Back to: Automation Testing
Exercises – “What is already there?”
Topics
- When to Automate
- What to automate
- Who’s involved in Automation
- How to Decide Which Types of Test Cases to Automate
- Value of Test Automation
Goal
When you finish this unit, you will be able to answer the following questions, explore the concepts and explain it to others:
- Why do we need a test process?
- What is needed for test automation?
- When is it worth to automate?
Outcomes
When you finish this unit, you will be able to:
- Name critical criteria that helps to decide, if automation is useful or not.
- Know a list of elements that need to be evaluated before starting a test automation process (Automation Strategy)
Now let’s dive into some practical learning materials. We’ll start with some fundamental resources, including videos and blogs, that will help you grasp the core concepts of Test Automation (see lists attached).
As we progress through these materials, we’ll be applying our learning to a practical example – the website booking.com. This is a common website where you can choose your mother tongue, making it a great platform for us to explore and apply your Test Automation skills.
Material
Additional Material
Exercise
1. Manual Exploration of Booking.com
The goal of this exercise is to gain practical experience in exploring Booking.com, recognize the areas that require testing, understand the importance of testing those features or functionalities, and determine where test automation can be effectively utilized to ensure the proper functioning of the website.
| Your first task is to manually explore the website booking.com. As you navigate through the site, consider areas where testing could be important. This could be anything from the search functionality to the booking process, user registration, or even the display of hotel information. |
| As you explore, ask yourself: What could be tested here? Why is it important to test this feature or functionality? Where do you think Test Automation could be helpful in ensuring this part of the website works as expected? Write down your thoughts. |
| This exercise is to help you think like a tester and understand the practical applications of Test Automation. It’s an opportunity for you to apply the theoretical knowledge you’ve gained so far to a real-world example. |
Questions and Quizzes
After exploring booking.com, you’ll find a series of questions and quizzes designed to test your understanding of the material and your observational skills. These questions will cover a range of topics, from the basics of Test Automation to the specifics of applying these concepts to a website like booking.com.
| Please take the time to answer these questions. Remember, all the answers can be found in the material provided so far. If you’re unsure about any question, feel free to revisit the videos, blogs, and the manual exploration exercise for clarity. |
| This part of your learning journey is designed to reinforce your understanding of Test Automation and its practical applications. It’s also an opportunity for you to reflect on what you’ve learned and identify areas where you might need further study. |
| Remember, learning is a journey, and it’s okay to take your time and explore. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or revisit the materials as needed. Happy learning! |
Identifying what to automate
The next step in your learning journey is to identify what you want to automate on booking.com. Not all tests are suitable or necessary for automation. Some tests are better performed manually, while others can benefit significantly from automation.
As you explore booking.com, consider which tests could be automated. These could be tests that are repetitive, require multiple data sets, or need to be executed frequently. Also, consider tests that are time-consuming or prone to human error when performed manually.
As you identify what to automate, consider the following questions:
- Which tests would be more efficient and accurate if automated?
- How will automation improve the coverage and reliability of these tests?
- How will automating these tests contribute to your overall test automation goal?
Remember, the goal of Test Automation is not to automate everything but to automate strategically. By defining your goal and identifying what to automate, you’re taking important steps towards a successful Test Automation strategy.
| Important steps towards a successful Test Automation strategy: |
| 1. Identify the Most Used Parts: Start by identifying the most frequently used parts of the website or a specific part of the website. For http://booking.com , these would typically include the search function, hotel booking, or attraction booking. These are the areas where you would want to focus your testing efforts, as they are the most critical for the user experience. |
| 2. Manual Searching: Begin with manual searching. This involves manually entering search terms and observing the results. You’re looking to understand the basic search variables (like location, dates, number of guests) and the results you receive. Note down which results are constant despite changing the search variables and which are variable. |
| 3. Identify Test Cases: Based on your manual searching, identify test cases for automation. These should be scenarios where you expect a specific outcome given a certain set of inputs. For example, searching for a hotel in a specific city on a specific date should return available hotels in that city on that date. |
| 4. Determine Value of Automation: Not all test cases need to be automated. Determine where automation has the most value. This is typically in areas where tests need to be repeated often, where manual testing is time-consuming or prone to error, or where the risk of failure is high. For example, the basic search function is used frequently and needs to work correctly every time, so automating tests for this function could be valuable. |
| 5. Write Automated Tests by a step by step guide: Once you’ve identified your test cases and determined which ones to automate, you can start writing your automated-like tests. This involves writing scripts that perform the actions as user would take (like entering search terms and clicking the search button), and then checking the results to make sure they are what you expect. |
| Remember, testing is an iterative process. You’ll likely need to go through these steps multiple times as you continue to improve your website. |
Sample Answers
- What do you want to automate?
Given the functionalities on the “Attractions” section of http://booking.com , we would want to automate the following:
- Search Functionality: This is a critical feature of the website. We would want to ensure that the search returns accurate results based on the user’s input.
- Booking Process: This involves multiple steps and user inputs. Automating this process would help ensure that all steps work as expected and that the user can successfully complete a booking.
- Display of Attraction Information: This feature is crucial for users when deciding on a booking. Automating the testing of this feature would ensure that the information displayed is accurate and up-to-date.
Remember, these are just examples. The actual areas to automate would depend on various factors, including the complexity of the feature, the frequency of use, and the impact on the overall user experience.
Exchange with your learning coach
1. Discussion with Your Agile Learning Coach
Now that you’ve explored booking.com, identified potential areas for Test Automation, and formulated your initial Test Automation approach, it’s time to sit down with your Agile Learning Coach. This discussion is a crucial part of your learning journey.
During this discussion, present your findings and your proposed Test Automation approach. Share your thoughts on what you want to automate and why. Discuss the goals of your Test Automation approach and how you believe it will benefit the testing process on booking.com.
Your Agile Learning Coach will provide valuable feedback on your approach, suggest improvements, and answer any questions you might have. This is a great opportunity to clarify any doubts and gain insights from someone with more experience in the field.
2. Ask Questions and Get Feedback
Don’t hesitate to ask questions during your discussion. Whether you’re unsure about a particular aspect of Test Automation, need clarification on the material you’ve studied, or want to know more about the practical applications of Test Automation, your Agile Learning Coach is there to help.
Also, be open to feedback. Constructive feedback is a powerful tool for learning and improvement. It can provide you with a different perspective, highlight areas you might have overlooked, and offer suggestions for improvement.
Remember, the goal of this discussion is not to have a perfect Test Automation approach, but to learn and grow. Be open, curious, and eager to learn. This is the final step in this part of your learning journey, but it’s just the beginning of your adventure in Test Automation. Happy learning!
After engaging with the materials, let’s try to do some exercises in the form of a Quiz to put your knowledge into practice.