Automated Testing Tips Copyright © 2000 Compuware Corporation Mark Nesslar July 15, 2000

2 of 11 Test types n Record and Playback n Structural n Data Driven

3 of 11 Lessons learned Jell-O and the Electric Dog

4 of 11 Communication n Testers n Automation Specialist n Development n Management 3 to 10 times

5 of 11 Automated testing is development n Programming Knowledge n Planning n Standards n Discipline n Well documented n Not easy, Not cheap

6 of 11 Automation Specialist n Design n Develop n Test n Debug n Document code

7 of 11 What to test n Repeatable n Expected results

8 of 11 Do a test run n OS n Browser n Platform

9 of 11 Know the application n Know the requirements n Know issues n EEK! Third Party Controls n Break it up

10 of 11 Scripting n Keep it small n Each test should be a beginning, middle, end

11 of 11 What makes a good script? Commented Will not change much Tests something that needs to be tested Handles Errors Easily Understood

12 of 11 I can do that (the programmer dilemma). n Oh, that’s good n Oh, that’s bad (don’t automate what is highly complex) n Keep the focus on testing

13 of 11 Functions n Application Functions n Company Functions

14 of 11 Functions n Know the Functions Library Avoid duplication New people

15 of 11 Structure n Scripts Driver l Subject (Test Case) –Scripts (reusable, static) n Functions

16 of 11 Error processing n Take a screen print n Save it to a file n Write message to log file n Close and re-open app for next test Loop to close all windows n Can’t account for everything so account for that

17 of 11 Tricky tools n Comments n Checks n How would you test it manually?

18 of 11 Header of Default Script n Programming Information n What does script do n Limitations n Requirements n Environments n Global Variables n Company functions n Application functions

19 of 11 Staffing n Tools don’t replace testers, testers do BWI

20 of 11 Automation n Start Small n Be disciplined n Develop standards n Understand Application n Do the preliminary work Script like a mad dog

21 of 11 Data Driven n Minus: l Takes a lot of time l Need a programmer l Requires good communication with development n Plus: l Reusable across applications l Easy for Testers to Write

22 of 11 Data Driven n Write a function for each possible action n Navigation Scripts n Spreadsheet test cases n Build a switch case

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