There are many fairy tales about magical items that miraculously made life easier. Nowadays we live in an amazing time when many miracles have been embodied in applications and gadgets. But the more we have, the more we want. This is especially true at work when you have to perform routine tasks. What if someone or something would do it for you? Well, it’s time to get acquainted with two “magic” approaches, which take on routine and complex pieces of QA team work. I mean automated testing and autonomous testing. How are these approaches related? What is their usefulness? Read the article to know.
From test automation to autonomous testing
Test automation has long been a must for many companies. However, this approach does not always solve the key problems of QA teams. A good idea is to use a multifunctional Zebrunner test automation platform that implements artificial intelligence and machine learning. Autonomous testing builds on this technology and solves many automation problems.
What can you achieve with test automation?
Test automation is a process of software testing in which test steps are performed automatically. By steps, I mean launching, initiating, executing, analyzing, and issuing a result. Automated testing is impossible without special tools. This software allows creating, debugging, executing, and analyzing test results.
Key Benefits of Test Automation:
- Time saving. Testing speed increases many times through the ability of the testing tool to run tests in parallel. To illustrate, the Zebrunner environment allows you to run hundreds and thousands of threads simultaneously without restrictions and reduces the test execution time by several times.
- High test coverage. Automation allows you to check all possible combinations of browsers and operating systems. Testing on emulators and simulators ensures that the application will be compatible with different versions of different devices (more details).
- Convenient reporting. As a rule, it is generated automatically within a few minutes. Moreover, you do not need to have a background in testing to understand the success of tests. Automated test reports are understandable to developers, project managers, and C-level managers.
Autonomous testing approach
Everything would be fine, but automation also has several drawbacks or bottlenecks. Sometimes you could not get as much from automation as you expected to get. If this is your situation, autonomous testing can help you achieve the results you want.
Autonomous testing means the creation and execution of test scripts automatically without tester participation. So, in simple terms, this is the automation of automation. Some consider that autonomous testing is the next level in the evolution of test automation.
Autonomous testing is possible through artificial intelligence technology. It enables you to reach what ideally implemented test automation promises.
Autonomous testing capabilities
Test automation has several drawbacks that autonomous testing successfully solves.
Automatic test script writing
Everyone has heard that test automation simplifies the QA team work. This is true. Testers no longer need to spend hours and days manually testing various scenarios. They just write automated scripts and run them. However, writing scripts requires knowledge of programming languages. Moreover, an automated engineer must be able to configure software and frameworks. Thus, you will have to recruit new people to the team and invest in the retraining of existing employees.
An autonomous testing framework creates and executes tests itself. This way automation turns into a simpler process.
Insurance against bugs in test scripts
Automation minimizes the possibility of human error when it comes to coverage. For example, a distracted person might skip a certain step or not fully test a new feature. Automated scripts will do this. However, humans write automated scripts. If there is an error in the script, this impacts negatively on the entire testing process.
Autonomous testing protects you from this risk. The framework itself creates the script, which means that you are protected from human error.
Self-healing test scripts
This is difficult and expensive to maintain automated test scripts. A small change in functionality or interface entails the need to update the test script. The larger an application gets, the more problematic it is to maintain test scripts for it.
Autonomous testing removes the problem with test support through self-healing test scripts.
Autonomous testing advantages list also includes:
- Minimizing the risks of a release delay. The technology reduces the possibility of human error when writing a script. So, the situation when the release is delayed for this reason is almost excluded.
- Higher team productivity. Autonomous testing saves QA engineers time, which they can devote to other tasks.
- Cheaper testing. This is the combined total of all the above bonuses.