Quality assurance (QA) is a major part of any software development. Software testing is the path to a bug-free, performance-oriented software application—one that also satisfies (or exceeds!) end-user requirements.
Of course, manual testing is quickly unscalable due to the rapid pace of development and ever-increasing requirements. Thus, a faster yet accurate testing solution was required, and automated testing became the ideal solution for this need. Automated testing does not mean replacing the entire manual testing process. Instead automated testing means:
- Allowing users to automate most routine and repetitive test cases.
- Freeing up valuable time and resources to focus on more intricate or complex test scenarios.
Introducing automated testing to a delivery pipeline can be a daunting process. Several factors—the programming language, user preferences, test cases, and the overall testing scope—directly decide what can and cannot be automated. However, if set up correctly, automated testing can be the backbone of the QA team to ensure a smooth and scalable testing experience.
Different types of automation frameworks came into prominence to aid in this endeavor. An automation framework allows users to easily set up an automated test environment that ultimately helps in providing a better ROI for both development and QA teams. In this article, we will have a look at different types of test automation frameworks available and their advantages and disadvantages.
(This article is part of our DevOps Guide. Use the right-hand menu to go deeper into individual practices and concepts.)
What is a test automation framework?
Before diving into different types of test automation frameworks, we need to understand what an automation framework is. Test automation is the process of automating repetitive and predictable testing scenarios.
A test automation framework is a set of guidelines or rules that can be used to define test cases. These test cases can then be configured and implemented using test automation tools such as Selenium, Puppeteer, etc., to the delivery process via a CI/CD pipeline.
A test automation framework will consist of practices and tools that are designed to create efficient test cases. These practices range from coding standards, test-data handling methods, object repository management, and managing access control to test environment and external tools, etc. However, testers have more freedom than this. Testers are:
- Not confined to these rules or guidelines
- Free to create test cases in their preferred way
Still, a framework provides standardization across the testing process, leading to a more efficient, secure, and compliant testing process.
Advantages of a test automation framework
There are some key advantages of adhering to the rules and guidelines offered by a test automation framework. These advantages include:
- Increased speed and efficiency of the overall testing process
- Improved accuracy and repeatability of the test cases
- Lower maintenance requirements with standardized practices and processes
- Reduced manual intervention and human error
- Maximized test coverage across all areas of the application, from the GUI to internal application logic
