Difference between revisions of "KNOW WHEN TO STOP"
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<div id="content_view" class="wiki" style="display: block"><span style="font-size: 14px">.................................................................................................................[[Main Page]] / Back to [[Management Patterns]] / Back to [[Test Automation Patterns]]</span> | <div id="content_view" class="wiki" style="display: block"><span style="font-size: 14px">.................................................................................................................[[Main Page]] / Back to [[Management Patterns]] / Back to [[Test Automation Patterns]]</span> | ||
| − | =<span style="font-size: 16px">Pattern Summary</span>= | + | =<span style="font-size: 16px">'''Pattern Summary'''</span>= |
<span style="font-size: 16px">Not all test cases can or should be automated</span> | <span style="font-size: 16px">Not all test cases can or should be automated</span> | ||
| − | =<span style="font-size: 16px">Category</span>= | + | =<span style="font-size: 16px">'''Category'''</span>= |
<span style="font-size: 16px">Management</span> | <span style="font-size: 16px">Management</span> | ||
| − | =<span style="font-size: 16px">Context</span>= | + | =<span style="font-size: 16px">'''Context'''</span>= |
<span style="font-size: 16px">This pattern is most important if you want to implement test automation efficiently, so it is useful even if you just want to write disposable scripts</span> | <span style="font-size: 16px">This pattern is most important if you want to implement test automation efficiently, so it is useful even if you just want to write disposable scripts</span> | ||
| − | =<span style="font-size: 16px">Description</span>= | + | =<span style="font-size: 16px">'''Description'''</span>= |
<span style="font-size: 16px">Not all test cases can or should be automated. The following test types are better handled manually:</span><br /> | <span style="font-size: 16px">Not all test cases can or should be automated. The following test types are better handled manually:</span><br /> | ||
| − | |||
* <span style="font-size: 16px">User interface and usability tests </span> | * <span style="font-size: 16px">User interface and usability tests </span> | ||
* <span style="font-size: 16px">Tests that run only once in a while</span> | * <span style="font-size: 16px">Tests that run only once in a while</span> | ||
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* <span style="font-size: 16px">Tests that take to long to automate (not worth the effort)</span> | * <span style="font-size: 16px">Tests that take to long to automate (not worth the effort)</span> | ||
<span style="font-size: 16px">When you are automating tests (just as when you are testing), there will be many things that you could automate (test) - a virtually infinite list. But your time will always be limited, so it is getting the balance right between not automating enough and losing benefits you could have, and automating too much and getting decreasing returns from additional automated tests. When to stop is at the point where more tests wouldn't give you enough additional value.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 16px">Some tests are very difficult to automate, and the time spent on automating them would be better spent testing this particular thing manually and automating other things. For example, what if you are testing "Captcha" - the wavy letters that you need to type in to a web site to prove that you are a human being? The point of Captcha is that it shouldn't be possible for a computer to do this, so if you could automate the tests for it, it would actually prove that it didn't work! Yes, there are ways to test Captcha automatically, but if this needs to be tested only a few times, it would be better to test it manually, and automate things that are more straight-forward.</span> | <span style="font-size: 16px">When you are automating tests (just as when you are testing), there will be many things that you could automate (test) - a virtually infinite list. But your time will always be limited, so it is getting the balance right between not automating enough and losing benefits you could have, and automating too much and getting decreasing returns from additional automated tests. When to stop is at the point where more tests wouldn't give you enough additional value.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 16px">Some tests are very difficult to automate, and the time spent on automating them would be better spent testing this particular thing manually and automating other things. For example, what if you are testing "Captcha" - the wavy letters that you need to type in to a web site to prove that you are a human being? The point of Captcha is that it shouldn't be possible for a computer to do this, so if you could automate the tests for it, it would actually prove that it didn't work! Yes, there are ways to test Captcha automatically, but if this needs to be tested only a few times, it would be better to test it manually, and automate things that are more straight-forward.</span> | ||
| − | =<span style="font-size: 16px">Implementation</span>= | + | =<span style="font-size: 16px">'''Implementation'''</span>= |
<span style="font-size: 16px">If you automated the most important tests first, in order of value, then whenever you stop, you will have automated the best tests that you could. So prioritize what tests are most important to automate.</span> | <span style="font-size: 16px">If you automated the most important tests first, in order of value, then whenever you stop, you will have automated the best tests that you could. So prioritize what tests are most important to automate.</span> | ||
| − | =<span style="font-size: 16px">Issues addressed by this pattern</span>= | + | =<span style="font-size: 16px">'''Issues addressed by this pattern'''</span>= |
''<span style="font-size: 16px">[[STALLED AUTOMATION]]</span>''<br /> ''<span style="font-size: 16px">[[UNAUTOMATABLE TEST CASES]]</span>''<br /> <span style="font-size: 16px">[[UNFOCUSED AUTOMATION]]</span> | ''<span style="font-size: 16px">[[STALLED AUTOMATION]]</span>''<br /> ''<span style="font-size: 16px">[[UNAUTOMATABLE TEST CASES]]</span>''<br /> <span style="font-size: 16px">[[UNFOCUSED AUTOMATION]]</span> | ||
| − | =<span style="font-size: 16px">Experiences</span>= | + | =<span style="font-size: 16px">'''Experiences'''</span>= |
<span style="font-size: 16px">If you have used this pattern, please add your name and a brief story of how you used this pattern: your context, what you did, and how well it worked - or how it didn't work!</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 14px">.................................................................................................................[[Main Page]] / Back to [Management Patterns]] / Back to [[Test Automation Patterns]]</span></div> | <span style="font-size: 16px">If you have used this pattern, please add your name and a brief story of how you used this pattern: your context, what you did, and how well it worked - or how it didn't work!</span><br /> <span style="font-size: 14px">.................................................................................................................[[Main Page]] / Back to [Management Patterns]] / Back to [[Test Automation Patterns]]</span></div> | ||
Revision as of 17:40, 30 April 2018
.................................................................................................................Main Page / Back to Management Patterns / Back to Test Automation Patterns
.................................................................................................................Main Page / Back to [Management Patterns]] / Back to Test Automation Patterns
Pattern Summary
Not all test cases can or should be automated
Category
Management
Context
This pattern is most important if you want to implement test automation efficiently, so it is useful even if you just want to write disposable scripts
Description
Not all test cases can or should be automated. The following test types are better handled manually:
- User interface and usability tests
- Tests that run only once in a while
- Tests for a system that is still very unstable
- Tests that take to long to automate (not worth the effort)
When you are automating tests (just as when you are testing), there will be many things that you could automate (test) - a virtually infinite list. But your time will always be limited, so it is getting the balance right between not automating enough and losing benefits you could have, and automating too much and getting decreasing returns from additional automated tests. When to stop is at the point where more tests wouldn't give you enough additional value.
Some tests are very difficult to automate, and the time spent on automating them would be better spent testing this particular thing manually and automating other things. For example, what if you are testing "Captcha" - the wavy letters that you need to type in to a web site to prove that you are a human being? The point of Captcha is that it shouldn't be possible for a computer to do this, so if you could automate the tests for it, it would actually prove that it didn't work! Yes, there are ways to test Captcha automatically, but if this needs to be tested only a few times, it would be better to test it manually, and automate things that are more straight-forward.
Implementation
If you automated the most important tests first, in order of value, then whenever you stop, you will have automated the best tests that you could. So prioritize what tests are most important to automate.
Issues addressed by this pattern
STALLED AUTOMATION
UNAUTOMATABLE TEST CASES
UNFOCUSED AUTOMATION
Experiences
If you have used this pattern, please add your name and a brief story of how you used this pattern: your context, what you did, and how well it worked - or how it didn't work!.................................................................................................................Main Page / Back to [Management Patterns]] / Back to Test Automation Patterns