Data is powerful. Businesses globally adopt data-driven techniques to make highly informed and mindful decisions. Creating a culture of relying on data adds immense value and lets us interpret data into real, actionable insights. But more than anything, data offers clarity. According to <a href="https://www.ciodive.com/news/data-driven-companies-revenue-coronavirus-covid19/578159/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">CIO Dive</a>, data-driven organizations have at least a 58 percent of chance to meet their revenue goals in comparison to non-data-driven organizations. But we are here to talk about how you can leverage data to understand how much testing is enough for your application.



We&#8217;ve all heard of <a aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/automated-data-driven-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data driven testing </a>and its benefits. But, some data-driven techniques can help us understand if we&#8217;ve carried out sufficient testing. 



Based on that, we can discover if and when our products are ready for launch. This article will discuss those data-driven techniques and how we can achieve software reliability using them.&nbsp;



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#How_Much_Testing_is_Enough">1 How Much Testing is Enough?</a><ul><li><a href="#Ask_the_Right_Question">1.1 Ask the Right Question</a></li><li><a href="#Define_Your_Project_and_Testing_Requirements">1.2 Define Your Project and Testing Requirements</a></li><li><a href="#Do_Not_Trap_Yourself_In_Is_it_Enough_Question">1.3 Do Not Trap Yourself In ‘Is it Enough’ Question</a></li><li><a href="#Understand_the_Testing_Scope">1.4 Understand the Testing Scope</a></li><li><a href="#Make_the_Right_Decision">1.5 Make the Right Decision</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Data_Driven_Techniques_Measure_How_Much_Testing_is_Enough">2 Data Driven Techniques: Measure How Much Testing is Enough?</a><ul><li><a href="#When_the_build_breakage_is_trivial">2.1 When the build breakage is trivial: </a></li><li><a href="#When_all_the_involved_parties_sign_off_the_stories">2.2 When all the involved parties sign off the stories: </a></li><li><a href="#When_the_code_freeze_is_effective">2.3 When the code freeze is effective: </a></li><li><a href="#When_all_the_blockersbugs_are_addressed">2.4 When all the blockers/bugs are addressed: </a></li><li><a href="#When_the_test_coverage_is_high">2.5 When the test coverage is high: </a></li><li><a href="#When_the_find-rate_of_critical_bugs_is_low">2.6 When the find-rate of critical bugs is low: </a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Final_Words">3 Final Words</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs">4 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</a><ul><li><a href="#How_do_you_know_when_to_stop_testing">4.1 How do you know when to stop testing?</a></li><li><a href="#Is_it_possible_to_test_100_of_the_software">4.2 Is it possible to test 100% of the software?</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Suggested_Readings">5 Suggested Readings</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="how-much-testing-is-enough">How Much Testing is Enough?</h2>



You know your application requires testing, but where do you stop once you start the process? Do you continue performing the different types of testing as and when you feel the need? Or do you document your testing requirements first and begin your application testing journey?



We have the answer for you in the below points. These will help you understand how much testing is enough for your project:



<h3 id="ask-the-right-question">Ask the Right Question</h3>



As a tester, you must come up with the right queries to understand the project scope and its testing requirements, if it would have API calls, UI needs, integration of modules, payment gateway, cart functionality, or more. Upon understanding what the application will actually have, you can ask your testing team to proceed with the particular test cases and scenarios.



<h3 id="define-your-project-and-testing-requirements">Define Your Project and Testing Requirements</h3>



Similar to the above point, defining your project and testing requirements beforehand is a sure-shot way of knowing how much testing you would need to perform. As you start to document test cases and keep adding to them, you will understand how much test coverage the project precisely needs.



<h3 id="do-not-trap-yourself-in-is-it-enough-question">Do Not Trap Yourself In ‘Is it Enough’ Question</h3>



Often, testers doubt themselves and keep asking if the testing is enough or do they continue to keep doing it. But breaking out of this trap shouldn’t be a huge concern once you have properly defined your testing requirements. Simply run all the tests and perform final Regression testing before calling it a day.



<h3 id="understand-the-testing-scope">Understand the Testing Scope</h3>



It is almost similar to documenting and sticking to the test coverage when new features or updates make an entry. Once you are clear about the scope of testing, you can re-run the same test cases to execute regression and also when upgrades are rolled out.



<h3 id="make-the-right-decision">Make the Right Decision</h3>



What does ‘enough’ mean to you? It is subjective, and that is why finding the perfect balance between too little and too much is critical. All of this starts with making the right decision and ensuring that your testing efforts match the testing requirements that do not waste resources, time, and money in abundance.



<h2 id="data-driven-techniques-measure-how-much-testing-is-enough">Data Driven Techniques: Measure How Much Testing is Enough?</h2>



<h3 id="when-the-build-breakage-is-trivial">When the build breakage is trivial: </h3>



Most agile teams and continuous integrations strive to ensure build breakages don&#8217;t happen. When a developer pushes new code to the existing source code repository, the software may not perform as intended. 



For instance, if your code had no errors in the past 10 days and is now running into errors with every code push, it means the code isn&#8217;t tested enough.&nbsp;



In a nutshell, we can assume the build is broken if the build process doesn&#8217;t move further, smoothly, for reasons such as bugs, compilation errors, or that a developer is pushing code without testing it enough. 



A solid way to avoid build breakage is by ensuring the build is accurate before checking in. In case of any errors, it&#8217;s recommended to fix the errors locally before integrating the changes with the source code. 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/i65T7nw6yo38cIYyw-kHbXLKL4YXqlPU4tyXkMOHZHtD1edFjFQ7z_IZ5-btyJhg8T0IGOISWQWEmJ1KeE60EWukT2NxvSV5-hW4t4woPBSZCJ3fVxIQFuBXxTJklQxEt1E-Z_sF" alt="Data Driven Techniques" /></figure>







As per Parabuild CI, build breakage can be avoided if we avoid code check-ins beyond 5 pm. Parabuild calls it <a href="https://www.parabuildci.org/support/articles/continuous_integration_build_breakage_patterns.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">&#8220;Five O&#8217;clock Check-In&#8221;</a> Pattern and its studies suggest that a developer&#8217;s critical and analytical skills often dip after 5 pm or towards the end of the day. 



Further, this research also proves that if we avoid code pushes after 5 pm, it brings down build breakage by 20% to 50%.



However, if the software isn&#8217;t encountering any errors, despite small code changes, it means the build breakage is insignificant, and that the software has been thoroughly tested.&nbsp;



<h3 id="when-all-the-involved-parties-sign-off-the-stories">When all the involved parties sign off the stories: </h3>



Agile teams work as per their pre-decided schedules and plans. Their core objectives include transparency and involving all the respective stakeholders before a project takes off.&nbsp;



For that reason, agile teams chalk out epics and stories as they offer a broad understanding of the requirements in both short-term and long-term scenarios. 



Stories are written from the user&#8217;s perspective and they give a clear picture of the requirements while epics are a collection of these stories. When the stories are signed off by all the stakeholders, for instance, the QA team, developers, product managers, and any other involved teams, it means enough testing has been carried out.



<h3 id="when-the-code-freeze-is-effective">When the code freeze is effective: </h3>



Code freeze literally means we cannot modify or edit the code when the code is frozen. This is done to effectively eliminate the chances of unintentionally introducing any bugs before the software goes live. 



There are cases when developers push code even after the code is frozen. Even a few insignificant, last-minute code changes before the release can lead to a build breakage.&nbsp;



The developers might have tested out those features on their machine, but we don&#8217;t know how these changes reflect in the software when the new code is integrated. 



This means the code freeze is ineffective and the entire code has to be tested again. Particularly to detect faulty behaviour and to understand which elements are causing breakage when integrated.



Things to consider for an effective code freeze



<ul><li>We should confirm there are no new bugs before going ahead with the code freeze. New modifications and bugs can hinder the smooth functioning of our software, and we should address any issues and fix even the smallest vulnerabilities before a code freeze.</li><li>We should perform a stringent security test that will help us discover any insecure elements or areas of the software.</li><li>If we&#8217;ve faced any bugs in the previous stages, it&#8217;s best to check for similar patterns or bugs. Move forward with the code freeze only after validating the features, functionalities, and quality of the software.</li></ul>



These key things can lead to an effective code freeze, thereby ensuring stable software.&nbsp;



<h3 id="when-all-the-blockers-bugs-are-addressed">When all the blockers/bugs are addressed: </h3>



To move forward with the project, it&#8217;s crucial to close all the blockers bugs. Blockers can come in various forms that include technical issues, backlogs, environmental errors, rapid changes in priorities or stories, too many external dependencies, hidden complexities, or complex tools. 



Teams can address blockers by keeping a track of them using project management frameworks like Kanban, Wrike, etc.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/alVcH2dB9_R2qc5DFxsdOhuBEyFYG5_ANx2zQqqDA7dQ_uLiy9UtedJHMscgrFk0Ix-JSURcvLEItG2XQ0yQQ8q2j4U16cgPrkwTdBo_eOmNSVtvQdTVLhaWqL6uAtyfDKq8BwWM" alt="bug track - Kanban project management frameworks" /></figure>







<h3 id="when-the-test-coverage-is-high">When the test coverage is high: </h3>



Test coverage is a metric that determines how much testing is done on the software, which is under testing. This metric helps us gather important information such as the total number of tests that have passed, failed, and executed, the number of test cases, and if the software is thoroughly tested.&nbsp;



Maximum test coverage can be achieved with the following:



<ul><li><a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/what-is-automation-testing-why-automated-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Automation testing</a> tools</li><li>By performing thorough unit tests</li><li>Code reviews</li></ul>



A good rule of thumb is if your test coverage is high, it means the software under test went through maximum testing. But, this metric should not be used independently or it can create more confusion than it is useful. To know more, read here: <a href="https://www.thoughtworks.com/insights/blog/are-test-coverage-metrics-overrated" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Are Test Coverage Metrics Overrated?</a>



<h3 id="when-the-find-rate-of-critical-bugs-is-low">When the find-rate of critical bugs is low: </h3>



Often we encounter errors during production, regression, or acceptance testing. In an ideal scenario, we should find and fix any critical bugs or defections before our software goes into production.&nbsp;



The find rate of the bugs can be tracked based on the number of bugs found during the pre-production testing phase against production. This will help us measure our bug find rate, and if the rate is low or reducing, it means enough testing has been performed.



<h2 id="final-words">Final Words</h2>



Automation testing ecosystems can offer the right amount of test coverage and reduce build breakage, provided we choose the right tool. Testsigma increases test coverage through its <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/automated-data-driven-testing" target="_blank">data-driven testing system.</a> 



Powered by AI, Testsigma&#8217;s automation testing tool makes it very easy to create test cases and improve your test coverage. It provides an in-depth summary of test results, which helps in tackling the bugs better.



This codeless testing tool is fully cloud-based. Besides, whenever any code changes are made, AI suggests which affected areas should be prioritized for testing. While this helps you identify the affected tests easily, you can also avoid failures that are similar to these tests.&nbsp;



Our tool sends out in-depth reports via email, Slack, and other communication platforms, for you to collaborate and fix any bugs with your team. Since it&#8217;s cloud-based, remote teams can access it from anywhere, anytime. Read about the simplicity of data-driven testing with Testsigma <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/data-driven-testing-simplified/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">here</a>.



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<h2 id="frequently-asked-questions-faqs">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</h2>



<h3 id="how-do-you-know-when-to-stop-testing">How do you know when to stop testing?</h3>



There is no quantifiable way to know that you have completed all your testing requirements. But if the application contains very few errors, regression is over, user acceptance testing is complete, and no new features are being added, you can stop your testing efforts till anything new comes up.



<h3 id="is-it-possible-to-test-100-of-the-software">Is it possible to test 100% of the software?</h3>



Practically, it is impossible to test any application completely. You might be able to reach a very near point where the software has no identifiable issues, and the users are also content with its working. But otherwise, because the area of possible inputs is too huge to completely use in testing a system.



<h2 id="suggested-readings">Suggested Readings</h2>



<a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-data-driven-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Automated Data-Driven Testing Tool for Agile teams</a>



<a href="https://testsigma.com/data-driven-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">All you need to know about Data-Driven Testing</a>&nbsp;



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/top-benefits-of-data-driven-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Top Benefits of Data-Driven Test Automation</a>&nbsp;



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/scenarios-when-data-driven-testing-is-useful/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scenarios When Data-Driven Testing Is Useful</a>

Data driven techniques: How to measure when testing is enough

Data Driven Techniques to Measure How Much Testing is Enough

In today’s world where ‘data is the new oil’ ( as said by Clive Humby), not giving proper attention to data-driven testing is not justified. If you have an application that needs data input in some form then it will require data-driven testing. 



Additionally, when during testing your application &#8211; there are testing scenarios that require multiple permutations/combinations of input data in your application, then you might have to think of using a test automation tool for automating them.



We seek help from automation tools for data-driven testing, because manually it may be tiring, time-consuming, outright boring, and prone to human errors. So we create a data repository where all of the data resides, separate from the test scripts. 



The data repository could be a CSV file, excel sheet, DB table, etc. Scripts and data are kept separate from each other to increase the maintainability, simplicity, and understandability for future use. The test results are a huge set of data and they need to be matched against the expected results, which are again stored in files.&nbsp;



Let us see a few scenarios where data-driven testing is useful in providing a quality product.



Scenario 1: Tabular data&nbsp;



Example: Registration forms that require email, password, and other information. 



It is a classic scenario where we require data-driven testing(DDT) to perform thorough testing on the input data. The registration form needs to be tested for all sorts of inputs such as &#8211; alphanumeric, alphabets, special characters, blank input, numerics, etc.&nbsp;



DDT needs to be performed for negative and positive test cases as depicted in the table below:



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table style="border: 1px solid black;border-collapse: collapse"><tbody><tr style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse"><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Username value</td><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Password value</td></tr><tr style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse"><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Valid</td><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Valid</td></tr><tr style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse"><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Valid</td><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Invalid</td></tr><tr style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse"><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Invalid</td><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Valid</td></tr><tr style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse"><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Invalid</td><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Invalid</td></tr><tr style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse"><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Valid</td><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">NULL</td></tr><tr style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse"><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">NULL</td><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">Valid</td></tr><tr style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse"><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">NULL</td><td style="border: 1px solid black;padding: 10px;border-collapse: collapse">NULL</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



The steps will be:



<ul><li>Create and store the test data in a data repository. The data file will also contain the expected output and actual output.</li><li>The driver script will pick the input data from the files and fill in the input fields in real-time.</li><li>After performing the logic execution the driver scripts pick the actual output from the application and write the actual output in the data file.</li><li>Later the expected output and actual outputs are compared and the test results are recorded accordingly as Pass/Fail.</li><li>Repeat with the next test data.</li></ul>



A detailed DDT guide having useful and vast information is <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/data-driven-testing" target="_blank">here</a>.



Scenario 2: Data Arrays



Example: Travel itinerary/ Flight booking systems



For testing a travel/flight booking system, we would need many permutations and combinations of the test data. The bookings will vary according to the input data such as first name, last name, origin, destination, date of travel, etc.&nbsp;



&nbsp;Interestingly, in this example, the data is difficult to store in tabular form and will be best stored in arrays called ‘flight’ and ‘passengers’. There are so many input fields in this scenario, and we need to create data sets for each of the input fields accordingly. 



The driver script will read the data from the ‘flight’ and ‘passenger’ arrays and the logic of flight booking will be executed. Finally, the test results are generated based on the comparison of actual results and expected results.



Scenarios 1 and 2 are the ones used for end-to-end test automation mostly, and it is advisable to use an end-to-end test automation tool that supports data-driven testing. 



An example of <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-data-driven-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">such a tool is Testsigma</a>, a cloud-based tool that simplifies your test case creation along with your data-driven testing. Not only does Testsigma really eases the setup of your data-driven testing, being cloud-based gives you the ability to start with your automation soon after you signup. It’s not just that, Testsigma readily integrates with your CI/CD workflow.&nbsp; 



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Read about the simplicity of data-driven testing with Testsigma <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/data-driven-testing-simplified/" target="_blank">here</a>.



Scenario 3: Load and performance testing



Example: E-commerce applications



During festive sales, the e-commerce applications get record hits by the users. The application/ website should be ready for this large user interaction, we achieve this by load and performance testing.&nbsp; 



Here, we need to create thousands of simulated user profiles, which will add the items/goods in their shopping cart and perform the purchase. For this purpose, we seek help from DDT, we will create such a huge amount of user data and user actions in the data repository. 



Since it is a huge dataset we will take the help of automation to create this test data. The driver script and load/performance testing automation tools will work in tandem to run these test cases.



Scenario 4: Image-based data-driven testing




Example: Image classification algorithms



Photo management applications, e-commerce websites, search engines, healthcare, disaster monitoring, robotics, etc. need image classification algorithms to recognize and search images. 



These algorithms are capable of learning about the image and eventually recognizing it. Based on this recognition the software executes the logic, for a great user experience.&nbsp;



The functionality of these algorithms is tested using the image-based DDT. A large dataset of images is used to verify that the algorithm can learn and recognize images correctly.



Read more about how to select test data for these algorithms <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)" href="https://machinelearningmastery.com/how-to-choose-the-right-test-options-when-evaluating-machine-learning-algorithms/" target="_blank">here</a>.



Scenario 5: Data-driven Testing for testing NLP(Natural Language Processing) 




Example: Chatbots



In quest of providing an incredible user experience, organizations are creating their software to support NLP(Natural Language Processing). Most of the websites are providing chatbots to their customers for resolving their queries in Natural Languages.



How do chatbots gain such a high level of consistency, responsiveness, correctness?&nbsp;



Through qualitative research data is gathered using surveys, questionnaires, user observations, clickstreams, etc. Then this data is fed into the chatbot for machine learning purposes, and then we use this test data for data-driven testing. 



The data provider will provide the user queries into the chatbot and then we can verify the correctness of the response during testing. Also, we would like to test the response time of the chatbot using this DDT. 



Scenario 6: Spam detection algorithm



Example: email spam



No one wants to get many <a href="https://easydmarc.com/blog/why-are-my-emails-going-to-spam-and-how-to-fix-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emails in the spam folder</a>, so spam detection algorithms have been designed to identify such <a href="https://powerdmarc.com/what-is-spam-email/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spam emails</a>. For this purpose the data is collected, analyzed, and a data set is created for the algorithm. 



A part of this data will act as the training data for the spam detection algorithm and the other part will be used as test data.



The test data is then run on the algorithm to decide the accuracy, predictability, and precision of the spam detection algorithm. Here also we are using data-driven testing to test the accuracy of the email spam detection algorithm in the application.



Learn More: <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/positive-and-negative-testing-scenarios/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Positive and Negative Testing Scenarios</a>



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



Machine learning and Big Data are driving the major industry decisions today. We all know very well that in today’s scenario, data is the new oil. To test such a huge amount of data we need help from DDT and tools that support it.&nbsp;



Data-driven testing provides enormous benefits, and in many cases, it is the only option to perform testing. The benefits of DDT are reusability, simplicity, maintainability, better test coverage, etc. Read more about the benefits of DDT<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/top-benefits-of-data-driven-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)"> here</a>.

Scenarios when Data Driven Testing is useful

Scenarios When Data-Driven Testing Is Useful

According to Wikipedia, <a href="https://testsigma.com/data-driven-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label=" (opens in a new tab)">Data-Driven Testing(DDT)</a> is a software testing methodology that is used in the testing of computer software to describe testing done using a table of conditions directly as test inputs and verifiable outputs as well as the process where test environment settings and control are not hard-coded.



 In the simplest form, the tester supplies the inputs from a row in the table and expects the outputs which occur in the same row. The table typically contains values which correspond to boundary or partition input spaces.” 



If done manually, the process of data-driven testing is really time-consuming. It is usually used for <a href="https://testsigma.com/regression-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">regression testing</a> or with test cases where the same test scripts are run by providing huge test data as input, sequentially. 



Therefore, the requirement of automating the process of data-driven testing arose and today we have several automation-testing tools and automation testing frameworks for this purpose.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_data-driven_automation_testing">1 What is data-driven automation testing?</a></li><li><a href="#Advantages_of_data-driven_automation_testing">2 Advantages of data-driven automation testing</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">3 Conclusion</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="what-is-data-driven-automation-testing">What is data-driven automation testing?</h2>



In <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-data-driven-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data-driven automation testing</a>, the test-script/ test case code is kept separate from the test data set. This separation is usually made by storing them at different locations and by having no dependency on each other. Test scripts and test data both are independent of each other and can be stored, modified, added and deleted without any implications on each other.



The order of actions in a DDT (Data-Driven testing) process is as below&#8211;



1. Read the input data from the data source, using parameterised variables in the automation test script.



2. Fill in the input test data in the AUT(application under test).



3. Perform the action according to the test script



4. Compare the expected and actual output



5. Mark the test case pass or fail



6. Continue the above steps with the next input test data from the data source.



The expected output is also entered in the test data sheet or file. So that the automation script reads the expected output, compares it with the actual output and accordingly marks the test case – Pass or Fail.



Test data storage can be achieved by any of the below options-



1. Excel files



2. CSV files



3. XML files



4. Database tables



5. Arrays



6. Text files



Tools/ frameworks for data-driven automation testing-



1. Selenium, TestNG, Apache POI (for reading and writing in Excel sheet)



2. QTP



3. <a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma</a>



4. Katalon Studio



5. TestComplete



<h2 id="advantages-of-data-driven-automation-testing">Advantages of data-driven automation testing</h2>



Let us discuss the top benefits of using a data-driven automation testing framework or any DDT tool.



1. Reusability



&nbsp;Once we have test scripts ready, the same test script can take any number of test input, present in the files as test data. There is no need to make any changes to the script since it will just read the test data from the file and execute the test case. Whereas, if the test data is hardcoded in the test scripts, the lines of code increase tremendously and such coding practices compromise on the reusability of the program.



2. Enhanced clarity



Since there are separate folders/locations of the test data and test scripts, there is clarity in the development and maintenance of both. If test data needs any changes then it can be done easily without referring to the testing scripts and vice-versa.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/SvRcQMx99B8R3EZNq3GqkqaRFTdi7ruUfQsaa8fTYqt1cp7_9zdyvrEnj5rxRSm4KkKWcnRpycJYzLTZdNHu4hYLLHcSX4_xN1ehGmY5YCYuiORc0U-pJdw6QJDuTbaHYpAUf9m8" alt="Testsigma - Enhanced clarity"/></figure>



&nbsp;Image shows separate Test Data and Test Scripts.



3. Maintainability



If there is any update required either in test scripts or test data, it is hassle-free because both test data and test scripts are placed separately with no dependency on each other. While the automation test engineer is working on the test scripts, any team member with knowledge of AUT can maintain and update the test data file without any dependency on the test scripts.



4. Broader test-coverage



With high-quality test data which perfectly reflects the real production data, we can achieve a very good test-coverage. This helps in achieving high quality and better stability of the application. The result will be a very few defects in the production environment because all the possible data is already tested and issues have been fixed accordingly.



5. Time-efficient



The automated test-run can be set up for a nightly run when there is no one working. The results can be verified in the morning, and hence a great amount of time can be saved in the testing activities. Also, if compared with manual testing, data-driven automation testing is faster because all the benefits of automation testing are underlying.



6. Reduced manual error



Unlike, manual testing the test-data is read from the files and not manually entered in the application. Human error is unavoidable when a large amount of data is being entered. Data-driven automation testing reduces the chance of manual error to a great extent and a high-quality product is a result.



7. Reduced test scripts



Because we are not hard coding the test data in the script logic, the size of the code written is reduced considerably. The same test script can be used for a huge set of test data. 



8. Better use of human skills



The redundant work of manually entering the test data is monotonous and time-consuming. Human skills can be used for better purposes like exploratory testing when data-driven automation testing is in place.



9. Faster decision making



Due to the faster speed of automation and quick execution of a broader data set, the management and defect-related decisions could be concluded faster. In the Agile and DevOps environment, shorter development cycles need quick decisions and quick resolution of issues. The data-driven automation testing aids the Agile and DevOps intricacies to a great extent.



10. Independent of application development



The data-driven automation testing framework can be developed in parallel or before the actual application development. Since, we will be dealing with parameterised variables, independent test data sheets or files and separate test scripts. 



The framework development is independent of the actual AUT. If an automation tool like testsigma is being used for the DDT, this process becomes easier. To create test scripts for reading/writing test data from files and scripts of test functions need expertise and effort.&nbsp;



11. Minimum technical knowledge required for test data creation



We have separated the test scripts and the test data in the data-driven automation testing process. The scripting part requires expertise and technical knowledge; however, the test data creation does not require any technical expertise. A person who has knowledge of the AUT and domain would be able to fill in the test data values in the sheet/file. 



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



As the name suggests, data-driven testing (DDT) means testing which is driven by data. Data is of the extreme importance here in data-driven automation testing. A judicious selection of the test data thus becomes imperative in this case. 



Simply running the automation scripts on a massive test data set, without a proper vision is such a waste of time, effort and resources. A proper understanding of the AUT and a very good domain knowledge prepares the background for a great test data set.



In current times data is everything- Big Data, AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine learning) endorse this fact with the highest splendour.



Testing can not be any different, to cover a broader spectrum of scenarios in the software testing – a diligent selection of test data is needed. So that any possible defect is already taken care of during testing and the risk of any potential defect in production is minimised.



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<a aria-label="Testsigma, a tool for data-driven testing (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/automated-data-driven-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma, a tool for data-driven testing</a>, has greatly simplified data-driven testing and made it very easy for anyone to get it going. Check how Testsigma does it here: <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/data-driven-testing-simplified/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Data Driven Testing Simplified!</a>

Top Benefits of Data-Driven Test Automation

Why test data management is so important-Testsigma

What Is Test Data Management? | Importance & Best Practices

In these tough times(COVID-19), the well-being of customers and employees is the most important for every organization.



During this unexpected crisis, there are teams working from home while there are few workplaces that have a reduced workforce. It is a given that the thoughts, efficiency, and availability of your team will not be the same as you may expect otherwise.



In these conditions, it is vital that the robustness of your software is not compromised.&nbsp;



Considering the disturbance that everyone in the world is going through, there will be a few tasks that you may not be able to do as planned, while there will be some important tasks still that will have to be done.



For optimum results, optimization of your team’s efforts will be key.



The development teams will have to focus on the optimization of delivery cycles to achieve business continuity on the basis of the availability and efficiency of the workforce.



A well-implemented continuous delivery process will be the solution here.



Below are some points which are important for all the teams including Dev &amp; QA for optimum and continued operations:



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#People_Process_Business">1 People, Process, Business</a></li><li><a href="#1_People">2 1. People</a></li><li><a href="#2_Process">3 2. Process</a></li><li><a href="#3_Business">4 3. Business</a></li><li><a href="#Below_are_some_points_which_I_feel_are_important_for_Dev_QA">5 Below are some points which I feel are important for Dev &amp; QA :</a></li></ul></div>
<h3>People, Process, Business</h3> 



<div class="wp-container-66a357ac55b45 wp-block-group">
<h3 id="1-people">1. People</h3>
</div>



<div class="wp-container-66a357ac56143 wp-block-group pl-15">
Focus on your team. Understand their strengths and patterns of working. When we are challenged by many odds, it would be hard to expect 100% from everyone. Some of them might not be used to working remotely. Give them time and better to over-communicate to fill the gap. 



There are some innovative ways to connect your teams remotely like online games, virtual tea-breaks and sharing photos and playlists. Do not hesitate to make use of them. Communication becomes a key challenge in these times. Schedule regular catch-ups with your team and don’t just focus on work-related talk.&nbsp;



This is the time to identify your champions who can deliver in any circumstances. If you are a small team or a start-up these are the people who can take your company to the next level. Encourage your champions and assign them the key areas to focus on. Give your teams the usual freedom and accountability to achieve the goals for the week.
</div>



<h3 id="2-process">2. Process</h3>



<div class="wp-container-66a357ac56997 wp-block-group pl-15">
There might be a definite change in the productivity of your teams. Due to this almost every company has to change its priorities. Make sure you educate everyone about the change of priorities and make them align with the new plan. It might need some process changes as well. Your updates might need to be more frequent. 



There should be clear in and out times and appropriate status updates in the communication platforms. It will help everyone know when to expect others and when someone would be offline. 
</div>



<h3 id="3-business">3. Business</h3>



<div class="wp-container-66a357ac56f55 wp-block-group pl-15">
Don&#8217;t prioritize everything. The situation is very much uncertain. Just focus on what is required for business continuity, and wait for the things to get better. &nbsp;Start preparing for the emergency fund in case it might be needed in the near future. Stay focused on your current customers and work on your leads to get your next customers. Reduce unnecessary expenses and aggressively optimize the current process.&nbsp;



Many companies are going to see a steep fall in terms of numbers, very soon all these companies will stand a chance to grow much faster than the fall that we are going to see now. What is important is how you prepare yourself and the teams for that growth. Plan for the worst and get ready for the best!
</div>



<h3 class="pt-15" id="below-are-some-points-which-i-feel-are-important-for-dev-qa">Below are some points which I feel are important for Dev &amp; QA :</h3>



1. Customer issues and requirements should become your mainstream development: It should be the case even otherwise if you don&#8217;t follow this already it&#8217;s time you change your strategy. Bring your core team here. Make sure you <a href="https://hiverhq.com/customer-support-guide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">support all your customers</a> without fail. Don&#8217;t let this branch run by a secondary team.



2. Not the right time for big releases: If you have already planned a big release, it is good to hold until you get clarity. Simple things like stable network connectivity are also a problem to push your updates, there are many more odds that you need to think of.



3. Frequent minor updates are always better: If you are a SaaS business, it is recommended to release frequently with minor changes, so that the impact would be very few when things go wrong. During this time where communication, availability, and accessibility is difficult, it’s not the right time for major updates.&nbsp; 



4. Make sure your regression suites are lean and relevant: Your turn around time needs to be better than before. Create suites with affected test cases so that you can get things done quickly with fewer resources. If you have large test suites and take a long time for execution, parallel execution is one option. But, if you want to save more time, filter the high priority test cases and create another test suite that can be executed when time is running low.



5. Are your pipelines(DevOps) not automated yet? If not, it’s time to think about it: If you are a DevOps hub and all your pipelines are automated, you stand a better chance to release updates more often and continuously. If you don&#8217;t have your DevOps set up yet, it&#8217;s time for you and your team to understand the need and get started with it. Not just for now, It is going to add huge value to your company in the long term.



6. If you follow DevOps/Continuous Delivery practices, are your pipelines 100% automated? If that is the case you are all set to deliver continuously with fewer resources even at the difficult times, like what we are seeing now. If not, identify the gaps and try to automate your pipelines 100%. Perhaps you may not have approvals to try commercial tools. In that case, there are lots of free tools. You could also start with free versions of commercial tools and see how it works for you. Also, make sure that these tools scale to the next level when you as a team and the company go to the next level.



7. Don&#8217;t have test automation yet then this is the right time to start. Pick free tools to begin with: If you have worked on test automation, it would have been easy for you to continue your regular delivery cycles confidently.&nbsp; If not, in these times when resources are limited, it is all the more important to ensure quality because, in case of a failure, it may be a difficult task to fix with limited resources.



8. Start automating your regression suites: If you don&#8217;t have test automation yet, start implementing now. If your delivery cycles are not as usual or planned, your team might have time to start this activity.&nbsp;



9. Involve others in test automation if your tools support: If your SMEs &amp; QAs have free time during this time, it’s better to involve them in test automation. So that your delivery cycles would be faster later when things get back to normal. During this time, change of work also will help them focus more and they will give their best. If you are just starting with test automation, choose a test automation tool that allows other stakeholders including developers, managers, and clients to start test case creation with a low learning curve such that your automation tasks are completed even if the testing team is low in number.



10. Integrate your automated tests with your continuous integration pipeline: For end-to-end automation and continuous delivery, it is essential to integrate your testing with the CI/CD pipeline and having a tool that integrates with needed tools readily is the need of the hour.



11. Time to check your automation efficiency: If you have not measured your test automation ROI yet, take a look at it. Check how much it can save for you, with the investment that you have already made. When the team sizes are shrinking, can your test automation complement their errors? If not, understand why and where are the gaps and take necessary action if they are small. Again, don&#8217;t look at the changing processes during this time.



12. Take steps to reduce the number of feedback cycles and time for each of them: Since a lot of remote communication is involved now, try avoiding back and forth for your feedback. Also, try to reduce the number of feedback cycles, because there will be a significant communication delay for each cycle during this time.



We know that we can pull through, we just have to be careful, optimistic and focus on being efficient every step of the way.



If you need any help, we will always be available via the usual channels. Praying for the health and well-being of all! 



K R Naidu, CEO, Testsigma

Optimize Your Testing Efforts for Continuous Delivery

Data Driven vs Keyword Driven Frameworks for Test Automation

<a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Data driven testing is a method that is usually employed when an application is tested using a large number of test data. What is test data? Test Data are input values(valid and invalid username/password combinations or phone number, etc). (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/automated-data-driven-testing" target="_blank">Data driven testing</a> is a method that is usually employed when an application is tested using a large number of test data.



What is test data? Test Data are input values(valid and invalid username/password combinations or phone number, etc). Here, test data is read from Excel, JSON, properties file or even from plain text files.



Selenium can be used for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data-driven_testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Data-Driven Testing</a> but it needs additional APIs to read the test data from text files, and a loop statement in the code which in turn increases the complexity. 



But Data-Driven testing in Testsigma is as simple as it can get. You just upload the test data file and start using anywhere on your tests. Let&#8217;s see how. 



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Running_a_Data-Driven_test_in_Testsigma">1 Running a Data-Driven test in Testsigma</a><ul><li><a href="#Method_1nbspCreating_a_Test_Data_profile_manually">1.1 Method 1:&nbsp;Creating a Test Data profile manually</a></li><li><a href="#Method_2_Importing_a_Test_Data_profile">1.2 Method 2: Importing a Test Data profile</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Test_Data_management">2 Test Data management</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="running-a-data-driven-test-in-testsigma">Running a Data-Driven test in Testsigma</h2>



Pre-requisites: We need a valid test data profile which is mandatory for Data-Driven testing. 



There are two simple methods to do this:



1. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By Creating a test data profile manually



2. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By Importing a test data profile 







<h3 id="method-1-creating-a-test-data-profile-manually">Method 1:&nbsp;Creating a Test Data profile manually</h3>







Here is how Testsigma’s dashboard looks like.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery aligncenter has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1024" height="502" data-id="9413" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Dashboard_Testsigma-1024x502-1.png" alt="Data Driven Testing Simplified!" class="wp-image-9413"/></figure>
</figure>



 



Click on &#8216;Test Development&#8217; and click on the Create icon at the top right corner. Enter the test data inputs, provide a name for the test data profile and click Create.



 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1916" height="940" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Data-Driven-Testing-Method-1-2-gif.gif" alt="Data driven testing method-1" class="wp-image-15357"/><figcaption>Creating Test Data Profile Manually</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="method-2-importing-a-test-data-profile">Method 2: Importing a Test Data profile</h3>



To import the test data profile that you created, click on the Import icon in the test data page, provide a name for the test data profile and upload your file.



There is a sample test data file in the link provided with the format to be used. Now, click Create.



 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="1916" height="940" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Data-Driven-Testing-Method-2.gif" alt="Data driven testing method-2" class="wp-image-15349"/><figcaption>Importing Test Data Profile</figcaption></figure>



If we have the test data profile ready by either one of these 2 methods, we can create a Data-Driven test case in Testsigma.



 Click on the plus icon at the left panel.



Now click on the +Test Case(Create a new Test Case) button, enter the name of your Test Case and click on “Take me to a detailed form” link which shows a few more options.



Now, select the profile that you created, Click the data-driven toggle button and hit Create.



 



<figure class="wp-block-video"><video controls src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Data-Driven-Test-Case_Testsigma.mp4"></video></figure>



 



Now that we have imported, let’s see how we can add this to our test steps: 



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>In your Testsigma account, type in the URL of the page(Orange HRM login page which is open source</li>&nbsp;<li>Let’s enter something in the Username field of the page using the grammar, “Enter test data in the ui identifier field”. You may check out this article that explains all the steps required to <a href="https://dzone.com/articles/web-application-automated-testing-with-testingma" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Enter the test data in the ui identifier field.</a></li></ul>





You may check out all the grammar used in Testsigma in the NLP Grammar link at the left pane of your Testsigma account or use the Help icon to see the keywords you can use and the examples that would help you with a few examples.



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Now let’s see how we can use the testdata without hardcoding it to the test step.</li></ul>



Delete the text testdata and select the @|Parameter| from the suggestions. Instead, choose the testdata name that comes up on the suggestions. See representation.



 



<figure class="wp-block-video"><video controls src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Choose-Test-Data-Profile_Testsigma.mp4"></video></figure>



 



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Now, you just need to create a simple Dry Run and click Create and Run.</li></ul>



This is just an example for illustrating data-driven testing. There are a whole lot of possible ways you can put to use the test data without necessarily hard coding it to your test steps. 



<h2 id="test-data-management">Test Data management</h2>



<a href="https://testsigma.com/docs/test-data/overview/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Managing test data profiles </a>is at its best in Testsigma with options to export, edit and delete test data profiles without downloading any compilers,IDEs or APIs. The test data are organized and well maintained a repository that can be accessed across all your test cases. 



Check out this <a href="https://dzone.com/articles/data-driven-testing-using-testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">practical guide that explains Data Driven Testing</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="3001" height="830" data-id="3560" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/7.jpg" alt="Test automation simplified with Testsigma,Test automation without coding, TryTestsigma" class="wp-image-3560"/></figure>
</figure>