Hello friends! in this post, we will learn, how to effectively make a transition from manual to automation profile. If any of the following ring any bells to you then this post is for you-
- Are you in manual testing and want to switch to an automation profile?
- Or you are already in automation and want to add additional automation tools to your skill-set.
- You have minimal programming knowledge but still, want to learn some tools. So, looking for tools that require less to no coding.
“You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.”
― C.S. Lewis
Now the first step in making this transition is to find the right automation tool based on your skill-set, interest and expertise.
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Selecting an Automation Tool
The choice of selecting an automation tool relies on the following factors-
- Your domain of expertise – The domain, platform or application type you test greatly affects the choice of selection of the tool. E.g. if you work on functional testing of websites, then you should go for Web-UI automation tools like Selenium, Watir, QTP etc. For mobile apps, you can go for tools like Appium, Robotium, etc.
- Programming experience – Depending on how comfortable you are with coding, you can opt for tools that match your skill level. There exist tools that require minimal programming language.
Also, if you already have knowledge of a programming language you can go with tools that support that language. - Paid or free – While most of the tools are free and open-source, there are many paid automation tools as well. These tools provide rich reporting, easy scripting, and other features. Tools like QTP, Loadrunner are paid and come with heavy licensing costs, so not all companies can afford to use them.
Based on the above factors, I have created a table that will help you choose the right tool.
| Type | Coding skills required | Minimal/No Coding |
|---|---|---|
| Website UI | Selenium(Free)– Languages – Java, PHP, C#, Python, Groovy, Ruby, and Perl Watir(Free)– Languages – Ruby QTP(Paid)– Languages – VB script Telerik(Paid)– Languages – C# and VB | Sahi(Both paid and free)– Language-Javascript like Tellurium(Free)– Language-English like TestComplete(Paid)– Language-Drag & drop feature with Python, JavaScript, or VB.NET |
| Android Apps | Appium(Free)– Languages – Java, Ruby, C#, Python Robotium(Free)– Languages – Java Selendroid(Free)– Languages – Java MonkeyRunner(Free)– Languages – Jython – python integrated in Java | Ranorex(Free)– Languages – Drag and drop with C# and VB scripts EggPlant(Paid)– Languages – SenseTalk(English like) |
| IOS Apps | Appium(Free)– Languages – Java, Ruby, C#, Python Frank(Free)– Languages – Gherkin Given-When-Then | Ranorex(Free)– Languages – Drag and drop with C# and VB scripts EggPlant(Paid)– Languages – SenseTalk(English like) |
| SOAP Web services | SoapUI(Free)– Languages – Groovy, Javascript | TestingWhiz(Paid)– Languages – No scripting required SOAPSonar(Paid)– Languages – No scripting required Storm(Free)– Languages – No scripting required |
| REST APIs | Rest-assured(Free)– Languages – Java HttpMaster(Free)– Languages – Java | vREST(Paid)– Languages – Record and playback |
| Desktop application | AutoIT(Free)– Language-Own language (BASIC like) Winium(Free)– Language-Java, Objective-C, JavaScript with Node.js, PHP, Python, Ruby, C#, Clojure, or Perl Robot Class in Java(Free)– Language-Java | Ranorex(Free)– Languages – Drag and drop with C# and VB scripts Sikuli(Free)– Languages – Image-based recognition with Jython (Python for the Java platform) |
| Performance testing | JMeter(Free)– Languages – Drag & Drop, record & playback, supports Groovy and beanshell for scripting Grinder(Free)– Languages – Jython and Clojure Gatling(Free)– Languages – Scala | JCrawler(Free)– Languages – No scripting required OpenWebLoad(Free)– Languages – No scripting required |
Tips to expedite the transition to automation profile
- Plan well – Once you are done with the tool selection, create a plan and find the right online and offline resources for learning the tool.
- Commit to a schedule – Based on the resources, create a timeline and mark your progress routinely.
- Hands-on with the tool – Don’t just read the tutorials, practice each command/feature side by side. Most of the online and offline articles come with sample code. Use it and play with it.
- Get hold of a real project’s script – Although, you can learn scripting or the features of a tool still there is a gap between the sample script/project we get from different resources and the scripts used in real projects. So, try to get the framework or sample script of real applications in testing from your colleagues, friends or another professional network.
- Find every opportunity to use automation in your project – Even if the project you are currently testing doesn’t have budget/timelines approved for automation still try to automate routine tasks and save your manual effort. There is nothing better than getting paid for learning.
“Be so good, they can’t ignore you.”
― Steve Martin
That will be all, thanks for reading!!
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