MANUAL INTERVENTIONS

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Issue summary

Test automation needs lots of manual handlings to work.

Category

Execution

Examples

  1. The initial conditions for a test suite have to be set up by hand.
  2. In some tests there are windows or components that could not be automated and have to be driven by hand.
  3. Execution times vary greatly and thus test execution is stopped and restarted manually
  4. In order to run a retest all the other tests in the test suite have to be inactivated manually.
  5. Test automation is started manually.
  6. Automated verification is only simple so you can't tell if a test has passed or failed without looking at it.
  7. Reporting of test results requires manual effort.
  8. Integration of tools requires manual effort, and is slow, costly and unreliable

Questions

Does the current test automation tool drive the Software Under Test (SUT) reliably?
Are the initial conditions set automatically? If not, why not?

Resolving Patterns

Most recommended:


The following patterns will help you solve issues like Example 2.

  • MIX APPROACHES: Don’t be afraid to use different tools or approaches
  • RIGHT TOOLS: Select the right tools for your application, environment, people, budget and level of testing
  • TESTABLE SOFTWARE: Locate what kind of implementations in the Software Under Test (SUT) may make test automation difficult or impossible and find a solution as early as possible

Better tool integration will help to solve issue 7. You may need to write some code to coordinate between the tools, an "automated bridge", but this will result in seamless automation rather than manual automation.
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