Test Tools Tools can be useful ... ... but are they worth it? Cost Effort to set up vs Repeatability Speed Key Learning Points: test tools are available to help automate some aspects of testing. ASK Has any one used any test tool, what were they used for? What was your experience of them? Examples simulation of real-time users using special software on the central computer system or on PCs - this would normally allow for the capture of transactions, duplicates of transactions etc., followed by their playback as if they were created by genuine on-line users, tools to generate test data, eg. construction of a large customer masterfile for use in volume testing tools which capture the screen input and output for a test and allow the test to be run as part of regression testing. The tool automatically compares the new result of testing with the old one. It is also possible to use these tools to capture expected results which can be compared against actual results in the same way. Test tools can save a lot of manual effort but their introduction is in itself a large overhead. Can be particularly good for regression testing, which is only possible to carry out thoroughly using a tool.