The Situations You Must Never Automate Testing For

How can you ensure that your product is ready to roll out when it's time for release? That's something only you know the answer to, but in order to make sure things are going smoothly and the product is 100% ready, you should be testing. In this article, I'll cover where automation testing process must not be used in real-time.

Why Automated Testing Isn't a Replacement for Real-Time Testing?

• Automated testing is not a replacement for real-time testing. Automated tests can help you find defects, but they can’t tell you why the defect occurred. That’s where real-time testing comes in.
• Real-time Testing is the process of monitoring the system as it’s running and looking for problems. This type of testing is essential because it allows you to find problems before they cause an issue or affect users.

How to Prevent Automating Tests for Inappropriate Purposes

It's crucial to take into account the processes you're not automating when you're automating tests. Numerous testers automate testing for typical situations while overlooking edge cases or other potential weak spots in the code. I'll go through a few scenarios in this article where you should never automate testing.

1. Tests that Check Implementation Details

Tests that check the implementation details of your code can often be avoided by using stubs or mocks instead. These tools allow you to fake the implementation of a class or interface without needing to write any actual code. This allows you to test your code without having to worry about how it actually works.

2. Tests That Check Business Logic

Tests that check business logic can often be avoided by using integration tests instead. Integration tests are executed as part of a continuous integration (CI) build process and are designed to verify the correct functioning of multiple systems in an integrated fashion. By running integration tests, you can avoid the risk of developing and deploying software with defects that affect business functionality.

3. Tests That Execute Code in an Unsafe Way

Tests that execute code in an unsafe way can often be avoided by using mocking libraries and test doubles instead. These tools allow you to replace real implementations with mock versions that behave exactly like the original implementation but without altering or exposing any underlying system internals. This allows you to test your code while ensuring that it remains safe and reliable.

Considerations When Automating

• It's important to have a clear understanding of what you're automating before you start. Automating testing can be time-consuming and error-prone, so it's best to do it only when it's necessary and when there is a good chance of success.
• Always keep in mind the goal of automation: making testing faster and more reliable. Don't automate tests just for the sake of automating them; make sure that the benefits outweigh the costs.
• When automating tests, use scripted or scripted-like tools instead of custom scripts written by developers. Scripted tools are easier to maintain and manage, and they allow you to test multiple scenarios automatically without having to write multiple scripts.
• Use data validation rules sparingly; they can slow down your tests significantly. Validation rules are useful for ensuring that data is entered correctly into test cases, but they should be used only when necessary (for example, if there's a high risk of data entry errors).
• Don't rely on automated tests as the only way to check code changes; always run manual checks as well to ensure that everything works as expected.

Automation Is Not the Enemy

Automation is not the enemy. In fact, it can be a powerful ally in your testing arsenal. However, there are certain places where automation should never be used. Here are some of them :-

1. Test cases that depend on user input

Testing with automated tools is a great way to speed up your testing process, but don't automate test cases that rely on user input. This is because you won't be able to reproduce the user's environment and you'll end up spending more time troubleshooting than testing.

2. Testing complex flows or systems

Don't automate tests that involve complex flows or systems. Not only will this slow down your testing process, but it could also lead to errors in your tests due to incorrect assumptions about how the system works. Instead, focus on automating simple tests that can be run quickly and accurately.

3. Tests that require human interaction

If a test requires human interaction - such as trying out different configurations of a web application - then don't automate it. This type of test needs to be done manually because automated tools can't replicate human error and inconsistencies in interface design. Instead, use manual testing techniques and QA resources to ensure quality control for these types of tests.