QA Automation, also known as Test Automation or Automated Testing, refers to the use of software tools and frameworks to automate the execution of tests and verification of software functionality.
It involves writing scripts or test cases that simulate user interactions with the application under test and automatically validates the expected results.

In QA Automation, the focus is on creating automated test scripts that can perform repetitive tasks, validate software functionality, and compare actual outcomes against expected results. These scripts can be executed repeatedly, providing efficient and reliable testing.

QA Automation typically involves the following key components:

• Test Automation Tools: These are software tools specifically designed for automating tests. They provide features and functionalities to create, execute, and manage automated test scripts. Examples of popular test automation tools include Selenium, Appium, Robot Framework, and Cypress.
• Test Scripts: Test scripts are programs or sets of instructions written in programming languages such as Java, Python, C#, or JavaScript. These scripts define the steps to be executed, the data inputs, and the expected outputs for each test case.
• Test Frameworks: Test frameworks provide a structured environment for organizing and running automated tests. They offer libraries, utilities, and guidelines for developing and executing test scripts. Test frameworks often include features like reporting, test data management, and integration with other tools.
• Test Data: Test data is the input or set of inputs used during test execution to validate different scenarios and conditions. It includes a range of data values that cover both valid and invalid inputs, edge cases, and boundary conditions.
• Continuous Integration and Continuous Testing (CI/CT): QA Automation can be integrated into the CI/CT pipeline, where automated tests are executed automatically as part of the software development and delivery process. This helps in ensuring the continuous verification of software quality and facilitates faster feedback.
• Test Maintenance: As the software evolves, automated tests may need to be updated or modified to accommodate changes in the application. Test maintenance involves keeping the test scripts up to date and aligning them with the current functionality and requirements.

QA Automation offers advantages such as increased testing efficiency, accuracy, test coverage, and scalability. It is particularly effective for regression testing, repetitive tasks, and scenarios where frequent testing is required.

However, it is essential to plan and design automation efforts carefully, considering the cost, feasibility, and suitability of automation for different types of tests.

Also QA Automation offers several advantages over Manual QA:

• Efficiency: Automation allows faster and more efficient testing processes. Automated tests can be executed repeatedly and at a much faster rate compared to manual testing. This helps to reduce the overall testing time and allows quicker feedback on the quality of the software.
• Accuracy: Automated tests perform actions and checks with precision, reducing the likelihood of human errors. They follow predefined steps consistently, ensuring that tests are executed accurately every time. This helps to improve the reliability of test results and reduces the risk of overlooking critical issues.
• Reusability: Automated test scripts can be reused across multiple test cycles and different versions of the software. Once a test script is created, it can be easily modified or extended to accommodate changes in the application under test. It saves time and effort in retesting functionalities that remain unchanged.
• Test Coverage: Automation enables broader test coverage by executing a large number of test cases across various configurations, platforms, and data sets. This helps to identify defects or compatibility issues that may arise in different environments. Manual testing, on the other hand, may have limitations due to time constraints and resource availability.
• Regression Testing: Automated tests are particularly beneficial for regression testing, which involves retesting previously validated functionalities to ensure that changes or enhancements have not introduced any new issues. By automating these tests, the testing team can focus on new features and functionalities, while the automated suite verifies the existing ones.
• Scalability: Automation enables scalability by handling a large number of test cases simultaneously or in parallel. As the complexity of software increases, manual testing becomes challenging and time-consuming. Automation enables the testing team to handle larger projects and scale their testing efforts efficiently.
• Cost Savings: While there is an upfront investment in setting up and maintaining an automated testing framework, it can lead to long-term cost savings. Automated tests reduce the dependency on manual resources and can be executed 24/7 without additional manpower. It helps optimize testing efforts and reduce overall project costs.

It’s important to note that while automation provides numerous benefits, manual testing still plays a crucial role in exploratory testing, usability testing, and other scenarios where human intuition and judgment are required.
Therefore, a balanced approach utilizing both automation and manual testing is often recommended for comprehensive software quality assurance.

Our guys work hard to improve their skills and acquire new knowledge.Therefore, a series of QA Automation Meetups was held in the Speroteck QA Department.

Daria Chereshnia decided to share her experience in this area with her colleagues:

“I would like to share the frameworks I have been working on. Especially CodeceptJS, because I think it is very practical for implementing tests. One of those frameworks that brings pleasure from work. Simple, laconic and at the same time large-scale”

In total, 4 meetups were held to introduce test automation to our QA team.

Daria shares useful cases and examples from her practice, life hacks on how to simplify and optimize the work on the project:

“I think, the perspective of changing direction is not as important as simplifying someone’s work. That is, you can automate simple test cases from the same regression. Free up your time, give yourself a rest, exhale or learn something new. And resources also appear to redirect your attention to something that has never been prioritized before. As for me, automation is about simplicity and it seems to me that everyone can benefit from it from time to time.”

According to the participants, this material was very useful as for a general understanding of the principles, methods and tools of AMC automation, as well as for the further start of work in this direction.

Thank you, Daria, for a great job!