of testing

There are many factors which affects the automation testing

1) Number of interface – The more the number of interfaced the system the more complex the automation testing will be.

2) Types of external interfaces- The type of external interface affect the automation testing because there are so many interfaces which cannot be simulated

3) Number of releases expected for testing- The number of releases affect the automation testing. If the number of releases are one or two then automation will not be practicable

4) Maturity of the product- A new product cannot be tested completely in the automated environment because automated testing assumes some stability in the product which may not be in the new product.