Scriptless Test Automation: What It Is and How It Can Enhance Your QA
Scriptless testing is an innovative approach to QA that makes test design easy to understand even for people that can’t code. But can it be applied to all of your QA needs?
What is scriptless test automation?
Scriptless platforms provide users with graphical interfaces and convenient tools to develop and automate test scenarios without coding.
Here’s how a scriptless platform usually works:
- The user designs a test scenario and passes it by manually going through the scenario.
- The platform records this user activity and turns it into test code.
- When a user runs the test, the platform repeats previously recorded actions.
- If the system behaves as expected, the platform marks the test as passed.
- If the system’s behavior differs from the recorded scenario and returns a different result, the test fails.
- The user reviews the failed scenario, describes the bug, and creates a ticket for it.
The most well-known scriptless test automation tools based on such a recording and playback workflow are Katalon Studio, Selenium IDE, Cloud QA, Leapwork, and Perfecto.
Pros of scriptless testing
Scriptless test automation platforms help organizations improve their QA processes by providing:
- Quick test case creation. Thanks to a simple GUI and easy-to-use functionalities, users with no programming experience can quickly configure simple tests.
- Automation of a wide range of processes. Scriptless test platforms can be used as complex solutions to automate many processes throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC).
- Lower QA maintenance costs. Creating and maintaining tests is faster and easier with scriptless testing tools.
- Scalable QA processes. Scriptless platforms allow users to combine, change, and reuse parts of test scenarios.
- Access to a wide pool of testers. In scriptless testing, a user doesn’t need to know the inner workings of a test case, since they work only with the GUI of the testing platform.
- Thorough test documentation. Detailed descriptions of test modules, records of test cases, and logs of user activity provide everyone with details on the testing process.
Cons of scriptless testing
Scriptless testing has some severe limitations that organizations have to take into account before adopting this practice:
- Few to no customization options. Scriptless no-code test automation tools have only a set toolbox for test creation.
- Need for coding skills to solve non-trivial tasks. Organizations that use scriptless tests still need QA specialists with coding skills to ensure the quality of their solution.
- Limited compatibility. Each codeless test automation platform has limitations in its compatibility with certain browsers, devices, and software.
- Risk of errors in automated tests. Although automated tests in scriptless platforms are generated by a computer using predefined modules, there still may be errors.
- Vendor lock-in. Code generated by a specific scriptless testing platform is often unique to the platform or operating system. This property of such platforms makes organizations dependent on the platform they choose.
When to use scriptless test automation
Scriptless testing platforms shine best when you need to:
- Create short, simple, and repetitive test scenarios.
- Test a feature in a limited time.
- Check a small bit of functionality within a large product
- Optimize the application’s code
- Work without needing QA specialists skilled in programming
- Reduce QA costs
With scriptless test automation, you can save your QA team’s time on basic tests and focus on your product’s performance, scalability, and security.
How to combine scriptless testing with other types of QA
Adopting a scriptless approach to testing as the only quality assurance method is risky because it doesn’t provide users with tools to create complex and unusual test scenarios.
That’s why it’s best to use scriptless testing in combination with other QA approaches. At Apriorit, we combine manual, script-based, and scriptless testing to create a fitting testing strategy for each of our projects. This combination allows us to be flexible with QA activities and find the perfect balance between testing speed, scalability, coverage, and final product quality.
While scriptless testing can’t cover all your QA needs, it certainly can speed up and simplify basic QA processes.
At Apriorit, our QA engineers combine scriptless, script-based, and manual testing to create an optimal testing strategy for each project. We strive to achieve the perfect balance between in-depth checks and speed of testing to help you deliver a quality product within the estimated timeline and budget.
In the full article, we talk more about this method and compare it with another testing approaches. Follow the link below to explore how you can benefit from scriptless testing in your project.
