Don’t let any expert tell you the starting point of your automation is manual test cases. In fact, if manual test cases are used as a starting point to automate, the outcome is poor automation design and test cases that are brittle and a maintenance nightmare.
Manual test cases and test steps do not correlate to automation scenarios, coz they do not end to end, they are not parameterized, they are not written with modularity and re-usability in mind…I could go on and. Moreover, this approach leads us to “What % of your manual is automated?” which in itself is a losing battle.
Automation should be integrated into the overall lifecycle, and not a “test automation” silo. Test planning, design, scenario creation, test data planning are all part of the basic steps of the Quality lifecycle. If each one is handled in silo the result is automation becomes an overhead that drags us instead of giving us speed.
Of course, its easier said than done, but its important to break the cycle of “manual test cases feeding to automation”.
Let your manual test development process right from inception be driven with the goal of automation. This means bring in the modularity that is compatible with automation design. Model and design your data models that support various combinations of test cases for a particular scenario. Don’t let “test data” be an afterthought, an early data design coupled with workflow scenario design is critical to maximizing coverage.
accelQ achieves this with a unique visual Application universe driven scenario designer with an integrated data modeller. Take it for a test ride you will be surprised by how simply and elegantly it’s achieved!
GULJEET NAGPAUL
Chief Product Officer, ACCELQ
