Test Automation To Achieve Fail Fast, Fail Often

Selenium Automation Testing : Top Benefits & Challenges

Software Testing has not evolved to meet the demands of the current accelerated delivery needs. As software becomes sophisticated,&nbsp;traditional approaches to Testing&nbsp;would not be sufficient. With the advancement in technology, Test Automation was introduced to accelerate the process of testing simply by automating test cases and scenarios.



In today’s world, almost every organization is onto Test Automation for better business results.



 



For the past few years, the First generation of Test Automation has been in the spotlight. These provide businesses and testing teams a macro recording which runs in parallel with an Application Programming Interface (API), whereas test execution engines send a command and wait for it to be executed. This tool was working well for short length automation and was also done by combining a logical sequence of such short length macros and test flows. 



Then came the Second generation Test Automation Tools that offers full scripting capability with more features and better support for user interaction. Most of the windows based on common tasks such as operations, application, launch, generating reports were simplified. Frameworks like these are required to be built on long term test automation to go at par with quality the business is expecting. 



As the continuous innovation in technology, <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/scriptless-test-automation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scriptless Test Automation</a> is rapidly gaining its popularity amongst various IT companies – simply because it is designed to help the testing team to quickly build ready-to-use automated test cases and reusable code assets that have full test coverage.



Scriptless Testing is a term used for test automation done without having to write any script or code. This type of testing is also called codeless testing sometimes. Check the guide for an in-depth read on <a aria-label="Check the guide for an in-depth read on codeless testing. (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/codeless-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">codeless testing.</a> 



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Second-Gen_Test_Automation_Tool_Selenium">1 Second-Gen Test Automation Tool, “Selenium”</a></li><li><a href="#Scriptless_Test_Automation_Tools_A_Less_to_Zero_Coding_for_QA_Professionals">2 Scriptless Test Automation Tools: A “Less to Zero Coding” for QA Professionals</a></li><li><a href="#Selenium_Vs_Scriptless_Test_Automation_Tool_What_is_Best">3 Selenium Vs Scriptless Test Automation Tool: What is Best?</a></li><li><a href="#The_Comparison_Battle_Concludes">4 The Comparison Battle Concludes!</a></li><li><a href="#Testsigma_NLP_based_Scriptless_Test_Automation_Solution">5 Testsigma: NLP based Scriptless Test Automation Solution</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="second-gen-test-automation-tool-selenium">Second-Gen Test Automation Tool, “Selenium”</h2>



Selenium is a suite of web browser automation tools to automate browsers across a range of platforms. It is principally used to automate web apps for testing reasons even though it is capable of so many things. The majority of big-name browser vendors support it. Furthermore, many of these either have taken or are taking steps to make it a native part of their browsers. Besides, it is the core technology used in serried of other APIs, browser automation tools, and automation testing frameworks.



Selenium runs on various browsers and operating systems, and a range of programming languages and frameworks can control it. Plus, it can automate tedious web-based administration tasks.



It also provides for authoring tests without the necessity to acquire knowledge of a test scripting language (Selenium IDE). Selenium also provides a test domain-specific language (Selenese) to write tests in several popular programming languages, including Scala, Groovy, Java, Ruby, C#, PHP, Python, and Perl. The tests can then run against current and newest web browsers. Selenium deploys on Windows, macOS and Linux platforms.



Selenium is primarily composed of respective components with specific role assists the web application test automation development. These are Selenium Grid, Selenium IDE (Integrated Development Environment), Selenium WebDriver, and Selenium RC (Remote Control).







<h2 id="scriptless-test-automation-tools-a-less-to-zero-coding-for-qa-professionals">Scriptless Test Automation Tools: A “Less to Zero Coding” for QA Professionals</h2>



&#8220;Scriptless” implies “no scripting and programming”. This is somewhat misleading to the audience especially to those who are new to software testing. Scriptless testing doesn’t eliminate scripting and is not suitable for the actual coding of any test automation tool. It is an extremely flexible testing framework with minimal exposure to code. In layman’s terms, it can be said that scriptless testing is an approach to conduct testing without scripting or coding in any programming language. It reduces the time required for creating automated tests by considerably minimizing the amount of scripting needed. 



Scriptless Test Automation is a more structured model where the majority of test cases can be automated by functional users and those are reusable scripts. It is a myth that test architects will be involved in scriptless testing but in real-time they are not. Based on their expertise and knowledge, test architects will be involved in identifying the possible reusable part of the test scripts. When operational scope spreads out, few new components will be added to the application and then test architects will be involved to integrate them. 



Scriptless Test Automation is being refined to highly organized tools for use in multiple real-time test scenarios. The developers of those tools shall have analyzed various business cases, deployment environments, operational scenarios before building each reusable components for their tools. Hence they offer a good standard of practical reliability as well. 



With scriptless Test Automation, testers can create better automation scripts that showcase the core functionality of the application. This type of testing will certainly reduce the number of licenses for the testing tools. Scriptless Test Automation will be more useful from product development companies where the same resources can be leveraged for multiple tasks. 



Thought it has many advantages, there are scriptless test automation frameworks that have complex underlying codes that need to be maintained and updated periodically. Those frameworks are not free – they consume initial and maintenance costs which is more than the tool’s cost. Therefore, choosing the right framework specific to your business requirement is the only manual effort you need to do. 



Using Scriptless Test Automation tools, the testing team does not need any coding or scripting knowledge to create automated tests. However, as a framework, it is a good practice to provide the capability of customization. 



For advanced users, customization can be done by writing their code for covering some unique test scenarios.



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<h2 id="selenium-vs-scriptless-test-automation-tool-what-is-best">Selenium Vs Scriptless Test Automation Tool: What is Best?</h2>



Selenium is required to be built on long term test automation to go at par with quality. For instance, if the testing team wanted to reuse test scripts then it is best to leverage Selenium IDE. Selenium IDE is one of the components of Selenium capable of recording, editing and debugging of functional test scripts. Test scripts have to be made from scratch by the testers, therefore, they are required to know programming or scripting. 



On the other hand, Scriptless Automation Tools already provide ready-to-use automated test cases and reusable code objects. Mostly for Scriptless Test Automation tools, these features are out-of-the-box. It is not mandatory for the testers to know programming or scripting of some sort. It empowers testers and business users to automate testers without worrying about coding. The problem of coding is largely taken care of by the Scriptless Test Automation tool already. 



In terms of debugging test scripts, Scriptless Test Automation tools eliminate the need to repeatedly debug scripted test code as this already done by the tool itself, while in Selenium, automation testers when encountering any test script errors have to debug the test code manually. 



Setting up test environments for Selenium is difficult. Selenium uses various plugins to support Test Automation thus making it a must for system owners and administrators to update and configure everything manually. Scriptless test environments can be built faster and maintained easily creating a hassle-free update environment.



Hence, making a Scriptless Test Automation tool a perfect fit for Test Automation for Agile and DevOps. 



Using Scriptless Test Automation Tool, the testing team can easily automate large test suites faster almost double the times faster compared to Selenium. It greatly reduces the “go to market” time, which comes in handy when there are major software updates. In short, the more the test coverage, the better as it produces a well-refined product which is a win-win situation for the business. 



Scalability and Flexibility is one of the most desirable in Scriptless. It is flexible to work with various browsers available in the market and it scales an amount of workload as much as the business requires. For Selenium to be flexible enough to work with multiple browsers, it needs to have components 



<h2 id="the-comparison-battle-concludes">The Comparison Battle Concludes!</h2>



It’s time to reach our conclusion. Both contenders, Selenium and Scriptless Test Automation Tools do what they do best. Now, which is better?&nbsp; 



Overall, Scriptless Test Automation Tools have an edge over Selenium. Scriptless test automation tools can easily be set up, configured and maintained and does not require any plugins as Selenium does. It can handle the bulk amount of test cases way faster than Selenium.



Scriptless Test Automation Tools do not require that their functional users know scripting and programming. Users can conduct their QA activities with “<a href="https://d1gm6dy5ofa99q.cloudfront.net/assets/videos/common/automated-testcase.mp4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">ready-to-use</a>” test steps which already exist within the platform. 



Unlike Selenium, one needs to add Selenium IDE to leverage playback tool which grants users feature slightly similar with reusable codes scriptless has. If we talk about scalability and flexibility, scriptless is the one in favor. Everything you need is already available. Selenium, for the most part, requires components to utilize and fully leverage it. 



The battle is over. If you are looking for the perfect Automation Testing Suite and a complete solution fit for Agile and DevOps environments, then a Scriptless Automation Tool is definitely for you.



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<h2 id="testsigma-nlp-based-scriptless-test-automation-solution">Testsigma: NLP based Scriptless Test Automation Solution</h2>



When we start talking about Test Automation, we can create a list of issues every business is facing and some which are critical for the business. Some of the major pain points include the usage of multiple tools required in testing sessions, rigorous scripting and coding, test automation frameworks, test lab, integrations and other QA related concerns that need to be addressed.&nbsp; Even with all these, your testing team is all over the place. 



It’s time to say goodbye to all this.



Say hello to Testsigma<a aria-label="It’s time to say goodbye to all this. Say hello to Testsigma, a complete test automation ecosystem.
 (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">,</a>&nbsp;a complete Test Automation ecosystem! Testsigma is an NLP based Scriptless Test Automation tool meant for all! The tests are written in simple English and can automate Web, Mobile apps and API services. To learn more about the tool, the product and services, reach out to the chat section or visit the <a aria-label="Testsigma is a Scriptless Test Automation tool meant for all! It can automate Web, Mobile apps and API services in plain English.
To learn more about the tool, the product and services, reach out to the chat section or visit the Testsigma's&nbsp;home page. (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma&#8217;s&nbsp;home page</a>.



 



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Selenium vs Scriptless Test Automation

<a href="https://testsigma.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Testsigma provides an option to schedule test executions along with real-time Executions. The Scheduling option allows us to execute the tests on local devices or on the cloud automatically during regular intervals when it isn't convenient for the user to start an Execution.
 (opens in a new tab)">Testsigma</a> provides an option to schedule test executions along with real-time Executions. The Scheduling option allows us to execute the tests on local devices or on the cloud automatically during regular intervals when it isn&#8217;t convenient for the user to start an Execution. 



Scheduled Executions



Testsigma provides an option to Schedule Test Executions along with real-time execution. The Scheduling option allows us to execute the tests on local devices or on the cloud automatically during regular intervals when it is not convenient for the user to start an Execution. For Example, we can start regression tests outside office hours so that productive time is not lost and hardware resources are freely available.







<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Creating_Scheduled_Execution_in_Testsigma">1 Creating Scheduled Execution in Testsigma</a></li><li><a href="#Which_is_the_best_tool_for_Test_Scheduling">2 Which is the best tool for Test Scheduling?</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="creating-scheduled-execution-in-testsigma">Creating Scheduled Execution in Testsigma </h2>



Once you create a free trial account with <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Once you create a free trial account with Testsigma, you will be taken to 'Dashboards'. (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com" target="_blank">Testsigma</a>, you will be taken to &#8216;Dashboards&#8217;. To create a Schedule, you can navigate to the Executions page by going through: 



Test Development &gt; Test Plans



 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Schedule.png" alt="Schedule" class="wp-image-17505" width="840" height="390" /></figure>



 



1. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Click on the Schedule button. A ‘Create Execution’ page would appear like below:



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1920" height="892" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Schedule1.png" alt="Schedule" class="wp-image-17509" /></figure>



2. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Enter the required details such as the Schedule Name, Description, Select Frequency Schedule Date and Time.



3. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Here are the different types of Frequencies: 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1920" height="892" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Schedule2.png" alt="Schedule" class="wp-image-17514" /></figure>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>If we set the Frequency as Don&#8217;t Repeat, the scheduled execution should be run only one time.</li><li>If we set the Frequency as Daily, the scheduled executions should run daily.</li><li>If the Frequency is set as Weekly, executions should run weekly.</li><li>If set as Monthly, the executions should be run every month.</li><li>Setting the frequency of execution as Hourly allows scheduled executions to run every hour.</li></ul>



 



Minute of the Hour: Set the Minute of every Hour when you want the execution to be performed.



For example, if you want to execute a test every 15 minutes, you need to create 4 schedules &#8211; At 0th Minute, 15th Minute, 30th Minute, and 45th Minute 



This will run at the 0th, 15th, 30th and 45th minute of every hour.



 



4. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Click on the Create Button.



 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" width="600" height="375" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Scheduled-Executions-Testsigma-1.gif" alt="Creating Scheduled Execution in Testsigma" class="wp-image-15344" /></figure>



 



You may set up scheduling on a one-time or recurring basis.&nbsp;Instead of waiting to execute your tests one after the other, you can choose to run your tests simultaneously (<a href="https://testsigma.com/parallel-test-runs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="You may set up scheduling on a one-time or recurring basis.&nbsp;Instead of waiting to execute your tests one after the other, you can choose to run your tests simultaneously (in parallel) across various test environments, set and receive email notifications of the run status. (opens in a new tab)">in parallel</a>) across various test environments, set and receive email notifications of the run status.



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<h2 id="h-which-is-the-best-tool-for-test-scheduling">Which is the best tool for Test Scheduling?</h2>



Choosing the best tool for test scheduling depends on your specific needs, team size, and project requirements. Suggesting Testsigma: It offers codeless test automation with built-in scheduling features. It allows parallel test execution and easy integration with CI/CD tools.

Scheduling Test Runs/Executions in Testsigma

Top Eight Essentials to move to Automated Software Testing

How To Start Automation Testing From Scratch? | 8 Key Notes To Start With

In this article, we will learn to <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-mobile-app-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="automate mobile applications (opens in a new tab)">automate mobile applications</a> using <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="In this article, we will learn to automate mobile apps using Testsigma in 3 simple steps.
Mobile apps can be tested using &nbsp;various platforms and testing frameworks. (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com" target="_blank">Testsigma</a> in 3 simple steps. Mobile applications can be automated using &nbsp;various platforms and testing frameworks.



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Android apps using AndroidSDK/UIAutomator2</li><li>iOS apps using Xcode-swift / XCUITest </li></ul>



 



Let us look at the steps one by one.







<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Step_1">1 Step 1</a></li><li><a href="#Step_2nbsp">2 Step 2&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#Step_3">3 Step 3</a><ul><li><ul><li><a href="#SCHEDULE_A_DEMO">3.0.1 SCHEDULE A DEMO</a></li></ul></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="step-1">Step 1 </h2>



Keep the app required to automate ready for Upload into Testsigma Lab. Installed on Test mobile Device(Local Hybrid Execution). The application can also be located on local machine or server accessible via direct link on internet. You may read more about the execution models in Testsigma <a href="https://support.testsigma.com/support/solutions/articles/32000021669-how-to-create-edit-delete-executions-" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Keep the app required to automate ready for Upload into Testsigma Lab. Installed on Test mobile Device(Local Hybrid Execution). The application can also be located on local machine or server accessible via direct link on internet. You may read more about the execution models in Testsigma here.
 (opens in a new tab)">here.</a> 



Testsigma Lab is Testsigma’s dedicated device cloud that has over 100+ real web, mobile devices and different versions of Android OS, iOS platforms to choose from to execute the tests.



Other Cloud Lab solutions that Testsigma offers include Sauce Labs and BrowserStack.



 



To upload the mobile application, navigate to&nbsp;Test Development &gt;&gt; Uploads 



In the Uploads page, click on the Upload button in the top right corner.



 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/GlEMhQS6wRtkfEHgaKmwi2zt68sG70V9IbsRQMsCe9HdMLqFplGazAHeWabyr8vvC2GZ_O4crMez6H2mG0dvinCni38OGA0PZ5hVjqSmH0GRO2jzBe8h6tYV9iC3LczoW4VWafxz" alt="Uploads_Testsigma"/></figure>



<h2 id="step-2">Step 2&nbsp; </h2>



Start writing the Test Steps.



If you are new to creating Test Steps in Testsigma, refer the below links to short videos that explains this. Writing automated tests in Testsigma is quite easy as they can easily be written and understood by everyone since the tests are written in plain simple English. Testsigma uses <a href="https://dev.to/lvnya_c/smart-test-automation-using-nlp-h9b" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="If you are new to creating Test Steps in Testsigma, refer the below links to short videos that explains this. Writing automated tests in Testsigma is quite easy as they can easily be written and understood by everyone since the tests are written in plain simple English. Testsigma uses NLP grammar to automate complex tests easily and involves no coding! (opens in a new tab)">NLP grammar</a> to automate complex tests easily and involves no coding!



 



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><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"/><figcaption>Test automation simplified!</figcaption></a></figure>
</figure>







Let us write the steps to launch a mobile application, tap on a few elements on the application.



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gf-0tK-N-c" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Entering Test Steps-Quick video</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/4tNN1r-CdyM" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Assigning values to the Test Step elements</a> 







The below screenshots the steps for these in Testsigma. In case of doubt, you may refer the Examples tab under the Help(?) icon in the tool.







<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/cz7hupDBopUpPUFRIc7F-lErhl48cs-RD09kNItcS-k0xhtixKYqeNQ8de9L_eKsH-XxotHgue6v3CdT0-dohVBfxr1tjx5Tqf9cXpH3D0rTrtnCIeTw953CivzY-SrnDapW7qBw" alt="Test steps" width="1445" height="541"/></figure></div>



 



<h2 id="step-3">Step 3 </h2>



Run your test. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Run your test. Testsigma provides multiple device environments to choose from. Choose your preferred combination and click Create and Run.
 (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com" target="_blank">Testsigma</a> provides multiple device environments to choose from. Choose your preferred combination and click&nbsp;Create and Run. 



 



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/4pHd8JNhnFNsJuPph6i8nlUbmhlEWrshk7LdkGwRvr6oiq5sHcxERLWdHQbxVdImk_L9yiXS3xlzVkvx2srlefd8xf11Wv4VJD5xYrteuA8M0FYuy88lD30aXAIQvefmYtJCe7AX" alt="create test run" width="603" height="473"/></figure>



 



Run the execution and get customized run results including screenshots, videos, and logs of the run.



 



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xMwwiw36-VtG7MSpZaZ7MwaTwQgo5H5CEf_8Q4O5g1_FTmiRxwXVZNRpsDU1h4N4BLiJ1uBcsypDxWozPKAye6pZ4Hat_uObUAouMnx4iUJ4AJrEPPrunEux_qLKp2JxZKRfxBYx" alt="test result" width="1450" height="773"/></figure>



 



That’s all you need to automate a mobile application in Testsigma. If you’d like to see more examples like this, let us know in the comments. 



Start a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Start a free trial and try it yourself! Feel free to contact our team by writing to support@testsigma.com or leave us a message in the chat section. (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/signup" target="_blank">free trial</a> and try it for yourself ! Feel free to contact our team by writing to support@testsigma.com or leave us a message in the chat section.







Thank You..Happy Testing!



 



<h4 id="schedule-a-demo"><a href="https://calendly.com/testsigma/demo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="SCHEDULE A DEMO (opens in a new tab)">SCHEDULE A DEMO</a></h4>

3 Steps to Automate Mobile Applications Using Testsigma

Best practices in test automation in an agile environment mean that frequent software releases to production must exhibit the best possible quality.It is essential to synchronize automated testing with the Agile development methodology to ensure that all necessary elements are considered before releasing software into production. Testing early and often is crucial for attaining high quality in frequent software releases. Furthermore, test automation becomes increasingly important during the continuous deployment phase, as it provides immediate feedback to the development team.



The automated tests should be reliable and implemented continuously to get instant feedback. You must ensure that most quality assurance is completed while new features are developed within the <a href="https://www.atlassian.com/agile/scrum/sprints" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">s</a><a href="https://www.atlassian.com/agile/scrum/sprints" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">print</a>. The new functionalities should not hamper the workflow of the existing features of the application.



The concern is that the Sprint duration is low, making it practically impossible to execute the entire test case when the application advances towards the end of the Sprint. An automated Test Suite is your answer here.



Prioritize and group Test Cases into Test Suites. An initial investment in planning and designing the test automation process would pay off in the long run.



Introducing automation testing into Agile and Continuous delivery has a risk of failure. This is because the test object changes with time as the object is improvised by the developers in every Sprint. <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/software-test-automation-what-to-expect-near-future/">Test automation that undergo constant changes</a> would eventually require high maintenance.



So, an obvious question arises, “How do you create a sustainable automated testing architecture for Agile and Continuous Delivery?”



Even though test object changes continuously, working in Agile and Continuous Delivery without Test Automation to cope with changing requirements is impossible.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Best_Practices_in_Test_Automation">1 Best Practices in Test Automation</a><ul><li><a href="#Keep_Tests_Small_And_Run_Lean">1.1 Keep Tests Small And Run Lean</a></li><li><a href="#Create_High-Quality_Test_Scripts">1.2 Create High-Quality Test Scripts </a></li><li><a href="#Introduce_DevOps_When_Possible">1.3 Introduce DevOps When Possible</a></li><li><a href="#Work_Closely_With_Business_Analysts">1.4 Work Closely With Business Analysts</a></li><li><a href="#Implement_A_Sound_QA_Practise">1.5 Implement A Sound QA Practise</a></li><li><a href="#Follow_The_Best_Practices_For_Test_Automation">1.6 Follow The Best Practices For Test Automation</a></li><li><a href="#Automate_The_Deployments">1.7 Automate The Deployments</a></li><li><a href="#Use_the_Best_Automation_Tool">1.8 Use the Best Automation Tool</a></li><li><a href="#Keep_A_Check_On_The_Development_Environment">1.9 Keep A Check On The Development Environment</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">2 Conclusion</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions">3 Frequently Asked Questions</a><ul><li><a href="#What_are_the_Best_Test_Automation_Practices_you_Follow_while_doing_UI_Automation">3.1 What are the Best Test Automation Practices you Follow while doing UI Automation?</a></li><li><a href="#How_many_Test_Automation_is_Not_Limited_to_Test_Execution">3.2 How many Test Automation is Not Limited to Test Execution?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="best-practices-in-test-automation">Best Practices in Test Automation</h2>



Here are some of the test automation best practices you should follow:



<h3 id="keep-tests-small-and-run-lean">Keep Tests Small And Run Lean</h3>



Your <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/continuous-testing-at-the-speed-of-agile-and-devops/">continuous testing</a> process should aim at providing value to the business. Instead of investing in producing artifacts that may not pass any value, create an aesthetically lean <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/software-testing-strategy/">testing strategy</a>. Short test cases will help you remove unnecessary test data, enable instant modifications as per regression requirements, and help slice down the maintenance of large test suites.



<h3 id="create-high-quality-test-scripts">Create High-Quality Test Scripts </h3>



While writing test scripts, testers should ensure that the scripts are flexible to accommodate <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/requirement-traceability-matrix-regression-testing/">regression testing requirements</a>. The scripts may be measured for accuracy, maintainability, portability, integrity, and performance. This will ensure a seamless execution of <a href="https://testsigma.com/regression-testing/automated-regression-testing">regression tests</a> without much intervention from the testers. 



<h3 id="introduce-devops-when-possible">Introduce DevOps When Possible</h3>



DevOps collaborates the development, testing, and operations role in a product life cycle. With DevOps, you can make the most out of collaboration and cross-functioning of the Dev and QA teams and yield a high-speed delivery process. Since <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/why-devops-is-important-for-modern-businesses/">DevOps</a> is driven by shared development, integration, and accurate time testing, the Agile cycle becomes more efficient when backed with DevOps. <gwmw style="display:none;">



<h3 id="work-closely-with-business-analysts">Work Closely With Business Analysts</h3>



<a href="https://testsigma.com/continuous-testing" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Continuous testing</a> would require you to test correctly from the very beginning. Make sure that the entire team has a clear picture of the product and business requirements before flagging off Development. This means that the QA team should work closely with Business Analysts best if <a href="https://dzone.com/articles/continuous-testing-functional-experts-agile" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">they are a part</a> of the Test Automation process. Ensure that every user story you create matches the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/acceptance-criteria-vs-acceptance-tests/">acceptance criteria</a>. Create an end-to-end test scenario based on the current trends and analytics in order to understand user activities and behavior.



<h3 id="implement-a-sound-qa-practise">Implement A Sound QA Practise</h3>



Build an Agile QA strategy which drives development. Perform regular QA workshops that enable testers to improve their technical skills. 



<h3 id="follow-the-best-practices-for-test-automation">Follow The Best Practices For Test Automation</h3>



Know when you should follow the manual testing approach. Automate regression tests, performance tests, and security tests where possible. You need to strike a proper balance between Automated Testing and Manual Testing.



Ideally, you should perform automated testing from a Continuous Integration server. Create fast processing smoke regression packs and run them whenever the application updates.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" width="3000" height="582" data-id="3782" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2.jpg" alt="write tests in simple english" class="wp-image-3782"/></a></figure>
</figure>



<h3 id="automate-the-deployments">Automate The Deployments</h3>



Continuous testing works best when the deployments are automated incrementally. Instead of waiting for DevOps to deploy the product’s release and QA team to test after that, automate the entire cycle.



Automation should not be limited to merely testing and verification. If you find the process lagging due to repetitive manual procedures, introduce automation to eliminate manual effort and time.



<h3 id="use-the-best-automation-tool">Use the Best Automation Tool</h3>



Be prepared to invest your time and effort in evaluating Popular <a href="https://testsigma.com/qa-automation-tools" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Automation Testing tools</a> in the market. Selecting the right test automation tools is a crucial part of the continuous delivery process. Before you pin down your choice on a certain tool, make sure that it meets the basic requirements to meet your test automation program.



Here are a few features to begin with, regardless of your custom testing needs: 



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>An OS friendly tool &#8211; The number of operating systems a tool supports, the better.</li><li>Intuitive &#8211; The tool should come with an easy-to-understand UI (videos, screenshots and logs for clear understanding for all user levels) and should provide relatively easy functionality. &nbsp;</li><li>User-friendliness &#8211; This will help the QA team to instantly start with the test automation process.</li><li>Seamless Integration &#8211; Tool should provide collaboration with Bug tracking, CI/CD integration and collaboration.</li><li>The tool should provide instant and precise results to make informed decisions.</li><li>A Steep learning curve – Easier the tool, lesser is the need for team training.</li><li>Tool should be versatile enough to be used in various other projects.</li><li>Data Driven testing &nbsp;&#8211; the tool should test multiple datasets and values and execute a single test script with different input values stored in Excel, CSV or XML formats.</li><li>Support Cross Browser/Cross Device testing in parallel and for all versions of web browsers.</li><li>Allow SMEs, QA Analysts, and stakeholders to provide their feedback and inputs</li><li>Adapt to changing elements of an application UI.</li><li>Finally, the tool should justify its pricing.</li></ul>



You may find a few other tips on&nbsp;<a aria-label="You may find a few other tips in&nbsp;How to select the right Automation Testing Tool?
 (opens in a new tab)" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/select-right-automation-testing-tool/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">How to select the right Automation Testing Tool?</a> 



<h3 id="keep-a-check-on-the-development-environment">Keep A Check On The Development Environment</h3>



QA team should keep an eye on the development environment. This may include virtual machines and cloud environments integrated with external databases and services. The idea behind this approach is that a bug may not always lie within the application. Sometimes, the concern could be the environment, network conditions, configuration, and backend database.



Keeping a check on the actual development environment will help you save time when detecting the cause of test failure.



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



Automating tests helps development teams ensure their code changes are tested and validated before they get released to the public. To get the most out of test automation, it is essential to use the right tools, create a good test suite, keep your code clean, and work together between dev and testing teams.



Testsigma is an awesome platform to help you with Agile and Continuous Delivery testing. It&#8217;s super easy to use, so you can still create and run tests even if you don&#8217;t know how to code. It makes test automation a breeze by giving you many cool features like easy test creation, integration with other tools, test management and analytics. Plus, it&#8217;s cloud-based, so it runs faster than ever! It has an AI-powered self-healing feature which helps reduce the time you have to spend on maintenance tasks so you can focus on other important stuff. 



In short, Testsigma is perfect for Agile and Continuous Delivery teams who want to speed up their testing process while still delivering high quality products. Give it a try and see how it can help you!



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



<h3 id="what-are-the-best-test-automation-practices-you-follow-while-doing-ui-automation">What are the Best Test Automation Practices you Follow while doing UI Automation?</h3>



Identifying the test cases that can be automated when performing UI automation is essential. Creating a robust test automation framework and selecting an appropriate tool is vital. Furthermore, reliable and maintainable test scripts should be written and unique, stable locators should be employed. Synchronization techniques should also be implemented, as well as error handling mechanisms. To ensure the accuracy of the results, it is necessary to review and update the automation scripts regularly.



<h3 id="how-many-test-automation-is-not-limited-to-test-execution">How many Test Automation is Not Limited to Test Execution?</h3>



Test automation isn&#8217;t just about running tests. It&#8217;s a process that involves planning, designing, developing, executing and reporting on tests. You can automate a variety of tests, like functional testing (testing how the system works), performance testing (how quickly it runs) regression testing (checking for bugs) and integration testing (making sure different parts of the system work together). You also need to set up and maintain the test environment, generate test data automatically and analyze the results. In short, test automation is more than just running tests &#8211; it&#8217;s an involved process with lots of steps!



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<ts-link-item>
<ts-linktext-value>ETL Test Automation</ts-linktext-value>
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<ts-linktext-value>Online Automation Testing Courses</ts-linktext-value>
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<ts-linktext-value>Build Test Automation Framework</ts-linktext-value>
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<ts-link-item>
<ts-linktext-value>Top Automation Tester Skills</ts-linktext-value>
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<ts-link-item>
<ts-linktext-value>Agile Automation Testing in SaFe</ts-linktext-value>
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<ts-linktext-value>Elements of Test Automation </ts-linktext-value>
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<ts-linktext-value>Top Test Automation Mistakes</ts-linktext-value>
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Best-Automation-Testing-Practices-In-Agile-And-Continuous-Delivery_Testsigma

Best Practices in Test Automation for Agile And Continuous Delivery

What is Test Driven Development? Pros, Cons and Examples

The evolution of software testing is well on its way as more and more advanced concepts enter the industry. Automation is replacing the manual testing process and automating redundant tasks. But that’s just not enough. But test automation has its own challenges that are being overcome with new ideas. Self healing test automation is one such innovation that helps prevent possible failed test cases and improves delivery time. You can use tools to enable self healing for your test cases. Explore Testsigma as a reliable self healing test automation tool and see it in action.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_Self_Healing_Test_Automation">1 What is Self Healing Test Automation?</a></li><li><a href="#Why_is_Self_Healing_Automation_Important">2 Why is Self Healing Automation Important?</a></li><li><a href="#The_Self_Healing_Mechanism">3 The Self Healing Mechanism</a></li><li><a href="#Self_Healing_in_Testsigma">4 Self Healing in Testsigma</a></li><li><a href="#How_Self_Healing_Test_Works_in_Testsigma">5 How Self Healing Test Works in Testsigma?</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">6 Conclusion</a></li><li><a href="#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQs">7 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</a><ul><li><a href="#What_are_Self_Healing_Test_Automation_Tools">7.1 What are Self Healing Test Automation Tools?</a></li><li><a href="#What_is_Self_Healing_in_Selenium">7.2 What is Self Healing in Selenium?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="what-is-self-healing-test-automation">What is Self Healing Test Automation?</h2>



Self healing test automation is the solution to resolve key issues that arise due to changes to the properties of the object. There are several ways for a program to identify web elements, some of which are using Name, ID, XPath, and CSS elements. When these attributes change or break, test scripts fail, leading to the collapse of the complete test case.



Self healing empowers teams to adopt a Shift Left approach in the Agile methodology. Not only does it make the testing process efficient, but it also allows for an increase in productivity and faster delivery. Many open-source and commercial tools are available in the market that support self healing test automation using <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/ai-and-ml-in-software-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI)</a>.<gwmw style="display:none;">



Testsigma is one such open-source test automation tool that uses AI to detect issues and fix them automatically. This complete guide sheds light on Testsigma and its ability as a self healing test automation tool.



<h2 id="why-is-self-healing-automation-important">Why is Self Healing Automation Important?</h2>



Many reasons come to mind when discussing the importance of self healing automation. When test automation is truly making a difference by automating repetitive tasks, the idea is to evolve further to automate core decision-making activities. This will truly enable touchless testing in the coming future.



Here are some of the foundational reasons that make self healing test automation important:



<ul><li>It prevents test flakiness from offering better visibility into how stable the tests are</li><li>Self-healing offers improved efficiency and overall software performance and stability</li><li>You can also increase <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-coverage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test coverage</a> by reducing redundant code</li><li>Self-healing expediates the testing process, all the while providing valuable insights into application issues and component performance</li><li>There will be fewer failed test cases as the object locator will update automatically</li><li>It saves time and provides increased efficiency by handling several tedious and manual efforts.</li></ul>



<h2 id="the-self-healing-mechanism">The Self Healing Mechanism</h2>



Every test case you run depends on the web element you are verifying. Every web element corresponds to a locator, usually name, id, Xpath, and type, to run test steps successfully. And it is certain that the application under test will undergo continuous modification, which will result in a change of the elements. So, the next time you run the same test again, it will result in failure because of a mismatch of UI. Unless you choose a self-healing mechanism, your pre-designed test cases are bound to fail.



Automation frameworks build the self-healing capability as a smart and automatic feature to ease the tasks of testing teams. The <a href="https://testsigma.com/qa-automation-tools">test automation tool</a> will apply the new object’s locator to avoid failed test cases. This approach ensures that the entire script stays updated with every change made to the product’s design.<gwmw style="display:none;">



<h2 id="self-healing-in-testsigma">Self Healing in Testsigma</h2>



The number of changes in the testing code is proportional to the changes that the developer makes in the application. For example, if ‘id’ or ‘class’ attributes of an element on a web page is changed by the developer, then the existing <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/automated-test-scripts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automated test script</a> needs also be changed. This may sound simple, but if there are many such changes in the application, this takes a lot of time and effort for the testers to modify tests and run them.



This is where the AI-driven approach of <a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma</a> comes to help.<gwmw style="display:none;">



The AI detects abnormalities in the existing code and automatically fixes them without human intervention. Self-Healing in Testsigma is done with the help of AI algorithms that automatically fix changes made to the source code and prevent tests from failing.



<h2 id="how-self-healing-test-works-in-testsigma">How Self Healing Test Works in Testsigma?</h2>



Testsigma’s AI is smart enough to locate the element despite the change in the attribute and modify it to match the change made in the source code; tests without Self-Healing fail in such cases.



Let’s look at how Testsigma handles auto-healing within the tool.



The first step is to enable the auto-healing option for the future test cases to automatically reform itself when any element changes. For this, go to Settings &gt; Preferences and enable the toggle on Auto Healing widget.&nbsp;



<div style="height:23px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/QeHb4UF0Zi_e49BpRMd0QUmafLdf8gpLkgMuljYUr1JyitOHyx_bzO7msar2MN4ivCMB6hNrNB_W8tftGk1MGaWxwoThkmH0u11-TqCGaRVWyzVXVvngxP0WyKhUWE769Zwh2lHrvZA0E1YC1du7Nqg" alt="1.Testsigma Self Healing Test "/></figure>



<div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



From now on, if a UI element identifier gets updated, the tool will automatically detect and correct the change in any test case that element appears.



Consider that the login button identifier is changed on the <a href="https://simply-travel.testsigma.com/." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Simply Travel page</a> from //BUTTON[@id=&#8217;login&#8217;] to //BUTTON[@id=&#8217;login-popUp&#8217;]. With the Auto Healing feature enabled, the test lab will successfully locate the element with the new XPATH.<gwmw style="display:none;">



Click on the test step which deals with the auto healed element and click on the Auto Heal option shown on the down-right side.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/ge3wLUz2oGQa8DAj1jIyWp12caK2vXa68HlIxBJ1odO20vITDwbaTlAm3yVE9T7hF168NmOzdZJG5cN-nOqX8pRcJ4vXDkpnGy-QbY2glqAIhM1OEFkXX-CMpPM3iaGJ-hX1kuYTQQswqw1tU-3YTRE" alt="2.Testsigma Self Healing Test "/></figure>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



This action will open a window displaying the auto healed element and the new XPATH. Basically, you will have access to all the details of auto healing instances present in the test case.



<div style="height:17px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<figure class="wp-block-image is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/4IPI-2PUnzu6vaeSJ3a8xVabDsHpbUXcSKppPsYupj2fwHpGaSOFz3OeaSJr_gMz0nvFuKQpLcRFtekERAWnmxUBsDOaaeKH2nKrwweWa1K9EfQ4vIgPMpz39C4TdJ59QXSbnmP1WgMmXsfPpojS3Bg" alt="3.Testsigma Self Healing Test " width="840" height="593"/></figure>



We detail all the steps sequential in this <a href="https://testsigma.com/docs/elements/auto-healing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">element auto healing document</a> for your better understanding.<gwmw style="display:none;">



<div style="height:22px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<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="827" data-id="3574" src="https://testsigma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/5.jpg" alt="Maintain your tests easily_Testsigma" class="wp-image-3574"/></figure>
</figure>



 



Check out how Testsigma identifies changing attributes and self-heals! <a href="https://calendly.com/testsigma/demo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Schedule a Demo</a><gwmw style="display:none;">



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



In agile methodology, applications go through continuous development and testing. It is evident that the existing test cases will fail if the object identifiers change in the process. That’s when self-healing test automation comes to the rescue. It adapts to the changing elements of the web page and prevents test failure.



Testsigma is a reliable AI-based test automation tool that supports a self-healing mechanism and assists testers in saving time and money, all the while accelerating the overall application performance. If your team is looking to evolve and incorporate self-healing in its working process, give Testsigma a try.



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



<h3 id="what-are-self-healing-test-automation-tools">What are Self Healing Test Automation Tools?</h3>



Self-healing test automation tools are AI-based tools that are capable of dynamically adjusting to the changes made to objects of the application UI.



<h3 id="what-is-self-healing-in-selenium">What is Self Healing in Selenium?</h3>



Self-healing in Selenium is powered by Helenium, an AI-based open-source library that improves the stability of Selenium-based test cases.



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Self Healing Test Automation | Tests that do Not Require Maintenance

Selenium team has added Selenium 4.0 Alpha to <a href="https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/org.seleniumhq.selenium/selenium-java">mvnrepository</a> two weeks back(24th April) and has created a buzz in the Automation QA Community. 



The QA fraternity has been eagerly waiting for one or more features proposed in this release. The most significant of them would be the <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/webdriver1/">W3C Standardization</a>. It would make the Framework much more stable and reduce some of the compatibility issues across different Web Browsers. 



Another beginner-friendly change that is coming with this major release is updated Documentation.&nbsp;After version 2,&nbsp;Selenium Documentation had not been thoroughly updated. The updated documentation would help beginners, as well as the experienced, immensely. We also hope some of the drawbacks in the article&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selenium-automation-testing-pros-cons/" target="_blank">Pros and Cons of Selenium as an Automation Testing tool</a>&nbsp;will be handled by Selenium 4.



Let us look at some of the prominent changes that we can expect in Selenium 4. And if you dig in at the right place, you can see the complete list of changes in CHANGELOG or CHANGES file &#8211; <a href="https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium">Selenium Github Repo</a> 



Note: This is not a complete list and I have deliberately omitted many of the underlying implementation and architectural changes that a regular QA Automation guy like me wouldn’t have to deal with on a daily basis 😀







<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Architectural_Changes">1 Architectural Changes</a><ul><li><a href="#1_Now_using_W3C_Protocol_for_Browser-driver_Communications">1.1 1. Now using W3C Protocol for Browser-driver Communications</a></li><li><a href="#2_Compliant_withnbspW3C_WebDriver_Specifications">1.2 2. Compliant with&nbsp;W3C WebDriver Specifications</a></li><li><a href="#3_Removed_support_for_few_Browsers">1.3 3. Removed support for few Browsers</a></li><li><a href="#4_Optimized_Selenium_grid">1.4 4. Optimized Selenium grid</a></li><li><a href="#5_Added_limited_support_for_Opentracing_and_Docker">1.5 5. Added limited support for Opentracing and Docker</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#API_changes">2 API changes</a><ul><li><a href="#1_Changes_to_Window_class">2.1 1. Changes to Window class</a></li><li><a href="#2_Changes_to_Builder_class">2.2 2. Changes to Builder class</a></li><li><a href="#3_Changes_to_chromeDriver">2.3 3. Changes to chrome.Driver</a></li><li><a href="#4_Changes_to_firefoxDriver">2.4 4. Changes to firefox.Driver</a></li><li><a href="#5_Changes_to_Options_Class">2.5 5. Changes to Options Class</a></li><li><a href="#6_Changes_to_Errors">2.6 6. Changes to Errors</a></li><li><a href="#7_Changes_to_WebDriver">2.7 7. Changes to WebDriver</a></li><li><a href="#8_Changes_to_Alerts">2.8 8. Changes to Alerts</a></li><li><a href="#9_Others">2.9 9. Others</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Standardized_Documentation">3 Standardized Documentation</a></li><li><a href="#Footnote">4 Footnote</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="architectural-changes">Architectural Changes</h2>



<h3 id="1-now-using-w3c-protocol-for-browser-driver-communications">1. Now using W3C Protocol for Browser-driver Communications</h3>



The earlier versions of Selenium used JSON wire protocol which required encoding and decoding of the API. Whereas, Selenium 4 will now use a standard W3C Protocol to communicate between the driver and the browser. The advantage is that W3C protocol doesn’t require encoding or decoding the API and the tests will be able to directly communicate with the Browser.



<h3 id="2-compliant-with-w3c-webdriver-specifications">2. Compliant with&nbsp;W3C WebDriver Specifications</h3>



Selenium 4 will be entirely compliant with W3C WebDriver standards and this will include the documentation as well. So, the updated documentation will cover detailed instructions for usage.



Also, The actions API has been revamped&nbsp;to conform with the WebDriver Spec.



<h3 id="3-removed-support-for-few-browsers">3. Removed support for few Browsers</h3>



The team will remove native support for&nbsp;Opera&nbsp;and&nbsp;PhantomJS&nbsp;going forward. Still, the users who need to test Opera can rely on Chrome since Opera is based on Chromium(which Chrome is forked from) and for PhantomJS users can use <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The team will remove native support for&nbsp;Opera&nbsp;and&nbsp;PhantomJS. Still, the users who need to test Opera can relay on Chrome since Opera is based on Chromium and for PhantomJS users can use Chrome or Firefox in headless mode as shown in the example (opens in a new tab)" href="https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium/blob/trunk/javascript/node/selenium-webdriver/example/headless.js" target="_blank">Chrome or Firefox in headless mode</a>.



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selenium-standalone-server/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selenium Server</a> now no longer includes HtmlUnit by default.<gwmw style="display:none;">



<h3 id="4-optimized-selenium-grid">4. Optimized Selenium grid</h3>



Alpha version of new Grid Server supports &#8220;standalone&#8221;, &#8220;hub&#8221;, &#8220;node&#8221;, and completely distributed usage. Also, this new Grid Server can output logs in single-line JSON format to the stdout.



<h3 id="5-added-limited-support-for-opentracing-and-docker">5. Added limited support for Opentracing and Docker</h3>



Basic support for OpenTracing landed. Use the &#8211;ext flag to the new Grid Server to provide the classpath to an OpenTracing implementation.



Selenium 4 will introduce Basic support for using Docker containers with the new Grid Server. More information will be available once the official documentation is released.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



Check out Testsigma to see how most of these things are already considered and made available to all our customers. 



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<h2 id="api-changes">API changes</h2>



<h3 id="1-changes-to-window-class">1. Changes to Window class</h3>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>All window manipulation commands are now supported &#8211; fullscreen() and minimize() methods will be added.</li><li>Added getRect() &amp; setRect() and removed getSize() &amp; getPosition() &#8211; The getRect() method retrieves a rect describing the current top-level window’s size and position. setRect() method sets the current top-level window’s size and position. This will replace the getSize() and getPosition() methods &#8211; Underlying implementation methods (These changes are not relevant in common usage).</li></ul>



<h3 id="2-changes-to-builder-class">2. Changes to Builder class</h3>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Added “setChromeService”, “setEdgeService”, &amp; “setFirefoxService” methods &#8211;&nbsp;Underlying implementation methods (These changes are not relevant in common usage).</li></ul>



<h3 id="3-changes-to-chrome-driver">3. Changes to chrome.Driver</h3>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Added sendDevToolsCommand() &#8211; The sendDevToolsCommand() method sends an arbitrary devtools command to the browser and returns a promise that will be resolved when the command has finished.</li><li>Added setDownloadPath() &#8211; The setDownloadPath() method sends a DevTools command to change Chrome’s download directory and returns a promise that will be resolved when the command has finished.</li></ul>



<h3 id="4-changes-to-firefox-driver">4. Changes to firefox.Driver</h3>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Added installAddon(path) &#8211;&nbsp;The installAddon() method installs a new addon within the current session. This function will return an &#8220;id&#8221; that can be used to uninstall the addon using uninstallAddon().</li><li>Added uninstallAddon(id) &#8211; Uninstall the Addon using ID.</li><li>Added addExtensions()&nbsp;&#8211; Add extension to the automation session easily.</li><li>Added setPreference() &#8211; Add preferences to the session.</li></ul>



<h3 id="5-changes-to-options-class">5. Changes to Options Class</h3>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Options class now extends Capabilities class for Chrome, Firefox, IE, Safari.</li><li>Removed the firefox.profile class. All of its functionality is now provided directly by firefox.options.</li><li>setProfile now only accepts a path to an existing profile.</li></ul>



<h3 id="6-changes-to-errors">6. Changes to Errors</h3>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Added ElementClickInterceptedError &#8211; The Selenium code throws ElementClickInterceptedError when a click command cannot complete due to the click target being obscured by other elements on the page.</li><li>Added InsecureCertificateError &#8211; The Selenium code throws InsecureCertificateError when a navigation event causes the browser to generate a certificate warning. An expired or invalid TLS certificate usually cause this. </li><li>Added InvalidCoordinatesError &#8211; The Selenium code throws InvalidCoordinatesError when an interaction operation becomes invalid due to the passing of invalid coordinates.</li><li>Added NoSuchCookieError &#8211; The Selenium code throws NoSuchCookieError when a named Cookie is missing in the cookie jar for the current document.</li><li>Removed ElementNotVisibleError</li><li>Removed InvalidElementCoordinatesError</li></ul>



<h3 id="7-changes-to-webdriver">7. Changes to WebDriver</h3>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Added driver.switchTo().parentFrame() &#8211;&nbsp;We can use it to go from the child frame to the parent frame directly.</li><li>Removed touchActions﻿</li></ul>



<h3 id="8-changes-to-alerts">8. Changes to Alerts</h3>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Removed authenticateAs</li></ul>



<h3 id="9-others">9. Others</h3>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Element screenshots are now possible</li><li>Added support for WebSockets to the HttpClient</li><li>Deleted many of the deprecated methods and classes</li></ul>



<h2 id="standardized-documentation">Standardized Documentation</h2>



The main problem which most Selenium users face is that there is no proper and updated documentation for Selenium. The Selenium team has not updated the documentation since Selenium 2.0. With Selenium 4, they have updated Selenium’s official documentation to explain the latest changes.







<h2 id="footnote">Footnote</h2>



While it&#8217;s great to see the improvements that are expected to be covered in Selenium 4, it would be a hassle for small and medium-sized teams to read through the API docs, analyze the changes, and rectify the tests broken by the updates due to the considerable changes. 



Many of the above-discussed changes have already been implemented by test automation tools like <a href="https://testsigma.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Many of the above-discussed changes have already been implemented by test automation tools like Testsigma.
 (opens in a new tab)">Testsigma</a>. 



With a cloud-based tool like Testsigma, the updates will be reviewed internally and applied to all the customer’s tests automatically without any additional time, resources and efforts from the teams and is very easy for functional teams to get started!



 



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Selenium 4.0(alpha) – What Test Automation Engineers can expect!

Loops are one of the most helpful features for software testers. They allow testers to run tests on multiple iterations quickly and easily. Loop testing is a<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-box_testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> white-box testing</a> technique that focuses on the behavior of a program when it executes loops. <gwmw style="display:none;">



Loop testing, also known as Iteration testing, is an integral part of software development and debugging which developers actively carry out. The primary purpose of this testing is to ensure that the looping construct works as expected and produces the correct results when executed.



When speaking about a &#8216;For Loop&#8217;, it&#8217;s a way to repeat instructions multiple times with different values, so you don&#8217;t have to do the same thing repeatedly. This helps make complex automation tasks more manageable. This blog will look at how to get the most out of loop testing using Testsigma.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Introduction_What_is_Loop_Testing">1 Introduction: What is Loop Testing?</a></li><li><a href="#Objectives_of_Loop_Testing">2 Objectives of Loop Testing</a></li><li><a href="#Types_of_Loop_Testing_in_Testsigma">3 Types of Loop Testing in Testsigma</a><ul><li><a href="#For-Loop_Testing">3.1 For-Loop Testing:</a></li><li><a href="#While-Loop_Testing">3.2 While-Loop Testing:</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#How_to_do_Loop_testing_in_Testsigma">4 How to do Loop testing in Testsigma?</a></li><li><a href="#For_Loop_Example">5 For Loop Example</a><ul><li><a href="#For_Loop_Tests">5.1 For Loop Tests</a></li><li><a href="#While_Loop_Tests">5.2 While Loop Tests</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">6 Conclusion:</a></li><li><a href="#FAQs">7 FAQs</a><ul><li><a href="#What_are_the_advantages_of_loop_tests">7.1 What are the advantages of loop tests?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_the_disadvantages_of_loop_testing_in_software_testing">7.2 What are the disadvantages of loop testing in software testing?</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="introduction-what-is-loop-testing">Introduction: What is Loop Testing?</h2>



Have you ever wondered what loop testing is and how it can be used to improve the quality of your software?



Loop testing identifies and corrects errors in loops, detects and fixes loop-related issues, and ensures that the code is functioning as expected. It checks whether the program behaves as expected when executing loops and if there are any errors in the loop structure. So this is more helpful in identifying any potential problems in the code and ensuring that it runs smoothly. So if you want to ensure your software is up to scratch, then loop testing should be on your list!



By performing this testing, developers can ensure that their programs run smoothly and efficiently. It can identify opportunities to enhance code efficiency by locating areas that can be improved or optimized. This helps to improve the overall performance of a program.



<h2 id="objectives-of-loop-testing">Objectives of Loop Testing</h2>



Loop testing can help improve the software&#8217;s overall quality and reduce the chances of unexpected and costly errors. Here are some notable points you should not miss:



<ul><li>Make sure all the loops in the code are tested to make sure they work and run correctly.</li><li>See if the loops end when they&#8217;re supposed to or if they keep going forever. Check that the loops aren&#8217;t too slow or too fast and stay within acceptable limits.</li><li>Make sure any changes don&#8217;t cause new issues with other parts of the code.</li><li>Look for mistakes in its work, like wrong conditions or incorrect settings inside the loop body.</li><li>Double-check that there&#8217;s no extra code inside that could slow it down and lead to unexpected results.</li><li>Check that each exit point from a loop is handled correctly and nothing is lost while running it.</li><li>To verify that all data types used inside a loop are valid and compatible with each other, thus avoiding any type conversion errors or data loss due to incompatible types being used together in a single expression inside a loop body</li></ul>



<h2 id="types-of-loop-testing-in-testsigma">Types of Loop Testing in Testsigma</h2>



There are 2 types of loops in Testsigma:



<h3 id="for-loop-testing">For-Loop Testing:</h3>



This type of loop testing checks the functionality of a loop that iterates through the elements in a list or array. It is mainly used to check the functionality of a loop that executes a set of instructions until a specific condition is met. It can also be used to check if the loop works as expected when the condition is not met. Also, It can be used to test if the loop properly stops executing when the condition is not satisfied.



<h3 id="while-loop-testing">While-Loop Testing:</h3>



This type of loop testing checks a loop&#8217;s functionality to execute a set of codes until a specific condition is met. While-loop testing can also be used to check if the loop works correctly when an exception occurs, or an error occurs during execution. Finally, while-loop testing can verify that the loop works correctly under different conditions, such as varying data types and lengths of data elements.



<h2 id="how-to-do-loop-testing-in-testsigma">How to do Loop testing in Testsigma?</h2>



Loop testing in Testsigma is a form of automation that enables you to execute a test case multiple times with different data sets. In Testsigma, you can find the loop function in the change step option in the corresponding test case step. 



For Loop&#8217; is an incredibly versatile and powerful tool used in programming. The loop can be configured to iterate over a set number of times or until a specific condition is met. 



In addition, &#8216;For Loops&#8217; can also be nested within each other, allowing developers to create complex automation sequences with minimal effort. 



Furthermore, this looping structure is advantageous when dealing with large datasets as it allows the same instruction to be applied to multiple items simultaneously. This helps reduce development time and increases efficiency by eliminating the need to process every item manually.



Here you will learn the step-by-step process carried out in Testsigma-For Loop function.



<h2 id="for-loop-example">For Loop Example</h2>



A for loop is an incredibly versatile and powerful statement used in programming that can be configured to iterate over a set number of times or until a specific condition is met.&nbsp;



In addition, &#8216;For Loops&#8217; can also be nested within each other, allowing developers to create complex automation sequences with minimal effort.



Furthermore, this looping structure is advantageous when dealing with large datasets as it allows the same instruction to be applied to multiple items simultaneously. This helps reduce development time and increases efficiency by eliminating the need to process every item manually.



Loop testing in Testsigma is a form of automation that enables you to execute a test case multiple times with different data sets.&nbsp;



<a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma</a> is a cloud-based low-code GenAI-powered test automation platform that allows you to automate tests for mobile, web, API, desktop, and Salesforce apps in one place. You can automate even complex workflows using plain English statements without writing code scripts.<gwmw style="display:none;">



With Testsigma, you can easily automate loops (for &amp; while) using the Loop and While from the NLP statements accordingly. Not just loops, you can automate scenarios with conditions using If and Else if statements.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1600" height="732" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162322/unnamed-3-1-3.png" alt="for loop" class="wp-image-50524" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162322/unnamed-3-1-3.png 1600w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162322/unnamed-3-1-3-768x351.png 768w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162322/unnamed-3-1-3-1536x703.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></figure>



A brief overview of how to automate tests using Testsigma,



Step 1: Create a free Testsigma account by signing up.



Step 2: Once you log in, you can quickly <a href="https://testsigma.com/docs/test-cases/step-types/for-loop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">navigate to Test Cases and start creating tests</a>



Step 3: Create automated tests for your application using the NLP Engine or the Recorder



Step 4: Once tests are created, click on Run to execute tests&nbsp;



Step 5: Analyze the results using the automated test reports and start fixing bugs, if any



<h3 id="for-loop-tests">For Loop Tests</h3>



A for loop is used when you have multiple rows of test data to run over the same steps from start to end, until the condition fails. This helps reduce the number of test cases that is required to cover a loop. Also, saves time, efforts, and resources by automating the loop scenarios.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1600" height="732" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162401/unnamed-25-2.png" alt="for loop tests" class="wp-image-50526" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162401/unnamed-25-2.png 1600w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162401/unnamed-25-2-768x351.png 768w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162401/unnamed-25-2-1536x703.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /></figure>



<h3 id="while-loop-tests">While Loop Tests</h3>



Similar to for loop, you can automate while loops, too. To do so, you can use the While statement from the dropdown and start creating tests.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1600" height="732" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162441/unnamed-26-1.png" alt="for loop tests" class="wp-image-50528" srcset="https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162441/unnamed-26-1.png 1600w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162441/unnamed-26-1-768x351.png 768w, https://s3.amazonaws.com/blog-assets-production.testsigma.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/02162441/unnamed-26-1-1536x703.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px" /><figcaption><gwmw style="display:none;"></figcaption></figure>



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



Loop testing in Testsigma is an effective way of validating applications and ensuring quality. It helps testers quickly identify errors, trace code execution paths, and increase test coverage.&nbsp;



Testsigma enables testers to define and execute test cases from a single platform, making it easier to maintain and manage test cases.&nbsp;



Moreover, its integration with other systems makes it even more versatile. It is an invaluable asset for any software development team looking to ensure their software meets the highest quality standards.



 



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Have questions?



Please feel free to reach out at support@testsigma.com or leave us a message on chat 🙂



<h2 id="faqs">FAQs</h2>



<h3 id="what-are-the-advantages-of-loop-tests">What are the advantages of loop tests?</h3>



Loop testing in STLC has many advantages, including:



<ul><li>Identify problems in earlier stages</li><li>Ensure code stability</li><li>Reduce test cases needed to cover a loop</li><li>Improves code quality</li></ul>



<h3 id="what-are-the-disadvantages-of-loop-testing-in-software-testing">What are the disadvantages of loop testing in software testing?</h3>



Loop testing can have several disadvantages, including



<ul><li>It is time-consuming for testers and developers to test loops</li><li>Slows down the release cycles due to the time taken to test</li><li>Resource intensive</li></ul>



You can overcome these by automating loop tests using a <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">automation testing</a> framework/tool like Testsigma.<gwmw style="display:none;">



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