Scribd
Upload
35 views

1) Creation of Centralized Test Automation Team

The document provides guidelines for developing an effective test automation framework using a keyword-driven methodology. It recommends forming a centralized test automation team for better coordination across projects. It also emphasizes building generic reusable functions and establishing policies for script maintenance.

Uploaded by

dinesh.patil79
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
35 views

1) Creation of Centralized Test Automation Team

The document provides guidelines for developing an effective test automation framework using a keyword-driven methodology. It recommends forming a centralized test automation team for better coordination across projects. It also emphasizes building generic reusable functions and establishing policies for script maintenance.

Uploaded by

dinesh.patil79
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Every testing organization endeavors to build test automation frameworks, which are the

best & robust. However this is not an easy task & involves great amount of challenge.

Following guidelines are helpful in developing strong & truly useful frameworks based
upon keyword driven methodology.

1) Creation of Centralized Test Automation Team:


We are able to save considerable amount of time, development efforts as well as money
by being able to use keyword elements again & again among different applications by
going in for keyword driven methodology. This can become true reality provided there is
great amount of coordination & cooperation among various test automation groups
involved in various projects. Hence creation of a centralized test automation team
involved in various projects is the best approach to derive great benefits.

2) Better Coordination among Test Automation & other Function Teams:

Good co-ordination among various teams helps functional Subject Matter Experts (SME)
in designing the business flow for creating automated tests with greater flexibility. The
members of test Automation Team have greater responsibility of clearly explaining
Subject Matter Experts (SME) the function of every keyword & the process of mapping of
object names with corresponding logical names in the database structure & the object
repositories. For the emergence of a good automation framework, perfect coordination
among Automation personnel & the functional Subject Matter Experts is extremely
necessary.

3) Strive to Build Generic Functions:


Perfection of logic against every function stored in the function library decides the
underlying success of the framework. The success or failure of the entire framework
solely depends upon the methodology adopted in designing any function. Hence it is of
prime importance that test automation personnel carry out a thorough analysis of every
function prior to creating them. The test automation team must strive to build their
functions most generic thereby enabling their use elsewhere in other applications as
well.

4) Defined Policy for Script Maintenance:


Availability of properly defined mechanism for the maintenance of test scripts is the
heart of a good framework.

It should be the underlying responsibility of test automation personnel to ensure that all
the functions being used by them must be usable always especially at the time of their
need. Although testers can handle minor changes in their application by manipulating
the spreadsheet of the application scenario, still it is better to have some defined system
for script maintenance.

Development of an effective test automation framework is a complex process involving


many stages. Every stage poses different set of challenges, which need to be
scientifically addressed. A sound framework can be created on a solid foundation of a
good test automation approach. Few guidelines for creating the same are being
described below.

The process begins with formulating a sound strategy for automation beginning with the
requirement phase & extending till the deployment phase. This process is kick-started by
understanding the set of business rules and various conditions specified by the client.
Such business rules and conditions bearing operational similarities are grouped together
in the form of test cases or scenarios.
Stages of building strategies for Test Automation are as under:

Stage-1: Capturing the requirement from the client:


Includes onsite transfer of knowledge like understanding of all transactions including
customized transactions etc.

Stage-2: Understanding and analyzing the requirements: This may be done at the
client end as well.

Stage-3: Clubbing the requirement into groups of test cases:


According to the flow, grouping of all the transactions in the form of different scenarios.
This follows identification of common functionalities and clubbing them together in the
form of different test cases.

Stage-4: Preparation of detailed design for automation:


Design for automation of scripts with special emphasis on the following

a) Use of common coding structure in all scripts.

b) Use of consistent / common coding conventions.

c) Reusability must be the key in coding.

d) Extensive use of object repository

e) Extensive use of error and exception handling functions

f ) Extensive use of data table objects.

g) Extensive use of environment variables

Stage-5: Creation of scripts according to the design

Stage-6: Reviewing the offshore scripts if any

Stage-7: Final delivery to the client

Practical Steps to Design Test Automation Strategies:

Step-1: Identification of Test Cases that are needed to be automated

Step-2: Identification of common functionalities & grouping them together

Step-3: Identifying / defining the standards for coding, naming conventions and
templates

Step-4: Creation of library of re-usable objects

# Object Repositories, Tool & Application Settings etc

# Library for handling of Data Tables, Files, Strings & Dates etc.

# Login / Logout, code related to common functionality etc.


# Log Reporting, messaging, Error handling etc

Step-5: Development of script with record & play back Tool

Step-6: Verification & Validation of final script & then delivery.

Ten useful guidelines to identify Test Cases best suited for Automation:

1) Identify the tests, which call for extensive involvement of the testing engineers or the
ones that would be sparingly run. These tests should be certainly dropped from the list
of tests for automation.

2) Identify the application paths with high frequency of use during full-scale production
run of the application. Automated testing shall be best for evaluating the performance of
such application paths. These can include activities with higher volume with larger
probability of failure of the software such as billing / invoicing or other customer records
etc.

3) Identify the special processes having critical importance for the business like
processing of sales order etc. Such strategically important activities must be identified
for automated testing.

4) Identify the events requiring repetitive testing, which would be ideal for automated
testing.

5) Identify the applications having longer life span during production, since automation
of such applications shall provide maximum benefits.

6) Try to avoid the dynamic screens. Although we can automate them but the script
tends to become too complex.

7) Try to avoid screens involving dynamic creation of objects.

8) Try to avoid business scenarios involving use of complex hardware.

9) Try to avoid scenarios, which call for complex coding for automation. Our endeavor
should be to have less complex script, which would eventually be easily maintainable.

10) Try to prove the scenario with tables having provision of identifying every row by a
unique number. Script complexity should be reduced while handling enterprise wide
applications like price list tables etc. A complex script tends to take more time for
execution especially when the table contains large number of rows for picking up the
data.

You might also like