Introduction :
Reporting test execution results is an essential part of Testing; whenever the test execution cycle is complete, the tester should make a full test results report, including the test cycle’s Test Pass/Fail status.
If manual Testing is done, the test pass/fail result should be captured in an Excel sheet. If automation testing uses an automation tool, the HTML or XML reports should be provided to stakeholders as test deliverables.
Test results are the outcome of the whole software testing life cycle process. The results thus produced offer an insight into the deliverables of a software project, significant in representing the project’s status to the stakeholders.
Few concepts:
Testing: Identifying whether a bug/error hides within a project and assessing the observation’s impact. It forms an essential activity of Quality Assurance.
Debugging: This method involves identification and then correction of bugs/errors. When developers encounter an error in the code, they debug. Debugging is thus a part of unit testing.
Test Case: A test case is a document that consists of test data, preconditions, postconditions, and expected results that are developed for a specific kind of test scenario intended for serving a particular purpose.
Test Suite: It is a collection of test cases aimed at testing a software application to detect that the application adheres to the requirement specifications. It consists of a detailed set of instructions to attain a common goal.
Two broad categories/types of Testing help to obtain the test results most appropriately. They are as follows :
Manual Testing is the process of Testing comprising a group of testers who examine the code for the presence of a bug. The Testing is performed without the use of any tool. The tester tests the application just as an end-user would do to find defects, if any.
Automation Testing- Automating the test process is done with the help of a script or tool. A piece of code is used to detect a bug/error.
Considering the categories above of Testing, how should one conclude which testing one must adopt to attain correct results? The following key points must be considered while deciding upon a specific type of Testing:
Automation Testing is a lifesaver when the project is large and complex.
When we need to repetitively test some part of the code, very often.
When the requirements are pretty stable, they are not prone to change.
The application must go through load and performance tests involving many virtual users.
How to Automate :
A specific scripting language, like VB scripting, is chosen to conduct automation tests. To automate the test process, we can adhere to a few things.
We need to observe the areas within software that require automation.
Select the most appropriate tool for automation that best suits the purpose.
Write the test scripts as per the test scenario.
Develop test suites.
Execute scripts.
Prepare report.
Identify bugs or issues in performance.
