Test script
Encyclopedia
A test script in software testing
is a set of instructions that will be performed on the system under test
to test that the system functions as expected.
There are various means for executing test scripts.
These last two types are also done in manual testing.
The major advantage of automated testing is that tests may be executed continuously without the need for a human intervention. Another advantage over manual testing in that it is faster and easily repeatable. Thus, it is worth considering automating tests if they are to be executed several times, for example as part of regression testing
.
Disadvantages of automated testing are that automated tests can — like any piece of software — be poorly written or simply break during playback. They also can only examine what they have been programmed to examine. Since most systems are designed with human interaction in mind, it is good practice that a human tests the system at some point. A trained manual tester can notice that the system under test is misbehaving without being prompted or directed however automated tests can only examine what they have been programmed to examine. Therefore, when used in regression testing, manual testers can find new bugs while ensuring that old bugs do not reappear while an automated test can only ensure the latter. That is why mixed testing with automated and manual testing can give very good results, automating what needs to be tested often and can be easily checked by a machine, and using manual testing to do test design
to add them to the automated tests suite and to do exploratory testing.
One shouldn't fall into the trap of spending more time automating a test than it would take to simply execute it manually, unless it is planned to be executed several times.
Software testing
Software testing is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the product or service under test. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks of software...
is a set of instructions that will be performed on the system under test
System under test
System under test refers to a system that is being tested for correct operation. The term is used mostly in software testing.A special case of a software system is an application which, when tested, is called an application under test....
to test that the system functions as expected.
There are various means for executing test scripts.
- Manual testingManual testingManual testing is the process of manually testing software for defects. It requires a tester to play the role of an end user, and use most of all features of the application to ensure correct behavior...
. These are more commonly called test caseTest caseA test case in software engineering is a set of conditions or variables under which a tester will determine whether an application or software system is working correctly or not. The mechanism for determining whether a software program or system has passed or failed such a test is known as a test...
s. - Automated testing
- Short program written in a programming language used to test part of the functionality of a software system. Test scripts written as a short program can either be written using a special automated functional GUI test tool (such as HP QuickTest ProfessionalHP QuickTest ProfessionalHP QuickTest Professional software provides functional and regression test automation for software applications and environments. Part of the HP Quality Center tool suite, HP QuickTest Professional can be used for enterprise quality assurance....
, Borland SilkTestSilkTestSilkTest is an automation tool for testing the functionality of enterprise applications in most versions of Windows, Solaris 9 and 10, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 2.1 and 3.0. It was produced by Segue Software which was acquired by Borland in 2006. Borland was acquired by Micro Focus...
, and Rational RobotRational SoftwareRational Machines was founded by Paul Levy and Mike Devlin in 1981 to provide tools to expand the use of modern software engineering practices, particularly explicit modular architecture and iterative development...
) or in a well-known programming languageProgramming languageA programming language is an artificial language designed to communicate instructions to a machine, particularly a computer. Programming languages can be used to create programs that control the behavior of a machine and/or to express algorithms precisely....
(such as C++C++C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
, C#, TclTclTcl is a scripting language created by John Ousterhout. Originally "born out of frustration", according to the author, with programmers devising their own languages intended to be embedded into applications, Tcl gained acceptance on its own...
, ExpectExpectExpect is a Unix automation and testing tool, written by Don Libes as an extension to the Tcl scripting language, for interactive applications such as telnet, ftp, passwd, fsck, rlogin, tip, ssh, and others. It uses Unix pseudo terminals to wrap up subprocesses transparently, allowing the...
, JavaJava (programming language)Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
, PHPPHPPHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
, PerlPerlPerl is a high-level, general-purpose, interpreted, dynamic programming language. Perl was originally developed by Larry Wall in 1987 as a general-purpose Unix scripting language to make report processing easier. Since then, it has undergone many changes and revisions and become widely popular...
, PowershellWindows PowerShellWindows PowerShell is Microsoft's task automation framework, consisting of a command-line shell and associated scripting language built on top of, and integrated with the .NET Framework...
, PythonPython (programming language)Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python claims to "[combine] remarkable power with very clear syntax", and its standard library is large and comprehensive...
, or Ruby). - Extensively parameterized short programs a.k.a. Data-driven testingData-driven testingData-driven testing is a term used in the testing of computer software to describe testing done using a table of conditions directly as test inputs and verifiable outputs as well as the process where test environment settings and control are not hard-coded...
- Reusable steps created in a table a.k.a. keyword-drivenKeyword-driven testingKeyword-driven testing, also known as table-driven testing or action-word testing, is a software testing methodology for automated testing that separates the test creation process into two distinct stages: a Planning Stage, and an Implementation Stage.-Overview:Although keyword testing can be used...
or table-driven testing.
- Short program written in a programming language used to test part of the functionality of a software system. Test scripts written as a short program can either be written using a special automated functional GUI test tool (such as HP QuickTest Professional
These last two types are also done in manual testing.
The major advantage of automated testing is that tests may be executed continuously without the need for a human intervention. Another advantage over manual testing in that it is faster and easily repeatable. Thus, it is worth considering automating tests if they are to be executed several times, for example as part of regression testing
Regression testing
Regression testing is any type of software testing that seeks to uncover new errors, or regressions, in existing functionality after changes have been made to a system, such as functional enhancements, patches or configuration changes....
.
Disadvantages of automated testing are that automated tests can — like any piece of software — be poorly written or simply break during playback. They also can only examine what they have been programmed to examine. Since most systems are designed with human interaction in mind, it is good practice that a human tests the system at some point. A trained manual tester can notice that the system under test is misbehaving without being prompted or directed however automated tests can only examine what they have been programmed to examine. Therefore, when used in regression testing, manual testers can find new bugs while ensuring that old bugs do not reappear while an automated test can only ensure the latter. That is why mixed testing with automated and manual testing can give very good results, automating what needs to be tested often and can be easily checked by a machine, and using manual testing to do test design
Test design
In software engineering, test design is the act of creating and writing test suites for testing a software.- Definition :Test design could require all or one of:* knowledge of the software, and the business area it operates on,...
to add them to the automated tests suite and to do exploratory testing.
One shouldn't fall into the trap of spending more time automating a test than it would take to simply execute it manually, unless it is planned to be executed several times.
See also
- Software testingSoftware testingSoftware testing is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the product or service under test. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks of software...
- Unit testUnit testIn computer programming, unit testing is a method by which individual units of source code are tested to determine if they are fit for use.A unit is the smallest testable part of an application. In procedural programming a unit could be an entire module but is more commonly an individual function...
- Test planTest planA test plan is a document detailing a systematic approach to testing a system such as a machine or software. The plan typically contains a detailed understanding of what the eventual workflow will be.-Test plans:...
- Test suiteTest suiteIn software development, a test suite, less commonly known as a validation suite, is a collection of test cases that are intended to be used to test a software program to show that it has some specified set of behaviours. A test suite often contains detailed instructions or goals for each...
- Test caseTest caseA test case in software engineering is a set of conditions or variables under which a tester will determine whether an application or software system is working correctly or not. The mechanism for determining whether a software program or system has passed or failed such a test is known as a test...
- Scenario testingScenario testingScenario testing is a software testing activity that uses scenarios: hypothetical stories to help the tester work through a complex problem or test system. The ideal scenario test is a credible, complex, compelling or motivating story the outcome of which is easy to evaluate...
- Session-based testSession-based testSession-based testing is a software test method that aims to combine accountability and exploratory testing to provide rapid defect discovery, creative on-the-fly test design, management control and metrics reporting. The method can also be used in conjunction with Scenario testing...
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