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Automated Testing Software Buyer's Guide
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Automated testing software is any platform, application, or framework that automatically tests an application's behavior. Several large organizations consider automation testing software for their software development process. It is cost-effective and saves time to test software products with long maintenance cycles.
» What is Automated Testing Software?
Automation testing software refers to the usage of an automation tool to execute a set of test cases to deliver the product on time with the best quality. The software enters test data into the system under test as well as compares expected and actual results by generating detailed test reports.
» What are the Features of Automated Testing Software?
Automation testing software allows an organization to automate, execute, and manage their project’s test cases with ease and effectiveness. You have to understand the different types of testing tools available, how they support the objectives of quality assurance and factors to consider before you start evaluating your options.
If you are wondering which automation tool is suitable best for your testing requirements among the plethora of tools available in the market, consider the following features.
› Integration of Files:
This feature allows you to easily automate routine processes of files using PDFs and Excel commands. This includes reading, writing, editing, updating, and comparing data in PDF and Excel.
› Export Reports:
This feature in automated testing solutions allows you to select the test case status as well as export a PDF report depending on this selected status. This feature also offers the facility to save the test case report in PDF format.
› Dynamic Test Data Support:
Your software allows you to generate thousands of test data automatically in a few seconds. This reduces maintenance, improves test coverage, and allows using dynamic input values across various environments and scenarios.
› Centralized Repository:
The best automated testing software should support automation suites with a centralized object repository, as the reusability of objects becomes easy across all the users and test cases differentiate the collaborative development practice.
› Multiple Browser Support:
Your chosen software should support various web browsers and mobile browsers while helping you execute test cases on the cloud.
› Reports and Logs:
Automation tools should have this feature to give precise information regarding a particular test case, with complete details of test script execution with visual logs. It should allow you to capture screens that come in handy during defect logging to a bug tracking software.
› Internationalization:
This feature helps you to translate scripts, reports in multiple languages, and test cases. This will be a great feature for users who perform testing in their regional languages.
› Scheduled Tasks:
The tool schedules and runs test cases at a pre-defined date, week, time, and set expectations. This feature defines frequencies of test runs while allowing you to email reports.
» What are the Benefits of Automated Testing Software?
Though automation testing is a challenge for several organizations, it offers excellent benefits. You can get several benefits from the tool when you choose the right automation tool. Here are some of the top benefits of automation testing software:
› Early Bug Detection:
While performing software testing through automation software tools, it is easy to find bugs at an early stage, saving a lot of time and efforts of SDLC. The software also performs testing 24X7 with accurate results, eliminating failures that can occur from manual testing.
› Easy Reporting:
The software tracks the execution of each test script visible on visual logs. These reports display the number of test cases scheduled, executed, bugs reported, and how they are fixed.
› Saves Time:
The automated testing tools eliminate the need to write long test scripts to perform testing, which takes a lot of time for testers to deliver a bug-free application. With the automation tools, no delays in product delivery.
› Checks Quality:
You can apply automation testing procedures once you finish your manual testing procedures. This helps you to cross-check the test results and improve the manual test script's quality.
› Reusability:
With automation testing software, your test scripts are ready to save for future requirements, so you can use them repeatedly at any time.
› Distributed Test Execution:
Automation testing software should have this feature, with which you can easily execute your test cases on more than one computer on a shared server. This eliminates the need for more tools.
› Improves Test Coverage:
Writing thousands of test cases becomes easy with automation tools. Moreover, this ensures in and out of various applications and works according to the requirements. This improves the overall test coverage.
› Improves ROI:
This is one of the important benefits of using automation software tools for your business. With these tools, you are going to test fast, accurately, efficiently, and easily, delivering a bug-free application on time.
» What is the Cost of Automated Testing Software?
Selecting the right automation tool for your business can be tricky. Vendors compete vigorously to meet their product for your business. However, you need to understand your team's capabilities before you invest in one. Considering some criteria such as environment support, scripting language, support for various test types and multiple frameworks, and more, help you select the best tool for your needs.
Firstly, you have to filter out some software from the list of available software depending on your budget. If your budget permits, then choosing a commercial tool will be a good option due to its ease of use and maintenance. Then, you have to decide on the license cost you pay, which depends on the time frame for which you need to use the software.
Many automation tools come with customized license plans, where you have to pay according to the features and the duration of the usage. You can try their free versions before you invest in a particular software to understand how the product suits your business. If you feel comfortable using it, you can buy it with confidence.
» Conclusion
Tool selection is the biggest challenge for any business before moving on to automation. We have several automation testing tools available that aim at different types of testing. However, some of these tools are available for free, and some are available as licensed. The choice of the tool always depends upon your business requirements. The only thing is you need to identify your requirements, set expectations from the tool, explore various other tools and their functionalities, and go for a proof of concept.