When working towards a Certified Scrum Professional for Developers certification, it’s important to understand the importance of automated testing as a key aspect of Agile methodologies. In the software development world, automated testing is a valuable practice that increases the efficiency of the testing process, thus reducing the delivery timeframes. Let’s explore three different automated testing approaches and delve deeply into how to practice one of them.
Unit Testing
Unit testing is the first approach to consider — it involves testing of individual parts (or units) of the software to ensure each piece functions as expected. This test is commonly carried out by development teams. Unit tests are written and executed by developers on a continuous basis to ensure that new code changes don’t break existing functionality. Examples of unit testing frameworks include JUnit for Java, PyTest for Python, and NUnit for .NET.
Benefits of Unit Testing:
- They can be run every time a change is made to ensure past and present code is working.
- They can be executed quickly.
- They can save coding time in the long run by catching bugs early.
Integration Testing
Next is integration testing, which involves combining individual units of a software and testing them as a group. This approach aids in spotting errors related to the interaction of different modules within a system. Integration testing usually follows unit testing in the sequence of testing procedures. Example tools for carrying out integration testing include JUnit, Postman, and Selenium WebDriver.
Benefits of Integration Testing:
- Detects system level bugs such as broken databases or incorrect data being passed between modules.
- Verifies that different modules or services work together.
- Can be highly automated, reducing the burden on testers.
System Testing
Finally, system testing stands as a high-level testing approach that tests the entire system as a whole to ensure that it meets requirements and specifications. It ensures that all paired units work harmoniously and that the software system as a whole functions correctly. Examples of system testing tools are QTP (UFT) and Selenium.
Benefits of System Testing:
- Detects inconsistencies between the software and its specified requirements.
- Exercises the full software system, not just individual parts.
- Tests out the performance of the system under different conditions.
Now, let’s move on to the practice part. For the sake of this article, we will focus on system testing using Selenium WebDriver — a highly popular tool for automating web applications for testing purposes.
Practicing System Testing with Selenium WebDriver
Selenium WebDriver is used to automate the testing of web applications. It provides a simple API to write functional tests using a browser instance. It can work with different browsers including Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari.
Here is the basic skeleton of code to open a web page and perform some basic operations using Python with Selenium WebDriver:
from selenium import webdriver
# Create a new instance of Firefox
driver = webdriver.Firefox()
# Go to a web page
driver.get("http://www.google.com")
# Find the search box element by name
search_box = driver.find_element_by_name("q")
# Input into the search box
search_box.send_keys("Testing with Selenium WebDriver")
# Submit the search
search_box.submit()
# Close the browser
driver.quit()
This basic code navigates to google.com, finds the search box, types “Testing with Selenium WebDriver” into it, submits the search, and then closes the browser.
Automated testing is a critical aspect of Agile methodologies and developer roles within them. Learning the principles of unit, integration, and system testing allows for more efficient code production and fewer bugs in production software. And practicing regularly with key tools such as Selenium WebDriver will better equip you on your journey towards becoming a Certified Scrum Professional for Developers.
Keep in mind that every project comes with its own specific needs and constraints, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to testing. However, the approaches and techniques highlighted in this article serve as fundamental principles that apply across a range of situations and environments.
Practice Test
True or False: Automated testing is not suitable for testing system behavior.
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: Automated testing is well-suited for testing system behavior, such as functionality, performance, and security.
Which of the following is an automated testing approach for system behavior?
- a) Manual Inspection
- b) User Feedback
- c) Regression Testing
- d) Customer Interviews
Answer: c) Regression Testing
Explanation: Regression testing is an automated approach used to confirm that a recent change or addition hasn’t harmed existing features.
What is the purpose of automated load testing?
- a) To test the system’s response to high demand
- b) To verify the functionality of the system
- c) To check the design of the system
- d) To validate user requirements
Answer: a) To test the system’s response to high demand
Explanation: Automated load testing is performed to evaluate the system’s behavior in conditions of high demand.
True or False: Automated acceptance testing can be used to evaluate system behavior.
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: Automated acceptance testing can be effectively used to determine whether system behavior meets defined criteria or requirements.
Which among the following is NOT an advantage of automated testing?
- a) Increased Precision
- b) 24/7 Execution
- c) Immediate Validation
- d) Real User Experience
Answer: d) Real User Experience
Explanation: Automated testing does not incorporate the real user experience as it lacks the subjective judgment of a human tester.
What is the primary objective of automated integration testing?
- a) To evaluate individual units of code
- b) To assess the interaction and compatibility of different code modules
- c) To verify a specific feature of a system
- d) To evaluate system performance under load
Answer: b) To assess the interaction and compatibility of different code modules
Explanation: Automated integration testing is intended to evaluate the interaction between different modules or units of code within a system.
True or False: Automated testing does not require a significant up-front investment to set up test automation frameworks and scripts.
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: Automated testing often requires a substantial initial investment to establish testing frameworks and develop appropriate scripts.
Which of the following is NOT a type of automated testing?
- a) Unit testing
- b) Load testing
- c) User interviews
- d) Regression testing
Answer: c) User interviews
Explanation: User interviews are a manual testing method which involve qualitative feedback from users, not an automated testing approach.
Select the automated testing types that are best for evaluating system behavior. Select all that apply.
- a) Acceptance Testing
- b) Integration Testing
- c) User Testing
- d) Load Testing
Answer: a) Acceptance Testing, b) Integration Testing, d) Load Testing
Explanation: Acceptance, Integration, and Load testing are all automated testing methods that can be utilized to evaluate and validate system behavior.
True or False: Manual testing is always a more accurate way to evaluate system behavior than automated testing.
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: This is not always the case. Although manual testing can bring understanding based on a user’s perspective, automated testing is known for its precision and ability to execute numerous and complex test cases that are sometimes unfeasible manually.
What are the three principles for evaluating an automated testing approach for system behavior?
- a) Test early, test often, review results
- b) Write code, test code, fix bugs
- c) Structure, accuracy, precision
- d) Manual testing, automated testing, hybrid testing
Answer: a) Test early, test often, review results
Explanation: Test early, test often, review results are the principles for evaluating an automated testing approach for system behavior.
True or False: One cannot reuse test scripts in automated testing.
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: One of the main advantages of automated testing is that previously created test scripts can be re-utilized, thereby saving time.
Interview Questions
What is the main advantage of using Automated Testing in a Scrum environment?
Automated testing in a Scrum environment is beneficial due to its ability to execute quickly, thus providing rapid feedback on existing features and changes. This also allows the team to focus more on developing new features that provide business value.
Name three common automated testing approaches used for system behavior examination.
The three standard automated testing approaches used for system behavior evaluation are Unit Testing, Integration Testing, and System Testing.
What is the primary purpose of Unit Testing?
The primary purpose of Unit Testing is to verify the functionality of distinct parts of the source code, such as functions, methods, or classes.
What does Integration Testing achieve in automated testing?
Integration Testing verifies that the various modules or services in an application interact correctly. It identifies the interruptions in the interaction between different software modules.
Explain System Testing’s role in automated testing.
System Testing validates the entire system in an integrated manner. It ensures the software system works as a whole and satisfies the specified requirements.
How does automated testing improve the software quality in Scrum?
Automated testing improves software quality by detecting defects promptly and providing quick feedback on the product status. This allows the Scrum team to fix issues before they compound, ensuring the development of a high-quality software product.
What is the Test-Driven Development (TDD) approach?
TDD is a development practice where developers write a test case before writing the functional code. The goal is to improve the software’s design and productivity, and ensure that the system does what the developer thinks it should do.
What are the three stages in a TDD cycle known as red-green-refactor?
The three stages in a TDD cycle are: writing a failing test (red), making the test pass (green), and improving the design of the code (refactor).
How can one practice Unit Testing in a Scrum Environment?
One can practice Unit Testing in a Scrum environment by using tools such as JUnit, NUnit, and PyTest, depending on the programming language being used. These tools allow for the creation of automated tests that can be run anytime code changes.
What factor should be considered when selecting a tool for automated testing in a Scrum environment?
When selecting a tool for automated testing in a Scrum environment, consider the programming language of the project, the team’s familiarity with the tool, its integration with existing tools, and its ability to meet your specific testing needs.
Define the term ‘Regression Testing’ in the context of automated testing.
Regression Testing involves re-executing test cases to ensure that previously developed and tested software still performs correctly even after modifications.
How does automated testing support Continuous Integration (CI) in a Scrum environment?
Automated testing supports CI by ensuring that changes made by developers do not disrupt the existing system’s functionalities. Any issues introduced by new commits are quickly detected and resolved, thus helping to maintain the system’s stability.
How does Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) differ from Test-Driven Development?
In BDD, the behavior of an application is described through scenarios, while in TDD, test cases are collected before development begins. BDD focuses on the system’s behavior, whereas TDD focuses on how to implement the functionality.
What should be the focus while implementing automated testing in a Scrum environment?
The focus while implementing automated testing in a Scrum environment should be on maintaining the agility of the process and getting swift feedback. It should address each component and combination of the system, considering the risk, complexity, and critical functionality of the software.
What is the role of a Scrum Developer in automated testing?
Scrum Developers typically write and maintain automated tests, execute test plans, and ensure that the product is meeting the Definition of Done and its specified requirements. They collaborate with the Product Owner and the Scrum team to understand the requirements clearly and ensure that they are properly tested.
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