What are the most common mistakes made when writing automation test scripts?

1 Not following coding standards

One of the first mistakes that can compromise the quality and readability of your test scripts is not following coding standards. Coding standards are a set of rules and conventions that define how to write, format, and document your code. They help you to maintain consistency, readability, and modularity in your test scripts, as well as to avoid common errors and bugs. Coding standards may vary depending on the programming language, framework, and tool you use, but some general principles include using meaningful names, comments, indentation, spacing, and brackets. You should always follow the coding standards that are relevant to your project and team, and use tools such as code analyzers, linters, and formatters to check and enforce them.

3 Not handling exceptions

A third common mistake that can cause your test scripts to fail or behave unexpectedly is not handling exceptions. Exceptions are errors or unexpected situations that occur during the execution of your test scripts. For example, you may encounter exceptions such as timeouts, network issues, element not found, or element not clickable. If you do not handle these exceptions properly, your test scripts may stop running, skip steps, or produce incorrect results. Therefore, you should always use techniques such as try-catch blocks, assertions, or error handling libraries to handle the exceptions that may occur in your test scripts. You should also use appropriate logging, reporting, and debugging tools to help you identify and fix the root causes of the exceptions.

4 Not optimizing performance

A fourth common mistake that can affect the efficiency and scalability of your test scripts is not optimizing performance. Performance optimization refers to the process of improving the speed and resource consumption of your test scripts. If you do not optimize your test scripts, they may take too long to run, consume too much memory or CPU, or overload the system under test. This can lead to poor test coverage, delayed feedback, or unreliable results. Therefore, you should always use techniques such as parallel execution, test prioritization, test data management, or code refactoring to optimize the performance of your test scripts. You should also use tools such as performance monitors, profilers, or benchmarks to help you measure and improve the performance of your test scripts.

5 Not maintaining test scripts

A fifth common mistake that can affect the maintainability and reusability of your test scripts is not maintaining them. Maintaining test scripts refers to the process of updating, modifying, or deleting your test scripts as the requirements, features, or functionalities of the system under test change. If you do not maintain your test scripts, they may become obsolete, irrelevant, or incompatible with the current version of the system under test. This can lead to false positives, false negatives, or missed defects. Therefore, you should always use techniques such as version control, code reviews, or refactoring to maintain your test scripts. You should also use tools such as test management tools, automation frameworks, or design patterns to help you organize and structure your test scripts.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?