8 Reasons to Automate Software Testing in 2022
More and more companies rely on software by the day. Developers meet this growing need by making software for such uses. However, it’s no secret that the software that reaches the user can have bugs or defects. Such problems can cause frustration and loss. Thus, it is important that they will be prevented early on.
And if you are to ask why, well, the answer is by testing the software.
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Software testing has evolved with software development. It is a way to make sure that software performs as needed and is free from bugs before it enters the market.
However, there are many types of tests one can run on software. And when done manually, they cost quite a bit of time, money, and manpower. That is why there has been a move to automate software testing.
Why Automation Testing?
Automation testing applies programs or models to run tests on software. These programs then compile and compare the results of the tests. This is done with no need for direct human control.
Unfortunately, though, setting up the testing programs needs human input. So, if you or your team are not already familiar with setting up such testing protocols, you need a tutorial for automation testing.
That being said, developers now favor automation testing above manual testing. But what advantages does automated testing confer over manual software testing?
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It Saves Time and Money
Software creation involves repeating tests to ensure quality. Every time something is added to or removed from the source code, it has to be tested again to see how the change has affected it. This means that making a software program costs more time and money.
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Automation testing solves this problem neatly. Setting up automation programs may take a lot of time at first. But a testing sequence can be re-run as many times as needed after the first run. This saves programmers time setting up and running the same tests repeatedly.
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It Is More Efficient for Multi-user Tests
Sometimes, you need to test software to see how it performs in a multi-user setting. This is of particular importance for networking software. However, running such tests manually will be a tedious and costly affair. After all, it would help if you had more hands-on tasks. The more users you need to run the tests, the less feasible a manual test will be.
But, automation can allow you to simulate thousands of users working with the system at the same time. This lessens the cost of multi-user tests and makes them more efficient.
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Faster Feedback Loops
Especially where continuous testing is needed, feedback loops are very crucial. They are tools that let you gauge how fruitful your development efforts are. The good or bad feedback is then fed back into the process.
How efficient your development process is, depends on how detailed feedback is. The speed of feedback is also a factor. With more detailed feedback, you have more data to work with while you correct errors.
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Greater Test Coverage
Test coverage refers to how much of the source code of a software is run during a test. Now, there is a limit to the scope of manual tests. And manual testers may tend to avoid or forget to test some aspects of a software program.
But, automation pushes the scope with more in-depth and full testing. This reduces the chances of bugs in the code that the process has not exposed. And that further ensures the greater quality of the product.
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Less Risk of Human Error
A manual testing process is simply very error-prone. Developers or QA teams may forget to do a given test either on the first test run or on the repeat. Such lapse of memory is quite common with boring tests that are repeated over and over again. After all, people become distracted when they’re bored. And when they’re distracted, they forget things.
They may also make mistakes in running the ones they remember to run, especially when they’re complex. All of these are faults in the process that reduce product quality.
By automating tests, teams can greatly reduce the risk of such errors. It does not matter how many times the test sequence is run. The same steps will always be done precisely the same way, even on other servers. This helps rule out bias due to server settings and makes for more precise and reliable testing.
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It Increases Production Speed
Tests that would take a day or more to run manually can take a lot less when automated. And with feedback times reduced, the whole development process proceeds faster. Thus, developers can release more software per time with minimal error.
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Better Load Testing
Load testing makes sure your software can handle likely user loads.
In groups that use manual testing, the load tests may be put off till the end of production. This means that developers will only notice any problems with software performance under load at the end. And when this happens, especially when such problems are serious, software release dates may be pushed back, thus disappointing eager users.
As automation testing can run many tests at once, it can also run load tests early. With this, load issues will be noticed early and solved.
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Better Resource Allocation
While automation takes care of routine or repetitive tests, software creators and QA teams will be left freer. They can then focus on tasks that need a human touch. For instance, they will have more time to form new test cases or protocols. In addition, they can closely review the results of automated tests or run tests that can’t be automated.
Also, they can focus on other day-to-day work. All of these will raise team morale and work quality.
Conclusion
All of these benefits of automated testing are especially apt in current times. As the info-tech age continues to march on, more and more companies are sprouting up to meet the need for software. By taking full advantage of automation testing, you can increase the quality of your software.
You can boost the efficiency of your work teams and your company’s output. By so doing, you become more competitive in the market and better able to keep up with the current production trends.
