The test automation process is one of the many new technologies used to analyze and evaluate test results that seems to be of great help in enterprises. Private organizations, businesses and even governments can produce quick results by using this system.
This process is most commonly used in systems operated for functional, regression, exception/negative, performance, and load testing. Functional testing is the process when the operations performed meet expectations. Regression testing is when the behavior of the system remains the same. Exception or negative tests, on the other hand, force an error condition on the entire system. Stress tests determine the capabilities of the operational infrastructure and the application.
While performance testing ensures that there will be adequate system performance for both online transactions and batch runs that are relevant to business requirements and projections. Finally, the load test determines the situation in which software or hardware upgrades would be required due to degradation of system performance and capacity. These system operations are basically used in different industries that do tests that need quick results.
There are also two approaches to test automation. The code-based test that is used to validate the returned results, and the graphical user interface or GUI test that is used to verify whether the observable behavior of the program is correct.
There are many advantages to using this automated process. The most common and most essential benefit is that this process provides quick results. It is ten times faster than the manual process. You can save not only time, but also effort and labor usage. This is also the reason for its widespread use in companies and other government institutions.
The test automation process is also used in bulk tests that need to produce massive results at a given time. That is why this process is preferred in the electoral process of most countries. Another advantage is that this process, when operated correctly, is very reliable. You can accurately perform your task every time you use it. However, it must be operated by a trusted operator. Less staff involvement means less human error.
Another advantage of using an automated process is that it is repeatable. You can use the software repeatedly to analyze frequently recurring tests. And this process is also programmable and reusable. You can easily program the software and reuse it in other different versions of the application.
However, the test automation process, like any other product of technology, has its drawbacks. Using this automated system is quite expensive and also requires a high level of maintenance. Another disadvantage is that this process is case sensitive. Raw data that is analyzed on automated machines must be properly marked so that the information is clearly recognized by the machine. It should also be free of unnecessary markings to avoid submitting incorrect information.
Another important disadvantage is that this system does not provide one hundred percent accuracy in the analysis of the results. The main cause is because of its sensitivity, as said above, which collects unnecessary and wrong data. It is also difficult to handle technical problems and troubleshoot the automated machine. The operator must have enough knowledge to know how to solve these problems. It is a major problem in debugging test scripts. Sometimes it can cause a big problem if there is a bug present in the test script.
