Should You Build A Test Automation Framework From Scratch?
Frameworks are crucial for any automated testing process in a software organization. They not only reduce the testing efforts and maintenance costs but also increase the return on investment (ROI) of an organization who is looking to optimize their agile processes.
A well-designed test automation framework makes it easier to continue running and improving the system consistently. While these days many different kinds of frameworks are available for different purposes but still there might be scenarios when an organization might want to build a test automation framework from scratch.
Let’s read more about the test automation frameworks and if you need to build one from scratch below.
Table Of Contents
What is a Framework?
A testing framework is a set of rules or guidelines which are used to create and design test cases. It consists of a combination of right practices and tools which help QA to test the software more effectively and efficiently.
The guidelines or rules for designing a testing framework may include coding standards, handling methods for test data, the process for test results storage, the process for accessing external resources, object repositories, etc.
Here are some of the key benefits of having a test automation framework:
- Low maintenance costs
- Maximum test coverage
- High test speed and efficiency
- Reduced manual intervention
- Improved test accuracy
- High code readability
- Higher portability
- Code reusability
If you are still thinking if you need to choose a test automation framework or continue your testing manually then you should read the blog when to choose a test automation framework over manual testing which can provide you more details to clear your confusion. Read here – Top Test Automation Frameworks
How to Build a Test Automation Framework from Scratch
Building an efficient testing automation framework takes time but it is worth the efforts considering the long-term benefits. With a well-built framework in place, the QA team can focus more on actual testing.
You can ensure a mature test automation framework with these steps:
- Identify the test cases that are essential to be executed
- Configure specialized code analysis and coverage tools to ensure a 100% test coverage
- Formalize your test strategy for testing new features into interim builds
- Standardize all environments for required testing and automate deployments
- Define the exit criteria for each run
- Report and fix critical bugs
- Set up application monitoring to detect and report key issues earlier
Building a test automation framework from scratch can take up a lot of investment and, if not taken up carefully, it may not bring the benefits it promised if not taken up carefully.
Sometimes, building an automation framework from scratch might not be the best option too. So, before deciding you need to build it from scratch, you should review the frameworks available in the market.
If the frameworks available in the market don’t fulfil your needs then its reasonable to build it from scratch.
When is a Test Automation Framework Beneficial?
It is crucial to know the functionality and requirements of the project in detail because once you know that, it becomes easy to decide which repetitive tasks you need to automate. It’s not that you should jump into automation right away. There are certain criteria which you need to check before using a test automation framework.
When is a test automation framework beneficial?
- When there are frequent iterations for regression testing
- When repetitive tests are in high amount
- When you need to simulate a large number of users
- When you don’t rely only on manual test execution to test critical functions
- When the application under test is having a stable UI
Before deciding whether you should go for a test automation framework or not, make sure you consider the budget, project environment and technology you are using, and whether your manpower has the right skills required to use automation.
Choosing a Test Automation Framework
It is crucial to use an efficient and re-usable test automation framework to match the pace of the product development and delivery in an agile environment. The traditional capture and relay framework does not have the potential to do this as it will not give the long-term automation success which can be achieved using other robust test automation strategies.
While choosing an automation framework, make sure to find an automation testing tool that is flexible and supports all the major applications and languages. This way, it will not be a man or two man show but all your team will be able to contribute to the testing efforts.
The two mostly used framework types are:
1. Data-Driven Framework: In a data-driven framework, the test cases are driven from an external data feed in the form of xls, xlsx, and CSV files. It allows the automation testers to execute tests for all the data in the table from a single test script.
2. Keyword Driven Framework: In keyword driven framework, a table format such as spreadsheet is used to define keywords for each function that is to be executed.
While in a data-driven framework, you only need to plan for what test data and test scripts are needed, in keyword driven framework, in addition to planning for test data and test scripts, you also need to plan for keywords and their implementation.
Check the detailed comparison here- between data-driven frameworks and keyword-driven frameworks
Though Selenium has been one of the most popular automation frameworks, it may lack the capabilities to address all your testing needs, especially considering the latest advances in technologies being used to develop websites.
Other issue is that Selenium is only for desktop websites, if you want to test your website or product on mobile – it means you have to look for another tool for automation. And that also means that you will have to look for people with a different set of skillsets suited for mobile automation and you will have to spend on additional infrastructure and also additional time.
Testsigma, a test automation framework that lets you automate for website, mobile as well as API testing in one place. It is specially built for the teams of today that are Agile and are using DevOps.
Why choose Testsigma as your Test Automation Framework?
1. With Testsigma, you don’t have to make your hands dirty on coding, the test cases can really be automated in simple English. Also, the test case creation is five times faster than any other similar test automation framework.
2. Testsigma uses an auto-healing feature driven by AI which creates test plans automatically with every code change and identifies all the possible failures easily and fixes the minor ones automatically.
3. At Testsigma, you get a dedicated customer support to remove all your test automation hurdles
4. Use of AI-driven test maintenance and simple English based test case setup helps achieve increased test coverage faster
In this agile and DevOps development ecosystem, test automation frameworks play an important role in meeting the rising demands for high-quality software products. Testsigma is an AI-driven cloud-based automation testing tool which meets all the elements required for continuous testing with a shift left approach.
Automate your tests for web, mobile, desktop applications and APIs, 5x faster and from the same place with Testsigma
