Hello all, Thamsil Ahmed here. In this article, I will be talking about automation testing, its pros and cons, and a few tools used for automation testing.

So, what is automation testing? As the word suggests, it is a testing technique by which a test case is executed using several automated tools, instead of a tester executing the tests manually (manual testing). Automation testing is mainly used when test cases need to be executed repeatedly. With the help of the data entered in the beginning before executing the test, these automation testing tools compare the intended results with the outcomes and create an extensive test report.

Automation testing is best when:

• Test cases that are highly time-consuming and difficult to perform manually.
• The ones that need to be executed repeatedly
• High-risk test cases that need to be addressed immediately.

Now let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of automation testing.

Advantages

• Can be performed whenever required.
• The number of resources required is less when compared to manual testing.
• Test engineers can focus on other important things as most of the test is automated.
• Test cases can be performed repeatedly and generate a detailed report regarding the execution.
• Less human involvement and therefore, eliminating human error.
• Test cases can be executed on a different version of the software with ease.

Disadvantages

• Automation testing is expensive when compared to manual testing.
• Doesn’t tell the experience of an actual user using the software.
• Not suitable for every type of project.
• Results can be wrong sometimes.
• Highly skilled QA developers are required.

Now let’s see some of the popular automation testing tools.

Selenium

Selenium came out in 2004. It is used to test web applications. It is the most widely used automated testing tool for web-based testing. It allows you to write test scripts in various programming languages like Python, PHP, NodeJS, C#, etc. It is an open-source tool and is available for free.

TestComplete

TestComplete came out in 1999, developed by SmartBear technologies. it is used in creating automated tests for web, Android, iOS, and Microsoft applications in various programming languages.

Appium

Appium is another open-source tool, used for testing native, hybrid, and mobile web applications. Test scripts can be written in any programming language.

Cucumber

This testing tool is popular as test scripts can be written with no coding knowledge. It supports Behavioral Driven Development (BDD), i.e., business owners can write test scripts using this tool easily to identify the behavior of a system based on different business perspectives.

Automation testing is the best way to perform a test effectively, making sure all parts of the system under test are covered with better execution speed.

Thanks for reading!