Authors
Feature Friday – Why Is It Important for Test Scripts to Be Reusable?
The holiday season is upon us! A time known specifically for giving. From presents under the tree to secret Santa in the office, the holiday season welcomes and promotes the transfer of gifts. But often as the pace of the season increases, getting presents becomes a secondary thought and often a nightmare. The stores are full of foot traffic, the Chicago snow layers our roads, and in these intense times, we’ve all been a culprit to reusing presents. A cologne of perfume you received and rewrapped, a shirt that happens to be the same size as your best friend, or some toy or trinket that you can wrap and ship out. And though frowned upon, the concept itself makes sense and a similar concept can be applied to automated testing. Reusing – whether it be presents or test scripts – saves time and energy and increases efficiency all while returning the required results whether that’s a happy friend with a good gift, or end-to-end automation. This week’s Feature Friday is brought to you by Brett and Suraj who will discuss why it’s important for test scripts to be reusable, what Qyrus means when we say reusability, alongside the cascading benefits of a fully integrated environment focused on reusability.
Tell us more about the breadth of Qyrus’ script reusability and its use cases.
Brett:
To simplify, our testing offerings include Web, Mobile, API, and Business Process testing. What makes the platform unique is the fact that Qyrus is fully integrated. This allows users to take previously created scripts and utilize them across the platform. For example, when a Web suite is built for functional testing, those exact scripts can be imported and executed for performance testing. Similarly, if scripts are built in API functional testing, they can be imported and executed for performance alongside end-to-end API flows.
Suraj:
Exactly, and even more so the reusability of these scripts is not confined to their individual solutions. One of Qyrus’ most unique offerings is Business Process testing which allows users to take Web, Mobile, and API scripts, import and stitch them together, and validate functionality alongside data transfer across applications, operating systems, and devices allowing users to truly test end-to-end.
What overall impact do reusable test scripts have on the testing process?
Suraj:
The immediate impact can be seen on test building time. When you consider the already streamlined test building process with little to no code and a form like functionality, the addition of reusable scripts acts as gas for the engine. Being able to create functional scripts with ease, and further minimize the time and resource requirements in testing those same scripts for performance, and end-to-end.
Brett:
Exactly. Not only mitigating time, but also centralizing all testing with a repository like structure allow users the flexibility to build out unique flows maximizing coverage while minimizing time and resource requirements. With easily accessible quick imports, and the ability to edit in individual modules you can import a test, quickly edit a few requirements and test for performance or stitch that script together for process. The idea is to provide the maximum possible value with minimal time and resource commitment.
How might test script reusability help testers, developers, and business technologists? What value can this feature bring?
Brett:
Testers and developers love this feature as it saves them both time and energy across testing requirements. Functional and performance testing are basic requirements before releasing features or applications. What would often require writing pages of code and extreme overhead is now streamlined to a form like functionality. And instead of redeveloping scripts for performance and end-to-end process testing developers can simply reuse the functional efforts for performance, efficiently covering all required aspects of testing.
Suraj:
Furthermore, business analysts can take a large step into the testing process. We often see business analysts taking already created scripts, importing and stitching together to mock their common user processes. This allows business analysts a scope into the quality assurance process synergizing their knowledge of user journey with the ability to quickly create end-to-end tests to ensure the application functions for required user actions.
Does the same or similar functionality exist without Qyrus, and how do competitors address similar problems?
Suraj:
Reusability is often a term coined within automation testing. And though some may offer cloning scripts and import-export options, there are no other solutions that provide the fully integrated capabilities that Qyrus offers. The unique ability to build once and validate your application for functionality, performance, and end-to-end business process testing is a unique and powerful, Qyrus specific feature.
Brett:
Consider the ability to build scripts once in their independent modules, then taking those scripts and stitching them all together, while transferring and validating data. With a choice of APIs, devices, browsers, and operating systems at your fingertips, building and executing become a matter of clicks while coverage becomes a matter of choice. Qyrus is a single, streamlined, test building process where scripts can be developed and reused. Promoting best practices, naturally enforcing certain levels of organization, and centralizing all testing and test data, reusability is the foundation to testing more efficiently, while maximizing test case coverage.
How do you see this feature impacting day-to-day operations across organizations?
Brett:
Reusability is a daily impact feature. Upon every update, every release, and even within daily testing requirements, the ability to take functional tests and use them for performance and end-to-end testing increases coverage and ensures functionality.
Suraj:
Performance testing and even more so end-to-end process testing are often overlooked throughout Quality Assurance and release cycles. With so much overhead due to functional testing requirements and lack of automation, testing teams don’t have the resources required to fully test their applications before release. Enabling performance testing and process testing using already created functional scripts places maximizing coverage behind a few clicks promoting the highest level of application quality.
Though repurposing presents during the holiday season may be frowned upon, reusing scripts is the foundation for efficient automation. With faster test building times, maximizing coverage, and centralizing all requirements Qyrus enables teams to become more efficient, with higher collaboration, leading to a streamlined Quality Assurance lifecycle and higher quality applications. Happy holidays and, as always, join us in next week’s feature Friday where we will continue our deep dive into Qyrus test automation features discussing enhancements in testing, best practices, and how Qyrus can enable testing teams to produce the highest quality applications while saving time, resources, and money in the process.
