gui automation

Confidential

Rev PA1 2011-12-07 1

When it adds value

GUI Automation

Introduction

GUI automation can be difficult to achieve success with for

many reasons; difficult test design being one of those

reasons [1][3]

GUI can bring value, but it is easy to get wrong and the value

it brings is often overrated [3]

It can often be replaced by more effective API testing [5]

Is there a niche for UI automation?

Record & Play

With a Record-and-Play framework the Tester can execute a

test cases and record it using an automation tool

The script created can then be used to rerun the test case

automatically

This type of automation tool generates test cases with very

bad design that have high maintenance cost and low re-

usebility

However if the tool is used in the right way, it can be a

powerful complement to a tester’s arsenal

Key Factors to Success

Understand that this is not the way to create a large test suit

used for regression testing

This is a complement to the tester during manual testing – see

it more as tool-supported testing, than automated testing

It must be extremely easy to use – this is more important than

any other functionality of the tool – if it is not easy, then it will

only be a burden and the tester will not use it

It should be as integrated as possible in the product – Google

has integrated record-and-play in Chrome [2]

Empower the Tester with Tool Support

By giving the tester this tool it enables a whole new range of

manual tests that would have been tedious or impossible to

execute otherwise

Stress testing

Duration testing

Aging tests

But it cannot be stated enough that the key success factor

here is ease of use of the GUI automation tool

When to use GUI vs. API automation?

If the test cases are going to live on and be re-used and

maintained, GUI automation is often not the best solution

If the test is not going to be re-used or maintained, and the GUI

automation tool lets the tester create automated test cases at

very low cost, then GUI automation is an option

Always think about if it is actually cheaper to just do it

manually – for example low priority test cases that will only

be executed once in a small project that will not be re-used in

the future

Conclusion

There is value in GUI automation – just not in how it has often been used in the past

Don’t think of it as test automation, think of it as tool support for empowering the manual tester

Ease-of-use; don’t underestimate the value of an easy to use and well integrated GUI automation tool

Re-use and Maintenance are the biggest problems with GUI automation – GUI automation is valuable these pitfalls can be avoided

Don’t use GUI automation for creating large regression suites

Reference

[1] GUI Schmooey

http://angryweasel.com/blog/?p=7

[2] RPF – Google’s Record and Playback Framework

http://googletesting.blogspot.com/2011/11/rpf-googles-record-playback-framework.html

[3] It’s (probably) a Design Problem


[4] Design for GUI Automation


[5] API Testing – How can it help

http://www.testingmentor.com/imtesty/2011/12/01/api-testinghow-can-it-help/






















gui automation

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