Three QA Automation tests to get strong Software Development Products

Used for testing user interfaces of the application. Tests are executed by robots running scripts acting as users of full functions of the business. This type of testing is the closest to what users will do with your application.

Because of GUI’s are highly subject to change, these tests are essential even if time-consuming and hard to maintain up-to-date.

Hints for doing more with less:

1. Implement the Page-Object-Model (POM) to avoid re-coding tests for each view of the application. The underlying concept is that using technologies and abstraction in classes help make more readable, maintainable, and reusable test scripts.
   • Do you want to know more about POM? Read my article here.
2. Think about business processes instead of tiny business rules. By grouping a set of test scripts as a transaction you can test business processes that make sense faster. For example, a B2B Quote-to-order complete process instead of standard quote, proforma, payment, invoice and order fulfillment as separate processes.

“We at Teravision use Nightwatch / Selenium standalone server to define and run automated sequences of reusable tests that work as “transactions”. This helps a lot our customers to take go/stop decisions for going live.”

Functionality, performance, compliance, and security has to be tested in search of issues. The main goal is to ensure your application could integrate with others in a controlled way (no crashes, hangings or unmanaged exceptions).

Hints for doing it well:

1. Define the scope of the tests only after understanding the whole functionality of the Web Service / API.
2. Prepare your test data carefully.
3. Write complete test cases using equivalence classes, boundary value analysis, and error guessing techniques when needed (expertise required).

It’s about measuring the total capabilities of the servers to handle requests. The goals are to:

1. Isolate bottlenecks.
2. Identify load balancing opportunities.
3. Avoid compromising overall performance.

Hints for saving time, resources and maximizing results:

1. Use common sense for every test. You must verify your tests make sense, this means potentially they isolate issues.
2. Start with the “usual suspects”. Plan the design and execution to start with well-known issue isolators.
3. Take shortcuts by taking advantage of the tools. Use JMeter with server monitor utilities to measure Memory, Discs, and CPU in a timeframe of milliseconds instead of minutes. This will deliver the same results using less computing resources.