What is Test Automation Framework?
Test Automation Framework is a collection of various tools used to set the rules and guidelines for developing the test cases for the test professionals. These rules can be coding standards, handling test data, store the test results, and other resources. The test framework helps in developing the test scripts and recording them. There are different types of automation frameworks available to test the applications based on different platforms. The mobile, desktop, and web-based applications are getting tested on different operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, etc.
Test Automation Framework is used to execute test cases and determine the output that needs to be matched with user requirements or output. The testing framework application is always independent, and it is very easy to expand, maintain and use. It helps in reducing the effort and time to test the same thing again and again. It also describes which part of the application is being implemented. It helps find the problem at an earlier stage and is easy to solve as early as possible. The test framework is mainly responsible for defining the format to express the expectations, executing tests, and reporting results.
Benefits of Test Automation Framework
Test Automation Framework has a lot of benefits, including an increase in efficiency, speed, and test accuracy.
- It reduces the cost as well and lowers risks also.
- It improves test efficiency.
- It lowers the cost of maintenance.
- It maximizes the test coverage and functionality of the application.
- It also defines the reusability of code.
- It also helps avoid the duplication of test cases that are used to automate across the platforms.
- The test framework is used to automate the testing of an independent application.
- It helps the team to organize the test suites and helps in improving the test efficiency.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Test Automation Framework
Given below are the advantages and disadvantages mentioned:
Advantages:
- It saves a lot of time and effort.
- It is the fastest way to test things quickly.
- It is easy to maintain, and scaling is also easy.
- The multiple data sets can be executed easily.
- It helps in avoiding the hard code data.
- Test scripts can be built independently of the platform and applications under test.
- The framework helps in writing the scripts lighter and easier.
- It provides high code reusability.
Disadvantages:
- The scripts developed using a particular framework are not reusable for other frameworks.
- The maintenance of the application requires a lot of rework, and sometimes modules are not scalable.
- Sometimes, data is still hardcoded in test scripts because of which only particular data is used to test the application, and we can’t use the multiple data sets for that script to test the application.
- To test the application in the automation framework, the tester needs to know the programming knowledge for the writing of test scripts.
- Test Scripts take more time to develop, which sometimes exceeds the deadline.
- The setting up cost of the framework initially is very high as it is time-consuming and complex.
- The individual should have good knowledge of frameworks as well.
- Sometimes, the data and complexity make the automating test not working in favor of the tester.
Types of Test Automation Framework
There are common types of framework that are mentioned and described below:
1. Modular Based Testing Framework
It is mainly built on the concept of abstraction. This creation of independent scripts represents the modules of the application under test into separate units, functions, and sections. It provides the benefit of changing the script only for a particular module. There is no need to touch other modules for the changes. It takes less effort to create test cases as it can be reused for other modules as well.
2. Data Driven Framework
It allows setting up the data to store the input and expected output results in a separate file or the other data source like CSV files, spreadsheets, etc. It helps the single script to execute all the test cases with multiple data sets. Multiple scenarios can be tested quickly and varying with multiple data. It executes the tests faster; it requires less amount of code to generate the test cases.
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3. Keyword Driven Testing Framework
It is the framework that utilizes the data tables and keywords to perform on the application under test. The test data and directives are used to develop the test scripts, and these directives are called keywords. It is extensive data-driven testing. Keywords are reused as multiple test cases.
4. Linear Automation Framework
It is used as a record and playback framework. In this, the script developer does not require to write the code in sequential order for functions and methods. It records the navigation process and uses that script to test that functionality.
5. Hybrid Testing Framework
It is the combination of modular, data-driven, and keyword drove testing frameworks. It helps data-driven scripts to take advantage of libraries. It integrates the advantages of all other frameworks.
Conclusion
Test Automation Framework is one of the widely used tools in organizations for testing applications based on different programming languages and platforms. The testing framework saves a lot of effort and time to test the application on a frequent basis. To select the test automation framework, the individual has to take care of certain things like it should be application-independent. It must be easy to expand and maintained. Which framework is quickest and easiest to implement for the application and the resource available for that expertise.
Different types of the framework have been mentioned above. One has to select according to the requirements and the client’s budget. Some are open source, and some are licensed as well. It is very difficult to choose which framework one should develop the test scripts and take less time and effort for testing the applications. But it ensures learning, and definitely, it is better than manual testing and saves the testers from boring and monotonous work. It is always better to use a Test Automation Framework to test the applications.
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