The transition from Manual to Automation testing

Manual testing vs. Automation testing

Testing is a critical part of software development, ensuring that applications function as expected before release. There are two main approaches: manual testing and automation testing. Understanding the differences and benefits of each can help in deciding the best strategy for your projects.

Manual testing involves testers manually executing test steps without the use of automation tools. Testers simulate user interactions and identify bugs before the application is released. This approach relies heavily on human observation and analysis.

Automation testing, on the other hand, uses scripts and tools to automate test steps. Testers create and store these scripts as reusable assets, which can save significant time and effort, especially for repetitive tasks.

Why switch to Automation testing?

Test reusability

Automated test cases and test suites can be reused multiple times in different test cycles and test environments. Whenever an application undergoes changes, you can run automated regression test suites to detect regression bugs, eliminating the need for manual regression testing. This reusability is one of the key advantages of automation, significantly reducing the risks of operational failures.

Higher test coverage

With automated testing, tests are executed automatically, freeing up time to focus on new scenarios and write more automated test cases to verify and validate the Application Under Test (AUT). This allows teams to perform more exploratory testing, enhancing product quality. Additionally, automated tests can run simultaneously or in parallel on various platforms and devices. Increased test execution means more regression bugs are likely to be found, and more business requirements are confirmed.

Earlier feedback and bug detection

Bugs that escape into production are costly to fix in terms of time, money, and effort. This is why many teams are adopting a shift-left approach, identifying bugs earlier to minimize costs. When implemented correctly, automated testing can start during the development phase. Developers can perform unit tests on their local machines before committing code to the version control system. Unit tests can also be integrated into the CI pipeline. Once code is committed, the pipeline triggers automated unit tests, followed by integration and system tests. This process provides early feedback, allowing developers to detect and fix bugs quickly, preventing them from progressing to later stages.

Going beyond Manual testing

Test automation can achieve what manual testing might struggle with, especially for complex tests requiring significant effort and resources, such as performance testing. Automation can simulate thousands of simultaneous requests to the AUT’s server-side from different platforms and devices, which is nearly impossible manually. Automation tools execute faster than humans and with greater accuracy. Unlike humans, machines don’t experience fatigue, which helps avoid human errors. Consequently, test results are reliable and quickly obtained.

Switching from Manual to Automation Testing

Find suitable test cases to automate

Test automation is most valuable for repetitive tests. Refer to the table below for a detailed list of suitable test types for automation.

Generate-Execute-Report-Maintain

Understand the differences between open-source frameworks/libraries and commercial tools, including their workloads and capabilities.

Monitor the automation tool's effectiveness

To ensure your automation tool meets your testing goals, use metrics to evaluate its performance. Consider the following questions:

• Has execution time been reduced?
• How much time is spent updating or rewriting tests when changes occur?
• Has the execution time for specific tests increased over time?

By carefully selecting suitable test cases for automation and continuously monitoring the effectiveness of your automation tools, you can optimize your testing efforts and achieve a higher return on investment. While the initial setup costs for automation can be considerable, the long-term gains in accuracy, speed, and reliability far outweigh these initial investments.

Author:

Milos Rodic, Automated QA Engineer at ALAS doo