When should you choose between Manual Testing and Automation Testing?

 Software testing plays a crucial role in the software development by ensuring that a software product or application is of the best quality. There are specific software testing types to enhance the efficiency of testing activities. Of these testing types, manual testing and automation testing are two of the most significant types of testing. This article will give you an idea about the proper context for implementing manual and automation testing.

What is Manual testing?

It is a testing method where a manual tester will test the software product or application to find and fix bugs and issues.

What is software automation testing?

It is a testing method where automated tools are used to carry out software testing activities with minimal or no human intervention.

Following are the scenarios in which automation testing should be implemented:

1. Load testing: Software automation testing should be utilized when the performance and load of an application need to be tested. There is no alternative for testing load and performance accurately. Thousands of simultaneous users can be simulated using automated tests.

2. Repetitive and time-consuming tasks: When specific tasks are performed continually in an application, automation testing is the best viable option. Also, if some tasks are time-consuming then they can be automated. If some of the features or operations are executed repeatedly, then automation tests’ flexibility can prove beneficial.

3. Advanced GUI testing: The differences in behavior between different devices, operating systems and web browsers can be detected and tracked by automated GUI tests. Regression errors can be found quickly through an automated GUI testing platform. 


Following are the scenarios in which manual testing should be implemented:

1. Ad-hoc testing: A QA engineer can easily test the system’s functionality during ad-hoc testing. The objective is to be creative and ensure if any flaws have been discovered. There is no need to prepare a written test case.

 

2. Short-term projects: Manual testing is considered to be a feasible testing solution for short-term or small projects. Though automated tests can also be used for these projects, eventually, it takes resources and time to design and maintain them.

 

3. The initial stages of software development: Manual testing can be rewarding if conducted in the initial stages of development. Testers can easily detect visual errors and bottlenecks. This, in turn, results in consuming fewer resources and time for fixing bugs.

Pros and Cons of manual testing:

Pros:

The manual tester has complete control over executing test-related activities. This ensures visual feedback, which helps the tester find and fix bugs and issues quickly. There are no tools involved; hence, the cost involved in testing is less. However, the cost factor is only relevant to hiring competent and skilled software testing staff.

Cons:

It is considered to be a time-consuming testing process. The tester has to prepare the application state, data sets and execute all the steps to verify the testing scenario. It is prone to errors as humans carry out testing activities. 




Pros and Cons of software automation testing:

Pros:

The same result (reproducible) is returned by software automation testing, also known for its reliability factor. Every step is automated, so, there is no room for human errors. An organization can set up a proper testing suite by investing in the right test automation tools.

Thousands of clients can be simulated by this suite and all of them can be connected at the exact moment. An automated test suite can monitor and test product quality effectively. Once the testing suite is installed correctly, other projects can also be easily hooked to this specific suite. 

Cons:

UX or visual bugs cannot be detected. There are some test scenarios wherein human experience is involved and the inclusion of test automation will not work in such scenarios. In certain specific scenarios, incorrect testing scripts are debugged by developers.

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing software testing for your specific project, get connected with a reliable and finest software testing services company that will provide you with a well-defined testing roadmap that aligns with your project specific requirements
Location: Canada

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