Automated testing has become a crucial component of modern app development. With increasing complexity of the applications and shorter release cycles, test automation is essential for the release of quality applications faster.
It eases the work of mobile and web app teams by automating tedious, repetitive, and boring manual testing tasks so that they may concentrate on the more complex business logic testing. However, implementing test automation is not as simple as it is said to be. Teams must choose the appropriate automation approach based on their context, needs, and constraints.
Test automation is possible in two main ways – codeless test automation and scripting. Both of them are unique in their own way and not a single solution can fit all the problems. Codeless tools allow the development of automated testing without the need for programming skills as they employ a visual drag-and-drop interface and configurations. Traditional scripting involves developers coding in languages to create tests by integrating with frameworks like Selenium and Appium.
This article discusses the pros and cons of codeless test automation versus traditional scripting approaches in detail. This analysis explores the salient advantages and disadvantages of each methodology based on factors such as usability, adaptability, scalability, test maintenance, and others. The purpose is to make testers realize that there are differences between these approaches and what their capabilities and limitations are.
Codeless Test Automation
As the name implies, codeless automated testing is about automating test execution without a single line of code. The tools provide users with a user-friendly interface that allows them to automatically build tests using drag-and-drop actions, fill-in-the-blank configurations, or natural language formats. Here are some of the advantages of codeless test automation.
A desirable feature of codeless test automation is its simplicity of use even for non-developers. Users without any programming knowledge can also handle the visual drag-and-drop interfaces and natural language configurations, which allow business users and manual testers to create automated tests. This makes it easier for automation to be adopted by a wider team compared to programming, which limits automation to only developers who are code proficient.
Codeless tools also enable easy test creation that can be done with a drag-and-drop approach of reusable components and templates instead of writing code from zero. Building test cases is akin to putting the blocks together, which gives you an advantage of fast improvement in test coverage. Visual codeless tests are already self-documented, and the intention is obvious just by observing the user interface.
Even for someone who isn’t part of the test creation team, codeless automated testing is relatively easy to grasp and maintain in the long run. The modification or addition of the tests is not difficult since it only needs a change of the visual interface instead of the code. It brings about the fact that if you want to introduce test changes, you will not need to break the already existing tests, which is the main test maintenance problem of traditional scripted automation tests.
Cons
Customization Limitations
The lack of coding capacity in codeless automation tools reduces the customizing options compared to traditional scripts. However, the complexity of test scenarios could prove to be a challenge.
Scalability Challenges
Codeless automation tools usually face scalability and performance bottlenecks as the complexity and size of the tests grow. Maintenance is a long-term process.
Vendor Dependence
The use of a vendor-specific tool, which comes with proprietary concepts, makes you dependent on the vendor, and the portability of the tool is questionable if you switch the tool.
Debugging Difficulties
Limited debugging ability because of the lack of visibility into the auto-generated test code can make the defect diagnosis complicated.
Traditional Scripting
Conventional scripting involves the usage of programming language to write code to automate tests. With the help of some of the popular languages, testers code the test scripts. Tools offer APIs that can be used for coding automated tests.
Pros
Full Flexibility and Customization
Coding enables the development of a test scenario that could be as complex as the test requirements allow for.
Scalability
Coded tests, with their scalability, work well even as the number of tests in the suite increases or with the rise in complexity. There is no natural limitation.
Debugging
End-to-end visibility into code and logs makes debugging, diagnosing, and reporting defects super easy.
Portability
Scripts are portable due to the absence of proprietary frameworks, enabling the execution in different platforms and environments.
Cons
Steep Learning Curve
Coding skills are necessary to implement test automation by using scripting. This prevents test automation from being used by just developers.
Maintenance Overhead
Much work and maintenance are needed during mobile application testing, and the scripts must be revised accordingly. Improved coding practices contribute to reducing the overhead.
Readability
Others apart from coders may have a hard time decoding and maintaining the test if the coding standards are not adhered to.
Slower Test Creation
Coding from zero usually takes more time than using a drag-and-drop visual interface, where one can build a test without code.
Key Differences Between Test Automation and Traditional Scripting
Here are some key differences between test automation and traditional scripting:
- Codeless automation tools are relatively simpler to use for beginners as opposed to code heavy automation tools, which requires experience with coding.
- Manual Scripting gives complete freedom and control in test implementation, which is sometimes challenging with codeless automation tools.
- Codeless tests are more accessible to create but code heavy scripts are more challenging to execute and maintain at a large scale.
- The coding of scripts demands more effort, but with Codeless Automation and Self healing capabilities the maintenance becomes easier.
- Codeless automation tools are limited in terms of customization and debugging compared to open-ended coding.
Choosing the Right Approach
The decision between codeless automation and traditional automation depends on the test team’s skill set, test requirements, and project complexity. Here are some recommendations on when to use which approach.
- Use codeless automation tools when testers do not have programming skills or for proof of concept.
- In the case of complex scenarios and customization capabilities go for traditional automation scripting.
- Employ a codeless approach to achieve faster mobile application testing.
- Implement data-driven and business logic-related tests through scripting.
- Combine them both to have the best of both worlds – ease of coding and the control plus maintenance of scripting.
Codeless test automation and traditional scripting both have their own strengths and weaknesses. Codeless automation tools facilitate wider test automation adoption, while scripting provides complete flexibility and the ability to customize.
Organizations should evaluate the complexity of their test environment, scope, and the skills of their teams to identify the right approach or a combination of methods for their context. With the right approach, they can take the most out of test automation and deliver high-quality applications faster.
