Test automation is a key skill for software testers, but it also requires collaboration and communication with other stakeholders, such as developers, product owners, and managers. How do you work with others to achieve test automation goals? Here are some tips to help you succeed.
Before you start writing any code, you need to have a clear understanding of what you want to automate, why, and how. This means defining the scope of your test automation project, such as the features, functionalities, and scenarios you want to cover, the tools and frameworks you want to use, and the standards and best practices you want to follow. You also need to have a strategy for how you will design, implement, execute, and maintain your test automation scripts, such as the testing pyramid, the test-driven development, or the behavior-driven development approach. To define the scope and strategy , you need to communicate with your team members and stakeholders, such as developers, product owners, and managers, to align your expectations, priorities, and requirements. You also need to document your decisions and share them with everyone involved.
The next step is to choose the tools and frameworks that will help you achieve your test automation goals. There are many options available in the market, such as Selenium, Cypress, Cucumber, TestNG, JUnit, and more. Each tool and framework has its own advantages and disadvantages, such as the level of support, the learning curve, the compatibility, and the features. You need to evaluate the tools and frameworks based on your project needs, such as the type of application, the programming language, the browser, and the platform. You also need to consider the preferences and skills of your team members and stakeholders, such as the developers, product owners, and managers. You need to involve them in the selection process and get their feedback and approval. You also need to ensure that the tools and frameworks are compatible and integrated with each other and with other systems, such as the version control, the continuous integration, and the reporting tools.
Choosing the right tool and programming language matters the most as step no.1 but maintaining the code on the same framework for a considerable amount of years for a better ROI is another critical step (no.2) to see the real benefits of test automation.
Once you have chosen the tools and frameworks, you need to write your test automation code. This is where your coding skills and best practices come into play. You need to write clear and maintainable code that follows the standards and conventions of your project, such as the naming, the formatting, the commenting, and the documentation. You also need to write code that is modular, reusable, and scalable, that follows the principles of abstraction, encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. You also need to write code that is reliable, robust, and resilient, that handles the exceptions, the errors, and the failures gracefully. To write clear and maintainable code, you need to collaborate with your team members and stakeholders, such as the developers, product owners, and managers, to review your code, to provide feedback, and to suggest improvements. You also need to use tools such as git , lint , or sonarqube to manage your code quality and version control.
When building the React app, we actively use pair/mob programming with test engineers. Together we end up with much more useful, efficient, resilient test suits because of a common wisdom from both roles.
After you have written your test automation code, you need to execute and monitor your tests. This means running your tests on different environments, such as the local, the staging, or the production, and on different devices, such as the desktop, the mobile, or the tablet. You also need to run your tests on different schedules, such as on demand, on commit, or on release. You also need to monitor your test results, such as the pass, the fail, or the skip, and the test metrics, such as the coverage, the performance, or the defects. To execute and monitor your tests, you need to communicate with your team members and stakeholders, such as the developers, product owners, and managers, to report your test status, to share your test insights, and to resolve your test issues. You also need to use tools such as jenkins , allure , or testrail to automate your test execution and reporting.
Streamlining test automation is vital for robust software. Execute tests across diverse environments and devices, from local to production, and desktop to mobile. Set flexible schedules and track results meticulously for pass, fail, and coverage metrics. Collaborate seamlessly with stakeholders using tools like Jenkins, Allure, and TestRail. Elevate QA efficiency!
The last step is to optimize and improve your tests. This means analyzing your test results, such as the pass, the fail, or the skip, and the test metrics, such as the coverage, the performance, or the defects. You also need to identify the root causes of your test failures, such as the bugs, the flakiness, or the dependencies. You also need to prioritize and fix your test issues, such as the bugs, the flakiness, or the dependencies. You also need to evaluate and update your test scope and strategy, such as the features, functionalities, and scenarios you want to cover, the tools and frameworks you want to use, and the standards and best practices you want to follow. To optimize and improve your tests, you need to collaborate with your team members and stakeholders, such as the developers, product owners, and managers, to discuss your test findings, to implement your test solutions, and to validate your test improvements. You also need to use tools such as jira , slack , or google analytics to track and communicate your test optimization and improvement.
To ensure comprehensive test coverage for the application, it is imperative to construct a mosaic of test scenarios. This mosaic approach involves collaborating with team members from different domains, ensuring that no crucial area of the application is overlooked.