Test automation frameworks are collections of libraries, tools, and methods that allow testers to automate the testing process. Test automation frameworks provide a skeleton for test case development and help to standardize the way tests are written. There are many different automation testing frameworks, each with advantages and disadvantages. Here we will explore the different types of test automation frameworks and discuss the pros and cons of each.
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What Are Test Automation Frameworks?
A test automation framework is a tool that can be used to create and run repeatable tests autonomously. It is a collection of libraries and tools that support the automation process. The framework can be programmed to control and monitor various testing environments and applications. Top 10 Most Popular Frontend Frameworks For Web Development 2022
A Test Automation Framework facilitates designing, developing, executing, and maintaining tests within a software product/application. A framework provides an abstract design for the application’s user interface allowing for either low or no modification to the actual application under test. It’s important to note that frameworks are not just for testing automation but can also be used for load and performance testing.
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Importance of Test Automation Frameworks
Test automation is a way of automating the process of web application testing services. Test automation aims to make human testers more efficient by automating away repetitive, tedious tasks like running through the same series of steps multiple times to check for errors and regressions or verifying that specific criteria are met.
As you can imagine, if you want to automate the process of testing your software, you’re going to need a toolkit to help you do that. And that’s where test automation frameworks come in. A good automation testing framework will provide you with all the tools and libraries you need to create and run tests, as well as guidelines for how to structure and organize your tests. This can be a huge time-saver and can help to ensure that your tests are consistent and reliable.
So some of the most popular test automation frameworks are
- Unit Testing Frameworks:
- Linear Scripting Framework
- Functional Testing Frameworks:
- Modular Testing Framework
- Web UI Testing Frameworks:
- Data-Driven Testing Framework
- Key Vault Driven Testing Framework
- Mobile Testing Frameworks
- Hybrid Testing Framework
- Web Testing Frameworks:
- Behavior Driven Development Framework
Test Automation Framework Types
There are many different test automation frameworks, each with advantages and disadvantages. Here we will explore the different types of test automation frameworks and discuss the pros and cons of each.
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There are various types of test automation frameworks. Some popular ones are discussed below.
- Unit Testing Frameworks:
These frameworks help automate unit testing of small pieces of code. Popular unit testing frameworks include JUnit and NUnit. These frameworks are used for testing small parts of an application independently. If there is a bug in one unit, the other unit will not be affected as the integration with other modules is avoided. In this approach, functional code is incorporated with a framework to test the unit against the actual user interface. However, it requires changes in existing functional code which might be difficult in the case of legacy code. Top Most Popular Python Libraries in 2022
2. Linear Scripting Framework
Linear scripting framework is a basic level test automation framework, which is in the form of record and playback in a linear fashion. This framework is also known as the record and playback framework. This type of framework is used to test small-sized applications. This type of creation and execution of the test script is done individually for each test case. Using this framework, we could generate test scripts without planning much or consuming much time. But it has its own drawbacks, such as lack of reusability and hard coding the data does not allow it to run with multiple data sets.
3. Functional Testing Frameworks:
These frameworks help automate functional testing, which checks the system’s behavior under test. Popular functional testing frameworks include Selenium and Watir. These frameworks are used to automate the manual tasks performed by a human tester.
Service Virtualization:
These frameworks help automate service-oriented applications, which communicate with each other via services to provide the desired functionality. Popular service virtualization frameworks include SoapUI and Postman.
4. Modular Testing Framework
Modular testing framework. In a modular testing framework, testers create test scripts module-wise by breaking down the complete application under test into smaller independent tests. simple words test us divide the application into multiple modules and create test scripts individually. These individual test scripts can be combined to make larger test scripts by using a master script to achieve the required scenarios. This master script is used to invoke the individual modules to run end-to-end test scenarios. In this framework, testers write function libraries to use it whenever required. This is also known as modularity framework or module-based framework.
5. Web UI Testing Frameworks
These frameworks help automate web testing. These are the most famous test automation frameworks and include Selenium and WebDriver. They are used to automate the tasks of a human tester who would manually test the web application. In this approach, the user interface is abstracted from the application under test, which allows for easy testing of the user interface and the underlying functionality.
6. Data-Driven Testing Framework
Data-driven framework test automation framework is focused on separating the test scripts logic, and the test data from each other allows us to create test automation scripts bypassing different sets of test data. The test data set is kept in the external files or resources such as MS Excel sheets, MS Access tables, SQL database, XML files, etc. The test scripts connect to the external resources to get the test data. By using this framework, we could easily make the test scripts work properly for different sets of test data. This framework significantly reduces the number of test scripts compared to the module-based framework.
This framework gives more test coverage with reusable tests and flexibility in the execution of tests only when required, and by changing only the Input test data and reliable in terms of no impact on tests by changing the test data, but it has its own drawbacks such as testers who work on this framework needs to have hands-on programming knowledge to develop test scripts.
7. REST Testing Frameworks:
These frameworks help test RESTful APIs. Popular REST testing frameworks include Postman and SoapUI.
Each of these frameworks has its advantages and disadvantages. It is important to choose the right framework for the task at hand based on the project’s requirements. For example, a mobile testing framework would be more appropriate for mobile apps, while a unit testing framework would be more appropriate for unit testing code.
8. Key Vault Driven Testing Framework
Key Vault Driven Testing Framework It is also known as table-driven testing or action verb-based testing. In Key Vault Driven Testing, we use a table format to define keywords or action words for each function or method that we would execute. It performs automation test scripts based on the keywords specified in the Excel sheet. By using this framework, testers can work with Key Vault to develop any test automation script Test tests with less programming knowledge would also be able to work on these test scripts. The logic to read keywords and call the required action mentioned in the external Excel sheet is placed in the main class. Keyword-driven testing is similar to data-driven testing.
9. Mobile Testing Frameworks
These frameworks help test mobile apps for iOS and Android devices. Popular mobile testing frameworks include Appium and Calabash.
10. Hybrid Driven Testing Framework
Hybrid-driven testing framework hybrid test automation framework is the combination of two or more frameworks mentioned above. It attempts to leverage the strengths and benefits of other frameworks for the particular test environment it manages. Most of the teams are building this hybrid-driven framework in the current market.
behavior-driven development testing framework the purpose of this behavior-driven development framework is to create a platform that allows everyone such as business analysts, developers, testers, etc. To participate actually, it requires increased collaboration between development and test teams. It doesn’t require the users to be acquainted with a programming language. We use nontechnical natural language to create test specifications. Some of the tools available in the market for behavior-driven development is J behave, cucumber, etc.
11. Web Testing Frameworks:
These frameworks help automate web application testing. Popular web testing frameworks include Selenium and WebDriver.
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Choosing a Test Automation Framework in 2022
Now that we’ve looked at the different automation testing frameworks, how do you decide which one is right for your needs? Here are some of the factors you should take into account when choosing a test automation framework:
Learnability & Ease of Adoption
You might have existing functional tests which you want to automate. If that’s the case, you should choose a framework with which you are already familiar. For example, if you’re already using Selenium for web UI testing, it might also make sense to use Selenium for mobile testing.
Product Release Lifecycle
Depending on how often your product is released, you might need a framework to keep up with that pace. If you’re releasing a new version of your product every week, then you’ll need a more agile framework that’s easier to set up. If you’re releasing less frequently, say once every six months, then you might need a more stable framework that can be used for regression testing.
Framework Interoperability
If you need to run tests created with a particular framework against a variety of browsers, then you’ll need a framework that is interoperable with a wide range of browsers. Selenium is a good example of a widely interoperable framework with different browsers.
Framework Maturity
When choosing a test automation framework, it’s important to consider how well-established the framework is. Some frameworks have been around for a long time and thus will be more stable and mature than newer frameworks. Google’s latest and Atlassian Bamboo test automation frameworks are good examples of relatively new test automation frameworks.
Choosing the right automation testing company and framework can be a daunting task. The best way to decide is to evaluate the project’s needs and then choose the most appropriate framework.
Conclusion
Test automation frameworks provide the structure and components for automating tests. They vary in their features, but all share the goal of reducing the time and effort it takes to create and run automated tests. Test automation frameworks can be classified into two types: script-based and model-based.
