Three Types of Test Automation For Creating A Successful App

Let’s say a car company has just manufactured a new car. Naturally, they will test the different modules and components of the car, like the ignition, brake, exhaust, engine, fuel system, etc., to ensure that they all function independently. However, these different components will also be tested in combination. For instance, it’s important for the fuel system to work in collaboration with the exhaust system, and for both of these systems to work in collaboration with the engine.

The same goes for web development. You may have sought web development in Kuwait, written several different test codes for different parts of your application and achieved 100% coverage. But at the end of the day your application still needs to work once all moving parts fall into place. Writing tests is a crucial part of application and website development in Kuwait yet it’s only a part of the entire project. Before you even begin writing tests, you need to have a plan in place that determines how you want to conduct the tests, and what parts of the application you need tested.

Our aim with this article is to help you learn about the different types of testing modes that exist and the ones that are commonly used. In the next article, we wish to acquaint you with the various testing strategies used by website and mobile app developers in Kuwait and how you can choose the best one for your business. Since today we will mostly focus on automation, if you want the full list of tests that are used in web and app development, check out our blog on Quality Assurance (QA) strategies.

So, in order to help you decide how to test, let’s define testing according to its two modes:

• Manual testing - As the name suggests, manual testing is carried out by actual people who click through the application to check if it works as intended. Exploratory testing is conducted, wherein the application is investigated against a predefined checklist. This kind of testing requires the tester to analyze the website or mobile app from the perspective of the user. Manual testing is best suited when cognitive and behavioral abilities are necessary to sufficiently test the app. This includes testing functionalities, UI and UX, website and app behavior, features, and user acceptance.
• Automated testing - Automated testing is conducted by a computer and is used to automate tests that are repetitive and monotonous. It’s a much more efficient and faster mode that works well for testing scenarios that aren’t too behaviorally complex. Here, automated test scripts are created by testers and app developers in Kuwait with the goal to simulate the actions of a human tester. However, since it follows predetermined rules, it eliminates human error and is consequently a lot more reliable and accurate.

Although this blog focuses on automated testing, there is no one testing mode you should dedicate all your resources to. A lot of times, using automated testing tools that are quick and efficient helps free up valuable human resources that can then be used for manual/exploratory testing and creative problem-solving.

Types of Test Automation

Choosing and applying the right type of automation depends on the metrics you wish to achieve in your project. Let’s take a close look at some of the most important types of automated testing:

1. Unit Testing

   In this testing type minor units of an application are tested individually and independently. Unit tests test everything from functions, classes, interfaces, and every other feature or logical path. You should always write unit tests as they are a great way to catch bugs early in the Kuwait mobile application development cycle, saving you time and money. Since unit tests ensure that each unit works as expected and meets the specified requirements, it improves code quality and produces more reliable software. It also provides fast feedback to developers and allows for easier debugging. However, unit tests cannot be used for systems that have a lot of interdependence between its different modules. They are also time-consuming to write, especially if the system is complex and has many units. Finally, since unit tests are only meant to test individual components, they can never guarantee that the system as a whole will work as intended. For this reason, unit tests alone are not sufficient to create a seamless app and should be used in conjunction with other testing types.

2. Integration Testing

   Integration tests test interactions between components/systems. Since individual code units are usually developed with specific requirements and functionalities, their combination can result in unexpected errors. Integration tests help tell whether chunks of your code are successfully working together and especially come in handy with large codebases and more sophisticated interactions. While unit tests are conducted on individual modules themselves, integration tests test the interface between the modules. This helps ensure that data between the modules is passed correctly and that the modules work as expected when integrated with each other. Integration tests are not only used for testing your application’s database interactions, but can also be used to conduct tests between the frontend and backend of your app. They are also great for codes that are working together but are written by different people. In general, integration testing helps correct interfacing inconsistencies and identify performance bottlenecks when components are connected. However, if there are a large variety of components involved, they can make integration testing quite complex.

3. End-to-end testing

   End-to-end tests (also called UI tests) test your application’s user interface and the entire application from one end to the other. They simulate a user and their interactions with different parts of the application. Like E2E testing, while integration testing also helps to ensure that the system functions as a whole, end-to-end testing focuses on meeting requirements in real-world scenarios. Basically, E2E tests are important for verifying that your code will work in a real environment. Since end-to-end tests involve the whole system, they take up more runtime and computing power, resulting in higher maintenance costs. So, it’s best to use E2E tests only in situations where you have users apart from yourself and you have enough development infrastructure.

Now that you are acquainted with the different types of automation tests, you may be wondering how they all fit together. It’s not so much about choosing one of the tests, but more about the order and method in which you should be executing them. Next week, let’s explore the main types of testing strategies used by web and app development companies in Kuwait. These are divided into shapes like the pyramid, diamond, and trophy, and make testing a whole lot fool-proof!

At Design Master, an experienced application and website development company in Kuwait, we believe that testing and quality assurance is an integral part of any kind of web/app development. We have skilled professionals and a repertoire of the best methodologies used to conduct different types of testing on our developed products.

Get in touch with us to create your dream website or application that looks great, and more importantly, works great!