Test automation is mostly used by organizations due to the various advantages it offers. From better test path coverage to repetitive and exhaustive testing, it overcomes human mistakes that are made by tiredness or neglect.
But along with various benefits, it also poses many problems. You have an automation solution for almost every condition but managers often find it very daunting to locate the right one and implement it in the best way.
To automate a code, you just require to pick a few boxes and make a flow utilizing a loop and save it. You should not need to address lines of code. Like, you can just record step after step for test automation and play it back when required and run the test case.
So, a tester can generate scripts with just functional knowledge. However, there is a lot of coding behind this.
Codeless automation testing tools make it easier for testers by providing them a user-friendly GUI to interact with. In most cases, codeless testing tools add a layer of abstraction to hide code from testers interface.
Sanity tests: Tests the main pieces of the software in a non-comprehensive way after code modifications have been made to make sure the changes didn’t affect any serious problems.
Just like smoke tests take a wide and shallow view versus unit tests’ more in-depth view, sanity tests take a wide and shallow view following new builds versus regression tests’ more in-depth view.
Regression tests: Tests that code modifications do not have a negative impact on the functionality of the software.
Smoke tests: Tests the main pieces of the software in a non-comprehensive manner to make sure the software runs perfectly (or is not riddled with too many problems) to move on to additional tests.
In 1995, when Yahoo came, there were only 2,898 websites online. When Word Press came in 2003, this number had reached a staggering 50,912,732. In 2016 the number of websites crossed the one billion mark.
This unbelievable flow in the number of websites cannot have been accomplished if every single website had to be written in code, from scratch. Market requirement, the spread of wireless and landline coverage, and of course the rise of the smartphone have all contributed to the unbelievable growth of the internet.
For the predictable future, requirement for automation coders would not reduce. Codeless testing will be a tool for automation testers to fast track their professions rather than replace their responsibility.
Regression tests are the best way to run to evaluate whether any new error has developed due to recent changes in the software. Therefore, the software is tested before making that change and is retested after making that change.
Besides, Automated Regression testing ensures that a new feature is introduced without impacting the working of the process of other features. The release is tested and followed by tallying of test cases to the regression testing list. There is a rising need for this type of testing to help businesses to embrace new technology and get them in order to achieve their business objectives. With an aim to ensure that the tests are readily and rigorously conducted, enterprises leverage automated testing tools in order to conduct regression tests. Now, there are open source as well as licensed tools available for the same, and it entirely depends on the objective of the project, which tool to go with.
Top 5 Features of Regression Testing Automation Tools
With the availability of a lot of regression testing tools in the market, it becomes very challenging to choose the right automated testing tool to perform regression testing. Let’s discuss the five important features of the automated regression testing tools that can help you to perform effective regression testing.
1. Records and plays back the test cases
While preparing a regression test case, it is usually referred later. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the regression testing tool records and stores every action. This can help in implementing the same test cases for every other project as well, with very little editing.
2. They are scriptless
Script-based automation has become outdated now. As people are getting updated about automation testing tools, the work of testers has become easier. Automated testing tools do not require long test scripts and are not just limited to limited UI-based commands. Testers just need to drag and drop the test commands like click, click and wait, capture, etc., by this way the test cases are created automatically.
3. Uses continuous integration with the server
Due to the involvement of more than one tester in the whole testing procedure, it is recommended to store and execute the test scripts on the server. In order to speed-up the regression testing process, storing and executing the test scripts is needed. Various continuous integration tools such as Jenkins, Bamboo, JetBrains, etc., integrated with the application testing automation tools.
4. Reuses methodologies
The use of reusable test cases in succeeding regression cycles has become a necessity. The regression testing automation tool chosen needs to have some kind of methodologies where the various successful reusable test cases are combined in order to use the successful test cases again.
5. Streamlines regression report generation
Every testing requires reporting functionality certainly to evaluate the success and failure of a particular test case, whether the changes made in the application is tested correctly with the freshly developed re-usable regression test cases.