
As far as modern software development is concerned, automation testing is particularly important. Not only does automation testing eliminate human intervention, but it also is significantly faster than manual testing. Add to it the availability of a plethora of automated testing frameworks, which makes the lives of developers easier by helping them accomplish tasks in a much improved and efficient way.
When it comes to managing the test suite, JavaScript has proven to be a dynamic framework for its intuitiveness. JavaScript Automation Testing delivers excellent results in front-end and back-end development, which makes it a preferred choice for automation testers all around the globe.
While JavaScript Automation Testing makes testing efficient, it still requires double-checking. If executed poorly, it can negatively impact test automation’s results.
Keeping this in mind, we’ve collated a list of some of the conventional mistakes that are popular amongst testers and are pretty much avoidable to ensure a bug-free testing process.
So, without further ado, let’s dive in!
5 Mistakes That Are Avoidable in JavaScript Automation Testing
JavaScript Automation Testing is gradually becoming a norm among QA testers. Using automation testing, developers can execute projects timely, accurately, and at a much more affordable price. However, automation testing isn't a piece of the cake. It needs to be executed thoughtfully to ensure successful release cycles.
Below are five common mistakes you must avoid in JavaScript Automation Testing.
Mistake 1- Not Choosing the Right JavaScript testing framework
One of the most common blunders in JavaScript Automation Testing is picking the wrong testing framework. When deciding on a JavaScript testing framework, developers must factor in their testing requirements, the scope of testing, documentation, strong community, customer support, etc. When a framework is backed by comprehensive community support, it can help you come up with solutions much faster.
With plentiful test automation frameworks available, it sometimes gets overwhelming for developers to opt for the right ones. However, with diligent planning and considering your specific needs, you can identify the right Javascript testing framework that aligns with your project needs. You also need to ensure that the framework selected is simple to implement and continue with.
Mistake 2- Not planning the test case scenario beforehand
Another standard mistake prevalent in JavaScript Automation Testing is incomplete or inadequate planning. You must prioritize/plan your test cases early on to avoid the risks associated with project failure.
Deciding the procedure for automation testing, understanding the tool meticulously, and keeping yourself abreast of the technologies involved are some of the finest practices to adopt in the beginning.
Other than that, objectives, test case scope, ROI, roles, and skills of team members should be fundamentally checked before planning the test case scenario. There’s no point in doing automation testing if the given practices are not deployed. Proper preparation beforehand also helps understand whether automating test cases will be profitable for the organization.
Next, you need to define the approach for designing and reviewing the test cases. Also, spend time figuring out how you’ll structure the test case- helper files, page object models, etc. Doing so will save you needless efforts in the long haul.
Mistake 3- Not keeping track of test results
The only technique to measure how well test cases perform is through the analysis of test results. Unreviewed test cases result in a higher failure rate, instability, and flakiness. Failure to scrutinize test results also prolongs understanding of why an automated test case messed up or failed to perform as expected.
On the contrary, having metrics like code coverage, requirement coverage, functional coverage, test creation and updation time, test documentation, and test reusability at your fingertips can aid in determining the accuracy, maintainability, and scalability of test automation.
You can also leverage JavaScript Automation Testing reports to identify any bugs as soon as they appear. Test reports provide a detailed overview of missed, failed, and aborted test suites.
Tracking test results is of prime importance for the entire team as it addresses numerous queries that might go unnoticed otherwise.
Not only do developers and testers get access to anomalies as soon as possible, but they can also rule out instabilities in the test suite, thereby maximizing productivity.
Mistake 4- Automating everything
Automating everything for the sake of it might sound tempting, but it’s one of the biggest mistakes that could affect your company’s bottom line. It’s crucial to watch out for test cases eligible for automation versus those not requiring one.
Automating all your existing tests from scratch is not always a good idea. You need to find balance and identify tests that qualify for automation and ones that work fine when handled manually. Tests that cannot be fully automated should not be automated unless doing so saves time and effort.
In the case of Continuous Integration or Continuous Delivery regression tests, automated testing is a reliable solution. This is because manual testing might fail to cover all possible scenarios of input data.
Yes, automation testing is beneficial, but it has its drawbacks too. Maintaining automated tests is a rigorous exercise. You’ll have to consider the phases in which tests can be automated and maintained thoughtfully. In such scenarios, automating right from Day 1 can worsen things and won’t yield better ROI.
JavaScript Automation Testing is all about adding value and long-term sustainability. If you’re not mindful of automating valuable features, you’ll spend more time on maintenance than authoring new features.
Mistake 5- Not taking into account the “Test Environment”
In automation testing, the role of a test environment cannot be neglected. A test environment mitigates flaws while assessing the performance of an application right from deployment to production.
The different test environments used at varied levels of testing are – the development environment, testing/QA environment, staging environment, and production environment. A testing environment mimics real-life scenarios and ensures that any changes made during testing do not interfere with the existing functionality. This further helps developers prevent defects and leakages in the live environment.
An automated test environment offers the flexibility to test as many scenarios as possible and identify gaps and otherwise overlooked technical glitches that may surface when your application is put to the test by actual users.
If you want to ensure that everything works as planned, you must rely on a testing environment that allows you to pinpoint what works and what doesn’t without spin-offs.
Alternatively, if you decide not to incorporate an accurate testing environment, your application can significantly impact customer loyalty, retention, advocacy, and a lot more.
Running tests under the Test Environment greatly affects its performance post-deployment. To ensure that your application’s user experience is flawless, seamless, and bug-free, you must provide a testing environment in individual phases of development.
Ignoring the test environment can lead to inaccurate test results. Aside from that, not having a sufficient number of testing environments can also derail the performance.
Setting up test environments can present various difficulties, but these can be overcome by leveraging a digital experience testing platform such as LambdaTest. With this solution, there's no need for in-house infrastructure as it offers a dependable, real device cloud that supports over 3000 browser and operating system combinations. This means that you can conduct your tests in a secure cloud environment without any worries.
Conclusion
We've entered an era where everything is being automated. JavaScript, a widely accepted programming language, plays an important role in software testing. However, this language's tools make it important for developers to stay informed.
Automation testing teams must have an understanding of the dos and don't so they're able to fulfill their testing needs. The mistakes shared above are way too common but can be handled by tracking test results, deciding which tests to optimize, which ones to skip, and following a robust testing plan. It can help testers save countless hours and boost their test automation efforts when implemented mindfully.
We’d like to agree that there’s no one-size fits all approach as far as JavaScript Automation Testing is concerned. But at the same time, you need to be cautious of not chasing small wins and instead opting for a long-term strategy by avoiding these underrated mistakes.