Automated Testing is a method of software testing that employs a variety of automated tools, scripts, and frameworks to systematically execute predefined test cases, compare the actual results with expected results, and report any defects for the purpose of validating software product quality, performance, and functionality. In the context of Testing and Quality Assurance, the primary objective of automated testing is to minimize the manual effort involved in repetitive test execution, thereby reducing overall testing time, as well as improving the reliability, accuracy, and consistency of the test-results.
AppMaster, a leading no-code platform for building backend, web, and mobile applications, not only simplifies the application development process but also integrates automated testing as a part of the platform's workflow. By auto-generating source code and running tests during the application build process, AppMaster ensures the efficiency and quality of the products being created.
Automated Testing involves multiple steps, such as test planning, test design, test execution, and test reporting. During test planning, the testing team identifies the application modules, user requirements, and test cases that are suitable for automation. Test Design entails creating test scripts and data, setting up the testing environment, and selecting suitable automated testing tools, frameworks, and libraries, depending on the programming languages, platforms, and technologies used in the application under test.
Test Execution involves running the automated test scripts, either continuously, as part of Continuous Integration (CI), or at scheduled intervals, while deploying the application to the preferred cloud provider or on-premises servers. The test results provided by the automated tools allow the testing and development teams to identify issues in the application quickly and to make necessary corrections before pushing it further to production. Lastly, test reporting aggregates the results of all executed test cases and presents them in a comprehensive and easily understandable format to evaluate the application's quality and performance.
Several benefits accompany the use of Automated Testing, including:
- Efficiency: Automated tests can be executed faster and more frequently than manual tests, which can significantly reduce the total testing time.
- Accuracy: Automated testing eliminates the risk of human errors, ensuring greater precision and consistency of the results.
- Cost-effectiveness: Although the initial setup cost for automated testing is higher, the long-term cost of testing decreases due to reduced manual effort and less recurrent test execution.
- Adaptability: Automated testing is versatile, supporting various types of tests, including functional, non-functional, unit, integration, system, regression, smoke, and sanity testing, among others.
- Reusability: Test scripts written for automated testing can be used multiple times across different test environments and application versions, making it a sustainable testing solution.
It is important to note that while automated testing provides numerous advantages, it does not eliminate the need for manual testing. Manual testing remains invaluable for examining user experience, visual design, and other factors that cannot be effectively evaluated by automated tools. Consequently, a well-rounded testing strategy should incorporate both manual and automated testing techniques to ensure comprehensive coverage, maintain high product quality, and meet customer expectations.
Several commonly used automated testing tools in the industry include Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, Apache JMeter, and LoadRunner. Besides, there are numerous open-source and commercial testing frameworks, such as Cucumber, Appium, and Xamarin.UITest, that cater to different testing requirements and scenarios. In the case of AppMaster-generated applications, the platform uses a combination of popular and robust testing tools and frameworks to perform automated testing, based on the programming languages and technologies employed in the application — Go (golang) for backend applications, Vue3 framework and JS/TS for web applications, Kotlin and Jetpack Compose for Android, and SwiftUI for iOS.
In conclusion, Automated Testing plays a critical role in the world of software testing and Quality Assurance by providing a fast, reliable, and consistent approach to assess product quality and functionality. When used as part of a comprehensive testing strategy that also includes manual testing methods, automated testing can significantly improve the overall product quality, boost customer satisfaction, and increase the chances of business success. By leveraging the power of automated testing, AppMaster enables its customers to achieve these benefits and more, while also reducing technical debt and ensuring the scalability of their applications.
