Learning About Most Popular Test Automation Frameworks
The world of information technology is changing at a rapid pace with advanced technologies and highly efficient tools. To be at par with the market dynamics, the structures, methodologies, frameworks etc., should also be highly effective. Software testing domain being a prominent player in the software development process and upon that test automation scaling up the software testing activities to an all-new level, test automation frameworks are being implemented. Test automation frameworks provide a proper structure and flow that optimizes the performance of test automation activities and thus provides a range of benefits to the software testing process. In this article, you will know about the most popular test automation frameworks.
What is a test automation framework?
An execution environment is provided for the automation test scripts through the strategic platform of the test automation framework. Various benefits are provided to the user through this framework, which in turn helps them to report, develop and execute automation test scripts efficiently.
Following are a few popular test automation frameworks:
1. Data driven testing frameworks: While any application is being tested or automated, at times there will be specific instances where the same functionality is tested multiple times with a different set of input data. In such scenarios, the test data cannot be embedded in the test script. Test data needs to be retained outside the test scripts into some external database.
Data driven testing framework helps the user segregate test data and the test script logic from each other. The test data can be stored by the user in an external database. The external databases can be ODBC repositories, CSV files, text files, excel files, xml files etc.
2. Module based testing framework: It is based on ‘abstraction,’ which is a popular OOPs concept. The entire “application under test” is divided into a number of isolated and logical modules using this framework. An independent and separate test script is created for each module. A larger test script is built when these test scripts are combined together so that more than one module is represented.
3. Behavior driven development framework: Functional validations are automated in an easily understandable and readable format to testers, developers, business analysts etc., through this framework. The user is not necessarily required to be familiar with programming languages. Cucumber, Jbehave are some of the tools that can be used for this framework.
4. Hybrid testing framework: It combines the working and functionalities of keyword-driven frameworks and hybrid testing frameworks. More scope is allowed for a better success rate and increased productivity. A variety of end-to-end testing approaches are combined.
5. Keyword driven testing framework: It is considered to be an extension to the data driven testing framework, which means it not only segregates test data and test script logic from each other but also ensures that a specific set of code that belongs to the test script is kept in to an external data file. This specific set of code is known as keywords and hence is also known as keyword driven testing framework. These keywords are self-guided keywords and ensure that the necessary actions are performed in an application.
6. Library architecture testing framework: It is foundationally and functionally built on the module based testing framework with some added advantages. Instead of the application under test being divided into test scripts, the application is segregated into functions or rather common functions can be used by other parts of the application. A common library is created constituting of common functions for the application under test. Test scripts can be used to call these libraries whenever required.
Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing test automation for your specific project, then do get connected with a leading software testing services company that will provide expert advice and support on various aspects and implementation of test automation and frameworks that are exactly in line with your project specific requirements.
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.