Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
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Considerations for Automation
The business world tries to automate every activity that is performed by human
beings. The reasons are too many! Automation saves on labor costs, eliminates
human error, increases productivity, brings information online and in real time,
and so on. But not all activities can be automated.
In the case of software test management, some amount of automation has been
successful in areas like test case execution, test case management, requirements
management, and so on. When we talk of automation in software test management,
currently we are referring to test case execution management to a large extent.
9.1.1
Analysis of Test Case Activities
All of you have been hearing a lot about software test automation and its stupen-
dous benefits. But have you ever wondered how many of the activities involved in
software testing can actually be automated?
Let us analyze the activities that are involved in a typical GUI level regression test.
1. Analyze the specification and other docs for ambiguity or other indicators of
potential error.
2. Analyze the source code for errors.
3. Design test cases.
4. Create test data.
5. Run the tests the first time.
6. Evaluate the first result.
7. Report a defect from the first run.
8. Debug the tests.
9. Save the code.
10. Save the results.
11. Document the tests.
12. Build a traceability matrix (tracing test cases back to specifications or
requirements).
13. Select the test cases to be run.
14. Run the tests.
15. Record the results.
16. Evaluate the results.
17. Measure the results (e.g., performance test results, functional test results).
18. Report and analyze errors.
19. Maintain, update, and debug the tests.
Of all the activities listed above, only the activities mentioned in points 14 and 15
can be automated. The rest of the activities will always depend on human testers
