With software development, automated testing has become an integral part of the process. It speeds up the testing process, making it much more accurate and assuring that it will work the way it is supposed to. As a primary element of test automation, a test automation framework captures the heart and soul of test automation. In this article, we shall focus on what Test Automation Frameworks are, why they are necessary, and what types are available.
What is a Test Automation Framework?
A test automation framework structures up and becomes easier to maintain over some time and scales up. It allows a tester not to write separate scripts from scratch for each test, but rather reuse code with some kind of structure to save that precious time and effort.
Why Do We Need a Test Automation Framework?
There are several advantages to having a test automation framework. The key advantages are as follows:
- More Accuracy: Automated testing is less likely to involve human errors, so the result will be more accurate.
- Accelerated Testing: Millions of lines of code can be covered by test automation in minutes, whereas a manual test cannot do that in a reasonable period.
- Easy Maintenance: An excellent framework will keep the test script, making it easy to update in case of changes in the application.
- Reusability: Test scripts and code can be reused for future projects, which saves time.
- Better Reporting: Many of the frameworks come with reporting tools, such as where tests have passed or failed.
Types of Test Automation Frameworks
There are various kinds of test automation frameworks. Each one has its own unique benefits and is chosen according to the requirements of a project.
- Linear Scripting Framework
The easiest framework; is also called “record and playback.” In this, the test scripts are written line by line without having any reusable pieces. It is the fastest way for small projects but very clumsy to handle larger ones.
- Modular Testing Framework
In this framework, the tester breaks an application under test into modules that are independent of each other. Each module has a test script to reuse the code and make it easier to handle.
- Data-Driven Testing Framework
A data-driven testing framework separates test data from the test scripts. This separates the test data from the test scripts enabling tests to be run multiple times with a humongous number of data sets. This makes testing very fast and flexible.
- Keyword-Driven Testing Framework
A keyword-driven framework represents an action on the application under test using keywords. This is easy to use because non-technical users can easily run tests by using keywords without even being aware of the code present behind them.
- Hybrid Testing Framework
The hybrid testing framework is used to merge one or more frameworks. It is data-driven as well as keyword-driven; it facilitates flexibility and reusability and, thus it may be useful for complex applications.
Conclusion
An aptly designed automation testing framework makes it more efficient and effective. Best practice in selecting the best frameworks facilitates making the test faster, more accurate, and more manageable. It has provided teams with a strong building block to create quality software for user experience improvement.