by admin | Jan 6, 2022 | Automation Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
As per a recent report, the global automation testing market is expected to grow from an already high $20.7 Billion to a mammoth $49.9 Billion by the year 2026. So in such a fast-growing domain, you might lose out on a lot of potentials if you fail to keep up with the current trends in automation testing. Being a leading QA company that provides top-of-the-line automation testing services to all our clients, we have created this list of current trends in automation testing based on real-world scenarios and not assumptions. So let’s take a look at automation testing trends to keep an eye on for 2022.
Automation Tools Powered by AI and ML
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are two technologies that have the potential to take automation to the next level as it eases everything from test creation to test maintenance. With the help of AI and ML, we will be able to automate unit tests, validate UI changes, ease regression testing, and detect bugs earlier than before. So we will be able to achieve seamless continuous testing with the least amount of effort and resources. Though such capabilities aren’t possible now, the prospect of being able to achieve such a feat doesn’t seem to be far away.
Codeless Automation Solutions
Such growth in AI and ML will also yield the rise of codeless automation solutions that are slowly gaining popularity. So the learning curve can be greatly reduced and a lot of time can be saved with such codeless automation solutions. If you’re wondering that codeless automation sounds a little too similar to Selenium Testing, make sure to read our blog about codeless automation testing to know its advantages and to understand how it is different from Selenium testing. As an experienced automation testing company, we have to say that codeless automation will not replace automation. But it will definitely come in handy.
Cloud-Based Solutions
Be it testing or collaboration tools, cloud-based solutions are already flying high and there seems to be no slowing them down in the near future as well. They have so many advantages to offer such as cost-effective infrastructure, reduced execution time with parallel testing, better test coverage, bug management, and so on. With the never-ending pandemic raging on, the implementation of such solutions will definitely be high.
The Emergence of IoT Testing
We are slowly seeing IoT being implemented in more and more avenues like smart speakers, smart home appliances like thermostats, lights, and so on. It goes without saying that all these products would have to be tested. And since almost all information sharing across these devices is achieved through APIs, the need for API testing will definitely be on the rise. Making it an undeniable entry to our list of current trends in automation testing.
Security Testing
Security breaches were also on the rise during the pandemic and privacy concerns with regards to the user data also became a talking point. So you will no longer be able to use real-world data to test security. Instead, you’d have to use masking or synthetic test data generation tools to perform security testing and finally conclude with various compliance tools as well.
Conclusion
Pretty much every single point we have seen in this list of the current trends in automation testing is about the various tools that will be useful. But we should also make sure to focus on our automation skills and self-improvement to make use of the state-of-the-art tools and methods to achieve continuous testing.
by admin | Jan 5, 2022 | Agile Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
We all know that integration testing is nothing but a type of testing that combines different components (both software and hardware) to confirm that they work properly together to meet the set expectations. By definition, Integration Testing is the same for both Agile and Waterfall. We also know they are an important type of testing that has to be performed irrespective of the software development model. But when it comes to integration testing in Agile, there is a lot more weightage for it as the DoD (Definition of Done) principle is a core concept in Agile. Being a leading agile testing service provider, we wanted to take a deeper dive and explain how integration testing plays a major role in being agile.
Agile vs Waterfall
In the conventional waterfall approach, integration testing would mostly happen at the very end of the development cycle. Performing integration testing for the entire application itself can be hard. Moreover, solving the issues or bugs that are found can become even harder as it might require a lot of rework. But since the agile methodology employs a more test-driven approach, we would test smaller modules of the application by using unit tests. Since we start integration testing in Agile during the early stages of development, we will identify any integration issues early on and resolve them easily in comparison to the conventional methods.
The Catch
But the catch here is that these smaller unit tests are all isolated modules. So there is no way you can write them off as tested completely in agile until you have performed integrated testing. There is no point in each of the modules working well on its own. It should all be able to work seamlessly together for the app to function effectively. So integration testing will be an important part of your Definition of Done checklist. But you have to make sure that the modules that are about to be tested are bug-free. In addition to that, the workflow in agile is such that there will be various changes to the modules that have already been tested earlier. So regression tests and smoke tests would come in to verify nothing is broken after the changes.
How to do Integration Testing in Agile Right?
You should have the proper environment and sufficient data to perform effective integration tests. Without a proper test environment that doesn’t mimic the hardware and software configuration in which the app will eventually run when released will only provide unreliable results. So test data plays an important role in developing a comprehensive test plan that will be useful in creating the required test environment.
Conclusion
Let’s take a look at two metaphors now and once again answer the question of why Integration testing is important in both agile and waterfall methodologies. If you are using the waterfall method, then very late integration testing can break your app as finding the issues can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Likewise, if you are using the agile method and fail to perform integration tests during the early stages, then you would end up with a set of puzzle pieces that don’t fit. So we hope you now understand the importance of integration testing in Agile.
by admin | Jan 4, 2022 | Exploratory Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
Performing effective Exploratory Testing is not everybody’s cup of tea. But that doesn’t mean you have to shy away from it thinking it’s not for you or thinking you’ll be able to do it only after gaining a lot of experience. As one of the top QA companies, we have curated this exploratory testing checklist from the vast experience we have gained over the years. We have always found exploratory testing to come in handy in various projects as it helps unearth the software bugs that flew under the radar of the various test cases. So without any further ado, let’s take a look at the exploratory testing checklist and then explore them one-by-one in detail.
The Exploratory Testing Checklist
- Charter Your Exploration
- Don’t make your Charter a Test Case
- Think from the user’s perspective
- Interview the Stakeholders
- Using time-boxed Sessions
- Learning while Executing
- Use Variations
- Create proper documentation
- Mind Maps
- Defect list and Debriefing notes
- Console and Logs
Charter Your Exploration
Exploratory Testing can be compared to exploration missions to easily get an idea of how to execute it. You can either wander around without any particular target with the hope of finding something or you can start your mission with a target in mind. You then have to plan a course as per the resources you have at your disposal to be more effective in your exploration mission and find the target.
Likewise, you can start out by defining what to explore (a particular module, or the entire app). Following which you can utilize the resources such as testing tools, data sets, exploratory testing techniques, and so on. You should be clear of what your target is as an exploration session without any target is not a good idea. So be sure of whether your objective is to test the app’s security, performance or test it on the whole.
A Charter isn’t a Test Case
The more and more details you add to a charter, the more and more it becomes like a test case. And that is something you should avoid at any cost. If your charter becomes like a test case, the point of performing exploratory testing is compromised. But at the same time, you shouldn’t let it be too vague as it’ll not be an efficient way of doing exploratory testing.
Since charters will not have all the expectations mentioned in an explicit manner like a test case, you have to analyze and pick up implicit expectations. For example, it goes without saying that a mobile banking app has to have a secure login feature that works only if the correct pin or password is entered. If that condition isn’t fulfilled, then it has to be explored even though it isn’t mentioned in the charter. You can call it the ‘Never and Always’ approach as all the app should always be able to achieve a few functionalities like providing a safe login and should never do certain activities like sign the user out every time the app is closed.
Put yourself in the User’s Shoes
Since it can be tricky to strike the balance between the two extremes to perform effective exploratory testing, the best strategy to not go astray would be to test by putting yourself in the user’s perspective. User workflows are so diverse in nature that they can’t be covered in just test cases. With this approach, you will easily be able to go beyond just testing functionality and test the app’s usability with the help of effective user stories.
Interview the Stakeholders
As we said earlier, exploratory testing makes it possible to detect potential future risks. Thinking from the user’s perspective will solve only half the problem. The other half can be solved only when you have a chat with the stakeholders. Once you do that, you will be able to understand the vision for the app in the longer run, discuss the priorities, understand the concerns of the stakeholders, and so on.
Time-Boxing
Time-Boxing should be an integral part of any exploratory testing checklist as even your well-developed charters can let you go down the wrong road and waste your time without it. When it comes to scripted testing, we will not be able to explore areas of concern immediately. But here once we have a hunch or a gut feeling about a probable issue, we will have the freedom to explore it and detect the bugs.
But you have to understand that not every assumption you make might lead to the detection of bugs. So make sure to time box your sessions so that you don’t get carried away with the exploration process. As one of the best manual testing companies, we have found timeboxing highly beneficial to our testing process. So if you are in a position to analyze your exploration and test accordingly, it will definitely yield good results. You have to be quick to learn and adapt your tests accordingly.
Learning while Executing
Learning while Executing has made it to this exploratory testing checklist as it is probably one of the biggest challenges you might face. A good exploratory tester will be proactive when performing the tests. Testing is accustomed to seeing the results we’d hope to see on most scenarios as you’ll have a well-defined test case. But in the case of exploratory testing, you’ll have to look beyond what you’d expect to see to find out what is actually happening and unearth hidden bugs that would usually go undetected.
The more you understand the app, the better it will be for you to guide yourself throughout the exploratory testing process. You will be able to not just detect bugs, you will be able to detect the root cause of such issues and find a cluster of bugs that are interlinked. You’d have to have an open mind while performing exploratory testing as rigid beliefs and generalized assumptions are traits that you should steer clear from.
Use Variations
Variations are an integral part of exploratory testing. It has made its way to our Exploratory Testing Checklist as you’d have to implement such variations based on what you learn on the go to be effective with your exploratory testing. But there are a few constant variations that you should look to cover. Let’s take a look at a few.
- CRUD – Create, Read, Update, and Delete are important actions you have to test with whenever there is data involved.
- Starve the application of any required information to see how it handles the situation. You can also give partial information or excessive information to see what happens as well.
- Play around with the data formats and speed of input to ensure things don’t go wrong.
- Centralizing and decentralizing the data or configurations of the application might also reveal undetected bugs.
- Create intentional interruptions to explore the various stability issues that might arise.
We could just keep adding to this list, but we hope you get the idea. The fact to remember when it comes to using variations is that there are an infinite number of possible variations and it is not possible to test everything. So make sure to explore the interesting ones alone based on your targeted user base.
Documentation
The purpose of any type of testing isn’t just to identify bugs. Rather, the goal is always to identify the bugs so that they can be fixed. This cannot be achieved without proper documentation as if you don’t document your testing, you will never how to reproduce the bug or even find out the cause behind it. So make sure to take notes and keep track of the steps you take as it will also be useful in reviewing and analyzing your exploration on a regular basis. Apart from that, you can use mind maps and use documentations like consoles and logs to be more effective.
Mind Maps
Mind maps are very effective in helping us connect the dots that we might otherwise fail to see. In addition to making it easy for others to recreate the bug or issue to fix it, mind maps will help you detect functionality gaps. Since mind maps can be easily edited by adding or removing nodes, they will also suit the testing style employed in exploratory testing. Mind maps are a great match for exploratory testing as one will be able to be guided properly without needing too much information.
Defects list and Debriefing notes
Knowing how much is enough is an important aspect of exploratory testing. So with the notes you have taken for your reference during your exploration, you have to create a defect list to make sure no defect gets overlooked. You must also create debriefing notes wherever necessary to help the team understand your approach, and take input from your actions.
Inclusion of Identified Test Case
If we were to compare exploration testing to exploration again, then it’s obvious that we should keep a track of the routes that we have already taken. Likewise, once you have found an issue when testing your app, make sure to add relevant test cases of it so that further testing can be done and avoid exploring the same route again. But it doesn’t mean you have to stop exploring the entire area. You just have to avoid the same route. Here the area is a comparison to the entire module or feature and the route is the action you performed to find the bug.
Consoles and Logs
Consoles and Logs are the other warning systems that can help you analyze the inner workings of a system and bring unnoticed errors to your notice. They are a great way to understand the structure of the app which in return will help you attain the required insight to detect internal issues that might go undetected. You have to ensure that your logs don’t get too lengthy by filtering them out smartly. Let’s take a look at an example to get a clearer picture. If you are testing a web application, you should keep track of the JavaScript console, the webserver log, and the application log to detect any anomalies.
Conclusion
So it is evident that an app can be termed as completely tested only if both regular testing and exploratory testing have been completed. If that is done, you can be sure that your application has met the defined expectations and is free from any unexpected liabilities and risks. So we hope this exploratory testing checklist of ours will be helpful for you to get started and eventually become proficient at exploratory testing.
by admin | Dec 30, 2021 | Mobile App Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
Everyone knows that various mobile apps surround every business sector as they continue to be significant business enablers. All companies continue to expand their operations by creating mobile apps, as there has been a massive increase in the use of smartphones globally.
This widespread usage of these smart devices has actually peaked thanks to the heavy use of mobile apps, regardless of the industry.
Given the importance of mobile apps, it is apparent that you need to get mobile testing services to ensure that your apps are working and for them to achieve these characteristics:
Functionality of the App
Mobile apps should perform the functions that are required of them, whether it is for a company to interact with their customers or for a game to be entertaining for a user. If an app cannot perform what the customers expect from them, they will stop using the app and possibly stop supporting the company.
Impressive Performance
The user experience attracts a user to use a mobile app, and hence, the app must perform fast and smoothly to ensure the user experience is at its highest. Lags, freezes, and sudden crashes should not happen if you want people to keep using your app.
High Level of Security
Mobile apps must be highly secure, as these apps manage the data, and hence, all sensitive data must be safe. Thus, for security reasons, mobile apps should be tested first, and only when everything is working should the app be rolled out.
Usability
The mobile user interface must be easy to use, especially for first-time users, and it must allow users to get their jobs done, regardless of how hard it is to perform.
Accessibility
Mobile apps must be accessible and usable on different devices such as smartphones, tablets, and even desktop computers. Mobile apps should be compatible and accessible to users of all kinds across all sorts of devices.
Tests are Necessary to Have an App that Would Impress Potential Customers
Although mobile apps are incredibly enticing for customers and most of them are automated, it doesn’t mean that you can ignore mobile app testing. If you don’t test your app in all possible scenarios, you might end up with a buggy app that doesn’t work on some devices.
It would be a great idea to implement mobile automation testing early in the project. Testing should also be done at every new stage or chapter of the app development process to avoid having to start over should you find a problem you need to address from previous stages.
As a business, you certainly need to have an app that can solve pain points for your customers and help you reach more potential customers. However, an app that’s been created carelessly without proper and thorough testing could end up disappointing customers instead of impressing them. Therefore, you should dedicate time and effort to test your apps thoroughly. This might seem like an unnecessary extra step at first, but it will undoubtedly pay off when users find your app flawless.
Conclusion
To sum it up, getting mobile testing services allows you to check your mobile app’s performance on an actual device. You can also test your app in the environment that it would be used in. This way, all the characteristics that a mobile app should possess could be checked. Furthermore, the applications can be tested for various platforms such as Android and iOS, which allows you to ensure the quality of your app and ensure the end-users are happy with it no matter what device they’re using.
Codoid is a reputable company that offers mobile testing services that you can depend on. Contact us today to know how we can help ensure your app is ready for use by your customers!
by admin | Dec 29, 2021 | Mobile App Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
It is that time of the year when we prepare ourselves to face the challenges of the New Year with the best options available at our disposal. In this case, we will be taking a look at the best mobile app testing tools to use in 2022 as we will need nothing short of the best to compete and win in this highly competitive space. So irrespective of whether you are just starting out in mobile app testing or trying to improve yourself, choosing the right tools for each purpose plays a crucial part. Mobile app testing is not an easy task to do as there are various intricacies and complications. So in this blog, we will be exploring the foundational, yet best mobile app testing tools that you should be using in 2022 by categorizing them under their scope of usage.
Mobile App Automation Tools
As the name suggests, TestComplete is a complete tool that enables you to perform functional, GUI, unit, and regression testing. It even offers you access to a wide range of devices to test your app in parallel across different platforms, screen sizes, and screen resolutions without having to jailbreak them. Since it supports all major frameworks such as Flutter, React Native, SwiftUI, and so on, you will have no issues in performing cross-platform tests.
But if you are on the lookout for an open-source tool that can almost do everything TestComplete can look nowhere else than Appium. The biggest advantage of Appium is that you wouldn’t have to modify any code for testing on Android or iOS even if you’re using a real device or an emulator. The only downside with Appium is that if you are using C#, Python, or Java for scripting, you’ll have to look for other options as they are not supported by Appium.
Cloud-based testing platforms
Though options like TestComplete and Kobiton provide real devices to test your application, we always prefer BrowserStack for our cloud-based mobile app testing. BrowserStack is unmatchable when it comes to the range of devices available, quick addition of new devices, and technical support. If you need other options, you could look into AWS Device Farms and SauceLabs as well.
Codeless automation solutions
As a leading mobile app testing company, we believe that codeless automation solutions will not be enough to meet the demands of large test suites. Yet, we believe there is value in using codeless automation tools for simple tasks. Our recommendation would be Perfecto Mobile as it came in handy in one of our ELearning testing projects. It supports the Gherkin style frameworks and can be used to integrate the Quantum BDD framework. 21Labs is another great option due to its A.I capabilities and functionality that don’t require devices to get maximum coverage at a lower cost.
UI testing tools
There are two great exclusive UI testing tools for both Android and iOS. Espresso, a tool created by Google has been gaining a lot of popularity in the Android community. And for iOS, XCUITest is the way to go. But if you are looking for a solution that can do both, then Xamarin.UITest is the better option for you.
Performance Testing Tools
An application’s performance plays a crucial role in its success. Apptim is a great performance testing solution as it will help you test different versions of the app to gauge and compare the performance. Once the test sessions are completed, it even generates a conclusive report with the performance metrics and lists the bugs detected too. NeoLoad is also another great tool for testing your mobile app’s performance as it enables testing under various network conditions, geographical conditions, and so on to closely mimic real-world conditions.
Conclusion
This is by no means a conclusive list of the best mobile app testing tools as there are still so many different types of tools like crash reporting, test management tools, and so on which we haven’t covered here. But these are the foundational tools that you would definitely need to use or consider using this coming year.
by admin | Dec 28, 2021 | Manual Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
It is an undeniable fact that automation testing has greatly improved the efficiency of the software testing process. But that doesn’t imply that automation testing alone is sufficient to achieve maximum quality. Despite being a top-tier automation testing company, we are also experts in delivering the best manual testing services as we believe that manual testing can never be replaced. We feel understanding this fact plays a huge role in helping us deliver comprehensive software testing solutions to our clients. If you feel otherwise, we believe we can make you cross the aisle by the time you finish reading this blog. If you already believe that manual testing is important, then great. We’ll jump straight ahead and explore the various factors that explain Why Manual Testing is Important.
The 8 Reasons Why Manual Testing is Important
- 100% Automation Isn’t Possible
- There is Scope Beyond the Pass and Fail
- The Human Touch
- Automation Isn’t Easy
- Automation Isn’t Inexpensive
- Repeatability Isn’t the Only Ruling Factor
- It is Hard to Keep Up with Changes
- Automation Isn’t the Purpose of Testing
100% Automation isn’t possible
Right off the gate, we want to establish the fact that not all tests can be automated as per the needs. Even before analyzing if it’ll be wise to use automation or not, one must consider if it’ll be possible to automate the test. For example, mobile app test cases can be very much complicated. Even the smallest of issues like excessive touch inputs or an incoming call might disrupt the performance of your app. If you are testing an infotainment system that depends on external hardware to be plugged in, you wouldn’t be able to completely automate that too.
The biggest obstacle would be compatibility across different devices. You might use a tool like Selenium to test your web application in various browsers, but you can’t be sure if your webpages are rendered correctly as per your design. That is why your goal shouldn’t just be to get your automation test to pass.
Beyond the Pass and Fail
Let’s say you can automate most of the tests. Should you do it? Just because you can automate, doesn’t mean that you should implement it immediately. We all know that one of the software testing principles says that “Absence of errors is a fallacy”. Likewise, just because your automation test passes, it doesn’t mean there are no issues. As of now, there is simply no alternative to testing user experience manually.
Apart from that, the functionality might work and still not fulfill its purpose or function effectively. If you check if all the buttons on a webpage are working, your automation script will pass if it simply works. But what if the button is not in a comfortable position for the user to click easily? Or what if the color of the button doesn’t make it easily visible as it blends with the background? The results no longer matter in such scenarios. Even integration and localization issues will easily fly under the radar if you rely solely on automated tests. Since the user experience is a very important criterion that affects the success factor of products, you simply can’t afford to neglect the human touch that manual testing provides.
The Human Touch
If applications have only the bugs that we anticipate, then software testing will become very easy. If you have been a software tester for at least a short period of time, you will know that bugs tend to come in the most unexpected ways. Yes technologies like A.I and machine learning have made automation more effective over the years. But beating the human mind’s analytical thinking, experience in the subject matter, and strategizing would be very hard. That is why techniques like exploratory testing are very critical in unearthing the bugs that can’t be detected easily.
Exploratory Testing in an Agile Environment is also important as it will help you understand the product better with the high-quality data you gather from it. So you’ll be able to keep up with the constantly changing requirements that come in Agile. Even if you’re not in an agile environment, manual testing will definitely help you understand the product a lot better. But you have to make sure to test it from a user’s perspective and not just with the motive to get the tests done.
Automation Isn’t Easy
You also have to understand that Automation testing is not a cakewalk. You have to be clever enough to use it effectively by following the various Automation Testing Best Practices and Tips. Without the right personnel who are capable of handling automation and the right tools that you would have to know to use well, effective automation might become very hard to achieve. So if you start without proper planning and begin to fall behind in every sprint, then automation testing will soon start to become a nightmare for you.
Automation Isn’t Inexpensive
At times the cost of something might outweigh the benefits it brings to the table. Likewise, automation on a large scale will be ideal as it would be better to get a return on your investment. But what if you had a small project at hand? The chances of you getting a return on your investment would be very slim. Automation isn’t done once you’ve written the scripts at first, you have to maintain them as well.
So following a concept called ‘Tripwire Testing’ can be used to get the best return of investment in your automation testing. Tripwire testing is nothing but using the smallest number of automated tests that will be needed for the testers to detect where they will be able to find critical bugs in the system.
The Repeatability Factor
Even if you had to perform tests like smoke tests on a large-scale project, it would be wise of you to automate them. If the tests are not repetitive in nature, then automating will not make much financial sense. Likewise, if there are any bugs that are detected post-release, then manual testing can be employed to quickly recreate the issue and generate a bug report. You can’t be sitting around and writing an automation script for such simple demands.
Though repeatability is important, it isn’t the only factor as variations are also a key aspect. Like how Albert Einstein said that “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” You just can’t keep repeating the tests over and over again.
Hard to keep up with Changes
If you are working in an agile environment, then it is extremely hard to keep up with the various changes that could impact the User Interface, the features, or the product flow. Each change will mean that you would have to make changes or even rewrite automation scripts. Testing at the early stages of software development can definitely help us detect issues at the early stages and solve them with ease. But this is the phase of the software development lifecycle where constant changes keep happening. Updating your automation script for every change will become a cumbersome task that will not yield you much use as early phase scripts don’t last long.
Automation isn’t the purpose
By now you would have understood that automating your tests isn’t the purpose of testing. So if you’re too held up on automating your tests even though it wouldn’t be financially viable or good for your product, then you would be able to focus on delivering quality. There is so much more to testing than just detecting bugs or passing the tests for that matter. You should never lose track of the big picture in the pursuit of automating your tests.
Just because an ingredient makes a dish taste really well doesn’t mean you should use only that ingredient and leave the other required ingredients out. Since it is clear that both manual and automated testing are important ingredients needed to attain quality, you must understand that the purpose of automation shouldn’t be to just make it mimic human behavior. As stated earlier, automation’s purpose should be to enhance the overall product quality. Focus on aspects like quality assurance based on what you’ve learned with the help of manual testing to create a much larger impact.
Conclusion
It can be very easy to forget that software testing is a process of discovery and just focus on automation. Instead, automation must be used to swiftly repeat whatever we know so that we will have enough time and resources to discover what we don’t know. And manual testing is one of the best ways to explore to unknown. So as one of the best QA companies, we are confident that manual testing will not be going away anytime soon. We started by saying that 100% automation isn’t possible and we want to make sure you don’t take it the wrong way and opt-out of automation as soon as there is a challenge. So it would be better to look at it from a different perspective and move forward by saying that 100% of the tests that should be automated to get the maximum quality, should definitely be automated.
