Test Efficiency: How It Differs From Test Effectiveness?


<p>Appium is a well-known mobile automation tool for automating native, hybrid, mobile web, and desktop apps. The appium community has come up with a major release in recent years, appium 2.0.0, and has made some considerable changes in making appium a platform where drivers and plugins can coexist independently.</p>



<p><em>In this blog, we will see how we can create an executable file for the appium server.&nbsp;</em></p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_are_executable_files"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> What are executable files?</a><ul><li><a href="#Why_do_we_need_executable_files_for_the_appium_server"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">1.1</span> Why do we need executable files for the appium server?</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Installing_Appium_2nbsp"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> Installing Appium 2:&nbsp;</a><ul><li><ul><li><a href="#Operating_System"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_3">2.0.1</span> Operating System:</a></li><li><a href="#Pre-requisite"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_3">2.0.2</span> Pre-requisite:</a></li><li><a href="#Installation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_3">2.0.3</span> Installation:</a></li></ul></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Starting_Appium"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> Starting Appium:</a><ul><li><a href="#Installing_Drivers"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">3.1</span> Installing Drivers:</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Starting_Appium_via_exec_file"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> Starting Appium via exec file:</a><ul><li><a href="#Pre-requisite-2"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">4.1</span> Pre-requisite:</a><ul><li><a href="#Pkg"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_3">4.1.1</span> Pkg:</a></li><li><a href="#Installing_Pkg"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_3">4.1.2</span> Installing Pkg:</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Steps_to_create_an_executable_file"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">4.2</span> Steps to create an executable file:</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Conclusion"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> Conclusion:</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-what-are-executable-files"><span id="What_are_executable_files">What are executable files?</span></h2>



<ul><li>Executable files contain a set of encoded instructions, which execute sequentially once the user clicks on them.</li><li>Executable files are available in all operating systems but with extensions pertaining to that OS. While .exe is the Windows extension for executable files, the macOs executable file does not have any extension.</li></ul>



<h3 id="h-why-do-we-need-executable-files-for-the-appium-server"><span id="Why_do_we_need_executable_files_for_the_appium_server">Why do we need executable files for the appium server?</span></h3>



<p>The <a href="https://github.com/appium/appium-desktop" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">appium desktop</a>, which is basically a GUI for the appium server was used to start/stop the server in appium 1.x. Moreover, the node runtime comes bundled with Appium Desktop which allowed users to use appium without having to install npm or node. But it is no longer compatible with appium 2.0+. And to overcome this, creating an executable file for the appium server is one of the easiest solutions. Apart from this, below are the benefits of having an executable file for the appium server:</p>



<p><strong><em>Easy distribution:</em></strong></p>



<ul><li>Users do not have to worry about having node or npm as a pre-requisite to install appium.&nbsp;</li><li>Once the executable file is built, the same can be used to start the appium on any machine and on any operating system.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p><strong><em>Easy to start the server:&nbsp;</em></strong></p>



<ul><li>Appium server can be started with just a click on the executable file.&nbsp;</li><li>No need to run commands from the terminal to start the appium server.</li></ul>



<p><strong><em>Easy to deploy:</em></strong></p>



<ul><li>Allows easy deployment on target machines i.e., if you want to install appium on any cloud server, you can simply deploy the exec file.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-installing-appium-2"><span id="Installing_Appium_2nbsp">Installing Appium 2:&nbsp;</span></h2>



<h4 id="h-operating-system"><span id="Operating_System">Operating System:</span></h4>



<ul><li>Mac os</li></ul>



<h4 id="h-pre-requisite"><span id="Pre-requisite">Pre-requisite:</span></h4>



<ul><li>We are going to use the node package manager to install appium, so make sure you have the node set up on your machine. If you do not have the node, please download it from the below link:<ul><li><a href="https://nodejs.org/en/download" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">https://nodejs.org/en/download</a></li></ul></li><li>I am using node version 16.20.0.</li></ul>



<h4 id="h-installation"><span id="Installation">Installation:</span></h4>



<ul><li>To install appium 2, please use the below command:<ul><li>npm i -g appium@next</li></ul></li></ul>



<h2 id="h-starting-appium"><span id="Starting_Appium">Starting Appium:</span></h2>



<ul><li>Once appium is installed, you can start the server by mentioning “appium” in the terminal.&nbsp;</li></ul><br>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1600" height="245" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/image-112.png" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" class="wp-image-29808"/></figure>



<br><ul><li>As I mentioned before, with appium version 2, we need to install the drivers separately. However, this was not the case with appium 1, i.e.<em> </em><em>When we installed Appium 1. x, all available drivers would be installed at the same time as the main Appium server. This is no longer the case.</em></li></ul>



<h3 id="h-installing-drivers"><span id="Installing_Drivers">Installing Drivers:</span></h3>



<ul><li>To find the list of available drivers, use the following command.&nbsp;<ul><li>appium driver list</li></ul></li></ul><br>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="990" height="316" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/image-111.png" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" class="wp-image-29806"/></figure>



<br><ul><li>To install a specific driver, use the following command.<ul><li>appium driver install &lt;drivername&gt;&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul><br>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1298" height="172" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/image-109.png" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" class="wp-image-29802"/></figure>



<br><ul><li>Now, when you start appium, it starts the server along with the installed drivers.&nbsp;</li></ul><br>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1600" height="292" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/image-110.png" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" class="wp-image-29804"/></figure>



<br><p><em>Note: </em><em>By default, appium creates a hidden directory called </em><em>.appium</em><em> inside your user home directory. This will be the location of all the appium drivers that we install. In my case, it would be: “/Users/vikramramalingam/.appium”.</em></p>



<h2 id="h-starting-appium-via-exec-file"><span id="Starting_Appium_via_exec_file">Starting Appium via exec file:</span></h2>



<p>In order to create an executable file for the appium server, we need a command line interface called “<a href="https://github.com/vercel/pkg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">pkg</a>”.</p>



<h3 id="h-pre-requisite-1"><span id="Pre-requisite-2">Pre-requisite:</span></h3>



<h4 id="h-pkg"><span id="Pkg">Pkg:</span></h4>



<ul><li>A node.js package that can convert your Node.js app into executable files.</li><li>Another advantage of using pkg is, it creates executable files for several target machines at once.</li></ul>



<h4 id="h-installing-pkg"><span id="Installing_Pkg">Installing Pkg:</span></h4>



<ul><li>You can install pkg using the below command:<ul><li>npm install -g pkg</li></ul></li></ul>



<h3 id="h-steps-to-create-an-executable-file"><span id="Steps_to_create_an_executable_file">Steps to create an executable file:</span></h3>



<ul><li>Create a new node js project using the below command<ul><li>npm init</li></ul></li><li>Add appium and pkg as a dependency<ul><li>npm install &#8211;save appium@2.0.0-beta.71</li><li>npm install &#8211;save pkg@5.8.0</li></ul></li><li>Create an index.js file and add the below code, which will start the appium server:</li></ul>



<pre class="wp-block-code"><code><styled-code>
const {asyncify} = require('asyncbox');
const appium = require('appium');

if (require.main === module) {
  asyncify(appium.main);
}

module.exports = appium;
</styled-code></code></pre>



<ul><li>Pkg looks for an entry point to the application in the package.json file, so add bin and mention index.js.</li><li>Pkg has options such as targets, assets, and outputPath.<ul><li><strong>targets: </strong>Specify the format for which you want to build your output. For example, I am generating an exec file for node version:node16, Os: macOS, and Arch: arm64. If we don&#8217;t specify the target, Pkg generates an exec file for Windows, Linux, and macOS by default.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>assets: </strong>Asset is where we need to add all the required dependencies. For the appium server, we need to add the axios.cjs path as assets Apart from that I have also added files related to the sharp module, as I was getting errors for the same.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>output path: </strong>Path where the exec file should be placed.&nbsp;</li></ul></li></ul>



<p>After doing the above, the package.json file should look like this:</p>



<styled-code>{

 &#8220;name&#8221;: &#8220;appium&#8221;,

 &#8220;version&#8221;: &#8220;1.0.0&#8221;,

 &#8220;description&#8221;: &#8220;Project to create exec file for appium&#8221;,

 &#8220;bin&#8221;: {

   &#8220;appium&#8221;: &#8220;./index.js&#8221;

 },

 &#8220;scripts&#8221;: {

   &#8220;start&#8221;: &#8220;node ./index.js&#8221;,

   &#8220;test&#8221;: &#8220;echo \&#8221;Error: no test specified\&#8221; &amp;&amp; exit 1&#8243;
},

 &#8220;license&#8221;: &#8220;ISC&#8221;,

 &#8220;dependencies&#8221;: {

   &#8220;appium&#8221;: &#8220;^2.0.0-beta.71&#8221;,

   &#8220;pkg&#8221;: &#8220;^5.8.0&#8221;

 },

 &#8220;pkg&#8221;: {

   &#8220;targets&#8221;: [
     &#8220;node16-macos-arm64&#8221;
   ],
   &#8220;assets&#8221;: [
&#8220;./node_modules/axios/dist/node/axios.cjs&#8221;,&#8221;./node_modules/sharp/build/**&#8221;,&#8221;./node_modules/sharp/vendor/**&#8221;
],
   &#8220;outputPath&#8221;: &#8220;dist&#8221;

 }

}</styled-code>



<br><ul><li>Then give the below command to create an exec file for the appium server<ul><li>pkg package.json</li></ul></li><li>You can ignore the warnings on running the above command and once it is over, in the dist folder, you can find the appium server as an exec file. Double-click on it to start the server.</li></ul><br>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1600" height="269" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/image-113.png" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" class="wp-image-29810"/></figure>



<br><ul><li>One important thing to consider before packaging is that, when we try to start the server, appium by default fetches the npm version on the machine and checks if the npm version is compatible to start the server. Because of that, if you try to start the appium server using the exec file we have just created in a machine that does not have npm, it will throw the below error.&nbsp;</li></ul><br>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1294" height="162" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/image-114.png" alt="Testsigma - Test automation platform" class="wp-image-29812"/></figure>



<br><ul><li>To overcome this problem, go inside the appium folder which is present inside the node_modules folder of the project’s working directory, and search for the below methods and comment them out. This will stop appium from looking for the npm version on the target machine.&nbsp;<ul><li>getNpmVersion()</li><li>checkNpmOk()</li></ul></li><li>After doing the above, run the command again to create an executable file, and this time, you will be able to start the server on machines that do not have npm.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<p>It took me some time to figure this out. And having written this article, I hope it will help you get through the process of creating an executable file for the appium server with ease.</p>



<p>All said and done, I would also like to tell you about a <a href="https://testsigma.com/low-code-test-automation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">low-code test automation platform</a> for web, mobile, APIs, and desktop applications &#8211; Testsigma.&nbsp; I, along with my team, at Testsigma, am working on some interesting innovations in the field of test automation and would definitely like you to check it out here: <a href="https://testsigma.com/signup" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://testsigma.com/signup</a>.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="h-conclusion"><span id="Conclusion">Conclusion:</span></h2>



<p>Creating an executable file for the appium server not only helps you with starting/stopping the server but also with easy installation and distribution.</p>



<p>Happy Testing!!</p>


Creating an executable file for Appium Server


<p>Imagine you&#8217;re a chef cooking up a delicious meal for your guests. You&#8217;ve planned out your ingredients and recipe, but before you start cooking, you need to make sure your kitchen is organized and all the kitchen tools and accessories you need is within reach. This is where test implementation comes in, the crucial stage of software testing where the test plan is put into action. Just like a chef, the test manager should ensure that everything required for testing is ready and testers can start testing.</p>



<p>In this article, we will discuss what test implementation is and its pros and cons in detail. Let&#8217;s get started.</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><ul><li><a href="#What_is_Test_Implementation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">0.1</span> What is Test Implementation?</a></li><li><a href="#Responsibilities_of_a_Test_Manager_in_the_Test_Implementation_Phase"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">0.2</span> Responsibilities of a Test Manager in the Test Implementation Phase</a></li><li><a href="#Test_Implementation_and_Test_Automation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">0.3</span> Test Implementation and Test Automation</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Disadvantages_of_Early_Test_Implementation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> Disadvantages of Early Test Implementation</a></li><li><a href="#Advantages_of_Early_Test_Implementation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> Advantages of Early Test Implementation</a></li><li><a href="#Major_Tasks_Involved_In_Test_Implementation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> Major Tasks Involved In Test Implementation</a></li><li><a href="#Summary"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> Summary</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#How_do_you_implement_software_testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.1</span> How do you implement software testing?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_the_implementation_and_testing_phase"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.2</span> What is the implementation and testing phase?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h3 id="h-what-is-test-implementation"><span id="What_is_Test_Implementation"><strong>What is Test Implementation?</strong></span></h3>



<p>Test implementation is a process of organizing and prioritizing tests and creating test data. Sometimes, if necessary, it also involves preparing test harnesses and creating automated test scripts.</p>



<p>During this stage, the Test Analyst or Test Manager makes sure that all the prerequisites are handled to initiate the test execution. They then implement the test designs as test cases, test procedures, and test data, which are then executed to verify the functionality of the software.</p>



<p>It is crucial to choose the right tests and execute them in the right order. Also, this is vital while using risk-based strategies, where testers prioritize tests based on the risks and problems.</p>



<p>If you are following the <a href="https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/829/3787/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">IEEE829</a> standard, then you must define the below parameters too,</p>



<ul><li>Test inputs</li><li>Expected test results, and</li><li>Steps to follow for each test process</li></ul>



<p>These will be documented together, and test data will be stored in database tables, flat files, etc.</p>



<h3 id="h-responsibilities-of-a-test-manager-in-the-test-implementation-phase"><span id="Responsibilities_of_a_Test_Manager_in_the_Test_Implementation_Phase">Responsibilities of a Test Manager in the Test Implementation Phase</span></h3>



<p>Another important part of the implementation phase is that the Test Manager should ensure that the testing team is ready to execute the test design.</p>



<p>The following are some of the responsibilities of a Test Manager in this phase:</p>



<ul><li>Ensuring that all the test procedures are organized and available to testers.</li><li>A guideline of who will execute what test cases, when, and test data for testing.</li><li>Finalizing the timeline of test execution</li><li>Ensuring that the tools to be used by testers are in place</li><li>Ensuring that the test environment for executing test data is in place</li><li>Are the test cases documented and reviewed?</li><li>Ensuring that the test environment is configured to the guidelines</li><li>Preparing a schedule for test execution, describing the order for execution of manual and automated tests.</li><li>Checking for constraints like risks and priorities</li></ul>



<h3 id="h-test-implementation-and-test-automation"><span id="Test_Implementation_and_Test_Automation"><strong>Test Implementation and Test Automation</strong></span></h3>



<p>Test implementation is not just about manual testing. It involves creating automated testing scripts as well. Automated testing should be properly implemented to ensure a good ROI (Return on Investment).In this stage, the Test Managers define the priority and the execution order of the manual and automation tests. Not just that, even the acquisition of tools required for testing, like automation testing tool, test data generation tool, framework, and more, is done in this stage.</p>



<p><p style="padding-bottom:30px"><a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma</a> is a powerful test automation platform that lets you automate web, mobile, and desktop apps and APIs in one place. It allows you to create test cases in plain English statements as it supports <strong>Natural Language Processing</strong>. This makes editing, removing, or updating the test cases at any stage very easy.</p></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/image_f1855eb8fb739a48289f4b0c8e435912_2000.png_1748948267.png" alt="Testsigma"/></figure>



<p><p style="padding-top:30px">The following are some of the <a href="https://testsigma.com/features">features of Testsigma</a>,</p></p>



<ul><li>It is a no-code platform, so no coding skills are required for testing. You can create test cases using NLPs.</li></ul><br>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/migrated_images/image_6c6ab8cbfc26693ac18bfe6e0a4dadfe_2000.png_1748948264.png" alt="Testsigma - Test Automation Platform"/></figure>



<br><ul><li>With Testsigma, you can <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/roi-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">achieve a good ROI</a> quickly.</li><li>It is also available as an <a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">open-source</a> and free version.</li><li>You can perform cross-browser testing, <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-api-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">API testing</a>, UI testing, integration testing, regression testing, end-to-end testing, and more in one place.</li><li>It makes testing 10x faster than traditional testing methods.</li><li>If you go for the Testsigma Cloud version, you can start with test automation in 2 minutes without the need to install anything on your end.</li><li>Easily create and maintain tests on the cloud.</li><li>Extended customer support via chat, email, phone, and community.</li><li>Offers third-party integrations with multiple tools like Jenkins, CircleCI, and more.</li></ul><br>



<p><button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="display: block;
    margin: auto;"><a href="https://testsigma.com/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Start automating your tests using Testsigma Cloud for free using the 21-day free trial.</a></button></p>



<br><h2 id="h-disadvantages-of-early-test-implementation"><span id="Disadvantages_of_Early_Test_Implementation">Disadvantages of Early Test Implementation</span></h2>



<p>The following are some of the drawbacks of implementing the tests early,</p>



<ul><li>When an Agile software development life cycle is used for software development, then the code might undergo multiple changes between consecutive iterations. This will make the entire test implementation ineffective.</li><li>Not just the Agile life cycle, using an iterative software development lifecycle will also affect the code between iterations.</li><li>The above scenarios will make the predefined tests obsolete and might require continuous maintenance.</li><li>Even while using a sequential life cycle like the Waterfall model for product development, if the project is not managed properly and if the requirements keep changing later, then early test implementation is ineffective.</li></ul>



<p>Hence, the Test Manager must consider the below factors before the test implementation process,</p>



<ul><li>Identify the type of Software development life cycle used for product development</li><li>Features that require testing</li><li>Define how frequently the requirements may change in the later stages of the project lifecycle</li><li>Possibility of code changes between two iterations</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-advantages-of-early-test-implementation"><span id="Advantages_of_Early_Test_Implementation">Advantages of Early Test Implementation</span></h2>



<p>Early test implementation is a good practice. Let&#8217;s discuss some of the advantages of early test implementation,</p>



<ul><li>Concrete test cases provide practical examples of how the application behaves.</li><li>Also, domain experts find it simple and easy to verify concrete tests rather than non-concrete business rules.</li><li>It helps identify any weaknesses in software specifications.</li><li>It further promotes collaboration between testers, developers, and other members of the project team.</li></ul>



<p><em>Note &#8211; If you&#8217;re wondering what a concrete test case is, a concrete test case is a specific test scenario with predefined input values, expected results, and execution steps.</em></p>



<h2 id="h-major-tasks-involved-in-test-implementation"><span id="Major_Tasks_Involved_In_Test_Implementation">Major Tasks Involved In Test Implementation</span></h2>



<p>The following are some of the major tasks involved in test implementation,</p>



<ul><li>Develop and prioritize test procedures.</li><li>Prepare <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-harness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test Harness</a></li><li>Create test suites from test procedures.</li><li>Prepare test data for test execution.</li><li>Finalize, implement, and prioritize test cases.</li><li>Create automated test scripts. Using a powerful test automation platform like Testsigma, you can create test steps using simple language or use Java to test certain scenarios that might require coding.</li><li>Set up the test environment and verify that everything is configured correctly.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-summary"><span id="Summary">Summary</span></h2>



<p>Test implementation is a critical stage in the software testing process. The implementation of tests early in the development process can help detect bugs early, which can save time and resources while improving overall quality.</p>



<p>So, just like how a well-organized kitchen sets the stage for a successful meal, proper test implementation sets the stage for a successful software release.</p>



<h2 id="h-frequently-asked-questions"><span id="Frequently_Asked_Questions">Frequently Asked Questions</span></h2>



<h3 id="h-how-do-you-implement-software-testing"><span id="How_do_you_implement_software_testing">How do you implement software testing?</span></h3>



<p>Test implementation is the process of prioritizing and organizing tests. The implementation of software testing involves several steps, like planning the tests, designing test data, creating test cases, prioritizing the tests based on risks, finalizing the timeline for testing, test execution schedule, acquisition of testing tools, and so on.</p>



<h3 id="h-what-is-the-implementation-and-testing-phase"><span id="What_is_the_implementation_and_testing_phase">What is the implementation and testing phase?</span></h3>



<p>The implementation and testing phase is a stage in the software development life cycle (SDLC) where the software testing plan is created, implemented, and executed. This helps ensure that the application meets the requirements and works as intended.</p>


Test Implementation in Software Testing - An Overview

Test Implementation in Software Testing – An Overview

Database Testing: A Complete Guide With Examples

Database Testing: What it is, Why & Best Practices


<p><em>A clean test script is a good test script.</em></p>



<p><em>But a well-maintained test script is the best.</em></p>



<p>And while developers work hard to add/update application features, the well-maintained test scripts pick out tiny mistakes that slip into the code. You can turn to <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automation testing</a> to fix the mistakes in the software, but what if the test cases themselves are wrong? Maintenance testing helps here. It keeps the tests up to date, ensures AUT quality, and increases overall test coverage. Both manual and automation tests require regular maintenance. And for this blog, we will focus on the latter and discuss all the possible scenarios you can implement to maintain your automation tests.</p>



<p>Here’s our take on test maintenance and why you should think sincerely about implementing it for your business.</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_Test_Maintenance_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> What is Test Maintenance Testing?</a></li><li><a href="#Why_is_Test_Maintenance_Crucial_to_Software_Development"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> Why is Test Maintenance Crucial to Software Development?</a></li><li><a href="#Types_Of_Maintenance_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> Types Of Maintenance Testing</a><ul><li><a href="#Confirmation_Maintenance_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">3.1</span> Confirmation Maintenance Testing</a></li><li><a href="#Regression_Maintenance_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">3.2</span> Regression Maintenance Testing</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#How_Do_You_Maintain_a_Test"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> How Do You Maintain a Test?</a></li><li><a href="#Test_Maintenance_Techniques_Approaches"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> Test Maintenance Techniques/ Approaches</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_Some_Best_Practices_for_Test_Maintenance"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">6</span> What are Some Best Practices for Test Maintenance?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_the_Main_Challenges_of_Test_Maintenance"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">7</span> What are the Main Challenges of Test Maintenance?</a></li><li><a href="#How_Does_Testsigma_Make_Maintenance_of_Automated_Test_Cases_Easy"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">8</span> How Does Testsigma Make Maintenance of Automated Test Cases Easy?</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">9</span> Conclusion</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">10</span> Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</a><ul><li><a href="#When_should_maintenance_testing_occur"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">10.1</span> When should maintenance testing occur?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_the_importance_of_test_maintenance"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">10.2</span> What is the importance of test maintenance?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-what-is-test-maintenance-testing"><span id="What_is_Test_Maintenance_Testing"><strong>What is Test Maintenance Testing?</strong></span></h2>



<p>Test maintenance is the process of repairing test cases so they stay updated with continuous code changes. </p>



<p>Often, businesses have codes that keep changing as new updates get added to the application. Test maintenance ensures that your test script, manual or automation, stays up to date with the changes in code. With regular test maintenance, your business will save costs and time with high-quality tests by your side. For example, if the identifying attribute of a UI element (Id or class or Xpath) changes, even the test needs to accommodate that change to avoid failure.</p>



<p>There are multiple tools you can use for test automation. Some of those tools have features that reduce the test maintenance time, like Testsigma. Testsigma supports self-healing. It automatically detects the changes in the attributes of web elements and updates them so that tests don’t fail. Keep reading, and you will learn how Testsigma keeps your test cases up-to-date with the changes made in the code.</p>



<h2 id="h-why-is-test-maintenance-crucial-to-software-development"><span id="Why_is_Test_Maintenance_Crucial_to_Software_Development"><strong>Why is Test Maintenance Crucial to Software Development?</strong></span></h2>



<p>Test maintenance is crucial because it lowers the time and cost of writing tests. With test maintenance, you don’t need to keep working on new tests; add/delete the information from the existing ones. It simplifies testing, consistently maintains test quality, and improves automation testing scripts to run complex tests.</p>



<h2 id="h-types-of-maintenance-testing"><span id="Types_Of_Maintenance_Testing"><strong>Types Of Maintenance Testing</strong></span></h2>



<p>When working on maintaining tests, there are two types of maintenance testing every tester needs to work on:</p>



<h3 id="h-confirmation-maintenance-testing"><span id="Confirmation_Maintenance_Testing">Confirmation Maintenance Testing</span></h3>



<p>This maintenance testing type checks the modified code. While conducting this type of maintenance testing, you need to monitor every small and big modification in the code to ensure there are no functionality or downtime issues. Read more about <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/confirmation-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Confirmation testing</a></p>



<h3 id="h-regression-maintenance-testing"><span id="Regression_Maintenance_Testing">Regression Maintenance Testing</span></h3>



<p>This type focuses on testing the existing functionality and comes after the confirmation maintenance testing phase. It checks the complete software after the code change to ensure the existing functions do not encounter any issues. It is called <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/automated-regression-testing-challenges-agile/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Regression testing</a>.</p>



<h2 id="h-how-do-you-maintain-a-test"><span id="How_Do_You_Maintain_a_Test"><strong>How Do You Maintain a Test?</strong></span></h2>



<p>To maintain a test, you can keep changing the script to follow the code changes. Just monitor the modifications in the code and change the data/steps in the test script accordingly. But do you think this is a feasible way to maintain a test? What if a major release influences multiple areas of the application, and you would need to change every test script manually? The process seems tedious and highly time-consuming, and even prone to errors. And manually maintaining the scripts is not the right approach in the long term. But whatever your case, manual or automation, here are some of the best practices for you to follow when maintaining a test is not a one-man&#8217;s job.</p>



<h2 id="test-maintenance-techniques-approaches"><span id="Test_Maintenance_Techniques_Approaches">Test Maintenance Techniques/ Approaches</span></h2>



<p><strong>1) Using Reusable Test Modules Approach: </strong>Every feature or functionality consists of multiple components. To maintain test scripts properly, you need to break down your tests into smaller, reusable functions or modules. This way, when any changes occur to the software application, you would not need to update multiple tests, you would just have to update the part of the script that needs to be changed.</p>



<p><strong>2) Page Object Model (POM) Approach: </strong>This design pattern facilitates the separation of test script functionality from the user interface. Because each component or page has its own class, maintenance is made simpler. The only tests that would require updating in the event of UI changes are the page object classes.</p>



<p><strong>3) Centralized Test Data Management: </strong>Instead of hard-coding data in test scripts, a best practice is to keep the test data in separate files or formats like CSV, Excel, or JSON. This way, if the test data needs to be changed, you would only need to update the data files instead of modifying the test code itself.</p>



<p><strong>4) User Version Control Systems: </strong>It is easier to keep track of changes and roll back to earlier versions when test scripts are stored in a version control system like Git. This is also important when multiple members are working on the same test suite because it checks that everyone is on the same page.</p>



<p><strong>5) Regular Review and Refactoring: </strong>Just like developers are advised to always regularly review and refactor the application, the same applies to QA teams as well. The test scripts need to be regularly refactored to avoid redundant steps and to generally improve the structure of the test scripts.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>6) Using Automated Test Maintenance Tools: </strong>It is easier to detect when tests break because of code changes when test automation is integrated with continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines. Also, test management tools like TestRail or Jira can be used to track, organize, and maintain test results.<gwmw style="display:none;"><gwmw style="display:none;"></gwmw></p>



<h2 id="h-what-are-some-best-practices-for-test-maintenance"><span id="What_are_Some_Best_Practices_for_Test_Maintenance"><strong>What are Some Best Practices for Test Maintenance?</strong></span></h2>



<p>Below are some simple steps that make test maintenance easy:</p>



<ul><li>Build a clear and accessible test maintenance design where team members can easily communicate. You can achieve this by meticulously planning the test cycles and utilizing all the resources available to you. For example, if a tester worked on a test script for a certain feature, keeping everyone in the loop and being open to adapting changes to the test plan will help your team in maintenance testing.</li><li>Use a standard template for all test cases during automation</li><li>Try to create reusable tests or use a tool that supports reusability</li><li>Add testing as a critical part of SDLC during the development itself. This means adopting the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-does-testsigma-support-the-shift-left-approach/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shift-left testing technique</a> and going for CI/CD approach.</li><li>Write test cases and scripts with maximum coverage in the first instance, so you won’t have to keep adding new data for every small code change.</li><li>Run regular technical reviews of your test cases/scripts every month/quarter to find missing cases.</li><li>Add test steps that focus on what users will see and experience rather than going deep to the code level because sometimes, even when the program is right visual elements are missing on the page.</li><li>Keep updating changes on the go in your tests as you change your code.</li><li>To save time and get more work done, go for a no-code test automation tool, such as Testsigma, that comes with a lot of features to reduce test maintenance time. We will talk more about it in the sections below.</li></ul>



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<h2 id="h-what-are-the-main-challenges-of-test-maintenance"><span id="What_are_the_Main_Challenges_of_Test_Maintenance"><strong>What are the Main Challenges of Test Maintenance?</strong></span></h2>



<p>Here are some of the common challenges you might encounter while working on test maintenance:</p>



<ul><li>Your team might find it difficult to manage the cost and time of maintaining the tests if they are not equipped with the right tools and knowledge.</li><li>It becomes challenging if you do not find a test automation tool that can analyze false positives/flaky tests.</li><li>Poor or delayed communication between the developers and testers can compromise the test maintenance process and make it difficult to keep the tests on track with the code changes.</li><li>Your team will come across issues with testing tools that do not have the capability to detect GUI objects and the changes thereafter.</li><li>There might come situations where there is a skill gap in testers/developers to understand the requirement and maintain the tests either manually or using tools.</li></ul>



<p>And all these challenges might be difficult to surpass, but with the right tool like Testsigma, you can lower or even eliminate some of them.</p>



<h2 id="h-how-does-testsigma-make-maintenance-of-automated-test-cases-easy"><span id="How_Does_Testsigma_Make_Maintenance_of_Automated_Test_Cases_Easy"><strong>How Does Testsigma Make Maintenance of Automated Test Cases Easy?</strong></span></h2>



<p>By now, we know that maintenance testing is extensive but possible. But what if we told you that it need not be as stressful? It is possible with the help of a feature called Self-healing. Testsigma supports the self-healing of test cases. </p>



<p>Here are some ways in which Testsigma makes maintenance of automated test cases easy:</p>



<p>1. Self-healing: As mentioned earlier, Testsigma&#8217;s self-healing feature is a game-changer. It uses <a href="https://testsigma.com/ai-driven-test-automation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AI-powered automation</a> to determine any changes made to web elements in the source code and resolves them on its own, preventing the test cases from failing. This means that even if there are minor changes in the web application, the test cases will continue to function without any manual intervention.</p>



<p>2. Reusability: Testsigma allows you to create reusable test cases, which can be used across multiple projects and releases. This not only saves time and effort but also ensures that the test cases are consistent and reliable.</p>



<p>3. Easy Maintenance: Testsigma&#8217;s intuitive interface makes it easy to maintain test cases. The platform allows you to update test cases quickly and efficiently, ensuring that they remain up-to-date and relevant.</p>



<p>4. Collaboration: Testsigma allows multiple team members to work on the same test cases simultaneously, making it easy to collaborate and ensure that the test cases are accurate and reliable.</p>



<p>5. Comprehensive Reporting: Testsigma provides comprehensive reporting, which helps you identify issues and areas that require attention. The reporting feature also allows you to track progress and measure the effectiveness of your test cases.</p>



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<h2 id="h-conclusion"><span id="Conclusion"><strong>Conclusion</strong></span></h2>



<p>Developers keep changing the code regularly. New features come up, UI undergoes changes, and users request modifications &#8211; many such activities require code changes. With these changes, the tests need to be modified too. This is when maintenance testing comes into the picture. With regular test maintenance &#8211; automated test cases can help catch bugs on the latest code too. Thus, test maintenance can take a lot of time if not managed well. A part of the problem can be solved by choosing a test automation tool that supports test maintenance. Testsigma is one such tool with features such as:</p>



<ul><li>Easy-to-edit test steps</li><li>Self-healing test cases</li><li>Reusable test steps</li></ul>



<p>Not only this, Testsigma is a low-code test automation tool that makes your test authoring 10x faster. And lets you automate tests for web, mobile, Desktop, and APIs from the same place.</p>



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



<h3 id="h-when-should-maintenance-testing-occur"><span id="When_should_maintenance_testing_occur">When should maintenance testing occur?</span></h3>



<p>Maintenance testing should occur after deploying and delivering the application to the end users. It is a sort of customer service that listens to user queries and fixes the issues encountered by them.</p>



<h3 id="h-what-is-the-importance-of-test-maintenance"><span id="What_is_the_importance_of_test_maintenance">What is the importance of test maintenance?</span></h3>



<p>The importance of test maintenance lies in saving time and cost. It helps to keep tests up-to-date with every source code change and eliminates the need to write new test cases in such situations.</p>


Test Maintenance: Guide On How to Maintain Automated Tests

What is Maintenance Testing in Software Testing?

How to Write Test Cases for API Testing with a Free Template

Test Cases for API Testing – How to Write & Example

What is Testing Pyramid How Does It Benefit Agile Teams

What is Testing Pyramid? How Does It Benefit Agile Teams?


<p>User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and Usability Testing &#8211; these terms might sound similar but different. This blog will guide you about User Acceptance Testing vs. Usability Testing.</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#User_Acceptance_Testing_vs_Usability_Testing_8211_Overview"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> User Acceptance Testing vs Usability Testing &#8211; Overview</a><ul><li><a href="#What_is_Usability_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">1.1</span> What is Usability Testing?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_User_Acceptance_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">1.2</span> What is User Acceptance Testing?</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#User_Acceptance_Testing_vs_Usability_Testing_8211_Key_Differences"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> User Acceptance Testing vs Usability Testing &#8211; Key Differences</a></li><li><a href="#User_Acceptance_Testing_vs_Usability_Testing_8211_Can_they_be_automated"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> User Acceptance Testing vs Usability Testing &#8211; Can they be automated?</a></li><li><a href="#Summary"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> Summary</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#Is_UAT_a_usability_testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.1</span> Is UAT , a usability testing?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="user-acceptance-testing-vs-usability-testing-overview"><span id="User_Acceptance_Testing_vs_Usability_Testing_8211_Overview"><strong>User Acceptance Testing vs Usability Testing &#8211; Overview</strong></span></h2>



<h3 id="h-what-is-usability-testing"><span id="What_is_Usability_Testing">What is Usability Testing?</span></h3>



<p>Usability testing is when people try out a product, website, or app to see how easy it is. The testing aims to identify users&#8217; issues or problems while using the product. Usability testing can help improve the overall user experience and increase customer satisfaction. </p>



<p>During usability testing, participants are given specific tasks to complete while using the product. The testers observe and take notes on how the participants interact with the product, noting any areas of confusion or difficulty. </p>



<p>After the testing, the results are analyzed, and changes can be made to improve the product&#8217;s usability. Usability testing can be done at any stage of the product development process, from early prototypes to finished products.</p>



<p>For example, a company has developed a new mobile app. Before launching it to the public, they conduct usability testing by inviting individuals to use the app and provide feedback. The testers are given specific tasks to complete, and their interactions with the app are observed and recorded. The company can make necessary changes based on feedback to improve the app&#8217;s usability and ensure a better user experience.</p>



<p><strong>Read all about &#8211; </strong><a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/usability-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>Usability Testing</strong></a>.</p>



<h3 id="h-what-is-user-acceptance-testing"><span id="What_is_User_Acceptance_Testing">What is User Acceptance Testing?</span></h3>



<p>User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is testing that end-users or customers perform to ensure that the software or application meets their specific requirements and expectations. It is usually the last testing stage before the product is released. </p>



<p>During UAT, users go through required test scenarios and perform various tasks and actions to ensure the software works in different scenarios. They also report any issues or bugs they encounter during testing, and then the team works on fixing those issues.</p>



<p><strong>Read all about &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/uat-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">User Acceptance Testing</a></strong></p>



<p>In summary, the development team should carry out UAT during the final stages of preparation before releasing the software to the end users.</p>



<h2 id="h-user-acceptance-testing-vs-usability-testing-key-differences"><span id="User_Acceptance_Testing_vs_Usability_Testing_8211_Key_Differences"><strong><strong>User Acceptance Testing vs Usability Testing</strong></strong> &#8211; <strong>Key Differences</strong></span></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table aligncenter"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Feat<strong>ures</strong>                                                         </strong></td><td><strong>Usability Testing</strong></td><td><strong>UAT</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Definition</strong></td><td>Evaluates software&#8217;s ease of use and efficiency, including its interface, navigation, and user experience elements.</td><td>Verifies and validates that the software meets the user&#8217;s requirements and functions as intended in terms of functionality, usability, and performance.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Goal</strong></td><td>Identify usability issues and enhance the software&#8217;s design and user experience.</td><td>Ensure that the software meets the business requirements and achieves the desired outcomes.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Testing time</strong></td><td>It is done at all stages of software development.</td><td>This testing is conducted towards the end of the software development life cycle.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Testers</strong></td><td>Usability experts, UI designers, and end-users who may interact with the software.</td><td>Actual end-users, business representatives, or subject matter experts who will perform real-world tasks.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Feedback</strong></td><td>Focuses on subjective feedback, including user satisfaction, frustration, and experience.</td><td>Focused on objective feedback, including defects, issues, and discrepancies.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tools</strong></td><td>Various tools, such as mockups, <a href="https://www.figma.com/resource-library/what-is-wireframing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wireframes</a>, and design prototypes to observe user interactions and record observations.</td><td>Test management software, test automation frameworks, and API testing tools to verify functionality and check for defects.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 id="h-user-acceptance-testing-vs-usability-testing-can-they-be-automated"><span id="User_Acceptance_Testing_vs_Usability_Testing_8211_Can_they_be_automated"><strong>User Acceptance Testing vs Usability Testing</strong> &#8211; <strong>Can they be automated?</strong></span></h2>



<p>Some aspects of User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/usability-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Usability Testing</a> can be automated using various testing tools, notably the software&#8217;s user interface (UI) component. However, it is necessary to note that both UAT and Usability Testing rely heavily on subjective evaluation by human testers, which makes complete automation difficult. </p>



<p>For example, <a href="https://testsigma.com/user-interface-testing-tools" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UI testing tools</a> like Selenium or Testsigma can automate functional testing in UAT and simulate user interactions for Usability Testing. These tools can check if the software functions as intended and whether the user interface meets the usability standards.</p>



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<h2 id="h-summary"><span id="Summary"><strong>Summary</strong></span></h2>



<p>Alright, folks! So, we&#8217;ve talked about UAT, Usability Testing, the differences between User Acceptance Testing and Usability Testing, and how important they are for a successful product launch. </p>



<p>User Acceptance Testing aims to ensure that the product meets stakeholders&#8217; requirements, while Usability Testing aims to ensure the product is easy and intuitive for end-users. And lastly, we also discussed some tools that can help us automate some UI tests that would be executed as part of usability and UAT testing. </p>



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<h2 id="h-frequently-asked-questions"><span id="Frequently_Asked_Questions"><strong>Frequently Asked Questions</strong></span></h2>



<h3 id="is-uat-a-usability-testing"><span id="Is_UAT_a_usability_testing">Is UAT , a usability testing?</span></h3>



<p>Yes, UAT (User Acceptance Testing) is a type of usability testing that involves end-users evaluating a system to ensure it meets their needs and requirements.</p>



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