What is automated testing?

What is automated testing?
When I first learned about automated testing, I knew nothing about automated testing other than the three of "automation", like love, to know who she was before looking for a girlfriend.

So what is automation?

Automation is difficult to define, but it exists in the corner of our lives. In fact, understanding automation is not difficult, I think as long as you are not mentally retarded can understand. As an example:

1. Traditional farming vs. automated farming

2. Traditional seeding vs automatic seeding

3. Manual Harvesting vs Automated harvesting

The above three pictures fully explain the difference between manual farming and automatic farming, then we try to summarize the characteristics of traditional farming from the above picture: repetition, inefficiency, error-prone.

First, whether it is ploughing, sowing, and harvesting, these tasks are a cycle without any change, and this repetition is well suited to the pre-programmed scripts in automated farming techniques.

Second, the traditional farming operations are inefficient, in the face of today's large-scale, fast-paced agricultural demand, the productivity of manual work obviously keep up with the growing demand for food, by artificial is impossible to complete the task.

Finally, although human beings are the spiritual long, but in the face of repetitive, boring, large-scale agricultural work is very easy to make mistakes, the use of automation and its operations can be both professional and standard.

By the above example we can basically get, machine + set = Automation

As the name implies, I think the application of automation technology to Web testing is automated testing.

So the question is, what are the characteristics of the test work that are suitable for automation?

Application of automation in testing
We all know that not all tests are suitable for automated testing, so what are the testing tasks that are appropriate for automated testing throughout our testing process?

In fact, the answer to this question is very simple, only test work that meets the automation characteristics is suitable for automated testing.

In chronological order, the test process for most of our projects should be: Smoke test → new requirements test → compatibility test → regression test.

Smoke testing: An important starting point for the testing process

New requirements Test: Learn and explore the most concentrated tests during the testing process

Compatibility test: Product compatibility test on different browsers

Regression testing: Tests that stabilize functionality is affected by new functionality

Combined with automated repetition, inefficiency, and error-prone features, we know that smoke testing and new requirements testing are not suitable for automated testing due to unstable requirements, and regression testing and compatibility testing require a large number of regression test cases, which need to be repeated in different browsers. Fully compliant with the characteristics of automation applications, we can use automated testing tools to make these repetitive, inefficient, and error-prone work more efficient and professional.

Let's look at an example of an automated test that makes regression testing more efficient:

1. Open the homepage of NetEase Cloud Classroom

2. Complete the Login

3, the navigation bar into the "programming language"

4. Choose "Follow-up to learn" → "Programming with Java"

5. Browse Chapters

6. Select the "Priority of calculation" section

7. Verify that chapter headings are selected chapters

As a result, we can see that automated tests can actually improve the efficiency of our testing efforts, saving a lot of manpower and time.

How do I choose an automated test tool?
Through the above example, the power of automated testing we have a preliminary understanding, like programming languages and other Internet technology, Web automation testing tools are also various, then as a beginner of automated testing How to choose automated testing tools?

Of course, the internal matter does not feel asked Baidu, foreign affairs do not feel asked Google, with the power of search engine we can find the answer we want, but I suggest you use the following keywords search: Web+automation+test+tools, as for why in English, We can try to compare the results of the difference, after all, Baidu ..... Right......

To tell the truth, when you search for a lot of tools to recommend, in the end use that kind of tool will have a strict criteria to filter, I choose the standard as follows:

1, the development trend should be steady rise

2. To have an active community to discuss

3, if Open source software

4. Support for mainstream programming languages (Java, Python)

5, to support the mainstream browser (Google, IE, Firefox, etc.)

Combined above, selenium is the perfect choice.

Well, say so much, so how to learn automation? Do you have any information about learning?

Interested in automation students, welcome to add QQ Group: 706315665, study together, discuss each other.

There are already small partners in the group to organize the Knowledge system (source, note, PPT, learning video), welcome Dabigatran free Collection

Add QQ Group: 706315665, collect information for free

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What is automated testing?