Automation
Frameworks
You can
leverage our broad experience in building
automation frameworks, which can be applied to
a variety of tools or environments and
customised to a wide range of
applications.
We can assist you to
implement and optimise automation using the
industry leading tools, such as the IBM
Rational tools RFT and RQM, HP tools QTP,
Quality Center and BPT, plus tools from
CompuWare and others.
We also offer the
off-the-shelf TestPro
Automation Framework solution for use
with IBM tools and we can assist you to
optimise automation using HP tools such as QTP
and BPT.
TestPro Automation Framework
datasheet
Automation Framework
Implementation
The key aspects of TestPro’s
automation architecture and implementation
approach are as follows:
-
Review the:
-
-
applications to be tested
and test objectives
-
type of test user interface
required e.g. spreadsheet,
or GUI/database driven
-
automation tools to be used
-
Define an automation framework
architecture that is efficient,
scalable and maintainable
-
Implement a library of ‘adapter’
test scripts that test specific
functions in the application(s)
under test. These scripts are
implemented using the automation
tool selected by the client.
-
-
These adapter scripts
reduced test maintenance,
so that most of the
functional tests will not
require changes
-
When the application under
tests change, the changes
are typically accommodated
within the library of
adapter scripts
-
Provide a simple, non-technical
user interface to the function
library so that business users can
develop tests. Typically this
interface will be spreadsheet, or
GUI/database driven.
Why Are Test Automation
Frameworks Needed?
When implemented correctly,
automated test tools deliver on their promise
of more thorough and efficient testing,
achieved with less manual effort. However,
implementing a significant suite of automated
tests is a task comparable to a significant
software development project.
On the other hand, it is
entirely possible to quickly develop a
(smallish) set of tests using automation tools
from vendors such as HP/Mercury, or IBM
Rational, in exactly the same way it is
possible to quickly build a software program
using an IDE and/or a compiler.
However, with larger scale
test automation, the same challenge exists with
developing tests as it does with developing
software. The primary challenge is to architect
a framework for a suite of tests that is
efficient, scalable and maintainable.
In addition, many clients
want a less technical, user interface to the
test environment, so that business users are
able to execute tests in a context they are
familiar with, such as a spreadsheet, or simple
GUI.
Another factor is the
availability of business users with domain
knowledge. It is important that business users
validate the business process flows of a new or
changed system are correct and complete.
However, obtaining
sufficient time from these business users is
always challenging because of their BAU
commtments, especially if a succession of
releases or upgrades have to be tested.
The key objectives of an
automation framework therefore are:
-
To enable reuse and sharing of
automation scripts to improve
efficiency and scalability.
-
To manage test data and enable
tests to use a range of different
data.
-
To reduce the test maintenance
overhead.
-
To provide a non-technical user
interface for business user
testers.
-
To capture and leverage the domain
knowledge of business users into a
set of regression tests that can be
executed repeatedly without needing
the business users to be present.
Without a suitable
architecture and framework, many test teams hit
a ‘wall’ where the effort to change and
maintain their portfolio of tests becomes so
large that this consumes the bulk of their
available time. The end result is that test
coverage growth stops, or reverses under the
weight of this maintenance effort.
Footnote:
The whitepaper by Carl Nagle
Test-Automation-Frameworks is
often considered to be a seminal work on
this subject. TestPro has taken these ideas
and extended them to optimise the benefits
you can achieve from automation frameworks,
using advances in tools and technology since
the paper was written.
|
