With the advent of Agile and DevOps and the advancement in technology, the software industry is undergoing rapid change. Testing, as a component of the software industry, is also going to new heights. We’ve come a long way from manual testing to record-and-playback tools to automation testing and now to codeless test automation. Change is the only constant, and there will be further advancements to make this journey more enjoyable and productive.
Codeless Test Automation:
Creating automated tests without writing a single line of code is known as codeless test automation. Teams may automate the process of building test scripts using codeless platforms, regardless of their skill level. For testers and developers who want to speed up their test development and increase testing dependability, In automation codeless test automation has become a significant priority. Codeless testing is a favoured approach for these professionals to incorporate into their testing responsibilities. Codeless automation saves developers and testers time by eliminating the need for time-consuming code in manual testing.
Misconceptions of Codeless Test Automation:
- Scriptless automation testing tools: The name scriptless might mislead us as it represents no script or code required in the entire process. But this is not the complete fact. The truth is that the code is not required to be typed manually, but the tool creates a code either by watching the user-action tester specify test steps using keywords or natural language. The tool converts these user-actions or keyword-based test steps into code for execution, and that’s where the magic happens.
- Less or no coding skill required: It is a myth that codeless automation tools work without coding knowledge. The codeless test automation tool shall do most of the work for us regarding the scripting, but there may be specific scenarios wherein the tester might alter or write some code to solve complex issues. Hence n=there is some level of coding knowledge required despite using the tool. Codeless automated testing tools will make our lives easier, more comfortable, and more efficient, but we can’t completely ignore the need for coding abilities.
- It solely relates to user interface testing: This is a common misperception that emerges from the belief that codeless automated testing is confined to record and playback. However, codeless automation does not have to be limited to record-and-playback. Other sorts of testing, such as API testing and programmed tests, are also possible with specific tools.
- After making any minor changes to the AUT, you must re-record the tests: This was the case with the older record and playback tool. If the developers updated a web element used in the test, the test would fail due to the code changes. This was a waste of time for a change that didn’t break anything in the AUT. This isn’t the case anymore.
- Tools cannot add Coded automation: When most people hear “codeless,” they automatically assume it means “limited in functionality.” And it wouldn’t be possible if they needed to implement some custom feature. That, however, is not the case. Some tools recognise that there may be times when you need to create custom code to add custom automation features. These technologies also provide you with the option of including custom code with codeless scripts.
Benefits of Codeless Test Automation:
- Helps in generating test code faster: Once you create the test, the code gets generated in seconds. This faster than what an experienced human could write. By generating the test coder faster, it enables you to focus on other essential tasks. It also means that codeless automation is simple to integrate into Agile development life cycles, and automated tests may be written and run during sprints.
- Moderate Learning Curve: Codeless automation testing tools are also simple to learn. And learning a codeless testing tool takes a lot less time than learning how to write your code to automate tests. One more advantage is that the developed tests can be used for training, particularly end-to-end tests that cover a wide range of situations and processes that can be conducted in the application.
- Minimum coding skills: In the case of codeless test automation tools, testers do not need excellent coding skills. Because the tool will take care of the scripting, only a basic understanding is required. A codeless automation testing tool’s user interface is designed in such a way that it removes the complexity from scriptwriting. The simple user interface makes test case scripting so simple that anyone with even a basic understanding of the application can accomplish it.
- Easy Set-up or installation: Testers that use codeless automation don’t have to worry about complicated tool configurations or system requirements.
- Reporting capabilities: If we script the tests ourselves with scripting languages, we’ll also need to build custom reporting scripts. When compared to scripting the code ourselves, codeless test automation tools have the best features. The reporting is better and more manageable. The reports are customisable to incorporate the information you desire in your testing.
- Reliable tools and Re-usability of test steps: The AI/ML capabilities take care of most maintenance headaches. These tools also produce more dependable test cases. Multiple application types are supported and cross-browser and cross-platform support, which improves coverage and, hence, reliability. And with regards to the re-usability, the codeless test automation tools are built to reuse the test cases. The test steps that are generic and common in test cases are pretty much reusable. These reusable test steps are inserted into the test case as needed, resulting in a smaller script. When the reusable script is changed, just one test script is affected; all other test cases are unaffected.
- Easy maintenance: Mere creation of test automation framework doesn’t help. The test scripts must be updated whenever a requirement is changed or improved. Of all the automated activities, this becomes the most time-consuming and crucial duty. This task is as simple as writing a script with codeless automation testing tools. The tool’s framework follows a specific structure and architecture, which results in a well-managed framework. The proper structure helps in achieving better traceability and maintenance.
- Cross-Platform Support: An excellent codeless test automation tool accommodates all of these aspects and allows us to perform tests on various browsers and systems.
The software testing field adapts to frequent changes, and we now have a plethora of tools at our disposal to assist us in our task. Initially, the companies did not accept automation tools in the testing process, but now they have evolved into valuable assets with numerous advantages. We can work smarter, not harder, with codeless automation tools.
