FAULT AND FIX IN AUTOMATION

With increasing adoption of test automation, some basic common faults have been identified which leads to loss of time, script failure & loss of investment.

Common Faults & Fix for Automation Testing are: –

Selenium IDE – Record & Playback for Scripts:
Testers usually depend on record and back for creating test scripts.  However, the recorded feature should be viewed to generate a skeletal script and will consider as the final step in script creation. The best practice is to write a customized script

Fix:
 Script Customization involves data parameterization, optimization & validation checkpoints. It could also involve modularizing the script by using Global declaration & POM to allow several testers to work on it at one time.

Improper Use of Verification &Validation in scripts:
Using test scripts without any validation is found as another fault in scripting. In cases where test scripts require login validation for e.g. testing of a website that has a login page. In this case, you need to validate whether the login has succeeded or not.

 Fix:
 Script validation can be done by using checkpoints. Checkpoints help detect web objects, page parameters or perhaps some text on the page. Checkpoints should be placed at as many points as possible. Verification can be done by asserting the conditions to be checked

Non-usage of Script Validation for non-visible elements
While testing the applications, Testers mostly fail to consider validations other than visible objects. Validations should not be restricted to visible elements such as page text, button, etc.

 Fix:

It’s important to keep validations that show that the process has been completed. If you add data files from excel sheet, you might want to query the database to ensure that the files were in fact saved successfully into the database.

Automation Testing- A replacement for manual testing
Automated testing is the best way to improve manual testing. Automation shrinks your testing efforts. However, test engineers and enterprises often consider it as a replacement for manual testing which is why they cannot achieve effective testing and coverage. Ideally,

 Fix:

Create a checklist of features which can be automated for testing. Divide features to different modules with basic validation for scripts, Optimize the script with Local and Global variables.

Inappropriate usage of Test Cases
Without having Basic knowledge of the application, Test engineers commit mistakes while preparing test cases which result in inappropriate test cases. These test cases, hence, do not represent an application flow and functions which lead to failure in automation.

 Fix:
 Create Test plan, divide modules into single units, create test cases & condense into one single test suite that represents the entire functionality of the application.

Conclusion:

Mostly many of the QA automation testers would be committing one or many of the above mistakes at some point of view. Try following the Quick fix for augment test automation efforts and increase its Quality.

Author : Ans Augustine
Senior Quality Automation Engineer
Heidelsoft Technologies Pvt ltd