Module 6: Test Tools and Automation Flashcards
Test Automation Tools - Intro (6.1)
Test tools can…
The test tools and automation approaches which are…
It should be noted that Test Analysts work together with…
Keyword-driven testing in particular involves…
greatly improve the efficiency and accuracy of testing.
Used by a Test Analyst are described in this chapter.
Developers, Test Automation Engineers and Technical Test Analysts to create test automation solutions.
The Test Analyst and leverages their experience with the business and the system functionality.
Keyword Driven Testing (6.2)
Keyword-driven testing is…
one of the principal test automation approaches and involves the Test Analyst in providing the main inputs: keywords and data.
Keyword Driven Testing (6.2)
Keywords (sometimes referred to as action words) are mostly, but not exclusively, used…
Each keyword is typically used to represent…
Sequences of keywords (including relevant test data) are used to…
to represent high-level business interactions with a system (e.g., “cancel order”).
A number of detailed interactions between an actor and the system under test.
Specify test cases [Buwalda02].
Keyword Driven Testing (6.2)
In test automation a keyword is implemented as…
Tools read test cases written as a sequence of…
The scripts are implemented in a…
Programming skills are needed to…
one or more executable test scripts.
Keywords that call the appropriate test scripts which implement the keyword functionality.
Highly modular manner to enable easy mapping to specific keywords.
Implement these modular scripts.
Keyword Driven Testing (6.2)
The following are the primary advantages of keyword-driven testing:
- Keywords that relate to a particular application or business domain can be defined by domain experts. This can make the task of test case specification more efficient.
- A person with primarily domain expertise can benefit from automatic test case execution (once the keywords have been implemented as scripts) without having to understand the underlying
automation code. - Using a modular writing technique enables efficient maintenance of test cases by the Test Automation Engineer when changes to the functionality and to the interface to the software under test occur [Bath14].
- Test case specifications are independent of their implementation.
Keyword Driven Testing (6.2)
Test Analysts usually create and…
They must realize…
Once the keywords and data to be used have been defined, the test automator (e.g., Technical Test Analyst or Test Automation Engineer)…
Maintain the keyword/action word data.
That the task of script development is still necessary for implementing the keywords.
Translates the business process keywords and lower-level actions into automated test scripts.
Keyword Driven Testing (6.2)
While keyword-driven testing is usually…
In an iterative environment…
Run during system testing, code development may start as early
as the test design.
Particularly when continuous integration/continuous deployment are used, test automation development is a continuous process.
Keyword Driven Testing (6.2)
Once the input keywords and data are created, the Test Analyst assumes…
responsibility to execute the test scripts containing the keywords and to analyze any failures that may occur.
Keyword Driven Testing (6.2)
When an anomaly is detected, the Test Analyst should…
Usually, the first step in troubleshooting is to…
If this does not show a failure, the Test Analyst should…
If the Test Analyst is unable to determine the cause of failure…
assist in investigating the cause of failure to determine if the defect is with the keywords, the input data, the test automation script itself or with the application being tested.
Execute the same test with the same data manually to see if the failure is in the application itself.
Review the sequence of tests that led up to the failure to determine if the problem occurred in a previous step (perhaps by introducing incorrect input data), but the defect did not surface until later in the processing.
The troubleshooting information should be passed to the Technical Test Analyst or developer for further analysis.
Types of Test Tools (6.3)
Much of a Test Analyst’s job requires the
This effectiveness is enhanced by the following:
Effective use of tools.
- Knowing which tools to use
- Knowing that tools can increase the efficiency of the test effort (e.g., by helping to provide better coverage in the time allowed)
Types of Test Tools - Test Design Tools (6.3.1)
Test design tools are used to…
These tools may work from…
Test design tools are often designed and built to…
help create test cases and test data to be applied for testing.
Specific requirements document formats, models (e.g., UML), or inputs provided by the Test Analyst.
Work with particular formats and particular tools such as specific requirements management tools.
Types of Test Tools - Test Design Tools (6.3.1)
Test design tools can provide information for the Test Analyst to use when…
For example, classification tree tools generate (and display)…
This information then can be used by the Test Analyst to…
determining the types of tests that are needed to obtain the particular targeted level of coverage, confidence in the system, or product risk mitigation actions.
The set of combinations that is needed to reach full coverage based on a selected coverage criterion.
Determine the test cases that must be executed.
Types of Test Tools - Test Data Preparation Tools (6.3.2)
Test data preparation tools can provide the following benefits:
- Analyze a document such as a requirements document or even the source code to determine the data required during testing to achieve a level of coverage.
- Take a data set from a production system and “scrub” or anonymize it to remove any personal information while still maintaining the internal integrity of that data. The scrubbed data can then be used for testing without the risk of a security leak or misuse of personal information. This is particularly important where large volumes of realistic data are required, and where security and data privacy risks apply.
- Generate synthetic test data from given sets of input parameters (e.g., for use in random testing). Some of these tools will analyze the database structure to determine what inputs will be required from the Test Analyst.
Types of Test Tools - Test Execution Tools (6.3.3)
Test execution tools are used by Test Analysts at…
The objective of using a test execution tool is typically one or more of the following:
All test levels to run automated tests and check the actual results.
- To reduce costs (in terms of effort and/or time)
- To run more tests
- To run the same test in many environments
- To make test execution more repeatable
- To run tests that would be impossible to run manually (i.e., large data validation tests)
Types of Test Tools - Test Execution Tools (6.3.3)
These objectives often overlap into the main objectives of…
increasing coverage while reducing costs.
