Automation Framework Design and Implementation
Test automation framework plays a pivotal role in scaling up the efficiency of automation testing activities and thus optimizing its overall testing performance. An organization that employs test automation framework practices will actually improve and streamline the systematic implementation of automation testing and thus providing more value to the specific project that it is being applied for. QA teams have leveraged the test automation framework and have benefitted from it. In this article, you will get to know about the steps that are required to design and implement an automation framework.
What is a test automation framework?
It is a platform that is a combination of programs, tools, features, compilers etc. An environment is provided wherein automated test scripts can be executed. It is a component that enables test execution and comprehensive reporting of test results. Test automation framework is implemented by major components such as procedures, scripts, testing tools, equipment etc.
Following are the seven steps required to design and implement a test automation framework:
1. Wrapper method should be developed: One of the genuine solutions for the purpose of extending the library features is to write a wrapper method. A simple instance of extending the wrapper method is to allow handling the errors well and better logging capabilities in selenium.
2. Custom logger needs to be implemented: When the test cases are being run, the file is where the activity information is being logged. This additional information can be used as a reference for test runs and future audits. Therefore, the logging framework needs to be customized and implemented for this requirement. The logging framework for python is Custom logger and java is log4j.
3. Selecting the right design pattern: The right design pattern needs to be selected as the best practices are provided for creating the test framework. The test case development is improved and also minor cases are prevented that can cause major problems and therefore code readability is enhanced. In order to create a selenium automation framework, the most popular design pattern is the Page Object Model (POM). The UI operations are separated from the functionality and the code is made clean.
4. Tests should be separated from the automation framework: The test script logic needs to be separated from the automation framework. The code readability is increased and the code is made readable.
5. The code should have a proper structure: The code can be made readable by defining the folder structure always and also making it easy to understand. The folder can be structured as Testcases, Utilities, Libraries, Logs, Test Data, Constants, PageObjects and Locators.
6. Databases, Web Services, UI should be separated: Separation of concerns is considered to be the most important principle in framework design. Hence, an additional layer needs to be created for databases, API, web services and UI in the framework, which will, in turn, avoid the clutter.
There may be instances where the extra layer in framework architecture might not have been covered with the testing design pattern, thus it would prove to be beneficial to create one more layer.
7. Adopt continuous integration: Continuous Integration is a development practice through which a build automation tool can be integrated like Maven in order to ensure whether the software is running smoothly or not after making a commit decision.
Conclusion:
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About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.