Challenges faced in UI automation
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UI automation testing faces several challenges including lack of awareness of automation tools, limitations of the tools themselves, constant changes to the UI, increasing complexity of products, and issues with error handling and synchronization. Some specific problems encountered are difficulties recognizing tabs, toolbars and child objects, as well as problems with images, colors, and drag and drop functionality. To overcome these challenges, testers must choose the right automation framework, start with effective test design, maintain coding standards, write efficient and reusable code, avoid over-reliance on recording, and thoroughly document tests.
Challenges faced in UI automation
- 1. Product Workshop Series Challenges faced in UI Automation Srinivas Kantipudi Progress Software Hysea Workshop on Software Products’ Testing Sep 27, 2008 @ Microsoft
- 2. What is QuickTest Professional • Automation testing tool • Scripting language built on top of VBScript • Fairly intuitive for technical user Common misconceptions about GUI automation tools • Record and playback tools • Can automate any UI with GUI automation tools • UI Automation tools cannot find bugs
- 3. Challenges faced in UI Automation • Lack of awareness of tools • Limitations of UI Automation tools • Constant UI changes • Increase in complexity of Products • Error handling/Synchronization issues • Other challenges
- 4. Lack of awareness of Tools • Can not effectively use the features =>Increase in maintenance • Tend to automate the easiest way =>Scripts break often =>Increase in maintenance • No consideration to create reusable Actions =>Hundreds of scripts with many duplicates =>Increase in maintenance
- 5. Limitations of UI Automation tools • Every Window/Object needs to be unique • Problems with Images and Colors • Limitations with drag and drop functionality • Limitation with complex UI controls Common problems with QTP object recognition – Problems In Recognizing Tabs, Toolbars – Problems In Recognizing the Intellisense – Problems with recognizing child objects within embedded frames
- 6. Constant UI changes • Changes in each version • Changes in third party tools used within the product To overcome challenges faced by constant UI changes • Use shared object repository effectively • Make your code modular, use reusable actions • Code efficiently • Avoid recording
- 7. Error handling/Synchronization issues • Object synchronization timeout • Timing issues with using VBScript objects Error Handling • Recovery scenarios • On Error conditions • When error occurs during run session
- 8. Increase in complexity of Products • Embedded frames • Embedding other products within our products • Complex UIs – Flow diagrams, Business process diagrams, Mapping tools
- 9. Other Challenges • Maintenance of scripts • Time taken to develop effective automation • Time taken for ROI • Maintaining the coding standards • Choosing the right framework • Designing the right infrastructure
- 10. Why is Automation not finding bugs Analyze Product - Manual Design Test – Manual Run Test 1st time – Manual Evaluate Results – Manual Report 1st bug – Manual Document test – Manual Re-run the test – MACHINE Evaluate result -- Machine plus manual if there’s any mismatch
- 11. Conclusion • Choose the right framework • Start with designing • Maintain coding standards • Code efficiently • Improve reusability • Parameterize hard coded values • Avoid recording • Document the code • Learn from past experience