Having multiple quiz frameworks at your administration is essential for performing effective package testing and character assurance. Why? Let me explain in this post…

Identifying Testing Frameworks

When I refer to multiple testing frameworks, I mean the power to do software tests using several exposed source test suites at once.

Sauce Labs is an example of a test program that back multiple testing frameworks. On Sauce, you can use any or all of the following open rootage try frameworks:

• Selenium, which is probably the virtually widely used open germ testing framework for browser testing. Selenium is the standby testing solution for many organizations—although it ’ s not usually the lonesome one they use.

• Appium. This testing framework is basically an propagation of Selenium to endorse mobile apps. Appium supports Selenium bid, but it is a distinct quiz fabric from Selenium because it is designed for a different set of use cases (videlicet, mobile app testing).

• Espresso, an automated UI testing tool for Android. Espresso is Google ’ s offering for Android UI testing, which do it an important examination model to get in your armoury.

• Robotium, another widely expend unfastened root try framework for Android apps.

The Benefits of Multiple Testing Frameworks

There is a fair measure of convergence between those test suites. For model, Espresso and Robotium both cater to the same class of applications—Android mobile apps. Appium also lets you screen roving apps, although it back iOS apps in addition to Android.

For autonomous testing across multiple user personas, check out SUSATest — it explores your app like 10 different real users.

So why would you desire to experience multiple testing frameworks? If one of these frameworks does everything you need, why worry about the others?

The Buffet Analogy

The answer is that your software testing experience should be like eating at a buffet eatery.

The benefit of a counter is that still if you go into the restaurant mentation you ’ d only like to have a certain thing for dinner, your choices are not limited if your desires change afterwards. Maybe you arrive appear forward to Tex-Mex, then adjudicate you ’ d like a little felafel to go with your tacos. Or perhaps you discover that the cheesecake you guess you ’ d have for dessert contains anisette, which you hate (severely, does anyone actually like anisette?), so you need to vary plans.

At a standard eatery, it ’ s hard to pick and choose, or to change your decisions at the last minute. With a buffet, still, you have a great batch of flexibility.

From Buffets to Software Testing

I cognize. A sideboard is a somewhat cockamamie analogy for software testing. But it ’ s not totally off the mark. The point I am making is that just as a sideboard gives you flexibility and agility in your dining option, an automated examination platform that supports multiple testing frameworks allows you to pluck and choose which frameworks to use, to deploy multiple frameworks at once, and to change your testing decisions on the fly.

Testing framework flexibleness can be utilitarian in a number of ways, including:

• The power to test web and mobile variant of an app at the like time.This is probably the near common intellect for require multiple screen framework. It ’ s not efficient to have to use different platforms to essay the web and peregrine versions of the same app. It ’ s much better to be capable to use Selenium and, for instance, Robotium aboard one another.

• Getting the fast test results.In some cases, you may find that sure tests for the like app run fast on one testing framework, but that that fabric can ’ t be used in all cases. For instance, Espresso is generally fast than Robotium, but Espresso doesn ’ t support as many releases of Android as Robotium does. If you can choose from among respective framework and use them concurrently, you can optimise your results.

• More thorough testing results.When you can use multiple testing model, you don ’ t have to rely on the solvent of one testing tool alone. For example, Robotium may name issues that Espresso miss, or frailty versa.

• Forward compatibility.You may exclusively test a web app today, but in the future, you may involve to try a roving app as well. Having multiple frameworks useable helps to see that you ’ ll have the testing resources you need to support future workloads without having to modernize your total testing procedure and surround.

• The ability to use your squad ’ s expertness to greatest effect.Some members of your squad may be familiar with one testing model, but not others. Assuming they can make a case for writing tests for the framework they cognize, they ’ ll be able to use that framework if you have multiple testing frameworks available. This is ofttimes better than force everyone to con a certain framework because it ’ s the only one available to you.

Conclusion

To beat the analogy in this article dead, your package testing experience should be like the legion options in a buffet. You shouldn ’ t have to pull yourself to a certain testing model, or have to use exclusively one fabric at a time. When you have multiple testing frameworks usable, you can optimize your testing workflow to get the fastest, most thorough results.

Chris Tozzi has worked as a journalist and Linux systems administrator. He has peculiar interests in open source, agile infrastructure and networking. He is Senior Editor of content and a DevOps Analyst at Fixate IO.