In the present state of the app development market, we can simply say that it is almost impossible to imagine a stable testing environment without including automation testing practices. This is because the testing phase has revolutionized to such an extent that the developers cannot verify applications’ proper performance by relying only on manual testing teams. A prime reason to justify this statement is that modern apps are a one-stop solution where the core framework must have control over various web elements simultaneously. For the proper execution of this process, the developers have to verify the stable performance of every element and the combined performance of the entire framework. With the integration of automated testing, the developers can easily perform this process.
For the proper execution of automation testing, there are various factors that the developers must keep in mind. In case the developers fail to do this, the automation test cases might fail. So in this article, we will look at some of the primary reasons that might be failing your automation test cases. We will also suggest some of the most prominent solutions for these errors. Let us start our analysis with the basics of test automation.
Understanding the Root of Test Automation
It is very easy to understand the basics of test automation by carefully looking at the name. The name will help us understand that it is the process of automatically initiating advanced test cases without including a human developer. For the proper execution of this process, the system will require a test file consisting of all the essential parameters and datasets. For instance, the datasets will help the system to act like a normal user and interact with the application. With the help of this interaction, the developers can understand the stable behavior of the application and get essential data about the app’s current state. The app testers can also make necessary changes in the test file to customize the results according to their requirements. Reusing vast sections of the test data for future projects is also possible.
However, for the proper implementation of automation testing, the developers should be aware of its advantages and drawbacks. So, we would like to mention the significant disadvantage of introducing test automation practices. For the proper integration of automated testing, the developers must invest a lot of money during the initial stage. This investment will cover the expenses for integrating new libraries, plugins, and dependencies that are critical for the proper execution of automation testing. It is also essential to understand that test automation will come with a vital learning curve where the developers and testers must get accustomed to this advanced testing process. So we would recommend that app-developing companies consider their business perspectives and possible returns. It will help them to get an idea of whether they’re ready to make the transition.
Benefits of Implementing Automated Testing
Before we start mentioning the major reasons for the failure of automation testing, it is critical to have a definite idea about the benefits of test automation. With the help of this data, the developers will be able to utilize the full potential of this advanced testing process. Based on our understanding, the major benefits of automated testing are as follows:
- Test automation does not depend on human developers; there is no limitation in terms of work hours. In simple terms, we can say that while using automation testing, app companies can execute the testing processes throughout the day. This is a very important process that helps companies significantly increase the efficiency of the development bench.
- The primary goal of test automation is to conduct the repetitive test cases involved in the application development lifecycle. The app developers can focus on other vital areas of their projects by automating these test cases. For instance, they can work on creating new and unique features that they can add for future web application updates.
- Automation testing allows the developer to conduct all the test cases in an advanced parallel configuration. With parallel configuration, the developers can execute different test parameters at the same time. It is a huge advantage as it massively helps the application developers to increase the overall test coverage.
- With the help of automation testing, the developers can verify the proper functioning of the applications on certain browsers and devices that are no longer available in the market. This is a critical process as various surveys show that a huge portion of the app user base does not upgrade their devices before two years.
Reasons Why Your Automated Tests Might be Failing
Since automation testing is relatively new, there is still unknown about this advanced testing process. Moreover, the new application developers will find themselves troubled by the complexities of automation testing. So we have made a list of other major factors that the developers must consider for the proper execution of test automation. These factors will also help them to avoid any failed automation test cases. They are as follows:
1. Use of Real Devices
Maintaining an in-house device testing lab can be expensive and hassle at the same time. To avoid these issues, the developers try to restrict the test cases to only simulators and emulators. However, it is impossible to properly execute automation testing without verifying the performance of the applications on real devices. To quickly solve this problem, the developers can conduct the test cases on real devices with the help of cloud platforms. We will learn about the influence of cloud platforms in the later part of this article.
2. Creation of a Test Plan
For the proper implementation of automation testing, the developers must have a test plan consisting of all the test priorities and the essential parameters that must be checked. It is also important for the developers to have a backup plan in case they encounter any critical bug or error during the automation testing process. So it is essential to create an extensive test plan before the execution of automation testing. We also recommend that application-developing companies include their testing, developing, and business teams while creating this plan.
3. Choosing the Right Automation Framework
Currently, there are multiple test automation frameworks readily available in the market. Some of the common names include Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright. So the application developers need to choose the correct framework to complement their application development practices. The developers should also be aware of the shortcomings of each of these frameworks to choose them correctly. For instance, Selenium is a good framework for the execution of automation testing, but it will limit the testing process to only web applications.
4. Implementing Test Automation on the Correct Test Cases
To properly utilize the capabilities of automation testing, the developers must redirect them to the perfect test cases. Some testing processes that can massively benefit from test automation include regression testing, unit testing, and data analysis testing. The developers will not be able to properly use test automation on test cases that massively depend on uncertainties.
5. Inclusion of Agile Methodologies
Agile methodologies are an advanced testing process that helps developers improve test automation efficiency massively. With the inclusion of agile methodologies, development and testing teams will be able to work in a side-by-side format. This will massively improve the efficiency of the testing process and the execution of automated testing. Agile methodologies help the testing team to conduct the test cases while the app is still in the development phase.
Integration of Tools and Platforms for the Proper Execution of Test Automation
We already discussed that the test automation process could be highly complex and troublesome for new developers. Multiple platforms and tools can help the new automation testers to reduce this complexity massively. Moreover, with the help of these platforms, the developers can integrate various third-party plugins and features to elevate the quality of the test bench further. For reference, we can consider the example of cloud platforms that help app developers and testers to eliminate the expenses of having a physical device test lab in the company. This is because, with these platforms, the developers can achieve similar test results while conducting all the test cases over the web on real devices. We can learn more about these advanced cloud testing processes by moving our attention towards a cloud-based platform LambdaTest for example.
For the initial introduction, we can introduce LambdaTest as an advanced cloud-based platform to conduct secure cross-browser testing on all the latest web apps. Cross-browser testing has taken a critical part in the modern application development segment as it helps developers to provide the best experience to their valuable customers. This is because, with the help of cross-browser testing, the developers can give stable app performance irrespective of user changes in the operating system, browser version, or system specifications. This platform also has various advanced features like parallel test execution for improving the efficiency of the testing process by more than 15 times. LambdaTest can import all the vital automation test cases from various well-known frameworks like Cypress, Playwright, and Selenium. It is critical to mention that while working with Selenium-based test cases, the developers can run them on more than three thousand unique modern browsers.
Other than executing the test cases on already existing thousands of emulators and simulators, LambdaTest can also run the test cases on hundreds of real devices in the cloud. With the help of this platform, the developers can verify the proper functioning of internally hosted web applications for company use.
Conclusion
Based on all the factors that we discussed, we can easily say that the proper execution of test automation is critical for the success of a modern app development company. It becomes even more essential as experts believe that the influence of automation testing will continue to increase with the passing years. The app developers should also keep their knowledge updated regarding all the innovations and additions in the automation testing segment.
In this area, app-development companies also have a critical role in conducting frequent seminars to spread the correct information for proper automation testing practices. Lastly, it is essential to choose the right platform or tool that can complement the development practices of a company and its developers.
