Test Automation Strategy

IBM Global Services – Testing Competency
IBM Confidential © Copyright IBM Corporation 200501/23/2005
Strategy, Approach & Planning
Author: Martin Ruddy
20 August 2015

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2005
Agenda
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 Introduction to Test Automation
 Benefits from Test Automation
 Trusted Approach
 Real Facts & Think Factor
 Considerations for Automation
 Guidelines & Approach
 Automation Methodologies
 Overview on Automation Tools
 Evaluation, Planning and Review Checklists
 Guidelines to Automation Testers and Developers
20 August 2015

Introduction to Test Automation
 GUI automation is always viewed as the SILVER BULLET, which will save money,
time and resources
 Test automation raises our hopes, yet often frustrates & disappoints us
 Promises to deliver us from a tough situation, yet can create as many problems as
it solves
"Embarking on a successful automation test project is similar to embarking
on a successful software development project“
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Benefits from Test Automation
 Reduced utilization of manual resources
 More efficient use of scarce hardware resources
 Reduced test cycle time
 Reduced cost of testing, after initial cost of implementation
 Improved reliability of the testing
 Repeatable tests, thus overcoming boredom-induced missed bugs
 Improved test coverage, since testing may be done more frequently
 Development of programming skills
 May allow the use of less skilled staff to do the actual testing
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Trusted Approach
 Understand the need / requirement for automation
 Point out pitfalls to avoid
 Promote an evolving implementation
 Begin simple and increase in complexity as the team's skills increase
"Learning from others is the most effective way to grow your automation expertise"
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Real Facts & Think factors
Real Fact
 Automation is initially expensive and it may not do a better job than manual testing
in some situations
Think Factors
1. How much will automating and running a test cost, versus running it manually?
2. Automated test has a limited lifetime in which it must recoup the additional cost.
Will this test be reusable long enough? What factors will prevent it from being
reusable?
3. The automated test will find bugs it was designed to test for and in addition it will
find bugs that are not directly related to the test. What is the likelihood that this test
will find additional bugs?
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Considerations for Automation
 Test cases those are long running, repetitive, and non-subjective
 Projects / Products that have a working, relatively stable GUI
 Projects / Products that will span multiple releases.
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Test Automation Guidelines & Approach
Record / Playback initially using the Testing tool’s wizard or toolbar will be easier but hard to
maintain because they represent not only WHAT needs to be tested, but HOW it is to be tested
Guideline: 1
Once familiarity in scripting is achieved, continue using the scripting language of an automation
tool to provide your own implementation logic (framework) that is separate from your test case
scripts
 Requires more investment upfront, but the code will be less expensive to maintain over the life
span of multiple product releases
Example:
Imagine having recorded test case scripts for a banking application that initially allowed the user to
simply click "OK" to commit a sensitive transaction, then the application developers changed the
navigational logic requiring the user to type "yes" to confirm these transactions. Every recorded
test case that has hard coded "OK" clicks relating to the sensitive transaction commits would
require maintenance.
20 August 2015

Test Automation Guidelines & Approach (Contd..)
Automation code without any Discipline - Tendency to jump in and start
developing new test scripts without collaborating with other team's members and
without establishing a plan, structure, and/or standards is natural. However, in the
long term this undisciplined approach is not productive. Any test case scripts and
frameworks that are produced in this manner tend to lack such characteristics as:
maintainability, reusability, readability, flexibility, reliability, effectiveness, and efficiency
Guideline: 2
Establish complete Automation plan, Structure, and Standards
“Quality automation effort should follow a software development process”
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Guidelines & Approach (Contd..)
Guideline: 3
“Separating the What from the How”
An approach to separate what needs to be tested from how it is to be tested. To
accomplish this separation, guideline would suggest to have the test script writers
write the test scripts to identify what needs to be tested and automation developers
write a framework to handle the implementation (i.e., the navigation logic, window
processing logic, and verification logic) of your tests.
Framework - "a supporting or enclosing structure”
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IBM Confidential
Guideline: 4
Use the 6 phases for implementing the best course of Automated Testing action
- Evaluation
- Planning
- Design
- Implementation
- Deployment
- Review
Iteration Cycle – Plan for future changes
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Guideline: 5
A. Define Automation Goals & Prioritize
At every point in the specification process, you can check the "testability" of the requirement or specification by
ensuring it is S.M.A.R.T.
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable or Achievable
R - Realistic
T - Timely
B. Define Automation Strategy
- GUI - Roundtrip / Segment, Define objects, Synchronization
- Types of Testing
- Strategy Considerations
1. Partial automation
2. Time cost
3. Testing delay
4. Inertia
5. Risk of missed bugs
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Guideline: 6
Define Users and Skill Level Required / Desired
- Test Script Writers
- Automation Developers
Guideline: 7
Resource Planning / Source Code Management
- Hardware
- Software
- People
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Guideline: 8
Define Design Goals & Prioritize
- Maintainability
- Structured
- Well Documented
- Reviewed
- Framework Specific Goals
- Modularity
- Reusability
- Usability
- Scalability
- Reusability
- Portability
- Robustness
- Reliability
- Efficiency
- Flexibility
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Guideline: 9
Determine the Automation Interface Architecture
- Data Driven Interface
- Programming Interface
Guideline: 10
Determine the Automation Framework Architecture
- Error Recovery
- Support of Custom Controls
- Product Testability Issues
- NLS – Localization
Guideline: 11
Define Standards – Naming & Code Conventions
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Components of Automated Test System
Test Script Writers
Automation Developers
Test Scripts
“WHAT”
Interface
Framework
“HOW”
Documents
 Framework Usage Notes
 Guidelines
 Naming Conventions
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Automation Methodologies
 Functional Decomposition Method
This methodology is to reduce all the test cases to their most fundamental
tasks, and write User-Defined Functions, Business Function Scripts, and
"Sub-routine" or "Utility" Scripts which perform these tasks independently of
one another
 Key-Word Driven or Test Plan Driven Method
This method uses the actual Test Case document developed by the tester
using a spreadsheet containing special "Key-Words". This method preserves
most of the advantages of the "Functional Decomposition" method, while
eliminating most of the disadvantages. In this method, the entire process is
data-driven, including functionality.
The Keyword controls the entire processing
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Overview on Automation Tools
 Most of the Automated Tools in the market remain as an integrated suite for Test
Documentations, Scripting, Executions & Defect Tracking
 Automation tool does exist for specific testing needs such as
Performance Testing
Code Coverage
Memory Leak Detection
 Automation Tools available in the market which are more on focus today includes
 Rational Tools – Robot, Test Manager, ClearQuest
 Mercury Interactive – WinRunner, LoadRunner, QTP, Astra Load Test
 Segue – Silk Performer
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Evaluation – Sample Checklist
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Planning – Sample Checklist
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Review – Sample Checklist
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Guidelines for Test Script Writers
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1.Be sure test scripts remain independent of each other
2. Define good input data to catch boundary or NLS errors. For example, for integer
fields, be sure to identify the minimum and maximum values that are supported.
3.To the greatest extent possible, the test scripts should use the published
interface(s) of your automated test system
Guidelines for Automation Developers
1. Be sure to incorporate GUI verification wherever possible.
2. While waiting for the development of the GUI to stabilize, it is a good time to
implement your framework design for a simple task/function in the product under
test
3. Long running suites should have the ability to continually dump status as the
testing progresses. This helps ensure that long running tests that fail have some
interim status reported before the failure.
20 August 2015

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