Automated Software Testing can help solve some of the most important challenges that software developers and testers face daily. There are literally thousands of tests that a developer or tester has to perform manually daily, regardless of how many automated tests there already are in the regression test suite. Every time a bug is reported, regardless if it’s been fixed or not, someone has to write a test or extend an existing one. Automated testing can solve much of the problem, but when should you start?
One of the biggest advantages of automated testing is that it’s fast. Once the test environment is set up and configured, every time you make a change in your code, whether it be adding new features or fixing bugs, you can have the test suite rerun in a few minutes. This is an incredible time-saver for any project.
Developers should do the first automated software testing after they finish writing their code, but before it’s checked into the main source control repository (for example, if your QA department uses CruiseControl or some other tool to execute the build process). This means that your test suite gets executed every time a developer checks code into source control. Once you have a working set of automated tests, it’s important to execute them on a regular basis as part of an automated build or nightly regression cycle.
The next step is to create an effective reporting mechanism. The output of automated tests should be displayed in a way that can easily be parsed by management, so they know what the status of the project is and where more attention needs to be focused. This could be as simple as displaying the test results on a web page or using more advanced tools like Trac.
After you have the reporting mechanism in place, the final step is to make sure someone is monitoring these results on a regular basis. This enables management to see the status of the current build/release cycle is and allows them to adjust priorities if needed.
By following this process, you’ll have complete visibility of your project’s progress at all times while saving time and money that would otherwise be wasted on manual testing and reporting. Finally, automated software testing can deliver the quality your project demands, and your customers expect. You need to make sure, however, that you have a thorough understanding of the tool’s requirements and limitations.
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