Fundamentally, test automation and the use of a codeless automation testing tool are still a considerable challenge; coded tests are executed within the usual workflows, developers and SDETs receive the feedback within the build process; these tests only cover a limited amount of test scenarios. On average, 20-30% of functional test scenarios are not part of this process. On top of these difficulties, traditional testing, like any individual process, is prone to error, which can cause more significant issues down the road.
Low-Code or codeless automation clarifies the testing process dramatically by empowering anyone to create a test, regardless of coding experience. It requires nearly zero maintenance, thanks to self-healing AI algorithms. Empowering functional testers, both non-technical and functional testers, to create automation will also enable tests to be run more often, identifying bugs earlier. Faster detection will streamline maintenance when necessary, and as a result, teams can dramatically decrease the cost of test creation and execution.
Embracing codeless automation doesn’t need to be as tricky as some might think. First, we need to select the proper software Testing tool according to our current business needs. Choosing the right no-code automation tool could be as hard as choosing the right test automation strategy; we identified five key aspects of selecting the proper automated software testing tools.
Easy to Integrate With CI/CD Tools
An essential aspect of any no-code automation tool must be the integration; currently, we see in DevOps the implementation and management of CI/CD (continuous integration and continuous delivery) frameworks. Automation is crucial to creating these frameworks because it provides faster feedback and continuous integrations and delivery loops.
Continuous integration relies on an automated and reliable suite of tests. If you need to compile the code, the first test should measure if the code compiles itself. Then, you can include multiple tests as you go on. Keep in mind that CI’s purpose is to provide feedback as soon as possible.
Continuous Delivery is the capacity to get changes of all types, including new features, configuration changes, bug fixes, and experiments, into production or into the hands of users safely, quickly, and in a sustainable way. We accomplish all this by ensuring our code is always in a deployable state, even in the face of teams of thousands of developers making changes daily.
Codeless automation testing tools must integrate into the most popular CI/CD tools to keep your test automation fully accelerated.
Great Customer Support
With so many automation testing tools out there, we need to consider customer support as part of our critical factors to make a decision. For example, when you cannot configure your current CI tool with your new software testing tool, you need to consider the community or open forums to get an answer if you are using an open-source tool. Still, for licensed tools, customer support can make a significant difference if a new feature must be created for your current configuration.
“Customer service means making it easy and fast for your customers to get the help they need ― when and how they need it.”- Steve Benson, CEO of Development Group Capital.
The primary purpose of any software testing tool is to create a robust and collaborative ecosystem that the entire test automation community can use without any difficulties.
Front-end and Back-end Testing (Web and Mobile)
It is common to see some Testing projects running back-end and front-end tests; if you follow the test pyramid approach by Mike Cohn, your test scripts are split (API and UI). Another important aspect of selecting a software testing tool is running mobile tests (Android and iOS) or web tests (Cross browsers) on any platform (Windows, Linux, or macOS).
Consider this vital factor; if the selected software testing tool takes a straightforward installation or setup and has easy-to-use mechanisms that help you get started with making back-end and front-end tests with a minimal learning curve, then we can make sure you can have a real advantage over other testing tools.
Parallel Execution
Consider multiple test scripts running one after the other sequentially. These scripts take a lot of time to execute. We use parallel execution testing to concurrently test multiple components of an application to reduce execution time, accelerate execution and increase test coverage.
Reporting Platform
The best test doesn’t do much unless you can measure its results. The whole point of a codeless test automation tool is to quickly understand the state of quality in your application. That is why test reports are so important.
Reports must provide you access to several different charts and plots to help you see trends and other interesting data at a moment’s notice. Also, you must be able to configure the information for individual test runs for debugging and investigation purposes. Consider a good reporting platform while you are selecting the right software testing tool.
Final Thoughts
Test automation is undeniable; the organizations that don’t adapt will be left behind. If you want to use any software testing tool, please take the above five key factors into consideration; these will help companies understand where they are in the process and how codeless adoption can increase productivity and collaboration across teams.
Codeless automation testing tools are more intelligent and autonomous than before. Integrating the software into existing CI/CD pipelines will attract more practitioners, not only testers but also to significantly adopt the technology to decrease test automation maintenance and reliability costs.
A codeless automation testing tool is handy and enables faster software testing results on development solutions. The return on investment is more rapid than traditional software testing tools, making the initial cost negligible.
Want to see a codeless automation testing tool in action? Give MuukTest a shot here. The MuukTest team loves to support startups and individual users!
Enrique A. Decoss is a Quality Strategist with a focus on automation testing teams. A certified Scrum Master, Tricentis Tosca Certified Automation Architect, and Pythoneer, he focuses on web programming, implementing API testing strategies, as well as different methodologies and frameworks. Enrique is currently at FICO but can be found sharing his knowledge on LinkedIn and Twitter.