Automate the Automation – Scriptless Automation
Enterprises, businesses, Trade Analysts have referred to Test Automation as an enabler for reaching faster to market and rigorously ensuring quality. IT companies work with tools and frameworks to automate tests and plan the overall Quality Assurance (QA) and testing approach. Practically, Test Automation strategies are driven by business goals and development objectives. Scriptless Automation can be referred to an approach where testing experts and teams bring their functional and technology expertise to automate tests and achieve these objectives.
As a widely accepted practice, Proprietary tools and Open Source tools/frameworks are used to automate tests and accelerate the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). There is a constant debate amongst experts on whether to leverage Proprietary paid tools or freely available Open Source frameworks such as Selenium with their intrinsic benefits. Does Scriptless Automation suggest testing without scripts? Not really.
It is an approach where functional experts and technology experts collaborate and bring their knowledge to design, plan, build the right framework and if required write extension scripts to automate the tests. There are a lot of concerns around Scriptless automation. Similar to any test automation objective, here the purpose is to build ready-to-use scripts and build test assets that are reusable.
The objectives of Test Automation are clear; build reusable test scripts, enhance test coverage, make the testing process more repetitive, and ensure higher return on investments (RoI). Can these objectives be mapped with the core features of Scriptless Automation approach?
Let’s look at some key aspects of Scriptless Automation and understand how automation can be automated.
Scriptless Automation is not an alternative to coding
Every inventive approach in testing and development aims to bring more efficiency and results. Scriptless Automation does not disregard the scripting process altogether. It has been formulated to bring more agility to the test automation process with less implementation of code. So, it cannot be considered as an alternative to coding of test automation scripts. With the present day software testing and development challenges, the core idea is to bring more flexibility to the automation process.
Scriptless Automation intends to bring time-effective solutions
Time is a key factor in any Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), as it is the need of the hour to reach faster to the market with path-breaking applications and solutions. Test Automation is being considered and adopted by testing and development teams to bring speed to the process and reduce manual errors.
Scriptless Test Automation comes with a similar objective, but with a much more structured framework to enable automation of tests by functional users and make them reusable. So it helps to save time and make the test scripts available anytime. Here, the test architects eventually get involved to determine the reusability of the test scripts, or integrate the scripts during the application’s real-time testing.
Scriptless Automation supports multiple real-time test scenarios.
Additionally, Scriptless test automation is also used to test across multiple scenario where real-time testing is required. It requires analysis of business cases and evaluation of the scenario where the application or software will be operational. This kind of analysis is required to build reusable elements for the tools.
Importantly, this provides an analysis of the real-time environment and makes the process more dependable and credible. It further enables test automation experts to build better scripts that are robust for the real-time testing scenarios.
Scriptless Automation brings more value for product development
Can you imagine getting a product to the market without testing it in real-time scenarios and evaluating its capacity to take on actual load? No one with the best of business sense would do that. Scriptless Test Automation enables you to ensure the application’s efficiency in the LIVE environment and it is one of the key reasons that this kind of approach is highly effective for product development companies.
Moreover, automation of tests helps bring monetary benefits with the reusability of test scripts. Commercial success revolves around cost-effectiveness and time-effectiveness. This approach enables you to bring both and achieve the business objectives.
Scriptless Automation takes a systematic approach, not sporadic.
It is a myth that Scriptless Test Automation Framework does not follow a methodological process and takes a testing-on-the-go approach. Alternatively, it tries to reduce the complexities of test automation tool and enables functional users to automate the tests.
By considering real-time scenarios, it helps create test scripts that are reusable and dependable. It makes the process more traceable, scalable, and builds dependencies in the test automation lifecycle. It makes testing more adaptable to change and reduces maintenance efforts occurring due to any ad hoc changes.
Scriptless frameworks can get very complex, as some basic codes require maintenance and need to get updated regularly. So, in such cases maintenance costs are involved.
Nevertheless, choosing the right framework is the best approach that you can consider to take on the Scripless route of Test Automation.
A report by Transparency Market Research states that ‘The increasing IT spending on quality assurance (QA) and software services, combined with the rapid proliferation of mobile- and cloud-based applications, will enable the global test automation market to surge at an exponential CAGR of 23.6% between 2016 and 2024.’
Automation is the key enabler for businesses to achieve faster turnaround time and get market ready. Digital Transformation powered by Digital Technologies are posing some key testing and development challenges. Partnering with experienced testing experts can help you build robust and relevant Quality Assurance strategies to build commercially viable applications and products.