Author: tekinalpnaz

The automation of functional testing is a trend in the software testing industry that is expected to increase in significance in the next years.

In the ever-evolving world of software testing, functional testing plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and reliability of software applications. It helps to verify that the software is working as intended and meets the needs of the end users.

Automation of functional testing has gained popularity in recent years. Automating functional testing involves using software tools to execute predefined test scripts automatically, instead of manually executing them. This not only saves time and effort but also helps to improve the quality of the software by identifying issues early on. Moreover, automated testing can lower the possibility of errors caused by human intervention, which can be a major factor leading to issues in software testing.

Automated functional testing will become more important to guarantee that software satisfies end-users needs and functions as intended, as software development becomes more complex, and the demand for high-quality software grows.

1. Selenium

Selenium is one of the most popular functional testing tools available today. It is a portable software testing framework for web applications. 

Selenium supports various programming languages such as Java, C#, Python, and Ruby. It provides a range of features such as recording and playback, test script creation, and integration with various test frameworks.

Selenium also supports multiple browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer. It has a vast community of users, which means there are a lot of resources available online to help users with any issues they may face.

Features

• Cross-browser compatibility – Selenium supports various browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, and more, making it highly compatible for testing different web applications. 

• Multi-language support – Selenium supports multiple programming languages such as Java, Python, C#, Ruby, and more, making it flexible for testers to write scripts in their preferred language. 

• Easy integration with other tools – Selenium can be easily integrated with other tools like TestNG, JUnit, Maven, and more, making it highly adaptable for different testing environments. 

• Test case management– Katalon Studio enables users to manage their test cases and test suites, execute them, and view the results.

Popularity

Selenium is widely popular among developers and testers due to its flexibility, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. 

Limitations

Selenium has some limitations as a functional testing tool. Such as it cannot automate desktop applications or mobile applications, and it does not provide support for image-based testing. 

Price

Selenium is an open-source tool and is free to use, making it cost-effective for organizations. This is one of the reasons why it is so popular.

Official Website

https://www.selenium.dev/

2. TestNG

TestNG (Test Next Generation) is a popular testing framework for Java applications. It provides a wide range of features and functionalities to facilitate efficient and comprehensive testing. TestNG is designed to enhance and supplement the capabilities of the traditional JUnit framework.

TestNG is widely adopted and has a strong community with extensive documentation, tutorials, and resources available. It offers a powerful and feature-rich testing framework that enables developers and testers to create robust and efficient test suites for Java applications.

Features

• Parallel Test Execution: TestNG allows tests to be executed in parallel, which can significantly reduce test execution time. You can configure parallelism at various levels, such as test method level, test class level, or suite level. 

• Test Prioritization: TestNG enables you to prioritize tests, ensuring that critical tests are executed first. This helps in identifying and resolving issues quickly. 

• Support for Multiple Frameworks: TestNG can be used alongside other testing frameworks like JUnit, allowing you to leverage existing test code and gradually migrate to TestNG. It provides a JUnit compatibility mode for running JUnit tests using TestNG.

• Test Configuration: TestNG allows you to configure test suites, test groups, and test dependencies using XML configuration files. This provides flexibility in defining test execution and allows for easy customization. 

• Test Dependencies: TestNG supports test dependencies, allowing you to define the order in which tests should be executed. This is useful when a test depends on the successful execution of another test. 

• Reporting: TestNG provides detailed test reports in HTML format, which include information about test results, execution times, and logs. These reports help in analyzing test outcomes and identifying failures. 

Compatibility

TestNG is primarily designed for Java applications. It is compatible with different Java development environments such as Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and NetBeans. It also works well with various systems and can be seamlessly integrated into your Java projects.

Limitations

•  Not beginner friendly: TestNG may have a steeper learning curve compared to simpler testing frameworks like JUnit, especially for beginners. 

• Limited Language Support: TestNG is primarily focused on Java applications and may not provide the same level of support or integration for other programming languages. 

• Limited Non-Java Features: While TestNG offers advanced features for testing Java applications, it may have limited capabilities when it comes to testing non-Java components such as web services, databases, or user interfaces. 

• Despite these limitations, TestNG’s extensive features and compatibility with Java make it a popular choice for testing Java applications.

Price

TestNG is an open-source framework and is available for free. 

Official Website

Link to the official TestNG website: https://testng.org

3. Cypress

Cypress is a modern open-source automation testing tool for web applications. It offers features such as real-time reloads, debugging, and integration with various tools like CircleCI and Jenkins. Cypress also supports several programming languages such as JavaScript and TypeScript.

Features

• Easy installation– Cypress is easy to install and use, with minimal setup required to get started.

• Integration with popular testing frameworks– Cypress integrates easily with popular testing frameworks like Mocha and Jest, making it easy to get started with testing in Cypress.

• Automatic Waiting–  Cypress automatically waits for elements to appear on the page, and for commands and assertions to complete before moving on to the next step in the test.

• Screenshots and videos– Cypress captures screenshots and videos of your tests, making it easy to visually inspect the behavior of your code.

• Cross-browser testing– Cypress supports testing in multiple browsers, making it easy to ensure your code works on different platforms.

Compatibility

• Supports testing on modern web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.

• Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.

• Can be integrated with popular Continuous Integration (CI) tools like Jenkins.

Popularity

• Cypress has gained popularity among testers due to its ease of use and powerful features.

• It has a large and active community that contributes to its development and provides support to users.

• According to the State of JavaScript survey, Cypress is the third most popular testing framework as of 2020.

Limitations 

• Cypress supports only JavaScript, so users need to have knowledge of JavaScript to use it effectively.

• Cypress cannot test native mobile applications.

Price

Cypress is free and open-source software.

Official Website

https://www.cypress.io/

4. Appium

Appium is an open-source automation tool for mobile applications. It supports both Android and iOS platforms, allowing users to test mobile apps on real devices, emulators, or simulators. Appium supports various programming languages such as Java, C#, Ruby, Python, and JavaScript.

Appium offers features such as record and playback, integration with various test frameworks, and parallel test execution. It also supports the automation of hybrid and native mobile apps. Appium has a large and active community, making it easy to find resources and support.

Features

Multiple programming language support– Appium supports a wide range of programming languages, including Java, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, and many more. This makes it easy for users to write tests using their preferred language.

Integration with testing frameworks– Appium can be integrated with popular testing frameworks such as JUnit, TestNG, and Mocha, making it easy for users to write and run tests using these frameworks.

Cross-platform support– Appium supports automation for both Android and iOS platforms, making it easy to write automated tests for their mobile applications.

Support for cloud testing– Appium supports cloud testing services such as Sauce Labs and BrowserStack, which allows testers to run their tests on multiple devices and platforms in parallel.

Compatibility

Appium supports a wide range of programming languages including Java, Python, Ruby, JavaScript, and many more. It also supports a variety of testing frameworks such as JUnit, TestNG, RSpec, Mocha, and many others. Appium can be used on both macOS and Windows platforms.

Popularity

Appium is a popular mobile automation framework, and its popularity has been growing rapidly over the years. It has a large and active community of developers who contribute to its development and provide support to other users.

Limitations

One of the main limitations of Appium is that it requires a certain level of technical expertise to set up and use effectively. Additionally, Appium can be slow and resource-intensive when compared to other mobile automation tools.

Price

Appium is an open-source framework and is available for free.

Official Website

https://appium.io/

5. Playwright

Playwright is an open-source automation library that enables to automate the testing of web applications across different browsers and platforms. Playwright aims to be fast, reliable, and capable of running in various environments, including CI/CD pipelines, local development environments, and cloud services.

It provides a high-level API for browser automation and supports programming languages such as JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and C#.

Playwright is built by Microsoft and was first released in 2019. It has gained popularity among testers for its ease of use, cross-browser compatibility, and powerful features. Playwright is widely used for web scraping, testing, and building automation tools for web applications.

Features

• Cross-browser support– Playwright supports three major web browsers – Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, which means you can write tests once and run them across multiple browsers.

• Multiple programming languages– Playwright supports several programming languages, including JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and Java, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

• Video recording– Playwright can record videos of test runs, which can be helpful for debugging and sharing test results.

• Mobile emulation– Playwright allows you to emulate mobile devices and test your web application’s responsiveness across a range of devices.

Compatibility

Playwright is compatible with major operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux. It also supports major programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and Java.

Popularity

Playwright has gained popularity due to its ease of use, cross-browser support, and advanced features such as video recording, network interception, and mobile emulation. It has a growing community of contributors and users.

Limitation

One limitation of Playwright is that it requires a certain level of technical proficiency and knowledge of programming to use effectively. Additionally, it may not work with certain websites or applications due to security measures.

Price

Playwright is completely free and open-source. There are no licensing fees or hidden costs associated with using it.

Official Website

https://playwright.dev/

COMPARISON TABLE

Test management is an important aspect of software testing. Tools for test management are used to organize testing activities, report the progress of QA activities and maintain information on how testing is done. Test management tools in software testing help teams create and manage their test cases by providing the right features and functionalities. 

There are both proprietary and open-source test management tools available. Each tool has its pros and cons. Nowadays, there are so many test management solutions available that it can be very challenging to investigate them all and determine what is ideal for your project.

We should select the best test management tool for us based on our projects’ requirements and processes. If we select the right tool for the project, the testing process will be more effective and easier to maintain in the future.

Each test management platform must provide testing teams with a few essential features.

In this article, I have listed 7 important features that we can consider when choosing the right tool:

1. Simplicity & Flexibility & Speed

Learning to use a software test management tool takes time, just like learning anything about any subject. Therefore a good test management tool should be easy to use. Everyone from junior to senior of the team regardless of titles should be able to navigate and use the tool easily.

Selected tools should help teams to manage STLC end to end. The tool should contribute to this cycle by being easy, hassle-free, and easy to learn.

Ideally, when a new tool is introduced to the team, it should not take more than a couple of days for your team to get used to that tool and start using it effectively.

At the same time, the speed and performance of the tool to be selected are also very important. The chosen test management tool should speed up the testing process and improve testing efficiency. At first, when working with the first sample data, many programs or plugins operate very quickly and consistently. The volume causes them to break and become extremely slow as the whole organization starts using them. As the number of test cases and users increases, speed problems may occur. 

2. Integration With Other Tools 

Nowadays, most teams use defect-tracking programs like Jira and CI tools like Jenkins. Make sure that the tools you have chosen integrate with these SDLC applications. For example, if you select a test management tool for Jira integration, with such integration, users can easily link defects to test case runs.

Also, the importance of test automation shouldn’t be skipped, it allows for continuous testing or testing throughout the entire CI/CD workflow. I think if the selected integrates with test automation tools like Selenium it would be a huge plus.

Furthermore, many test management tools also provide open APIs for integration and customization. Hereby test repository integration enables other tools which are already used by the team.

3. Reporting

Especially agile teams can take actionable information from test reports to understand better the status of their projects and the marketability of their products. 

These reports provide the current state of test progress as the testing proceeds. Create custom reports for checks, bugs, and execution. After that, export these in different formats.

Choose a top test management tool that provides simplistic reporting and doesn’t require much effort to generate it. If you spend too much time producing reports, it may be an indication that you should start looking for different solutions.

4. Onboarding, Support & Training

Let’s say you have chosen a new test management tool and you will start using this tool as a team. You need to spend some time determining whether the features are right for you and whether they are available or not.

While allocating this time, makes it easier for the tool chosen to be effortless to onboard and to have good documentation. 

Choose a tool that offers a smooth onboarding process and tutorials that help you comprehend the tool’s capabilities. It’s crucial to have good instructions, guides, examples with no ambiguity, and community help.

5. Import & Export Capabilities

If you are just getting started, the import function might not be at the top of your priority list. But, if you switch over from another test management tool or heck, even excel documents and whatnot, you are going to need this kind of solution in a test management tool. 

The same goes for export because you know… import/export goes hand in hand. You should be able to take an export from a test management tool unless you are ok if your test management swallows all your test cases and documents.

6. Maintenance

We need to maintain our test cases as requirements may change frequently due to the nature of agile software development. The maintenance you perform influences how much time and effort you will need to invest when a change occurs. 

The right test management tool for test cases should provide us with the ability to update them as smoothly as possible. 

7. Ability to Create Multiple Users, User Roles, and Projects

While I don’t think this feature is absolutely necessary, it is nice to have feature, therefore I decided to mention this:

Teams consist of -obviously- multiple members with different roles such as developers, testers, product owners, product managers, project managers, etc… Not all of them need to access everything, for example. 

You could want developers to only be able to read test cases and not be able to edit them. To be able to do that the tool should have the ability to set permissions and user roles on per project basis.

Choosing The Right Management Tool For Testing:

A roadmap for choosing the right test management tool:

Some Popular Test Management Tools List

Here are a few examples of tools for test management that are in demand:

• TestRail
• Xray Test Management For Jira
• Zephyr
• TestCaseLab
• TestLink
• TestLodge
• QA Touch

Summing Up

In conclusion, test management is crucial to every organization that wants to make software testing as systematic and as efficient as possible. We need to keep in mind that every organization, every project, and even every team’s requirements are different. 

The only common requirement is, every team shares a goal to use high-quality technologies that will make their testing efforts more productive.

With the right feature set, a test management tool makes teams focus more on what they do best. Specify your needs carefully, compare every option based on your needs, and pay attention to the requirements of every entity of the organization, project, and team.

Everywhere, automation is the trend right now!

Like the rest of the industry, software automation is following the trend. There are many test automation tools to choose from. Currently, Selenium is the most popular tool in the market for testing web applications because of its solid reputation. However, with Cypress gaining popularity in the past few years, Selenium’s crown is at stake.

Both tools do the same thing from a practical point of view, but they differ in performance, architecture and in overall experience. There are talks over whether Cypress is an alternative for Selenium or Selenium’s eventual replacement altogether. 

Let’s examine the key differences between Selenium and Cypress and compare these two test automation tools based on their different features:

What is Selenium?

Selenium is an open-source test automation framework. In the world of testing automation, Selenium is one of the most well-known automation frameworks. Most organizations use Selenium to perform testing.

Selenium uses the native automation support provided by each browser to make direct calls to the browser. 

Advantages of Selenium: Key Features

• Open source 
• Supports cross-browser testing
• Supports and compatibility for all major browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, IE… )
• Flexibility to choose different programming languages — Support for different programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby. etc. The Test Tribe offers Python course online tailored for testers and beginners. If you are new to programming, give it a go.
• Supports many operations systems — No Operating System limitations
• Supports Mobile Testing 
• Load tests can be done
• CI/CD tool integration (Jenkins, Maven)
• Third-party tool integration
• Has a huge online community — lots of online resources

Disadvantages of Selenium: The Limitations

• The test environment setup is more challenging — especially when you see Selenium vs Cypress
• Need to write explicit code for waiting time — automatic waiting is not supported 
• Slow test development — Test case creation is time consuming (when compared to Cypress)
• May result in false- positive test results

What is Cypress?

Cypress is NodeJS based, open-source end-to-end testing automation framework for web testing. Cypress has emerged as the most generally used test automation tool among JavaScript users. Increasingly, Cypress is the preferred tool for many testers.

Cypress works in the browser DOM elements.

Advantages of Cypress: Key Features

• Ease of setup — As libraries and dependencies are already defined, no additional setting is required
• Fast execution — you can receive your test results in a very short time
• Automatic scrolling — Before performing a certain action, automatic scrolling shows the entire view of every element
• Takes screenshots when running tests
• Implicit or explicit wait commands are not required to be added in test scripts. It waits for statements and commands before
• Cypress comes with top-notch documentation
• Browser-based — runs directly on the browser. So, no need to install additional software
• Takes a snapshot at every test step. In this manner, provides checking the state at any step in the test script
• Easy debugging

Disadvantages of Cypress: The  Limitations

• Only Javascript support for test case creation/execution
• There is no multi-language support like Selenium
• Driving two browsers at once is not possible
• While Selenium allows screen capture, it does not allow for the testing of images, videos, or audio
• Limited support for mobile testing
• No multiple tabs support
• Since it runs directly on the browser, running e2e tests combining multiple platforms is not possible

Cypress vs Selenium: Major Differences

Let’s briefly see the differences between Cypress and Selenium in this table:

WRAPPING UP

Selenium and Cypress have many things in common, but there are also some obvious differences when you compare them.

Determine which tool would be the most effective for your needs by comparing it to your specifications. You should think about using a tool that suits the needs of your project, your particular skills, your team members…

Happy testing!