What is the lifecycle of automated testing?

Software testing has developed to this day , Has been gradually standardized and more capable , The process is evolving every day . The technical proficiency of testers is crucial to the success of the whole test phase . Testing no longer means just finding errors ; Its scope has expanded , Its importance can be seen from the beginning of any development project .

When talking about the automated test lifecycle （Automation Testing Life Cycle） when , Most people think it's just SDLC Part of , But it's more than that . It is necessary to understand that automated testing should be a prominent part of the automated testing strategy , And has a life cycle . Enterprises must adjust it to improve the quality of their software products .

As it continues , Need to be able to answer the following questions ： What is the automated test lifecycle , And what are the phases in the automated test life cycle .

Automate all phases of the test lifecycle

Test automation should be supported by a strong test plan . The predefined structure of the process helps to design the test plan and formulate the selection strategy of automated test tools , To set up the test environment 、 Design test cases and write scripts . It further defines test automation 、 Test preparation 、 The implementation of 、 Scope of test verification and report .

These six phases in the automated test life cycle run in parallel with the software development cycle . Here are the stages ：

Stage 1： Determine the scope of automated testing
Stage 2： Choose the right automation tool
Stage 3： Define a plan for automated testing 、 Strategy and design
Stage 4： Set up the test environment
Stage 5： Test scripts and execution
Stage 6： Test analysis and report

1. Determine the scope of automated testing

This is the first step in the automated test lifecycle . In this step , The test team needs to determine the feasibility of automated testing . Feasibility analysis is essential for each stage , To check its operability , And help the test team design test scripts . Considerations at this stage include ：
 

• Which modules of the application should be automated , Which modules should not be automated .
• Which test cases can or need to be automated .
• How to automate these test cases .
• Considering the adaptability of automation and test objectives , Choose which automation tools .
• The budget 、 Implementation cost 、 Available resources and skills .

Test cases and automated test feasibility analysis shall be conducted before starting test automation .

2. Choose the right automation tool

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This is a ATLC One of the most critical stages , Because automated testing depends on tools . Carefully consider and choose the right automation tools to automate UI Components . Selecting tools may require completing another level of analysis . Before choosing a tool , Budget and cost should always be kept in mind . besides , The team should also analyze whether the resource has technical skills , And whether the tool supports the technology required by the project . Besides , The tool should provide strong technical support , To answer questions that may exist in use .

3. Plan for automated testing 、 Strategy and design

This is another key step in the test cycle , It mainly explains the method of implementing test automation strategy . The main step in this phase is to decide which test automation framework to use . When choosing the right tool for the project , You must keep in mind the technology required for a software project . therefore , In depth analysis of the product is very important .

When executing automated test plans , Testers create for the test process 、 The hardware of the test environment 、 Software and network requirements 、 Test data prerequisites 、 Test schedule 、 Establish standards and guidelines for error tracking mechanisms and tools . The tester is also responsible for determining the test architecture 、 Test program structure and test program management .

The test management strategy covers the following points ：

• The test management tool will capture all manual test cases . Testers need to collect manual test cases and determine what needs to be tested .
• Thorough research must be conducted to determine the test framework and understand the advantages and disadvantages of automated test tools .
• Besides , Testers also need to understand all related threats between tools and Applications 、 Background and dependencies .
• The team must also build a test suite for automated test cases in the test management tool .
• Without stakeholder and client approval , Unable to implement or enforce the developed test strategy .

4. Set up the test environment

At this stage , The test team must set 、 Track and schedule the test environment . let me put it another way , This means that at this stage , Built a machine / Execute test cases in a remote environment . Virtual machines are needed because not all users use the same machine to access Web Applications . therefore , We need to observe the various devices used by users 、 Browser and version . If it is not properly verified that it is on different devices - browser - Compatibility between operating system combinations , The effect of the website may be different from what users see . To achieve this , Cross browser testing has become a top priority , To make sure your Web Applications deliver a great user experience as expected . 
This phase requires detailed planning to handle as many scenarios as possible and increase test coverage . With the responsible participation of the test team , Proper tracking and scheduling of all environmental setting activities must be maintained . besides , Set up the test environment 、 Arrange network and hardware resources 、 Perform test database cleanup 、 Everything from developing test platforms and environment scripts must be handled .

Performing cross browser testing is not as easy as it sounds . It involves setting up different browsers 、 Different versions 、 Different equipment, etc , This is not a small burden for the team .

Maintaining the browser lab is not an easy task , Because it's expensive to build and maintain infrastructure from scratch , And not all businesses can afford . therefore , Cloud based testing infrastructure is recommended , Provide a platform for testers , To test various browser device operating system combinations of multiple mobile and desktop devices hosted by virtual machines .

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Here are some aspects of the test environment setup ：

• Ensure that there is a front-end running environment that can carry out load testing , To check its ability to handle high load Web Traffic .
• Sometimes , The set test environment does not provide data similar to production data , Make the product vulnerable to any code changes in the production environment .
• All systems that need to be tested 、 The list of modules and applications should be maintained and checked .
• Test as many browsers and their versions as possible .
• Testing across multiple client operating systems .
• A separate database server is required for the staging environment .
• Make sure to test under different network conditions Web Applications , To understand the actual rendering time and overall appearance of the website .
• Maintain user manuals in a central database 、 Installation guides and other documents are also key to setting up a test environment for future requirements .

5. Test scripts and execution

After configuring the test environment settings , The next step is to execute the test script . Testers should consider the following points before developing test scripts ：

• Create scripts according to project requirements .
• Use a common method throughout the process .
• Make sure the script is reusable 、 Simple and structured , So that anyone can understand them .
• Perform appropriate code reviews and reports to gain better insights and maintain quality throughout the process .

After script development is complete , The following points need to be kept in mind to ensure that the script runs smoothly ：

• According to the test case , They should include all functional aspects .
• They should cover all platforms and environments that execute test scripts ..
• They must be processed in batches to save time and effort .
• Always practice writing error reports , In case of any functional error .

Evaluate and record test results for further reference , And in ATLC This part of creates a test result document .

6. Test analysis and report

It is the last and most critical phase of the automated test life cycle , It doesn't help to save data without analysis . After capturing all test results , To perform all types of tests , The test team analyzes and identifies problematic features . These reports help to understand whether the team needs additional procedures , And provide information about the different errors encountered . Prepare a detailed report , And with stakeholders who are critical to the project at this stage 、 Customer 、 Employees and teams share . These reports are useful for understanding Web The behavior of an application in adverse circumstances is critical .

Conclusion

without doubt , Software automated testing is SDLC An integral part of , It is one of the most effective methods to achieve the test goal . But software testing also has its own set of phases , These stages must be carefully followed in order to obtain the benefits of this technology . It allows the use of any available resources to achieve test objectives within a specified time . Following every step of the automated test lifecycle helps to get the best results , No human intervention is required and budgets and schedules are reduced . A well planned automated test life cycle leads to successful automated testing .