developThe proper testing of a mobile application is highly essential before releasing it to the end-users. During the testing process, the developers can get a fair idea about the performance of the application and the possible bugs present in it. However, the developers must remember that the testing process can be expensive and time-consuming if conducted manually.
The best solution to this problem is to implement automation. With the help of mobile automation testing, the developers can reduce the test duration, the possibility of manual error and also the mobile app testing costs. However, there are various factors that beginners must keep in mind before introducing mobile automation tests. This article will act as a comprehensive beginner’s guide to automation testing in mobile.
The Basics of Mobile Automation Testing
The basic purpose of testing is to verify every element of the application before it moves on to the production phase. In this process, the quality assessment teams have to use advanced test automation solutions to run the automated test scripts. Using this process, the QA teams can easily perform the tests and prepare the bug reports. Automation Testing also helps the testers to compare the actual results with the intended results. The Automation Testing technique comes with various advantages that improve the quality of the application, reduce testing time and many others. We will elaborately discuss the benefits of mobile automation testing in the latter part of this article.
Automation Testing also helps the developers to focus on the crucial areas instead of the repetitive test cases. This way they can focus on improving certain features that play a pivotal role in enriching the final quality of the app.
The Need for Mobile Automation Testing
Manual test cases are completely dependent on the work potential of human testers. On the other hand, automation test cases can run for 24 hours automatically without any form of outside involvement. This means that testers can perform the test cases round the clock and exponentially reduce the overall delivery period for the mobile application. Automation Testing has the potential to take up several testing methodologies, replace multiple testers and successfully create a complete test coverage. In this form of software testing, the developers can use pre-written test scripts to ensure the optimal quality of the software. Mobile automated testing also has a major part in reducing the regression testing period.
Using this form of testing, the developers can ensure their final application is perfect and can work smoothly under multiple use cases. By implementing mobile automation businesses are having a positive impact on their audience base. This is why many experts consider automation testing as one of the vital factors in the modern application Development Industry.
The Working Mechanism of Mobile Automation Testing
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The use of a testing Framework is one of the most common ways to implement mobile automation testing. Some of the most preferred data structures are linear scripting, modular testing, keyword-driven and data-driven. To test any application, the developers have to use a basic testing form that is also known as a linear scripting framework. However, you must remember that these scripts do not require less planning and they also cannot cope with the scripts used before. The tester has to create the test in a modular testing Framework in case he wants to validate a liberated small test for reducing repetitive test cases.
Data-driven test frameworks allow quality assessment teams to create a script that can work with multiple data sets. This form of testing is perfect for receiving good quality test coverage with a smaller number of tests present. The developers can use keyword-driven test frameworks for different table formats. This form of testing allows the testers to outline keywords for individual functions and implement Different techniques. It is also beneficial for those testers who do not have detailed development knowledge. They can find multiple keywords that can help them to improve the quality of the test scripts.
One of the most beneficial things about automation testing is that most of the popular testing solutions are open-source. This means individual creators and small companies do not have to spend a fortune for getting started with mobile automation testing. Selenium is one of the most popular test automation frameworks used to automate multiple mobile browsers simultaneously. It can work efficiently with multiple programming languages like Java, Python, C# and many others. The developers must remember that every Framework has a special side that it serves the best. For example, Robotium is best suited for function, acceptance and development testing for Android. On the other hand, Cypress works flawlessly for integration, end-to-end and unit testing.
Also Read: Why You Need to Build a Custom Mobile App for Your Business
Benefits of Implementing Mobile Automation Testing
Improve the Testing Scope
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With the help of Automation Testing, the developers can achieve several test scripts at the same time. Thus, Automation Testing please a vital role in improving the quality of the mobile application with the help of its testing scope. In this competitive application Development Industry, it is almost impossible to compromise the quality of the final product.
Introduce Re-usability in Test Scripts
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Mobile automation testing helps to reduce the work of the automation testers by eliminating the hassle of writing complete test scripts for every development project. This is because with mobile automation testing the testers can recycle a huge part of the test scripts by making only minor altercations. It is also very simple to store and maintain the mobile automation test scripts for future use.
Efficiently Validate the Complex Scenarios
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Mobile automation testing is highly beneficial for validating the functioning of complex applications. Some of the best examples of complex mobile applications are IoT-enabled apps. Moreover, mobile application testing with the help of multiple test cases eases the pressure on the developers. This is because it ensures that the solution can be implemented on the application irrespective of the expected time.
Eliminate the Unnecessary Costs
It helps the development companies to keep a check on their expenses. This is because with this form of testing the developers can quickly identify the bugs in the application and remove them before proceeding to the development phase. However, the developers must remember that the initial expenses are comparatively high for introducing test automation. On the other hand, the companies will save a lot of time and expenses in the long run after setting up automation testing.
Tools and Frameworks for Mobile Automation Testing
Tools and frameworks play a vital role in improving the potential of mobile app test cases. In the modern Software Development Industry, there are multiple automation tools and frameworks that are readily available in the industry. However, the developers must ensure that the tool is compatible with their use case before incorporating it into a test environment. Some of the important factors to consider are the knowledge of multiple programming languages, the company allocated budget and the varying preferences of every developer. Let us use LambdaTest as a reference to understand how a tool can influence your testing experience:
LambdaTest is a cloud platform to test the cross-browser compatibility of web apps. Using this application, the developers can check the stability of the mobile application on an online cloud grid. While using Selenium automation testing, LambdaTest can execute the test cases on more an online browser farm of 3000+ browsers and OS versions. It can also use parallel testing to significantly reduce the overall testing period.
Parallel testing is a process of initiating multiple test instances simultaneously. This means the developers can side by side compare the performance of the application on different combinations of operating systems and browser versions. LambdaTest generates accurate test reports by combining multiple tests from emulators, virtual machines and even real devices. Using this platform, the developers can check the functioning of both Android and iOS applications. It provides more than 3000 real mobile devices for testing purposes.
Using these tools, developers can also verify how different physical features of a mobile device can affect the functioning of the application. For instance, certain physical features like the screen size, processor and display resolution have a critical impact on the app performance. The developers can also verify how the application performs on a poor bandwidth correction. Another major benefit is that these tools and platforms do not require any form of unnecessary downloads or set-up processes.
Making the Choice of Apps for Automation
To utilise the full potential of Automation Testing, the developers must have a clear idea about the specific applications suitable for this form of testing. Let us take a quick look at some of the vital parameters that can help you to make the decision:
- The app consists of multiple tests that are repetitive.
- The app requires more time for development than testing.
- The tasks, tests and requests are stable and do not contain high-risk elements. You should also ensure that all the parameters of the application do not change frequently before introducing automation testing.
- It is highly essential to eliminate the possibility of human error in major test cases.
- The test consists of major downtime before different phases.
These experiences can help you to set certain standards for automated test cases and improve the business requirements of your company. These parameters also help you to receive the highest return on investment during the application development projects. Another important factor is that you must remember that unit testing will always receive priority over other test cases. This is because it is one of the most essential parameters to ensure the stable performance of an application.
The Conclusion
So, in this competitive application Development Industry, the most important factor is to quickly deliver high-quality applications to your end-users. Mobile automation testing is one such advanced technology that can help you to achieve both of these goals. Identifying the bugs in the early stages of the development process is very crucial. This is because it helps you to maintain the timeline of the application development life cycle. With the advancement of technology, the complexity of the applications will continue to rise. This means that automation testing tools for mobile will become the only solution to efficiently maintain the test coverage of an application. The developers and application development companies should try to adopt this form of Technology as soon as possible. The early adoption of Automation Testing is very crucial to maintaining a company’s stand in this competitive industry.
