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Ten Steps to Building Software Test Automation That Works

Step 5: Tool Selection

One Size (Does Not) Fit All

Selecting the right test automation tool for your software testing may be more difficult than you think. We can cite more than one executive who impacted his/her career or business that wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars by making the wrong choice.

Your market may have some unique requirements. For example, companies that work with medical images need to verify that its software is sending or receiving the correct image. You wouldn't want your doctor reviewing someone else's chest XRAY or MRI before an important surgery. In order to automate this testing, you need a tool that supports the verification of images. Few software automation tools have this feature.

Do your homework and improve the chance of selecting the right tool for your business. If you are considering purchasing an automation tool or have encountered issues with your current tool you may find the tool selection guide helpful.

The next logical step in your transition to test automation is to select the right tool for your people, processes, and technology.

The process of determining the tool best suited to your needs is not an easy one. Each organization will have different needs that should be met by software test automation. The testing of various applications and operating systems requires a complicated search for the appropriate tools. A simple set of steps to evaluate vendor tools can be followed to determine the correct tool for the job.

The following are recommended steps to follow for a software test automation tool selection.

1. Define your requirements (technology, hardware, and software constraints)
2. Compile a possible list of candidates
3. Review vendor requirements
4. Make your selection

Before looking at testing tools make a shortlist of the requirements you have for software testing. What problems will the tool solve? What technical capabilities will the tool need to be compatible?

Test Requirements:

What types of testing problems do you want the tool to address? Do unique issues exist? Make a list of these special requirements to be addressed in the evaluation.

Technology:

Any testing tool you choose must be compatible with:

• Operating systems your application supports
• Development environments used to create your application
• Third party software with which your application integrates
• Object oriented testing capabilities
• Open Source vs. Commercial choice of tool

  **Note

  Many managers are tempted to save on the license cost and pick one of the free or open source tools that are readily available. Often, the consequences of this decision are detrimental.

  • Most of these tools have very little or no support.
  • Sometimes the installation and configuration of a tool takes a significantly larger amount of hours as opposed to the relatively easy, fast, and friendly procedures offered by commercial tools.
  • We have evaluated more than a hundred of such tools and have found: free or open source tools are less user friendly.
  • Few of the free tools are as powerful as commercial tools. However, they are flexible making it possible to modify and expand.
  • Open source tools can require a significantly larger amount of effort to achieve desired results. A resource may spend several months building the tool to meet the required functionality. One or two licenses of a commercial tool may be a fraction of the money spent by the company compared to the development time.

List of Possible Tools

You can develop a short list of vendors by consulting with experts who have automated software with similar requirements. Find an objective expert who is not a re-seller of any particular tool.

Test Tool Choice Considerations

Review the following:

• Vendor references
• Other customers with similar requirements
• Skill level required to use the tool
• Multiple user access
• Support and help documentation
• Integration with other tools
• Budget requirements for:
  • Tool purchase
  • Training, implementation and on-going support

Test Tool Selection - Feature comparison and Proof of Concept

Run all your tests with each of the tools on your short list using the same test scripts. If you are not comfortable running the tests, an objective third party vendor may be a viable option. The vendor should have experience with the short list of tools.

The proof of concept will make the selection quite clear. With the selection made, you are ready to take the next step.

MYTH: There is a "perfect" tool out there to solve all my problems and will result in automation without any need to write additional code.

REALITY: The reality is that there are more then 120 widely known tools on the market with new tools coming out every day. It is a lifelong project to know all of them. Realistically, there is no perfect tool. Any tool that you choose will still require effort and a proven methodology in order to build solid automation. Focus on the goal and results will come!

Please e-mail your comments to cblaylock@qasignature.com or call 617 510-6545.

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