Test Automation has come a long way. The new automation testing tools of software automation now allow things unimaginable in the past. It is now possible to think of a situation in which you open your IPad and start running your tests over your company’s VPN while sitting in Central Park.
The 4 leading test automation tools which have changed the automation landscape are:
- UFT [QTP] – Popular tool from HP which can be used to automate web and desktop applications
- Selenium – Most popular open-source tool available for web automation
- TestComplete – a Popular tool for web, desktop, and mobile automation testing
- TestCafé – a popular tool that uses all browsers which support HTML 5 to record and run functional tests across operating systems (Windows, Mac, and Linux, and on remote computers) and mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows Phone).
Let’s discuss each of these leading automation testing tools in greater detail:
UFT (QTP)
UFT stands for Unified Functional Testing and was formerly known as QuickTest Professional (QTP). This tool is from Hewlett-Packard. UFT combines manual, automation, and framework-based testing together into an Integrated Development Environment. Some of the key functionalities of UFT are:
- Cross Browser and multi-platform
- Image-based object recognition
- Visual representation of test flow
Selenium
Selenium was developed by Jason Huggins, while he worked for ThoughtWorks. Since the inception of Selenium 2.0 (commonly referred to as Selenium Webdriver) in 2009, testers around the world swear by its name. Selenium is the most popular testing framework for web applications. Some of the key features of selenium that make it one of the leading automation testing tools are:
- Open-source
- robust, browser-based regression automation suites and tests
- Ability to scale and distribute scripts across many environments
- It can be run in many browsers and operating systems
- Selenium can be controlled by many programming languages and testing frameworks.
TestComplete
This is a product from SmartBear Software. Using TestComplete a tester can automate the testing of software developed in various technologies. The technology platforms supported by TestComplete are desktop-based, web-based, and mobile-based (IOS & Android). It is used for automating functional testing and database testing. The features of the test complete which make it one of the leading automation testing tools are:
- Keyword Testing: TestComplete uses keywords to represent automation testing actions, which are easily identifiable.
- Test Record and Playback: Using TestComplete the user can easily record and playback the scenarios.
- Bug Tracking Integration: it allows for a bug tracking system integration.
- Data-driven testing: With TestComplete it is no longer required to hardcode the data. In fact, you can feed that data from an external data source and monitor the test based on different types of data.
TestCafé
TestCafe is the functional web testing tool from DevExpress. The key features which differentiate TestCafe and make it one of the leading automation testing tools are:
- Ability to work without plugins on any browser
- Compatible with any browser which supports HTML 5. (Nowadays almost all browsers support HTML 5)
- It also supports all the major operating systems.
Have questions about Test Automation? Contact the software testing experts at InApp to learn more.
